Being an athlete at Townsend Harris High School is a huge commitment—requiring significant time and effort. However, the immense coursework and extracurricular activities THHS offers can make this challenging. It is rare to find a three-sport athlete at THHS, but senior Audrey Lin (Classic Opinion Editor) is an exception. Audrey is on the Girls Varsity Soccer, Basketball, and Flag Football teams, and is a captain for the Girls Basketball and Flag Football teams, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
With all of these commitments, it is apparent that they require balance. When asked about this balance, Audrey said, “Time management has been essential for balancing athletics and academics for me. Making sure that my work doesn’t pile up has allowed me to continue playing sports without putting my schoolwork in jeopardy.”
Audrey admitted it is not always easy to maintain this balance. Audrey said, “At times, I found myself wishing that I could just go home after school instead of going to practice, but it just forced me to be more productive during my free time. Overall, I found the workload quite manageable, though the toughest stretch was during the spring semester of junior year when I had to juggle internships, AP exams, the SAT, and just the approaching threat of college apps.”
She said time management was key: “What helped me the most was spreading out my different responsibilities. Weekdays after school were dedicated to practice, while weekends allowed for work, homework catch-up, and quality time with family and friends. In the summer, I was able to volunteer, intern, and explore different interests.”
Girls Varsity Soccer Coach Vaselios Sioukas said, “Though soccer wasn’t her first sport, Audrey has worked her hardest to contribute to the team. Her hard work showed on and off the field. Anyone who was around her felt the camaraderie. Her field sense made her a valuable utility player. I can put her anywhere on the field and have the confidence that she will do the job.”
Coach Sioukas said he commends her dedication, “Playing three sports is not easy, but this kid definitely made it look easy.”
Girls Varsity Flag Football coach Matthew Curiale said he also admires Audrey’s commitment. Coach Curiale said, “Audrey comes to practice no matter what—cold, rain, sun, wind, etc. She always works hard, can take a joke, and loves the sport. Audrey has improved greatly over the past few years. She can play offense and defense and is very coachable. She is very friendly and has a unique bond with most of the girls on the team.”
Senior Ioanna Giannopoulou, who has played on all three teams with Audrey said, “Being a fellow captain to Audrey during basketball season and flag season, I’ve seen her turn into this amazing and dedicated leader. She’s never late to practice, always helping coach clean up cones, basketballs, footballs—you name it. I never have to ask her if she’s going to a game, or if she’s going to practice because I can always count on her to be there.”
Sophomore Sophia Lee said, “[Audrey] is always there to talk and motivate me on the field. Audrey has been a role model to me because even though we both joke around at practice and games, she also knows when to be serious.”
Sophomore Kaitlyn Lee said, “Audrey has always been my role model since freshman year, taking part in three sports. Not only does she participate in just those sports, but she excels in all three of those sports as well. She is athletic and amazing, so I want to be like her.” Kaitlyn also appreciates Audrey’s commitment: “ She never skipped any practices, and as a captain, she’s always there for us and keeps us going. She makes practice fun, making jokes with everyone and interacting with all players as well.”
Audrey said she values athletics as an outlet to relieve stress. Audrey said, “It gives me a break between my school day and going home to do more homework, where I can just clear my mind from anything academic related. It is also a place where I can socialize with my teammates and build fulfilling relationships.”
As Audrey finishes her final season as a THHS student athlete she said she is interested in playing sports in college. Audrey said, “I definitely want to play club basketball and I’m also interested in intramural flag football.”
