If you are a college football player aiming to join the Pittsburgh Steelers, you will most likely have a hard time balancing your studies and football games. The demands of academics and sports can be quite overwhelming sometimes. However, there are ways you can go about balancing both.
In this post, we will look at some of the ways that a Steelers prospect can balance playing and studying for the 2023 season.
Pittsburgh Steelers senior defensive assistant/secondary coach Teryl Austin calls a coverage during the first practice session at training camp at St. Vincent College on Friday, July. 26, 2019 in Latrobe. | Barry Reeger / Special to PennLive
Can You Balance Football and Academics?
Many people may believe it is too late for a player or athlete to pursue a playing career if they are still in school in their late teens. This is because they believe academics will hinder them from playing. However, that’s not true. There are many student-athletes out there who are actually doing well in their chosen sports and education.
If you are a college football player struggling to keep your grades up due to the demands of football, the EduBirdie essay writing service can be of great help - where online writers will help you complete your essays and assignments in no time. This online platform has the best writers who provide help for students on different subjects. They offer top-notch online assistance for students in areas such as essay writing, research paper writing, case studies, term papers, and more.
Below are some tips to manage the demands of academics and sports as a team Steelers prospect:
Try Limiting Your Distractions
This is an important step. Because it would be useless to block time on your schedule when you are preoccupied with less significant activities. Distractions include going out, checking your phone every 15 minutes, and your girlfriend (if you have one). I'm not saying those things are evil; after all, they undoubtedly have their place and time. Keep in mind that this is a small price to pay to reach your main objective.
When you should be doing anything on your schedule, everything that is not on it could be considered a distraction. Except that when an emergency situation arises, it is evident that you must attend to it first. Try to batch or allot your time. Keep your attention on your workout rather than checking your phone continually.
Put your head down and concentrate when you are studying. Put your phone away so that you cannot reach it. It can be difficult to resist checking your phone if you are accustomed to doing so every minute since the habit is already ingrained in your brain. However, you must do away with it in order to reach your goal of balancing sports and academics.
Prioritize and Plan
Although it may seem difficult to do initially, doing this will undoubtedly help you stay on track and increase your productivity. Creating a calendar with all the tasks you need to complete and desire to complete for that day or that particular week. The important thing is to prioritize your goals, which in this case are studying and playing football. For instance, schedule a 3-hour training session (which could be individual or team-based) and be there during that time. After your workout is over, schedule 3 hours to focus only on your studies.
Make sure to schedule as much time as you can for your workouts while paying attention to your body. You want to give everything you've got in every session, but you also don't want to exhaust yourself because you have other things to accomplish in academics too. So, nutrition and sleep are particularly important in this situation.
After that, it's important to focus on your assignments and schoolwork. Keep up with your assignments and homework to free up time for additional training or leisure activities like hanging out with friends, reading books, and more.
Use Your Weekends Wisely
Take advantage of the weekends to reach your goals rather than catch up with friends. View the chapter for the coming week. Start getting ready for the next exams and football game encounters. When you're trying to balance practice and games the next week, this will make your life much simpler. Using the weekends in a productive way will go a long way in helping you as a Steelers prospect.
Mason Rudolph and Matt Canada talk during training camp in 2021. Photo/JSKO_PHOTO (Twitter)
Make the Most of it
A student-athlete experience is a one-time thing unless you want to go back to school and repeat it. Make sure to enjoy your time in school while maintaining your focus on your studies and football. The secret is finding a balance between everything — football, education, and social life. And in doing so, you must be aware of your limits.
