On Christmas Day of 2025, there were two NFL games and five NBA games alone. The players are expected to attend their games over spending time with their families during the holiday season. Similarly, Oak Park High School student-athletes face the situation of choosing to spend time with the people that they love or playing the sport that they love. Should team members be required to go to practices and games during their dedicated time off, or is that just part of their commitment to the team?
“When we are on break, I have games and practices basically every day except for the actual holidays, like Christmas or Thanksgiving,” junior and varsity girls basketball player Joely Chadwick wrote to the Talon. “Over Thanksgiving break, I had four games, and a practice on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving.”
Obviously, professional athletes are paid to attend their games while student-athletes are not. Although, both professional and student-athletes are aware that when they join the team they may have to change their plans to accommodate for their sport.
“Every team member is valuable, and a successful team relies on each athlete’s commitment to being present,” the OPHS Coaches Handbook said. “This often means making sacrifices, such as postponing social activities, family trips or other events that conflict with training and competition schedules. One of the most valuable life lessons gained from a strong athletic program is learning to prioritize and make choices. All players are expected to attend all practices and competitions, including in sports that are open to any interested athlete.”
Whether a tryout is held or not, by accepting the team invitation athletes agree to the above rules and any other specific stipulations for their sport. While students understand this aspect of sports, it is not always among the most favorable conditions.
“I don’t typically enjoy playing during the break because it feels weird,” Chadwick wrote. “There is no crowd and the games can be at odd times.”
Some people may want to make plans over winter break since it is the longest break during the school year, but their sport may not allow it. Some teams, like the fall sports, don’t have very many days off, so it is less of a concern for them.
However, some students don’t mind having practices and games over break. It can give students the opportunity to see close friends and form a bond as a team.
“I’m personally okay with that,” freshman and junior varsity girls soccer player Hannah Hu said. “It’s not that much time that I’m losing from a holiday, so I wouldn’t mind missing out on a bit of a holiday to play in a game.”
In addition, the break can be a good time to get more experience and do some conditioning, whether their sport is in session currently or off-season.
“I do enjoy having games during the break because it kind of reminds me of summer and how we had no school,” junior and varsity girls basketball player Delaney White wrote to the Talon. “All I had was basketball to worry about and a lot more free time to do whatever.”
As a whole, neither sports nor holidays are more important than the other–both have their benefits and inconveniences. For this reason, some students would prefer to have the opportunity to decide their own schedule with minimal consequences.
“Every person has different priorities in their life, so they should be able to choose whether they practice or not over breaks,” senior and varsity cross country runner Mark Hodges wrote to the Talon. “It’s only high school after all.”
