How to Balance School and Sports as a Student Athlete

What Are the Challenges Student-Athletes Face?

As a student-athlete you’re faced with some difficult challenges. You must balance school, sports, social life, other extracurricular activities, and quality time with loved ones. Each area is very important for your development and overall life experience.

The challenge lies in organizing tasks and prioritizing your time to make sure everything gets done. As student-athletes, we are required to excel both in our sport and in the classroom. Academically, we must maintain a certain average to be eligible, and for high school students, have strong enough grades to attract college recruiters so we can play at the next level. In our sport, added pressure to perform well comes from coaches, parents, and school fans because of our lofty expectations. Being a student-athlete is challenging and, at times, overwhelming. However, with the right mental approach it’ll help you grow as an individual and is a great experience overall.

Describe Your Personal Experience Being a Student-Athlete

Being a student athlete were some of the best years of my life!

What I enjoyed the most was my teammates. I bounced around to several different schools, making it difficult to maintain friendships but I was always surrounded by a group of people chasing the same goals and had the same drive as me. At times, I had difficulties with academics and finding balance in my personal life, but everywhere I went my team had a great support system. Whether it was coaches or tutors, I always got the extra push I needed to succeed academically. I learned a lot throughout my journey as a student-athlete.

I'd say my biggest takeaway was learning how to learn. It’s easy to be engaged when interested, whether it was school or basketball. However, staying focused and absorbing information when I wasn't interested was more challenging. Many topics that we learned I didn't really care about but I realized learning is a skill. Being able to recite or apply knowledge is food power for the brain. It builds mental strength and prepares you for success in all areas of life.

5 Tips for Balancing Academics and Athletics Commitments

Prioritize Tasks

Start each day with a list of all the things you need to get done and set the most important/demanding ones at the top. Commit to the list and follow through to stay on track.

Find Your Support System

It’s not always an easy road. There'll be times you're losing games and you don't want to do anything or you're falling behind because you had to miss a class - these are a few scenarios where you might need someone to lean on. Whether it be a teacher, coach, mentor, teammates, find those people who will get you through the tough times.

Set Goals

If you know what you're aiming for, it’ll be easier to stay on track. Set academic and athletic goals for yourself, and constantly remind yourself of them. This will help you ensure your day to day duties are aligned with what you need to do to achieve them.

Academic Advisor

An academic advisor will be key to your success at the high school and university level, so it’s very important to build and maintain this relationship. They will help with course selection, make sure your schedule is manageable, and hold you accountable when needed.

Stay Connected With Your Community

School and sports is very demanding but take a break from it when needed. Have other hobbies or clubs outside your sport, and spend time with your friends and family. As a student athlete it's also very important to have balance in your personal and social life.