• HOME
  • BEST OF PARTY PHOTOS
  • FEATURES
    • Best Of Cover Shoot
    • Pet Owner’s Stories
    • People
    • Places
    • Issues
    • Remembering
    • Things
    • To Do
  • DEPARTMENTS
    • Finance / Real Estate
      • Financial Articles
      • Real Estate
        • Real Estate Experts
        • Top 10 Most Expensive Homes Sold
        • Articles
    • Around Town
    • Business
      • Belle Hall Shopping Center
      • Lowcountry Women in Business
      • MP Business
    • Dwellings
    • Entertainment
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Food & Drink
    • Giving Back
    • Health & Wellness
    • Love & Marriage
    • Pets
    • Relax & Retire
    • Sports & Fitness
  • Read Magazine
  • MORE MAGS
    • Charleston Women 👩‍🏫🏢
    • Lowcountry Cuisine 🧀🍷
    • Best of Mt Pleasant Mag 🏆🏆
    • MP Business Mag 🏢
    • MP Pets 🐶🐱
    • Charleston Independent School Directory 🏫
    • MP Senior Living 👴👵
    • More Mags
      • IOP Mag
      • SI Mag
      • MP Town Hall Magazine
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Attorney Directory
    • 2025 Charleston Wedding Venues
    • Pool Builders/Services Directory
    • Financial Planners
    • Mount Pleasant Area Hotel Directory
    • East Cooper Worship Guide
    • East Cooper Fitness Directory
    • Senior Living Directory
    • 2023 Local CPA Tax Directory
    • Mount Pleasant Apartment Directory
  • SUBSCRIBE

Mount Pleasant Magazine

Mount Pleasant Magazine is the premier lifestyle magazine for Mount Pleasant, SC. Read about local news, events, businesses, people, and more. Subscribe today or read our digital magazine online.

  • Best of Mount Pleasant
    • 2025 Best of Mount Pleasant Including Previous Years
    • Best of Mount Pleasant Winner Articles
    • Best Of Party Photos
  • Podcasts
    • Mount Pleasant Podcast
    • Carolina Real Estate Podcast
    • Georgetown the Podcast
    • Coastal Home Podcast Video Tour
    • Best of Mount Pleasant Podcast
    • Hammock Coast Podcast
    • More Podcasts
      • Charleston Women Podcast
      • Isle of Palms Podcast
      • Charleston Pet Podcast
      • Charleston Wedding Podcast
  • Top Ten Homes Sold
  • Advertise
    • Advertise With Us
    • Media Kit
    • Video Testimonials
  • About Our Team
  • MORE
    • Real Estate Experts
    • MP Town Hall
    • Attorney Directory
    • News
    • MP Neighborhoods
    • East Cooper Online Network
    • Contact

High School Athletes Find Dual Success in Sports, Academics: Team Effort

Posted by MPM Leave a Comment

Wando High School football.
Wando High School football.

Your high school football team is behind by a touchdown at the 10-yard line with a second left on the clock. What are they trying to decide in that huddle? To run? A pass? … To get together after the game and study for that AP Calculus exam?

Oceanside Collegiate Academy.
Oceanside Collegiate Academy.

At Mount Pleasant’s outstanding secondary schools, the answer could be all three. That’s because the tradition of the student-athlete is so strong here that sports and academics are inseparable.

Coach Chad Grier, director of athletics at Oceanside Collegiate Academy, might have been speaking on behalf of all his fellow sports mentors when he said, “Sports are critical to the high school experience. We recognize how important a part of a total education sports is and that athletics should be a part of the total education of every student.”

At Wando High School, Robert Hayes, coach and director of athletics, echoed that belief, stating, “A student who participates in extracurricular activities has the opportunity to enhance his or her educational experience. And playing a sport is one of the best ways to do just that.”

Coach Dale Hoover, athletic director at Palmetto Christian Academy, concurred. “Generally, athletes are also good students. We make sure that they understand that their studies come first. If they don’t keep up with their academics, they don’t get to play sports. In life, you always have to make choices,” Hoover added, “and you have to make sacrifices … choose what’s important to you, and make the time for what you choose. That’s one of the life lessons sports teaches you.”

Palmetto Christian Academy volleyball.
Palmetto Christian Academy volleyball.

That’s all well and good to say for these dedicated educators who have chosen to focus on athletics. But how do their student-athletes feel about it?

Oceanside senior Joey Boylston just committed to the University of Utah to play lacrosse after playing that sport and football at the high school level. He said, “Sports and academics are a good fit. I’ve never felt any conflict between the two. If you work hard, you can excel both at sports and at academics.”

His classmate Valentina Mosquera, a soccer attacking midfielder aiming to play at a Division I college, said she “would recommend to any incoming student that they get involved in sports, even if they’ve never played before.” She continued, “Committing to something outside the classroom really helps with time management. When I have homework, I have to set aside the time to do it before or after practice. I can’t just ignore it.”

Palmetto Christian Academy football.
Palmetto Christian Academy football.

In addition to time management, Wando football quarterback and baseball center fielder Will Pickens feels that playing high school sports “is a great experience.” He added, “I think it has really helped my education. I love being a team player because it teaches you not to focus just on yourself. Others are depending on you.”

At Palmetto Christian Academy, Mack Poston is one of those unusual football players who goes both ways on offense and defense “in part because we’re a smaller school.” Poston doesn’t anticipate playing at the college level but feels his high school academics have prepared him for a major in civil or mechanical engineering at a first-rate university such as Georgia or Clemson. “It can be hard to come off a tough practice then study for a difficult test,” he said, “especially when you’re really tired out. But that’s just part of being in high school. I think it’s made me a better person by learning to balance the two.”

