What Potential College Athletes Must Know About Time Management
If I could only pick one thing that separates high school athletes who successfully make the jump to college sports and those who don’t I would pick time management. Elite athletes don’t have a lot of free time, nor do they always have control over their free time. So, in this context, time management is simply the skill of using the time one does have control over wisely.
High school athletes typically have their parents forcing them to use their time wisely. In college, this parental influence is negligible for all but the most unique situations. For the most part, college athletes do what they want, when they want, any time they are not with their coaches.
Some athletes use this to do what it takes to be at their best academically and athletically. Others, use this time for instant gratification. Contrary to popular belief, it’s this not talent that separates college athletes from each other.
Indeed, it’s far too common for top high school athletes to fall off the map in college once they no longer have helicopter parenting keeping them afloat. Helicopter parenting may work wonders for getting a high school athlete an opportunity to play in college, but it’s a terrible way to prepare an athlete to succeed in college. Consequently, those college athletes who come to college ready to invest their time instead of spending their time are the ones who rise from good, to great, to elite.