October 14, 2026 — In week two of the Cobb Schools 2026 “Day in the Life” (DITL) series, we move outdoors to follow a student-athlete through a midweek school day as she tackles the rigor of academics before testing her grit through softball practice and training.
South Cobb High School's Janiya Fields is a junior in the Academy of Research and Medical Sciences and a multi-sport athlete. Juggling an academic schedule that includes Magnet, Honors, and AP courses, she somehow finds the time to be a standout softball player.
On the diamond, she has surpassed some notable milestones in her high school career. While catcher is her primary position, Janiya makes a significant mark from the pitcher’s circle. She holds the school’s single-season strikeout record with 96 and recently broke the school’s career strikeout record of 196. Midway through her junior season, she eclipsed the 250 strikeout mark and is likely to approach 400 for her career by the time she graduates.
The Eagles’ softball team leader is one to watch. Getting a glimpse into her schedule on a non-game day will further show why that is true.
Day: Tuesday (non-game day)
Location: Janiya’s family home
Time: 5:30 a.m.
“Yep, I'm up already. A normal non-game day for me starts at 5:30 a.m. Yes...5:30! We recently moved outside of South Cobb's
regular bus zone, so I have to catch my magnet bus at 6:30 a.m. That changed my routine a lot. I used to work out before school,
go to school, then softball practice, and finish my evening with extra softball skill work. This year, I had to make a decision. With
my bus coming earlier, I could try to squeeze everything in or use those extra few minutes for something else I really needed: SLEEP!
I've learned that taking care of myself is part of being an athlete, too. Sometimes being disciplined means pushing yourself, and
sometimes it means realizing your body needs rest.”
Location: The Magnet Bus
Time: 6:30 a.m.
“Since my ride is over an hour long, I try not to waste it. If I have something to study, an assignment to work on, or something to
review for class, I'll usually do it on the ride. But if my work is caught up? Power nap. No question.”
Location: South Cobb High School common area
Time: 7:50 a.m.
“This might be one of my favorite parts of the day. I have about 30 minutes to find my friends, talk, laugh, and hang out. Once
classes start, we may barely see each other. So those 30 minutes matter to me. For a little while, I'm not thinking about an
AP class, softball practice, training, or what assignment is due. I'm just a teenager hanging out with my friends.”
Location: South Cobb High School classrooms
Time: 8:20 a.m.
“One thing I've learned about being a student-athlete is that procrastinating can catch up with you fast. But I know what my
afternoon looks like. If I waste time now, I'm probably going to pay for it later. I'm moving from class to class like everybody
else, except I already know something that becomes more obvious as the day goes on: 3:30 isn't the end of my day. Not even
close. I know that every assignment I finish during Eagle Block is one less thing waiting for me after practice, and that's
important because when I finally get home, I want some time to relax, recover, talk to my friends, and have some me time.”
Location: South Cobb High School lunchroom
Time: 11:46 a.m.
“Twenty minutes. That's lunch. And somehow those might be the fastest 20 minutes of the entire day. I eat, talk with my friends,
laugh a little, and enjoy another small break before it's back to class.”
Location: South Cobb High School classrooms
Time: 12:11 p.m.
“AP Biology is next. I’m a student in South Cobb's Academy of Research and Medical Sciences, so this is one of the classes
that connects with what I'm interested in beyond sports. I love being an athlete, but I also understand that softball isn't the only
thing I'm preparing for. My education matters to me. I have goals that go beyond what happens on a softball field. My last class
is AP Language. At this point, I've been awake for almost ten hours. Some days I'm feeling pretty good. Other days I'm TIRED.
At 3:30, the final bell rings. A lot of students are headed home. I'm headed to the softball field.”
Location: South Cobb Softball field
Time: 3:30 p.m.
“It’s time for softball practice. When practice starts, it’s ‘student mode’ off, ‘athlete mode’ on. I've been up since 5:30, ridden the
bus for over an hour, gone through a full day of classes, and now I'm asking myself to compete physically.”
Location: South Cobb Softball field
Time: 6:00 p.m.
“After school practice ends, I'm tired. And sometimes...I still have personal training to complete. I'll be completely real. This training
is not easy. It's HARD! My body is tired. My brain is tired. But that's part of it. The best feeling is when something I've been working
on finally pays off. Those moments make the hard days worth the work. I don't want to fit in. I want to stand out. If I say I want
something, my actions have to match it.”
Location: Janiya’s family home
Time: 8:30 p.m.
“By now, I'm usually thinking about two things: FOOD and a SHOWER! Getting home is when my day finally slows down. I want to
relax. I talk to my friends. Watch a show. Recover. Sometimes I just lie there and do absolutely nothing. Sports are a huge part of
my life, but they aren't my entire life. Sometimes I just need to be Janiya.
Before bed, I try to make sure I'm ready for tomorrow. Because at 5:30 a.m., we're doing it all over again. Something my dad tells
me all the time is, ‘If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.’ The older I get, the more I understand what he means. Planning doesn't
mean everything will go perfectly. Trust me, it doesn't. But tomorrow I get another opportunity to work, learn, and try again.
This is what my days look like. Every day. From August through October. I love being a student-athlete. I love competing. I love
chasing the goals I've set for myself. For me, it takes what it takes, and that means that tomorrow morning my alarm is still going
off at 5:30 a.m.”
