4 Essential Tips to Juggle School and Soccer Balls

Being a soccer player is all-consuming at times. Between practice, game days, and extra hours of training, it can be hard to get your mind focused on anything else. 

As a student, having your mind on soccer alone might benefit your game but not your grades. So how do you keep your mind focused on the books instead of replaying events from a game the night before? Here are a few tips to help you juggle both school and soccer. 

Plan your time well

School and soccer each require lots of time and dedication. When balancing a heavy class load and working to improve your game, it’s important to plan well. Class and practice times are more consistent, making it easier to know when you will have free time to study or get in extra training. Additionally, make a note of when you are most productive, both on the field and when studying, and plan your working and training times around that. 

Prioritize by importance

On weeks when your schedule is full of tests, big games, and everything in between, you’ve got to know what to focus on first. You can avoid heavy stress by tackling items one at a time, but first, you’ll have to narrow down where to begin. List your priorities for each week and rank them by importance. Tackle the top items first, and continue going down the list following the last item you completed. This will prevent you from losing time by focusing on items that aren’t as important. 

Avoid procrastinating

Student-athletes have lots going on and no time to waste. So when you know you have assignments that you need to complete before practice or game days, don’t wait to do them. Procrastination leads to more stress and can impact your grades and playing skills, so avoid it altogether. 

Take breaks

When you are balancing multiple things at once, it is easy for your mind to get overwhelmed. Rather than pushing yourself harder to make sure you get everything done, learn to recognize when you need a break. Your body needs rest to be at its best for soccer, and your mind needs rest to be at its best for study. Don’t limit your breaks either; rest as much as is needed.

Being a student-athlete is difficult but very rewarding! With an effective plan, balancing school and soccer is possible and can even be easily managed! 

Featured image via Adobe Stock Images

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