5 Tips for Managing your Student-Athlete

Parent-teacher conferences, doctor appointments, science projects and oh yeah – sleep. How are you and your child possibly supposed to squeeze in time for soccer practice, basketball games and family dinner?

It’s all about balance, Corey Lord, founder and owner of CAL Sports Academy says. Corey shares his tips for managing and maximizing your student-athlete.

1. Maximize your time

Every minute counts. While it’s easier said than done, time-management is a skill that has to be practiced just like a sport. Using old-fashioned habits like writing appointments on a calendar instead of on your phone can help keep you on track.

To maximize your student-athlete’s time, get them into the habit of using their small breaks throughout the day. Whether it’s at lunchtime or on the car ride home, using those spare minutes throughout the day to practice a few drills or study for an upcoming test can make a huge difference.

2. Limit Distractions

Now more than ever, distractions surrounding your student-athlete seem endless. To help keep your child focused, simply leaving phones and tablets in another room while they do their homework can increase retention and efficiency.

3. Get your Beauty Sleep

Limiting distractions and maximizing your student-athlete’s time will help with this tip. Time and time again, I see kids staying up past midnight to finish homework. Taking time to rest and rejuvenate the mind, body and soul is crucial to keeping them fresh and on their A-game.

4. Stock up on fruit and veggies

Along with sleep, healthy eating can make a huge impact on your student-athlete both on and off the field. Stopping by the drive-thru may be convenient when you’re running from school to practice, but relying on fatty foods to sustain your kid is a mistake. Parents often think because their child is playing sports, they are healthy and can afford to eat fast food. That is not always the case. Preparing healthy meals and snacks at the start of the week will enable you to skip drive-thru.

5. Take it easy

As a parent, you need to know what your student-athlete is capable of. Keep a close eye on how hard they are working both academically and athletically. While it’s our goal to bring out the best in them, kids will start to burn out if they feel there is too much pressure to be perfect. The same goes for you; don’t overextend yourself. If you simply feel as though there aren’t enough hours in the day, scale back and take it easy.

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