Excelling in academics is must, but should you ignore sports? Let’s find out

If a student excels in studies, participation in sports usually gets ignored, and if a student is an athlete, he/she has a tough time balancing academic schedule. While academics is important, students need to realize that sports too is an integral part of their school life and it is a balance of two that teaches lessons that surpass the four walls of the classroom.

Research has proved that students who indulge in sports along with academics are more disciplined, focused and better time managers. Of course, they also have the opportunity to pursue career in both sports and any academic field of their choice.

But, often students are seen juggling and finding it difficult to maintain equilibrium between studies and sports. So, how does one achieve the optimal balance?

Here are strategies that can help students strike a perfect balance between academics and field training:

Set goals right: No matter how good an athlete a student may be, he should be told to never ignore academics. Our staff at Doon International School, Chandigarh believes that today a student may want to become a professional cricket player or a tennis player, but they should remember that life may alter their plans faster than they think. So, a student should always have a back-up option ready. Scoring well in academics will always open up more options on the professional front. Should sports dream go awry, a student will have the academic degree to support him.

Proper time management: Students should be guided to plan schedule in advance so that they know how much time to allocate to sports in comparison to academics. Setting a planner, enlisting all the upcoming tests, exams and events will help them know exactly how much time they have for studies and sports, because if the day isn’t planned well, both sports training and academics grades will suffer, and life will eventually become chaotic. Students should know that only present is real and at their command. They shouldn’t procrastinate. Once they take care of each moment of today and plan it well, their past and future will automatically be taken care of.

Use Travel Time Efficiently: Whether they are heading to school or back home or for a tournament, students can use that travelling time to organise class notes or prepare for upcoming test. Ideally, one only needs 10 minutes after class to review the work done and fill in the parts that were missed.

Plan free days wisely: Instead of using holidays and weekends to just hang around with friends, students can be encouraged to use those days to cover up areas where they are lagging. They can practice their game or prepare for upcoming exams, test or even submit their upcoming assignment. This will make it easier to balance academics and sports in the coming days.

Seek help whenever needed: Teachers at the Doon International School, Chandigarh are the true support system of students in school.  Whenever students are perplexed about how to manage studies and sports, or unsure how certain events will unfold, they should feel free to seek guidance from their teacher. If a student has an important test or exam coming up, their sports coach will definitely understand and let the student miss a practice session. Likewise, if a student has an important match in few days, their teacher will allow the student to skip class or even postpone submission of assignment. A student should never shy away from seeking assistance from their teacher whenever needed. Planning and effective communication is the key achieving success, whether on field or off field.

Hire a Tutor: If students find it difficult to cope up with studies, they shouldn’t hesitate from seeking help from tutor after school time to prepare for upcoming test or examination. They can even take help from a friend in school who can share notes and explain concepts that seem incomprehensible.

De-stress and relax: With a lot of pressure to perform both on field and off field, students are bound to stress out and feel anxious. While everyone hopes to excel in both academics and sports simultaneously, they should be told that it is passable to not always strive for perfection and commit mistakes. When days get heavy, they should be supported, comforted, and given a shoulder to lean on. They should be encouraged to relax and unwind. It may mean indulging in their favourite hobby that relaxes their mind, like cooking, painting, gardening, or just listening to soothing music amidst nature.

Prioritize self-care over everything else: The key to performing well in studies and sports is self-care. Students should eat and sleep on time. As food fuels the body, they should take a healthy and balanced diet. Also, they should minimize distractions before sleeping, even if that means switching off the phone and keeping it aside. A regular sleep schedule of at least 7 hours sleep will leave them feeling fresh and rejuvenated, enabling them to efficiently meet both their academic and sports challenges.

Achieving balance between academics and sports is tough but definitely doable with the right guidance, help from both teachers and parents.