How to Balance Sports and Academics with an Online School

November 20, 2020

Every student must achieve a balance between their schooling and their extracurricular pursuits, whatever they may be, and developing and honing their time management skills is a key lesson for all to learn. But for some students working toward elite athletic- or artistic-related goals, the challenge of balancing their personal passions with their academics becomes even more crucial – and often more difficult. They often face obstacles around their practice, travel, and competition schedule and the flexibility of their schooling, and may even struggle with teachers and advisors who lack understanding of the role their personal athletic pursuits play in their lives. For those students who are serious competitors, an online school can be an ideal option.

If your teen is an athlete and seeking a flexible academic program, read on. Below, we break down the many benefits of an online education for athletes. We also share tips on how to balance school and sports, as an aspiring athlete. 

Flexibility

Depending on the athletic level of a student who plays a sport competitively, they may need to spend several hours practicing – every day. And when they’re expected to spend seven or more hours per day inside a classroom, they are often forced to make a choice.

However, by attending a virtual high school, student athletes have flexibility. By being able to choose the schedule that works best for them, they can complete schoolwork around their practices and workouts without sacrificing their passion or their academic goals. For example, an elite-level student athlete could structure their day in any number of ways that enables them to achieve all their goals, including academic, athletic, and even social: they can choose to wake up early for training, then do some homework, then head to practice, then log in to get some coursework completed, and then finish their day studying and spending time with family and friends. Or maybe their training happens later in the day, in which case, they can flip their schedule to meet their needs. Whatever schedule works for you, an online school can accommodate your needs.

Bonus: providing students flexibility for completing their academic coursework typically leads to improved academic attendance. Student athletes often need to choose between time in the classroom and time attending to their physical needs; with online learning, they can do both!  

More Time Training

Learning in a flexible environment with understanding teachers also gives students more time to keep up with the demands of their practice and training. As long as a student can complete their coursework, meet the academic requirements, and communicate efficiently with teachers, they can succeed – both academically and personally. An online school with teachers who are experts in virtual teaching and communicating can go a long way toward ensuring student-athletes continue to meet both their academic and their athletic goals.

Less Stress

For high school students, balancing sports and academics can bring about a lot of anxiety and pressure. It can become draining, exhausting, and frustrating – especially for those students who are working hard to excel in both areas. With online learning, students can get the rest they need between practices and trainings. With the flexibility and extra time to focus on their passion, students experience less stress throughout their high school careers. Dwight Global offers classes college-style because the seminars meet two-to-three times a week rather than every day. Everything that happens in the online seminars is recorded and can be viewed later. In addition to this computer work, there is offline work, such as reading, completing projects, watching instructional videos, and writing papers. This means students can do their work on a timeline that works for them, whether they are traveling with a team or focusing on extra training sessions during the peak of the season.

Balance for Student Athletes

Online high school for athletes usually means a perfect blend of quality education and freedom to explore extra-curricular activities. Some athletes must travel frequently for their competitions or training sessions. One of the many perks of an online school is that students can take their schoolwork with them. They can learn in a hotel room, an airport, or on the road. All they need is their laptop and a WIFI password!

Dwight Global understands the needs of student athletes. With a personalized curriculum, individual tutoring, and college guidance, students can enjoy a rich, dynamic learning environment that is reminiscent of the best schools in the world. If you would like to learn more about the accommodating program for the student athlete in your life, contact Dwight Global today to learn more.