How to Deal with the Stress of a High School Sport

The most stress I have experienced so far in my life is high school, and let me tell you playing a high school sport doesn't take off any of that pressure. I'm here to tell you from my experience, how to deal with the stress.

A lot of time I find myself stressed out with the amount of homework I have. I take two college courses which ask at-least 2 hours of work a night multiplied by two classes. It's a lot. Then plying on practice, I find myself up past midnight most nights. Now, here is my solution. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. The more you hold off on work the more it piles up. So every time you think, "Oh I can do that later," you'll look like a raccoon the next day because you have so much to do.

Another thing to help deal with an intense workload is to make sure you spend your time efficiently. If you have five minutes at the end of class, take that time to start homework or finish up a project. The more you use your time in school to finish work, means the less time you have to spend outside of school working. Instead of doing chemistry you can create chemistry with you're teammates.

Sometimes it's not school that is the major issue but it's the sport itself. Coaches and players can be the cause of a lot of stress. I have had coaches that have benched me during games and I was so confused what I was doing wrong. It caused more sadness than stress, but facing my teammates in embarrassment the next day wasn't helpful. If you are struggling to find your place on a team, talk to the coach. You have to tell the coach how you feel, and ask for help. I mean that's what the coach is there for and there is never shame in asking for help.

It's important for everyone to know that school should come first. If you already have trouble trying to finish homework with out a sport you might want to rethink your decision to tryout. After all, you can't play if you're grades aren't good.