Sometimes it may seem that school gets in the way of the one thing you want to do for the rest your life – Hockey. This is the feeling that a passionate player may have when they think about school and the rink. This is not a competition! A smart and committed player must learn how to balance the two! You can’t have an athlete play more than they read and learn, or have the same person study and ignore their skills or talents outside the classroom.
In the world of sports and academics, it takes a lot not to place one ahead of the other. You need to give them both the necessary attention. If you have had a talent in ice hockey and you wish to pursue it in the future, then you need to set out some rules to help you juggle both education and sports. If you are on the minor hockey team at your school, then you already know that you need to keep your grades up to stay on the team. It may seem hard at first, but there are a few things you can do to find harmony.
Schedule, Schedule, Schedule!
Whether its Monday, Wednesday or Saturday, you need to schedule time that you will work on your homework throughout the week. You can do this by making a monthly schedule for example. After plugging in your practices, training sessions, game days and times, enter your homework time slots. It may be right after school, during lunch or after practice. The schedule may not be consistent, but reserving time for this will help you remember and stay on track. Be sure not to keep homework for too late in the evening as you may be very tired after practice and will want to give your homework the attention it deserves. Keeping to a visual schedule, will really help you out if you stay focused and committed to following it.
Be Organized
Some people wouldn’t believe how much time you can save with a little organization. You can save an extra half-hour to an hour sometimes each day, if you do things like putting your hockey gear away each night where it belongs, and have your hockey snacks/water ready to go ahead of time. This extra valuable time that you wouldn’t normally have, can be spent on your homework or studies. Be organized with your homework too. Have everything you need ready and know what the expectations are. Be prepared and you’ll get it done in no time!
Play with Passion
If your dream is to one day play at the highest level, then you’ll need to practice just as hard as you read. You will need both things to make it in the big leagues. Playing with passion will help you keep moving even on those days when you feel like your body is too tired to keep going. Playing with Passion will also require that you take care of yourself properly. Good Nutrition, proper exercise, etc.
Regulate your Social Life
When you choose to work on your education and minor hockey, you may have to pull back on other aspects of your social life. You may need to turn down a few parties, get togethers or events to be sure you have time for schoolwork and hockey. If hockey is your passion, you will prioritize accordingly. Schoolwork…Hockey….and so on!
Know your Limits
If a big project or exam is coming up and you have 3 practices scheduled that week, you may have to opt out of 1 or 2 of them. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and not keeping up with your school work, speak up! There may be a simple solution. You may just need a tutor or extra help. Don’t let your academics and passion for hockey stress you out. There is a balance, you just need to do a bit of work to get there!