Balancing School and Sports
People love playing all different sports for different reasons. Some people enjoy them since they feel more included in team sports, while others like to reach milestones of achievement. As a competitive swimmer, my life often feels like a relay: school, swim practice, homework, repeat. Many people have asked me before, “How do you manage it all?” Being honest, it’s pretty difficult but very possible. In fact, swimming and school can actually help each other, if you’re good at staying organized and motivated.
Like all various sports, swimming takes time. Usually, I spend hours in the pool every week, sometimes before the sun’s up and after the school day ends, even on the weekends and in the summer. Long practices have taught me something more valuable than any medal: perseverance. Every day you come to practice, you expect to be broken down, rebuilt overnight, and come back tomorrow as a stronger, better person. The only thing to keep in mind is to not be broken down to the point where you can’t be rebuilt.
A study from the American College of Sports Medicine found that student-athletes often outperform non-athletes academically because sports help build better time management skills and mental toughness. For example, I know I probably have less time to finish my homework, so I focus harder. I use my free time, breaks, and downtime wisely. You can use your breaks in a priority-based way. If math is coming up next, use your next free time to get the work done. The secret from good to extraordinary is that little extra.
In addition, a person who swims or does any other sport, can have benefits in their health from exercising regularly, eventually leading to better test results. But balance has to come with sacrifices. To get something done, you may have to give up the privileges of that day.
Still, I’m also very human, in fact, I’ve had days where I barely can keep my head above water, academically and physically. An important thing to take note of is communication. Talking to teachers early about your schedule has helped me avoid falling behind. Coaches are often flexible too, especially when they know you’re serious about both school and swimming.
It’s also really important to have a positive attitude. If you happen to have a bad swim yesterday, or a bad test today, there’s always tomorrow. Balancing stuff is hard. Some days, actually most days, I’m tired. Some nights, I’m cramming my studies a lot. Sometimes, I wonder what it’d be like to be a normal person. But in the end, don’t have regrets, and don’t stop.
