Sometimes it is a major problem to balance the obligations that athletes have at school or university with daily practices.<\/p>\n
We believe that most of you have found yourselves in a similar situation. We are aware that the regular school system in Croatia does not exactly play into the hands of athletes and that, in most cases, there are no significant privileges, unless you were lucky enough to enroll in a sports gymnasium or a school with a special sports class. In most cases, it ends with a decision: either sports or school. However, it does not always have to be that way. There are ways to balance these obligations. <\/p>\n
Unfortunately, we are not in a position to give advice that will be helpful to everyone because every athlete must find the way that works best for them. Over time, some realize which things come easier to them and which are more difficult, and how to juggle a multitude of obligations. <\/p>\n
If you are a parent of a child athlete<\/strong>, we believe it is a real challenge for you to balance all of your child’s obligations, along with your own.<\/p>\n However, it doesn’t always have to be a major nightmare. What you need is organization and willingness. Of course, it also doesn’t hurt to share some responsibilities. <\/p>\n Have you thought about connecting with other parents and helping each other out? If you are already driving your child from school to practice, why not make an arrangement where you drive the kids to practice one day, another child’s parent does it the next day, a third parent on the third day, and so on? Just imagine how much easier that would make things for you. <\/p>\n As for your child, help them and create a weekly schedule together.<\/p>\n If the obligations are unpredictable, then plan everything you need to get done for the next day every evening. Of course, school and school-related responsibilities should be put first, but with careful planning, you can achieve more. Wise people say that it is better to spend time on planning now and thereby save time later<\/strong>. Do not forget to plan healthy and wholesome meals<\/strong>, and under no circumstances should you skip breakfast. <\/p>\n Come up with some routines <\/strong>that you will be able to apply every day, and then adapt depending on the obligations you have that day.<\/p>\n By planning weekly or daily schedules, you send a message to your child that balancing school and training is possible, and you teach them invaluable habits that they will later adopt on their own. Most importantly, your child needs to enjoy what they do, and then all those obligations will be much easier for them as well. <\/p>\n If your child goes to practice half-heartedly and is always coming up with excuses, ask yourself whether that sport is the right fit for them and what the root of the problem is. You can always take a short break from training, and if your child starts to miss it, either bring them back or give them a chance to try something new. You are there to be an unconditional support to your child, and that is something you must never lose sight of. <\/p>\n Older athletes<\/strong> attending high school or university face perhaps even greater challenges.<\/p>\n Academic obligations are even greater and more difficult, and practices are more frequent and demanding. If you have already reached this level of sports participation, we believe you have concluded that this sport is the right fit for you and that you do not want to give up on it. And that definitely should not be an option for you! If you truly enjoy what you do, you will find time for everything. You probably know your practice and competition schedules in advance, just like your school schedules or university lectures. What you still need to balance now are studying and fun. <\/p>\n Try to determine in advance how much time you might need for a specific homework assignment, seminar paper, or exam. If you run out of time, it could cause you stress and panic, and thus further reduce your efficiency. It is better to budget a bit more time, which you can later use for rest and fun. <\/p>\n Your planning skills determine how much time you will have left for fun and rest. You can always learn these skills or seek professional help from someone you know is good at it. We know that balancing obligations is a difficult task for everyone, regardless of what sport you play, what level of sport you are at, or what level of education you attend. But believe us, we have seen plenty of examples of top athletes who managed to balance education and sports. They did not succeed because they are superhumans, but because they knew how fragile and short-lived their careers are. Consequently, they were motivated and wise enough not to put all their “eggs in one basket.” <\/p>\n As you can see, the key to success is organization and careful planning. It is much better to spend time on planning than to have your obligations catch up with you later. Therefore, do not give up at the very first obstacle, but give it your all to succeed in what you want. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In today’s world, balancing the demands of school or university with daily training sessions can be a massive challenge. We believe that most of you have found yourselves in a very similar situation. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9354,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[102,31],"tags":[104],"class_list":["post-10901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-athletes","category-for-parents","tag-youth-athletes"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe importance of planning<\/h3>\n
Establish routines<\/h3>\n
Adult athletes<\/h2>\n