Mind full of Madness

How do you Deal with the pressure of practice time that is required as well as the amount of time to keep up with school?

     Personally as an athlete I find it helpful to take a minute. An alternate reality for me is music. Being athletic takes your energy and taking a break helps me reset and focus. I tend to get more work done. Daken Lundvall grinds during the day and is efficient so he doesn’t have to worry about the work later.

  “I have to make sure  I’m getting my assignments done during the school day and try to use my off periods for homework,” said Lundvall.

Tell me a little bit of what your schedule looks like. What do you do after school on a normal basis?

     McNeill’s schedule varies depending on which sports season she’s in.

“During basketball season, I come home after school and try to finish as much homework as possible before practice. I eat early dinner with my family and head to the gym around 4:50pm. Practice ends around 7:30pm.”

     Time management is a big thing that many athletes learn. Juggling your schedule is tough. The only people who know the effort being put in is the athlete.

How late do you tend to stay up at night? Are you up late because you get home late from practice or you up late trying to finish last-minute homework?

     According to https://ccspin.net/ 72% of student athletes stay up late due to homework leaving them exhausted for the next day.

    Hughes stated, “I tend to stay up pretty late on some days due to practice and homework, but during the season I’m so tired, so I seem to get the best sleep.”

      Hill is very similar.

She stated, “I tend to stay up until 11 sometimes because of homework and practice.”

     “During basketball season, I come home after school and try to finish as much homework as possible before practice. I eat early dinner with my family and head to the gym around 4:50pm. Practice ends around 7:30pm. I come home, shower, and finish any other assigned homework. By then I’m usually exhausted and fall into bed around 10:30 pm,” McNeill said.

What are ways you’ve learned to manage your time?

     “I have conditioned myself to prioritize my time accordingly. On the list of my priorities, school always comes first,” McNeill continued, “ To manage my obligations, I take advantage of all available time opportunities, such as off periods or Advisement, to get work done. Because I know my priorities, I don’t get distracted easily. I plan my days ahead of time to make sure everything gets done.”

Do you get stressed? If so, how does this affect you during the day?

     “As a student athlete, I frequently experience high levels of stress. Dealing with school work, homework, practices, games, work, clubs/activities, and team requirements can become very overwhelming and difficult. However, I have conditioned myself to prioritize my time accordingly. On the list of my priorities, school always comes first,” says McNeill.

What resources as an athlete do you feel help you deal with a busy schedule?

      “I try to stay focused on myself and not worry about things I can’t control. For lacrosse, we are fortunate to have a player development coach who helps us cope as stressful situations arise. And in track, the leadership is super supportive of my being a multi-sport athlete and allows me flexibility to meet all demands. I have been fortunate to have developed strong relationships with my teachers and the majority of them have gone out of their way to support me and help me reach my full potential. Sometimes that means allowing me to take my finals early, answering questions, and even something as small as asking how my game went.” Said McNeill.

     The environment you are put in, affects everything you do. Being able to have resources for teachers that are understanding makes life so much easier.

     Hughes says, “The resources I feel help me with a busy schedule is having the people around me, like teammates, friends and coaches, to ask if I need help with anything.”

Do teachers and coaches help you manage both athletics and academics?

      “It definitely helps when coaches and teachers are understanding of your busy schedule and sometimes you can get extensions on work to ease your workload,”said Lundvill.

     For the most part as long as you have good habits in your classes your teachers are happy to help as long as you communicate.

Does the cost of being an athlete affect your stress?

     “I don’t get too stressed but when you have a ton of work to do and a match it could definitely affect how you play,” Lundvill says.

     On the other hand McNeill, Hill and Hughes all agree that they get stressed after their long and busy days.

What is your main stress?

     “For me, being a student athlete is a choice. I choose to bring all this pressure and stress onto myself. I enjoy high levels of competition and this lifestyle,” McNeill said.

     The stress of sports for these students is worth it.

     “My main stress is soccer but I’ve learned to manage it by taking it one day at a time,” said Hill.

How stressful is your recruiting process?

     “The college recruitment process is definitely stressful. You’re always trying to showcase your skills, your leadership, and your attitude. There’s also the added stress of figuring out what universities you may want to attend, what you may want to major in, and trying to create a long term life plan. Overall the process is extremely stressful, but totally worth it if you want to continue your athletic career at the next level. Also my track coach was very helpful during this entire process. Baker would communicate with college coaches on my behalf and help get them interested in me.” McNeill said.

 Student athletes have to sacrifice much of their time and energy.

Some athletes have to deal with guilt for their lack of wanting to be social because they are tired. Or their guilt for their other sport. They have to be mentally tough and to be able to forget the mistakes they make fast.