Which comes first, sports or school?

With summer just around the corner and all types of sports in season, parents may not realize that they are over scheduling their children for extracurricular activities. Even more important is the fact that children become so caught up in these activities, that their grades in school begin to suffer. This seems like a lot of stress for kids to have to go through doesn’t it? If you don’t think so, take a look at this letter sent to us by a student through our ‘Ask ClassBrain’ feature and you may change your mind...

Dear classbrain,

   Hi.  My name is Jaymie and I have a C in reading.  I am in 5th grade and I want to know if you can help me bring the C up to a B or an A.  Will you please help me.  Thank you!


Our staff member responds:

Hi Jaymie!
Thanks for using ClassBrain!  What type of corrections are you getting on your reading homework?  We help a lot of students bring their grades up.  Many times, there is one area of a subject that students struggle with, such as comprehension, spelling, or grammar.  Just let us know what part of your work you are having a little trouble with and we’ll be happy to help you out.

Melissa G.


Jaymie writes back:

Dear Melissa,

Do you think that I am getting a C in reading because I play sports?  I think that that might be the problem but I am not sure.  Will you please answer me?  Thank You!

Sincerly,

Jaymie

p.s. I play on 3 teams


Melissa responds:

Hi Jaymie,

Balancing sports and schoolwork is sometimes a little bit tricky.  You want to be a great player, but you also want to maintain awesome grades!  With some planning it can be done.  I know how challenging this can be because I also played sports while I was in school.

The first thing you need to do is to set priorities.  It is a great idea to get some help from your parents with this.   Remember that family comes first, schoolwork second, and sports or after school activities come third.  It is really important that you stick to this guideline.  It’s easy to forget especially when your team is doing well.  You might want to write it down and tape it to your mirror so you are always reminded.  “Family, Schoolwork, Sports.”

Sports take a lot of time and energy with all the practice and game times. Schoolwork also takes a lot of time and energy in order to make good grades.  You already spend time in class with your teachers, but you also have to spend time “practicing” at home for the “big game” also known as tests.  Homework, reports, and especially reading, require uninterrupted study times.   Make sure that you set some time each night to work on your studies.  Just like practicing for sports, having a study routine is the best way to make sure that you are spending the necessary time on schoolwork.  

I know you are playing on three teams right now and that has to be keeping you really busy.  How much time every week, or even every day, are you spending on sports?  Now, how much time are you spending on schoolwork?  If you are spending more time on sports, then by following the guideline of “Family, Schoolwork, Sports” you know that you need make some changes.  Three sports sounds like a lot to handle.  It’s unusual for someone to be great in three sports at the same time and to be a great student.  I’m sure that you like all three, but if you really like two of them more than the third one, you might think about giving one up for a season.  By giving yourself more time to study, your grades will almost certainly go up and you are going to be more proud of yourself.  When you have pride in yourself, everything around you gets better.  It will probably show in your performance in your sports too!

Here is an interview with Field Hockey player Kate Sidebottom who graduated from the University of North Carolina.  She talks about balancing academics and athletics and how she learned to do it at an early age.

Remember that good study habits start early and even though you are in 5th grade, learning to prioritize and organize your schedule will make your high school and college years more rewarding.

I hope this helps you.  If you have any other questions or need help, just let us know.  Don’t forget:  “Family, Schoolwork, Sports.”

All the best,

Melissa G.
The Mind's Eye