Now that the honeymoon phase of the first few weeks of school is over, teachers and students alike are wading through content at a more rapid pace. Homework, projects, and deadlines start piling up. On top of that, if your son or daughter is an athlete who has hours of practice and games every week, maintaining balance between school and sports proves challenging. How do student athletes manage their time between school, sports, maybe a part-time job, and their social lives?
At an Indio High School volleyball game, the freshmen Lady Rajahs sat on the sidelines cheering on the junior varsity and varsity teams. During their time at the game, they also had to perform other duties such as working the snack bar, being one of the line refs, and selling Indio High apparel. In between their responsibilities, if they had five spare minutes, they were flipping through texts, writing down a sentence or two, bookmarking key pages, and emailing teachers for clarification. These ladies understand the value of time and that even completing a few minutes of school work right there in the gym could save them a few minutes from completing it at home.
There’s something to be said about student athletes and their abilities to prioritize time. It takes self-discipline to become a better athlete. In turn, that self-discipline spills over into the classroom. Most athletes have an innate ability to focus on a task and complete that task to the best of their ability. Athletes understand the long hours it takes to become a better player. But if they can’t maintain grades, there are no Friday night lights, no crowded gyms with cheering fans, and no sense of pride being a part of a team and representing the school in a larger than life feeling.
After a long day of sitting in classes, going to practice, and completing homework, it can be easy to pick up a controller and play video games to unwind or hang out with friends, completely neglecting school work altogether. Unfortunately, some hobbies and friends are going to have to wait during the season. For students who need additional support during the season with their academics, they should seek tutoring, classmates to study and collaborate with, and open a dialogue with his or her teacher. Of course, parental help with homework is always advisable. Set small goals, reward those goals, and help your son or daughter power through those stressful times amidst their athletics.
