Student-Athletes: 5 Tips For Balancing School, Sports and Social Life

Are you struggling to balance school and sports? Is it overwhelming to fit in study time, workouts, practice sessions and hang out time with your friends? Do you feel stressed out just thinking about it?

Don’t worry; these are totally natural feelings to have as a student-athlete.

No matter what level you are at — from clubs and traveling teams to high school or college programs — it takes balance and commitment to manage your busy schedule and do all of the things you would like to accomplish.

Is there an easy solution? Not really. But here are a few tips that may help you navigate the scheduling and stress that comes with being a student-athlete:

1. Know What’s Important

You have decided that school and sports are important to you, so now it’s important to stay committed to that decision.

Playing video games with your buddies is a fun way to relax and blow off steam, and you certainly should still make time for stuff like that when you’re able to. But it shouldn’t be a top priority.

2. Be Prepared For Sacrifices

Knowing what’s important about being a student athlete means you’re going to have to make sacrifices.

Again, while you definitely should make time for fun, you need to be prepared to skip that movie with your friends to get work done or miss the “concert of the year” for a practice.

3. Eliminate Distractions

Everyone has that friend that likes to joke around while “studying” or blow off responsibilities in favor of entertainment.

While you don’t want to sacrifice relationships, you do need to try to eliminate those distractions as best as possible to stay focused on the task at hand. You may want to try not studying or doing homework with that friend. Your time is valuable, so use it wisely.

4. Welcome Teamwork

While you definitely need to eliminate or at least limit distractions, you should equally seek out those that help. It’s always helpful to be surrounded by like-minded peers who share the same goals.

Plan study groups with your teammates, as well as workout time with them. Remember, your teammates are in the same position as you. Together, you are able to provide and receive a helping hand and organization with school and athletics.

5. Take Time To Reflect

Being a student-athlete is tough. Every once in a while, it’s important for you to step back, reflect and make sure you are still happy.

Don’t be afraid to maybe make a change. There’s nothing wrong with sticking with the JV squad over joining the varsity team in order to free up some time for other activities. Remember, the priorities are yours to set.

As a student-athlete, it’s important for you to manage your time and priorities wisely. It’s easy to become overwhelmed trying to fit in schoolwork, practice time and a social life. Ultimately, your happiness should be the most important priority.

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Author Bio

Travis Armideo, marketing manager at Gladiator Custom Mouthguards, is a lifelong ice hockey player. He began playing for various clubs at a young age and continued onto junior teams, while also playing lacrosse at the collegiate level. Travis is still heavily involved in athletics, coaching high school and youth ice hockey athletes, as well as playing men’s league ice hockey on a regular basis.