As reported By Whitney Holtzman of ESPN RISE GIRL: Captain's Corner, our local prep star Shilpa Tummala not only excels on the court but in the classroom.
Junior at St. Mary's (Phoenix, Ariz.) says time management is a skill you have to master
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| Shilpa Tummala (back row, second from right) is not only captain of the girls basketball team at St. Mary's (Phoenix, Ariz.), she's also No. 1 in her junior class. | |
Shilpa Tummala isn’t just a leader on the basketball court for St. Mary’s (Phoenix, Ariz.). She also happens to be the leader of her entire class.
Tummala, a 5-foot-11 guard/forward, is No. 1 in her junior class of approximately 150 students.
So how does Tummala find time to rule on the court and in the classroom?
“It is tough to balance everything,” she said. “But it is possible. It’s all about time management, and sometimes I had to make sacrifices, such as not being able to go hang out with my friends when I have homework or not being able to watch TV during the week.
“The rule around my house was no grades, no basketball. … Maintaining my grades was mandatory because that is what would help me make a living later in life.”
Tummala has some advice for girls who are struggling to find a balance.
“The advice I would give is if you get your assignment ahead of time, don’t procrastinate and wait until the last minute,” she said.
She also has different techniques for how to handle homework on practice days vs. game days.
“If you have a late practice, go to the library and do homework rather than hanging out with your friends after school,” she said. “On game days, go to the library during your break period or lunch hour and finish whatever you can. The more you do during the day, the less you have to do after.”
She also points out that getting homework out of the way helps to clear the mind.
“Some days, you may actually finish all of it, and therefore you will be relieved and can be completely focused on the game,” she said.
Tummala also emphasizes that school work can actually be a great form of team bonding, since every team member has work that needs to be done (or at least that they should be doing).
It certainly serves as a way to bring the St. Mary’s girls together.
“Usually, the whole team is in the library studying or doing homework,” she said.
And while Tummala would like to play basketball in college, she hopes to eventually go into biomedical engineering.
But her most pressing advice?
“Be confident in your game at all times and keep working hard,” she said. “Reach for your goals and don’t let anyone get in the way of that. Enjoy playing the sport you love and embrace every minute of it.”
Tummala, a 5-foot-11 guard/forward, is No. 1 in her junior class of approximately 150 students.
So how does Tummala find time to rule on the court and in the classroom?
“It is tough to balance everything,” she said. “But it is possible. It’s all about time management, and sometimes I had to make sacrifices, such as not being able to go hang out with my friends when I have homework or not being able to watch TV during the week.
“The rule around my house was no grades, no basketball. … Maintaining my grades was mandatory because that is what would help me make a living later in life.”
Tummala has some advice for girls who are struggling to find a balance.
“The advice I would give is if you get your assignment ahead of time, don’t procrastinate and wait until the last minute,” she said.
She also has different techniques for how to handle homework on practice days vs. game days.
“If you have a late practice, go to the library and do homework rather than hanging out with your friends after school,” she said. “On game days, go to the library during your break period or lunch hour and finish whatever you can. The more you do during the day, the less you have to do after.”
She also points out that getting homework out of the way helps to clear the mind.
“Some days, you may actually finish all of it, and therefore you will be relieved and can be completely focused on the game,” she said.
Tummala also emphasizes that school work can actually be a great form of team bonding, since every team member has work that needs to be done (or at least that they should be doing).
It certainly serves as a way to bring the St. Mary’s girls together.
“Usually, the whole team is in the library studying or doing homework,” she said.
And while Tummala would like to play basketball in college, she hopes to eventually go into biomedical engineering.
But her most pressing advice?
“Be confident in your game at all times and keep working hard,” she said. “Reach for your goals and don’t let anyone get in the way of that. Enjoy playing the sport you love and embrace every minute of it.”
