A Northside softball player hears the final bell sound and as her classmates file out of the high school, she’s left to socialize with some stragglers at her locker, but only briefly. After a nearly seven-hour school day, she gathers her things and dashes to the locker room at the back of the building.

Tired from the daily academic grind, she puts on her black and white uniform and briefly meets with her coach before heading out to the field for warm-ups. From there, as the coaching staff prepares the field for play — painting lines, cutting the grass (if needed) and staking the bases — the team warms up before the 6 p.m. game, which usually finishes up around 7:45 p.m.

For away games, the bus sometimes pulls back into Pinetown around 9 or even 10 p.m. And when the athlete gets home, it’s time to knock out that day’s homework before heading to bed.

And for 2-A teams like Washington, games usually begin around 7 p.m., moving the entire process up an hour.

For the dedicated student-athlete, whether it’s simply an afternoon practice or an away game in Jacksonville, an almost two-hour drive one way, the daily routine is demanding and requires unwavering commitment.

According to the NCHSAA’s eligibility handbook, “a student must have passed a minimum load of work during the preceding semester to be eligible at any time during the present semester.” On top of that, most teams have their own eligibility requirements in the preceding and current semesters.

With such limited time to focus on academics, some student-athletes find themselves struggling to keep pace inside the classroom. Others, the majority, fulfill the requirements accordingly.

Most of us simply see high school athletes on the field, competing for their respective schools, but beneath the exterior lies players who do more that just compete. It takes a lot to be a student-athlete these days and all those academically eligible deserve recognition.

It’s time to do away with the 7 p.m. games, ones that have students walking in the door around midnight. Because for even the top talent, academics should always come first.