CHAPIN, SOUTH CAROLINA, September 2022 — Juggling high school academics, social outings, and family obligations can be difficult enough. Participating in a competitive athletic program, such as David Bennett Galloway III did with football, creates a new layer of requirements.

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed while juggling practice, independent training, dietary needs, and all other areas of life, so prioritizing becomes a strict necessity to maintain grades and performance on the field.

David Bennett Galloway III shares tips for success

Have a plan

Galloway reports it can be easy to cave in to overwhelm as a student-athlete without a plan in place from day one. It doesn’t have to be a four-year plan but should consist of a series of goals and strategies to help achieve them.

For example, a goal to succeed at school is great, but there needs to be a series of tasks, strategies, and actions associated with that to help achieve success. Workshop some ideas that helped achieve success previously.

If flashcards are helpful, commit to creating flashcards immediately when taking notes in class instead of planning to do them later. When remembering important tasks is difficult, grab a notebook or a phone app and use it to record essential must-dos, such as project contributions or reports, and have a running list in one centralized location.

Academics can be a lot like sports. According to David Bennett Galloway III, acknowledging weak areas makes it easier to develop strategies to compensate and improve.

Ask for Help

It can be difficult to acknowledge when overwhelm takes hold. However, successful scholar-athletes like Galloway know when to reach out for help.

Discuss it with parents, coaches, and teachers when a particular lesson is not sinking in or an additional rest day is needed. A tutoring session or even a YouTube lesson can help clarify a tricky chapter at school, while a parent or coach can help with exhaustion by providing a day off or lessening the load at home or in practice to create some downtime for mental and physical recovery.

Take care

David Bennett Galloway III advises prioritizing appropriate meals and nutrition as the key to helping him achieve on the field and stay focused in school. Athletics burn many calories, and it is important to replace those with nutrient- and calorie-dense foods to promote better performance and mental acuity.

There may be days without enough sleep from time to time, but it doesn’t need to be a trend, as rest is key for physical recovery and for the brain to process and reset for a new day of learning.