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Steven W. Noles, Psy.D.
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TIME MANAGEMENT
For any
student-athlete serious
about his game, time management will be critical. Everyone leads a
full life and the serious student-athlete is certainly no exception.
School,
study and homework time, chores, fun time with friends and family,
relaxation,
and other activities occupy our time. The student-athlete who is
serious about improving his/her skills has to
add practice time to an already busy schedule. In order to do this, it
is critical to be a good manager of one's time. What separates the
successful person from the unsuccessful
person is how the 168 hours in a week are put to use. Using a time
management chart
will
help insure you get the most out of your day and will further develop
the
self-discipline and organization all elite student-athletes
need.
Follow these easy steps to
begin to incorporate a good time management strategy into your
routine.
STEP 1: Make
a chart. Across the top you need
a heading for each day of the week. Down the left side of the
chart list the hours in the day beginning with 6:00 a.m. and continuing
with each hour until at midnight. This should create a chart with
7 columns and 19 rows if you start at 6:00 a.m. and end at midnight.
STEP 2: You
will need several different
color pencils or pens.
STEP 3: Pick a
color pencil and color
in the block of time for Monday through Friday that covers the time you
are in school. Where I live, the high school is in session from about
7:20
a.m. until about 1:30 p.m. So, in order to account for travel time, the
student-athletes where I live would color in the blocks for 7:00 a.m.,
8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12 noon, and 1:00 p.m.
Monday
through Friday.
STEP 4: Pick a
different color pencil
to use to mark out Free Time. Lets relax a little after school and
block
out an hour Monday through Friday. This is the color you
will
use for all Free Time any where in the chart.
STEP 5: Pick a
different color to
use for work out time and practice. Lets assume it is better for you to
work out for two hours in the late afternoon, say between 3:00 and
5:00.
This is the time you will devote to practicing drills, weight lifting,
etc. To do this you will color in the 3:00 and 4:00 blocks Monday
through
Friday.
STEP 6: Lets
assume you will also
work out on the weekends. If you are a serious student-athlete this is
a good assumption to make. Use the same color you used in Step 5 and
pick
two hours on Saturday and two hours on Sunday to work out. For example,
lets block out the 9:00 and 10:00 blocks on Saturday morning and the
4:00
and 5:00 blocks on Sunday afternoon.
STEP 7: After a
good work out is
it a nice idea to relax for a little while so block out an
hour of free time (the 5:00 p.m. block Monday through Friday) using the
same color you used in Step 4 above. This would be a good time to phone
your friends, to play a video game, or just hang out with some
friends.
STEP 8: You
will need to eat so use
a different color pencil and block out the 6:00 p.m. hour for dinner.
Since
you will probably want to eat every day, lets block out that hour
Monday
through Sunday. And while we are at it, lets block out time for
Breakfast
(the 6:00 a.m. block on school days and the 9:00 a.m. block on Saturday
and Sunday) and lunch. Since you probably eat lunch at school we do not
have to worry with that when school is in session. For now lets block
out
time for lunch on Saturday and Sunday. How about blocking out the 1:00
p.m. hour for lunch.
STEP 9: We need
to block out some
time for studying. Use a different color pencil and block out the 7:00
and 8:00 p.m. blocks Monday through Thursday and Sunday to take care of
this obligation. Remember colleges are looking for good student -
athletes who are good students,
not just good athletes.
STEP 10: Think
about the type of schedule
you and your family have. Are there important things the family does on
a regular basis during the week? Many families attend church services
on
Wednesday evenings. If this is true for you and your family, be sure to
block that time out on your time management schedule. If you have
routine
doctor's appointments, say for allergy shots, be sure to block out that
time as well.
STEP 11: Keep in
mind a time
management schedule is only a general guideline and needs to be
flexible. Lets say there is something special going after school on
Monday
from 2:00 until 4:00 which you would like to attend. Since your time
management
schedule is flexible, you can go to the special activity after school
by
moving your 5:00 p.m. free time up and when you get home around 4:00
you
can begin practicing until 6:00.
STEP 12: When
deciding if you can
do something with friends, look at your schedule and see how
you can work it in; know your priorities. Family, church, school
need to be top priorities; these will serve you well throughout your
lifetime.
To an elite student-athlete, practicing must be close
behind
those top priorities.
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