Countless hours of a child’s life are spent either at school, doing homework, or practicing their sport, but how can they manage their time wisely with so many activities and so little time?
As a student-athlete from a very young age, I have found that time management is the key to success in athletics and academics.
My daily schedule involves waking up, going to school, swim practice and then coming home to do school work. There are not enough hours in the day for this, right?
“The biggest issue is always time. There is so little time for our athletes after school to do it all: practice and play the sports they love, complete homework and study for tests, and simply allow moments to recharge,” said varsity tennis coach Kasey Saari. “I think it is important for us teachers and coaches to recognize how little time there is and to manage our expectations for our students and players appropriately.”
Truth be told, I sometimes find myself stressing over my workload whenever I open my assignment calendar on Monday mornings. To alleviate this stress from preventing me from completing my work, I organize each assignment’s due dates into a to-do list.
Taking the time to jot down what my week will look like allows me to allot dedicated time to each task. For example, if I know I have a test towards the end of the week, I know that I should look at that topic for about 20 to 30 minutes a day so I am not worried about studying the night before the test after practice.
Mount Pisgah’s athletic department ensures that students maintain the proper mindset of being disciplined when handling the stress of school and sport.
“The challenges for student-athletes are managing time and distractions from the goal. A successful student-athlete must be disciplined to get their school work done after practice. This isn’t easy, especially when you’re tired. This is why sleep is so important. Proper nutrition is also critical to a student-athlete’s success. And, elite athletes need to monitor their phone time,” said Mount Pisgah’s Athletic Director, Dana Ridenour.
Students should contact their coaches if they feel overwhelmed with schoolwork.
“I think student athletes need to communicate their concerns and needs to their teachers as they arise because we can’t help if we don’t know they are struggling,” says Saari.
