How to Teach Balance Between School and Sports

Research indicates that kids who participate in sports perform better academically than children who do not—yet busy sports schedules can sometimes make it easy for kids to fall behind. Helping your child learn to balance school and sports is a lesson that will serve them through adulthood. Here are four ways to help your young athlete get a head start.

Plan Ahead

First, assist your child in choosing a tool to help them stay organized, whether it’s the TeamSnap app or an additional notebook. Teach your young athlete to create calendar assignments for games, practices, and other deadlines. Seeing the week or month as a whole can give perspective to the tasks at hand. It can also help kids make better use of their time as they face what needs to be accomplished.

Avoid Procrastination

Encourage your athletes to complete assignments as soon as they are given. Scrambling to get things done at the last minute can cause stress not just for your children, but for you, too. Plus, when it comes to game day, that stress can lead to poor performance, not to mention poor grades.

Plan to Relax

All work and no play can make a child or teenager grumpy or even worse, burned out. Encourage kids to schedule time for reading, hobbies and hanging out with friends. Having a proper life balance helps young athletes avoid stress and continue to have fun—which is what sports (and learning) should be about.

Use Time Wisely

Talk to your child about making the best use of travel time and study halls. Homework doesn’t just have to be completed at night. When kids find time to complete school assignments they’re learning how to manage their time. It can also help them sleep better at night.

 

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Janis Meredith is a family life coach who wants to help all parents raise champions. You can find out more at rcfamilies.com.