How to Balance Cheerleading and School

Cheerleading is a rewarding, yet time-consuming activity. A jam-packed schedule can create anxiety and tension and make life feel hectic and crazy. Finding the time to handle school work, family life, being a varsity cheerleader, social activities or other extracurricular school activities can be difficult. Neglecting any of these areas can cause problems down the road. Learning how to manage time so you can perform at your best in school and competition is important, as is regularly getting a good night's amount of sleep. Here are a few suggestions to help you lead a balanced, rewarding and fun life, in the classroom, on the court or field and at home.

Get Organized - Write down your assignments, tasks, responsibilities. Use a planner, an app on your cell phone or a file on your laptop. Whichever you choose, make lists that include due dates, game dates, birthdays, etc. Knowing what's coming in the days and weeks ahead will eliminate the stress generated by those events you (OMG!) remember at 11 o' clock the night before.

Maximize Study Sessions - Cheering is fun, but schoolwork comes first. If your grades slip, you could get kicked off your cheerleading squads. So schedule time to study each day, get focused and make the time count. Are you a night person or a morning person? Figure out when you are most productive and set aside an hour or two to focus on school. Turn off your phone, laptop or other distractions. Let the texts rest. Tackle the most difficult subjects first, when you are fresh. If a game or competition is going to cause you to miss class, let your teacher know. Communication is the key.

Learn How to Say No - You're not going to be able to go on every date, see every movie, watch every TV show, or attend every concert. In fact, you may have little to no time for these fun social activities when you're in the busiest part of the season. Reserve time for your family and friends, but avoid what's unimportant. Being on a cheer team is a privilege not everyone gets to enjoy. You're going to have to sacrifice some activities. Trying to be everything to everyone is a quick route to failure.

Use Your Support Group - Your parents love you. Your friends and coaches want what's best for you. Even your siblings, especially older ones, can be a valuable resource. They might be able to relate when you're feeling overwhelmed because the basketball team has two away games during the same week you have two mid-term exams and a paper due. Learn from their past experiences and pick up any pointers that they are willing to share. At the very least, share your stress with them. Sometimes, just talking about our problems helps us feel better.   

Sleep - It's important, really important, extremely important. Do it. Most high school students need roughly eight hours per night. Go to bed at a reasonable time. Remember, you have a full schedule tomorrow!