What challenges do student athlete’s face?
Student athletes face unique challenges that they must learn to navigate successfully and be supported in if they’re to excel at both school and sports while enjoying down time with their family and social circles. This is where our student athlete mentoring program shines!
Athletic Challenges
- Practices, games and supplemental skills sessions common in high level athletics
- Travel
- Competitive stress and anxiety
Academic Challenges
- Maintaining a minimum GPA/grade in order to remain eligible to play sports
- Studying and completing classwork on time
- Academic stress and anxiety
Personal/Health Challenges
- Maintaining a healthy relationship with family and friends (social life)
- Personal stress and anxiety which can eventually manifest physically
- Inconsistent or inappropriate training programs
- Inadequate or less than optimal nutrition habits
- Quality sleep
Sleep deprivation and time management
Very few students get a proper nights sleep. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, teenagers (ages 13-19) should get between 8-10 hours of sleep every night, but only 30% of high school students achieve that goal (2019 report by Stanford Medicine). The majority of teenagers only get between 6.5-7.5 hours of sleep. Lack of quality sleep can impact all areas of the developing youth both physically and mentally and can lead to many of the challenges listed above.
Time management is another variable that plays directly into the challenges that student athletes face. Managing both academic and athletic responsibilities alongside their personal and health goals can be a challenge for kids at this age. Adding into this equation the added stressors of playing a competitive sport and maintaining a social life, it’s easy to see why they fail to get the sleep they need.
So what can be done about it?
Many students are of the mind that it’s one or the other, that they simply cannot do both. And many parents are unsure where to begin or are too busy and overwhelmed themselves to help their child navigate these challenges. So what do they do? The list is extensive but not complicated and varies from individual to individual.
Our student-centered program has been developed to aid middle and high school student athletes looking to find healthy, realistic, and sustainable ways to manage being competitive athletes as well as successful and responsible students! Since each student and family is unique, this service is tailored to address the specific challenges faced by the student and their family.
Accountability and consistency are two essential components to any program where success is the desired outcome. While student athletes are often surrounded by great coaches and peers, a coaches job is difficult when trying to manage an entire team. Providing your student athlete with that extra resource or mentor to guide them through these challenges can be an invaluable asset to all involved.
Depending on their needs, students will learn, develop and strengthen skills that will help them…
- Understand the dangers of sleep deprivation and how it impacts various facets of their day to day life
- Fuel themselves properly by understanding the role nutrition plays, so they have the energy required to tackle their busy schedules and perform to the best of their abilities both on and off the playing surface
- Improve time management skills, manage priorities and maintain focus
- Reduce stress
- Be more accountable for their decisions
To learn more about what we can do for your student athlete reach out to us for a free consultation!