Liam's Balancing Act

Liam, a 17-year-old high school junior, is torn between his academic goals, basketball commitments, part-time job, and social life. With a major history paper due, extra basketball practices for the state semifinals, and pressure to join his friends on a weekend camping trip, he’s struggling to balance it all. His parents push him to prioritize academics and sports, but Liam is feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and unsure if he's sacrificing too much. He must decide whether to focus on schoolwork, support his team, or take a break and enjoy time with his friends, knowing each choice has significant consequences.

Liam is a 17-year-old high school junior with big dreams of getting into a prestigious university. He’s known for his academic rigor, taking multiple AP classes while also juggling extracurricular activities. He’s the starting point guard on the school’s basketball team, which just made it to the state semifinals. On top of that, he works part-time at a local restaurant to help save money for college.

Recently, things have been piling up. Liam has a major history research paper due next week, and he hasn’t even started. At the same time, the basketball team has extra practices leading up to the big game, and his coach is counting on him to be there. To make matters worse, his friends have been asking him to hang out more, especially since a group of them is planning a weekend camping trip—a tradition he hasn’t been able to join for the past two years due to his packed schedule. His friends joke that he’s “always too busy” and that he’s missing out on the best years of high school.

Liam’s parents encourage him to keep his focus on academics and basketball, believing that these are the keys to his future success. But lately, Liam has been feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. He’s only been getting about five hours of sleep a night, trying to stay on top of everything. He’s beginning to question if he’s sacrificing too much. He says,

“I’m waaaay too burnt out to actually enjoy anything. I feel like there really aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I need to do, let alone want to do, without sacrificing my sleep schedule or just taking the L on certain assignments.”

Now, with the big weekend approaching, Liam has to make a decision. He could work on his research paper and get ahead academically, go to the extra practices to support his team, or finally take a break and join his friends for the camping trip. Each choice comes with consequences, and Liam is struggling to figure out what matters most—his future success or living in the moment. How can he possibly balance it all without letting someone, or himself, down?

This dilemma was inspired by the following sources: