What makes a successful student-athlete is all about balance. You can be the greatest player on the team. However, if your grades are not, well, then “Houston, we have a problem.” Playing sports is a choice at the same time, a privilege. The competition, excitement, and thrill of playing feel great, but you cannot neglect your studies. School, grades, and studying are the primary reason your sport exists. You have to learn how to balance your sport, academics, and social life. Without balance and structure, it all becomes overwhelming.

What is a Successful Student-Athlete

To be an outstanding student-athlete means that you excel on the field and in the classroom. It means that you understand that both are equally important. In addition, sport will develop your life qualities like leadership, determination, focus, perseverance, dedication, confidence, etc. A great student-athlete takes those qualities and applies them in life and school.

How to Be a Great Student-Athlete

There are many qualities to attain to become a student-athlete. But the most important is balance. By scheduling and planning your time, you create balance. It will help you shift back and forth and learn how to juggle your training, practice, studying, and social life. That is why what you learn from playing sport can make school easier. You just have to apply them. You have first to develop your mindset to understand that you have a dual role.

It is challenging to enjoy high school, play sport, be social, and study. That’s why you have to have a plan and stick to it. It is essential. Doing this will construct your habits. And the more habitual you are, the more structured you become. Here are some ways to help you become a great student-athlete.

Be Organized

Stay organized. Keep a schedule for when you have tests, training, and practice. It really helps to put it all on paper. It will also make you less stressed. When you miss assignments or forget when tests are, you get worried. So, schedule it, mark it, so there are no excuses. Get used to scheduling now if you plan on going to college to be prepared ahead of time.

Develop Study Groups

Develop a group with classmates or teammates to stay current and on top of homework, assignments, tests, projects, etc. Schedule times to meet and go over notes and information so you all can get caught up together. It is a great way to keep track of information and stay responsible and reliable.

Ask for Help

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of effort, caring, and strength. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. Your professors understand that you are an athlete playing sports. If your professors cannot help, ask a classmate to help you understand what you missed. It is challenging. You are going to miss things. It’s natural for someone to miss something because of multi-tasking. Just do what you need to do to stay current.

Discipline

It takes discipline to prepare, prioritize, and even say no because you have a big game and test coming up. But, just as disciplined as you are with practice and playing, you have to be with the school as well. Use that discipline you learn in sports to help you study and concentrate in school. Being a student-athlete can become very overwhelming at times. However, discipline will help you relax, stay focused, and overcome.

I know you are still young to be hearing this, but you have to keep the big picture in mind. What do you want from sport? Where do you want sport to take you? If it is just to play in high school, no worries. It is a simple question that I wish I were asked as a high school athlete.

However, if you want to take the sport to the next level, you will have to develop these qualities to avoid getting scholastically lazy. But, unfortunately, it happens, and to prevent it, you need to set parameters and put things in place, so you don’t fall behind. Because when your GPA is under the threshold, you will be given a warning. And after that warning, you will be warming the bench.

“Good habits formed at youth make all the difference”-Aristotle