4 Tips for Balancing Basketball with Life & Studies

It can be stressful for student-athletes balancing success on the hardwood with success in the classrooms and everyday life. But the importance of being well-rounded cannot be denied — it’s great preparation for whatever their future holds.

And while every basketball player should approach both practices and games with the intensity of getting better every time out there, that same mentality should be used in the classroom. It’s never a bad idea to have a backup plan.

In a recent article from TalkBasket.net, the site outlined four tips at balancing life and basketball. Below is an excerpt for the four pieces of advice that can be used in life and on the hardwood.

Manage Your Expectations

Learning how to manage your expectations is extremely important. Avoid thinking that you have to be perfect at both basketball and school. If you set your expectations too high, you’ll likely deal with an overwhelming amount of stress that will make it harder for you to reach your goals. Understand that you should always be happy with your performance as long as you know that you’re doing the best you can.

Time-Management

It’s not about how much time you spend on the court or studying, but rather how you use your time. If you don’t start improving your time-management skills, it’s likely that you’ll experience burnout and lose motivation to keep going. By learning how to manage your time more properly, you’ll experience less stress and high productivity.

Start by compiling a to-do list each day to stay organized and on top of everything. You should also establish a routine that you’ll follow daily. Designate a specific time period for both basketball practice and studying.

Master Self-Discipline

Your first step should be to gain and master self-discipline. This is a skill that will help you achieve long-term success in all aspects of your life. There’s a good chance that you’ll have to make some major changes to your daily routine in order to gain self-discipline.

  » ALSO SEE: Gene Keady’s 5 tips to make your program stronger

What you can do is treat both basketball and studies like they’re your job. Just like you’d have to go to work every day, you have to put in the time and effort to practice basketball and study on a daily basis.

Use Weekends Wisely

Most student-athletes use weekends to relax, hang out with friends, and party. While it’s definitely good to take some time to kick back and enjoy life from time to time, you should be careful how you use your weekends. If you have an important game or exam soon, spend your time wisely and prepare for it while others are resting. Know that in order to be great, you’ll have to show a lot of dedication to basketball and school.

To read the full article on tips to find a better balance between basketball and life from TalkBasket.net, click here.