An hour and twenty minutes can make all the difference in the world–especially when it comes to balancing one’s school schedule with athletics. Thus, the new release time is not scoring big at the moment with some of Elkhart’s Fall athletes.

“I think it’s not the best thing in the world,” shares senior football player David Stansbury, “because when you get out for your sports practice, it’s significantly hotter. It also leaves you less time after practice to go home and do your homework–along with other things,” he adds. Similar responses came up repeatedly with other athletes in other sports.

Those on the soccer and volleyball teams say they are the most affected by the new adjusted times. Weeknight games don’t start until 7 p.m. and don’t conclude until around 9 p.m. For athletes to get home, do homework, get ready for the next day, and somehow find time to squeeze in dinner–that’s a challenging task.

Stansbury would argue that it is the football team who is the most affected. “They have long practices, and it’s really hot out wearing their pads and their helmets.” Yet, that may have less to do with the time change and more to do with the sport itself. Logan Miller, a sophomore, indicates that, in reality, “nothing has changed.” Start times to games are still the same, and players just really go with the same schedule as last year’s games. Miller further states that the only change is the hour lost by getting out at 4 p.m. And, most students will not get up an hour earlier to gain that hour back.

“I definitely prefer the old schedule,” Stansbury concludes. “Waking up at that time wasn’t that bad, and you’d get out at 2:40 p.m. You’d get done with your practices by no later than 5 p.m.,” he adds, “which is where some teams are starting their practice now.”

Maybe when Americans set their clocks back an hour on Nov. 7, it will feel like old times again!