Student-athletes Trying To Earn Money Must Juggle School, Sports And Job

STUART (Wednesday, March 29, 2006) - Some area high school athletes have learned to balance more than books and sports.
With college coming up, South Fork senior Ashley Cullum said she could use some spending money — so in addition to running track she works at Jersey Mike's Subs three days a week.


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Cullum spends the other afternoons at the track, where she runs the 4x400 meter relay and does the triple jump for the Bulldogs. Sometimes she goes straight from practice to work.
"At some points, it is difficult because I have to give my boss a schedule," Cullum said.

But there are plenty of positives from working a job as well, Cullum said.

"It's a fun place to work," Cullum said. "I've gained responsibility definitely and learning how to budget my money."

Cullum is one of many athletes on the Treasure Coast with after-school jobs to make a little cash. Some use the money for needed goods like car insurance, while others want to start saving money for the future.

Ashley's sister, Michelle, also does the 4x400 and high jump for the South Fork track team. The junior works three nights a week at Harbor Ridge Country Club as a valet.

"College is coming up, and I need money," the junior said. "The summer is also coming up, and I kind of want some spending money."

Balancing the job with the track schedule has not been too tough, Michelle said. She works with her boss and coaches and also sometimes switches shifts with other employees.

If work, school and athletics gets to be too much, their mother, Lisa Cullum, said she would make Ashley and Michelle stop working. But that hasn't proved to be the case.

"It worried me with them working because I always told them their grades are first," Lisa said.

And students have to take a break at some point, Sebastian River junior tennis player Kevan Sharp said.

"You need to do that or else you'll get burned out," said Sharp, who works at Walgreens in Sebastian.

South Fork girls track coach Bonnie Galdys said she worked during high school. Working as a high schooler is not something new to this generation, even if certain "needs" like cell phones are.

Galdys has athletes with jobs ranging from lifeguard to waitress. She said athletes often have to miss practice, but they can't always make it up immediately.

"They might need to miss practice on Wednesdays, but maybe every Wednesday is a hard day," Galdys said. "Or they might need to miss practice on Tuesdays, but maybe Tuesdays are easy days, so every day they practice is a hard day. It hurts them in that way too."

Fort Pierce Central athletic director Jay Stewart coached boys soccer at Fort Pierce Central from 1995-98. He also coached at South Fork from 1984-95. He did not let players miss practice, even if they had a job. Stewart, instead, went to the player's boss and discussed ways to make sure the athlete could make practice.

Still, Stewart said athletes having a job can be a positive experience.

"I think it's extremely important that they learn the value of the dollar," Stewart said. "(But) I don't feel that it should be such that they are forced to trade high school life for a job."

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