On the surface if one would see the terms ‘Summer Schoolwork’ and ‘Competitive Cheer’, they would most likely not have any reason to believe there to be any connection between the two.
To the contrary, this could not be further from the truth.
Obviously not every athlete will have school-related obligations that need to be met over the course of the Summer.
However, for those that do, it is critical for them (or their Parents in conjunction with them) to execute a plan to get the schoolwork taken care of as soon as possible.
The temptations to not do Summer schoolwork (or put it off until the very last minute) are perhaps even greater during the Summer than they are during the actual school year.
This is clearly because of the number of activities that one is able to do (particularly in certain areas of the country) that they are not able to participate in at other times of the year, vacations, and, of course, the often ultimate overriding notion that there is “plenty of time” to take care of the work.
While there absolutely is “plenty of time”, if a plan is not put in place, the start of school can creep up on everyone VERY quickly and before one knows it, ‘panic-mode’ can kick in as one realizes they are behind the proverbial 8-ball and are in danger of not handing their work in on time.
For those athletes involved in competitive cheer (or any sport for that matter), something that seems as an item not to worry about because its reality seems to rest in the distant future, can all of a sudden become a stressful situation as one works to balance sports and school, where if the Summer schoolwork had been tactfully balanced/scheduled to be done over the course of the Summer, a much more “in-control” feeling would be held by the athlete.
When one is focused on maximizing their performance on the mat, items potentially taking away concentration can steal from an athlete’s overall output in terms of what they are truly able to help their team with as well as the overall athletic benefit that one would prospectively be realizing as an athlete.
Having a dialed-in plan of attack for knocking Summer schoolwork out can eliminate the possibility of this work hanging over one’s head, especially as Summer wears on.
Whether it is in bite-sized chunks or ripping the band-aid off, hunkering down, and hammering through the items that will be due upon school’s return in marathon sessions, having a plan in place – and as early as possible in the Summer – can aid in alleviating the anxiety and mental distractions that can build over the course of time as the thoughts of the schoolwork that will be due upon school’s return gradually creep into one’s mind.
Looking back as adults, we may all be able to relate to that unsettling feeling of uneasiness which can easily be prevented if focused on things early enough in advance.
