- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- preteenagers today articles
- preteenagers today q&a
- teenagers today articles
- teenagers today q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Meeting the Demand
Athletes, Sports and Grades
By Shel Franco
After putting in a full day of work, some people head to a second job. It's a grueling schedule, but it's necessary. Those extra 15 or so hours a week help make ends meet in a debt-ridden society. Sounds practical, doesn't it?
Now what if I told you that your teen had just adopted that same "work" schedule: full-time commitment followed by a part-time commitment. No parent would go for that, right? Wrong. It's happening all over America.
Andrew Harmic, 16, of Oviedo, Fla., goes to school each morning and faces his full-time academic commitment, but instead of heading home after school, he heads out to the field for two and a half to three hours of football practice – each and every school day when his sport is in season.
When the high school junior finally walks through the door at 5:30 p.m., his "work day" isn't over. Some nights, he's faced with homework from every class. Despite it all, Harmic's grades are top-rate, and he can't wait until game day.
How do some kids thrive under the pressure of sports and academics while other kids crumble? As a parent, can you help? These are just a few of the questions parents of teen athletes are asking, and the answers may surprise you.
Scott Lancaster, the senior director of youth football development for the NFL and the author of Fair Play: How to Make Organized Sports a Great Experience for Your Kids (Prentice Hall Press, 2002), says that the most successful athletes establish a positive balance in their lives. And he's not just talking about professional athletes. "Time management is perhaps the most important skill set – not only for student athletes, but throughout one's entire personal and professional life," he says. "Student athletes have a tremendous advantage over other students in this regard in that they naturally acquire first-hand expertise in managing their time."
