how to balance sports and

Wake up at 7, school starts at 8: 30 and goes till 4, then practice at 4 till 6:30 or 7. If this sounds like an average day for you then you probably have a hectic schedule to keep up with during the week. The part I left out was getting home later and doing homework, eating dinner, and occasionally talking with your family and friends. If you are like I was my freshman and sophomore year you have a hard time balancing school and sports. Well I am not saying I have figured it all out but I did come up with a few tips and tricks to balancing a busy but productive life. Whether it is clutching to a daily planner with all of your strength, starting study groups, and finally actually talking to your teachers or coach.
Tip 1#: A daily planner will make your life so much simpler. When you have a planner you can write down anything you want to help you. No one is going to look at it except you so if you need to write, “really can not forget to study,” or “can not hang out with anyone tonight.” It is your personal life and no one is going to do this for you, so you can find a simple little planner and begin staying on top of your schoolwork. As a high school senior I have learned people are done holding your hand, but that planner will basically be at an arms reach at all times.
Tip 2#: Study groups will save you from time to time. My sophomore year I was taking AP World History with a teacher I thought hated me. She pushed me to the brink always demanding the best out of me. I thought about dropping the class the first semester due to the workload and the time and effort needed to pass the class. But, a friend of mine invited me to a study group with him and a few others in the class and I realized something. Think smarter not harder. My friends had been excelling by taking the best of each other’s strength and using them. I also learned that I could contribute to the group and help others while being helped. Study groups with close friends are fun but if you make sure you stay on task you will reap the benefits.
Tip 3#: Talking to your teachers or coaches can help more than you think. If you can sit down and talk to your coach and ask if they have any suggestions. Most coaches can point you to tutorials that can be helpful that you wouldn’t have known about. They can help with more than just improving your tackling, hitting, or running… etc. Remember they are still teachers. Teachers also offer more one on one tutorial and they can help more on an individual level.
Now I am not promising that if you do these things you are guaranteed great grades and a better life. But doing these things can make life a little easier. So this school year start some study groups and get a planner to run your life, and don’t be afraid of your coach or teacher. Most of all don’t waste a second this year.