High school sport is a vital part of our school life. The tricky part is finding a good balance between academics and sport. It’s good to remember that what works for one person, might not necessarily work for another. Usually the pressure is felt when tests are around the corner and there are high school sport matches lined up every afternoon leading up to test week. To add to this stress, you might also be in a leadership position at school and have to attend meetings during break, etc.
The stress often kicks in on those days when you have projects to complete! You stay up all night doing a project and then wake up late for school. You have no time to make lunch and to top it off, you forget to pack your sports kit for the match that afternoon. Talk about Monday blues!
Parents often remind their kids not to bite off more than they can chew, and maybe listening to parents’ advice sometimes wouldn’t be a bad thing! The truth is, most of your stress can be completely avoided by a little bit of planning and proper time management.
Time management
Yes, we’ve all heard this a million times! And no, we aren’t really interested in this generic tip. As common as it may be though, time management could cut away half of the daily stress you experience! Little things like allocating certain times for homework and leisure can help you plan well for the week ahead. Projects and tests always seem to be due all at the same time. Having a specific time set aside each day for homework and adding some revision in during this time will lessen your workload towards the end of the term. Setting aside as little as two hours everyday to do your schoolwork will make exam prep a breeze! Those few hours you spend doing the prescribed exercises will aid in building your understanding of the work. This means that when tests or exams arrive you will already have a basic understanding of the work. Instead of starting from scratch, you can spend time revising work completed already rather than trying to learn a whole textbook the night before a test or exam. Trust me, I’ve been there and done that. It’s not pretty.
Planning
Planning is too important not to mention. Planning is often viewed as additional work, but in fact it saves us time in the long haul. Something as simple as getting a diary to write down due dates, doing lunch prep, or packing your kit bag the night before, can help to ease the morning rush more than you realise! Instead of spending the morning running around looking for socks, doing last minute cramming and finishing homework, you can easily wake up, take a relaxed shower, and eat breakfast preparing for the day ahead, without stressing. It’s like choosing to free-fall or skillfully glide into your day (as if mornings weren’t already a bummer on their own). It takes just ten minutes before bed to pack your bags and prepare for the next day, and this alone can decrease most of the stress you usually start your day with!
Healthy eating
We all know how comforting a pie and coke can be for lunch. But, there is almost no nutritional value in this type of meal, and it’s barely healthy enough to give you the adequate energy to last until your sport match later in the afternoon . Peanut butter sandwiches and a fruit is a way healthier option. It’ll give your body energy to last throughout the day and won’t leave you feeling lethargic. Don’t forget after your match you still have to go home and hit the books! Therefore you should make sure to eat foods that won’t spike your energy levels and leave you more tired after “the high” wears off. For more healthy eating tips check out http://www.amandaowenonline.co.za/nutrition-when-studying/ .
High school sport
Being on the field, in the water, or whatever your sporting preference takes you, is exhilarating. The benefits of playing high school sport is subtle but beneficial. Keeping your body fit is a no-brainer, but teamwork, social-skills, leaderships and humility are all good qualities that are developed when being part of a sport team.
Visit https://www.families.com/blog/10-benefits-of-playing-sports for more benefits of playing sport.
Do your best!
The balance between sport and academics is a very fine line and may prove challenging at first. Having said this, once you find a good balance the outcome could be the best thing that ever happened to you. Imagine, you could be the next Penny Heyns and Albert Einstein rolled into one! Give yourself the chance and don’t give up!
By Lushano Naidoo
Questions?
Interested in finding out more about balancing your sports schedule and academics? Have specific questions for Lushano? Post your questions below this post and we will reply to you!