Oceanside Collegiate Academy’s Valentina Mosquera.
Oceanside’s Valentina Mosquera.

Palmetto Christian senior Emily Campbell plays both basketball and tennis and hopes to continue playing both at the college level, possibly at the University of South Carolina. “Our coaches want us to focus on our sports while not neglecting our studies. They’re very flexible. If a big exam is coming up, they’ll let us study before it and practice later. Or, if we’re getting extra help from one of our teachers, they’ll let us show up for practice when we can.” Free periods and study halls help Campbell get all her schoolwork done. She added, “I think that sports have been a bonus, not a drawback, to my studies.”

A recurring theme for coaches and athletes alike is the significance of being part of a team effort.

Coach Grier said, “Team sports provide students with an opportunity to learn accountability, as well as an opportunity to get what they earn. They learn the character traits that will serve them well in life after school.”

Coach Hayes observed, “They’re all going to be on teams of one kind or another for the rest of their lives. Sports helps them learn early on what it means to be a good teammate.”

Coach Hoover noted, “When you combine sports with academics, you are interacting with people on the playing field and in the classroom in ways that will benefit you for the rest of your life. One of the things that brings students together,” he added, “are the tough times they go through. Things that are easy, we tend to forget. Things that are hard stick with us.”

Do these coaches and their players have it right? Or are they just defending their positions? A study by the International Journal of the History of Sport, quoted in the respected U.K. newspaper The Guardian, concluded that for student-athletes having “‘dual careers’ provides motivation for training and preparation, stimulating athletes intellectually and relieving stress.”

In Mount Pleasant’s high schools, the results are clearly in: Athletics and academics are complementary, not oppositional.

Nonetheless, as Coach Hayes put it, “When you come back to your reunion, you’re not going to be talking about your tough final exam. You’re going to be talking about the big game at Summerville or the upset win at West Ashley.”

P.S. When your team broke that huddle, they threw a screen pass for the TD and the win! Then, they poured a bucket of Gatorade over the head of their calculus teacher.

By Bill Farley

Sharing is Caring

Possibly Related:

Rob Fowler, Chief Meteorologist, NEWS 2Brace Yourself: Expecting Above-average Hurricane Season for 2024 Mount Pleasant Podcast logoGridiron Gurus: Local High School Football Coaches Sound Off! Kick it Kicks Mount Pleasant, SC boutique shoe store - featured imageKickin’ It New School: Teen Opens Kick It Kicks Boutique Shoe Store

Filed Under: Issues

Advertisement

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search The Site

We're on Facebook We're on X (formerly Twitter) Mount Pleasant Magazine Youtube Channel We're on Pinterest Mount Pleasant Magazine Facebook Community We're on Instagram
Ad: South Carolina Federal Credit Union, enjoy life banking on the best.
Ad: Visit Woof Gang today!
Mount Pleasant Magazine Sep/Oct 2023 magazine coverREAD DIGITALLY
Read the digital magazine
now.
GRAB A COPY
Where can I pick up a copy of Mount Pleasant Magazine?
SUBSCRIBE
Get Mount Pleasant Magazine Delivered.
Ad: Premier Health and Wellness in Mount Pleasant, SC. Let’s Redesign Your Health & Wellness.
Read about the History of the Bridge Run
Visit Palmetto Christian Academy.org
Ad: 1st Choice AC, Heating, Plumbing and Gas, for the best AC Service for your home in Mount Pleasant, SC.
Pleasant Family Dentistry in Mount Pleasant, SC. Experience the BEST, and find out why we've been awarded 7 times in the BEST of MOUNT PLEASANT!
Ad: Visit Front Beach IOP and SHOP, DINE and DRINK in the SUNSHINE.
Ad: Get Carried Away - Real Food, Real Southern, Really Good!
Click for Stores & Services
on Coleman Boulevard
Coleman Blvd Merchant Alliance
Best of Mount Pleasant logo is a registered trademark
Ad: Every Day is a Good Dog Day at Michael's Barkery

Most Recent Posts

Palmetto Christian Academy Mount Pleasant’s #1 Private School 11 Years Running!

Emily Faile, Academic Counselor with Palmetto Christian Academy, sat down for a chat with host Brian Cleary. Their opening discussion revolves around why she believes the Academy was named Best … Continue Reading

Georgetown’s New Gem: The Making of The George Hotel

Get the inside story on The George Hotel, Georgetown's exciting new addition! Host Bill Macchio sits down for a compelling conversation with Christy Whitlock, a Realtor and developer with The … Continue Reading

Georgetown, SC Rising: A Look at the City’s Dramatic Growth & Downtown Revival

Join host Scott Richards and Main Street Director Al Joseph for an insightful look into the remarkable transformation sweeping across Georgetown, SC. This video dives deep into the revitalization of … Continue Reading

Front Street Georgetown

Opening Batch: Georgetown Crafts First Brewery

A craft beer fan and teacher from Cincinnati, Chase Runyan started brewing in his house by tinkering with kits and learning how to bottle the beer after fermentation. After making five or six batches … Continue Reading

Revolutionized: Georgetown’s Downtown Makeover

When the port city of Georgetown was laid out in 1729, merchant-oriented businesses and homes lined the land side of Front Street, originally called Bay Street, overlooking the sparkling Sampit River, … Continue Reading

Gold Standard: Georgetown’s Own Crowned Olympic Champion

When 23-year-old Nike athlete and Georgetown native Melissa Jefferson arrived at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June, she was determined to secure her … Continue Reading

More Front Street Georgetown

SEARCH

Get Our Free Newsletter!
Mount Pleasant Apartments
Pleasant Family Dentistry
Water's Edge Dentistry
34 Waterway Island Drive

Copyright © 2025 · Mount Pleasant Magazine, All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy

▲