The importance of time management skills
The great dividing line between success and failure can be expressed in five words: “I did not have time” – Franklin Field
Being the master of your time is not as easy as it sounds. The busy schedule of the student or amateur athlete means juggling academic/work and athletic commitments and endeavoring to combine that with a balanced social life, making time for friends and family. Lacking the essential time management skills to cope with the additional demands placed on this cohort can negatively affect these athletes.
Student athletes have an entirely different responsibility that regular students do not have to keep track of. So many things come into play for student athletes such as workouts, weight training, study hours, eating, recovery, rest, and finally- free time. It is important for student athletes to practice wise time management in order to succeed academically, socially, and athletically – University of Kentucky Time Management
Academic studies and Sports
Balancing the responsibilities of sports and academic work in college is completely different from high school. College athletes have to manage to keep their spot on their team as well as keeping up with their academic studies. In Why Time Management Skills are Important for College Athletes Florida National University states:-
Many freshmen college athletes underestimate the responsibilities of working and studying as a college student-athlete. Students tend to not think about the time involved in both college hours and sports hours
According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), student-athletes spend anywhere between 30-40 hours on their athletic training/conditioning/competitions. On top of this they have class and study time. A typical day in the life of a student athlete consists of an early start and a late finish. Many universities have additional programs and support networks to help student athletes adjust to the additional demands that they face. One such program is The Center for Academic and Tutorial Services (CATS) in the University of Kentucky. The purpose of this program is to ensure that the student athletes are staying on top of their studies and not just focusing on their sport.
Amateur Sports – The GAA
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ireland places a big demand on their athletes. At inter-county level players often follow the routine of a professional team but also have to include travel time to training and matches as well as holding down a full time job and/or studying in college. College students often play for their club, college and county and can find themselves overwhelmed by the commitment that they have to make to keep on top of everything. In 2016 the GAA and the Gaelic Players Association jointly commissioned the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) to conduct an independent examination of the commitment required to play at Senior level for their county and the impact that this has on their personal and professional lives. Some of the main findings from this research are:-
- One of the main commitments to play for your county at senior level is time. On an average week day training session players allocated just over 6 hours to their inter-county commitments and on the same day devoted 7.9 hours to their professional commitments
- The emergence of sports conditioning as a major component of inter-county training, very often at the level of a professional team, is one of the major factors influencing time commitments
- Many players undertake a large volume of travel on a weekly basis to attend training and matches – players often spent as much time travelling to and from their sports conditioning sessions as they did on the session itself
- Sleep is often compromised as a result of commitments – 48% of players did not get the 8 to 10 hours sleep that is recommended for athletes on a pitch-based training day
- 68% of players aged between 18 and 21 played with four or more teams during the 2016 season
- 40% of players had no time off from Gaelic games during 2016
- The study highlights that players tend to ring-fence their time allocation to senior inter-county activities by compromising on other aspects of their lives: in particular, time allocated to personal relationships and general downtime
- Despite all this, 83% agreed/strongly agreed that they were glad they made the choice to play inter-county while the other 14% somewhat agreed so players are happy to play for their county and feel that it benefits them in developing confidence and leadership skills
Time Management Tips
It goes without saying that good time management skills are a necessary trait for any student or amateur athlete that wants to succeed. The International Swimming Hall of Fame give their 7 tips for student athletes as they know how hard it is for collegiate athletic students when academic and athletic pressures set in.
- Prioritise Practice: If you don’t put in the practice you won’t see any results
- Use a planner or Calendar: Using a calendar or planner helps you to stay organized and on top of things
- Complete assignments in chronological order: You are more likely to stay ahead and avoid last minute pressure if you approach assignments in a steady consistent manner
- Begin study in advance: A consistent study routine helps you remember information and avoid last minute exam stress
- Avoid Procrastination: Doing things at the last minute is never a good habit to get into
- Don’t take on too many responsibilities: Before joining other groups, try to get a feel for your course load and practice schedule to be sure you aren’t biting off more than you can chew
- Maintain a constant sleep schedule: Healthier sleep improves academic and athletic work
Ulster GAA have published time management advice which asks their players to consider the amount of time they spend on:-
- Sleeping
- Eating
- Attending classes/school/college
- Studying
- Part time work
- Messages/Chores
- Free time – Social / Family life
It is easy to see how investing in training, matches and other activities that develop your game can compromise all of the above.
The ‘Pickle Jar’ time management Theory’ using marbles, golf balls and handballs is also explained.
The Jar represents your life and the time you have to fill it. The Marbles represent the small things that don’t really matter. The Golf Balls represent the things that matter a little but are not really important. The Handballs represent the really important things. When you fill your life with the little things first, there is no room left for the big important things. If you prioritize the important things first it should be possible to fit all the little things in around the important things in life.
“In Life, keep the important things important”
Thanks to Eimear Larkin for collaborating on this blog. Eimear is currently working with us for her 12 week placement for her DKIT Business and Management studies.
About Metrifit
Through our innovative app and intelligent analytics, we are bringing athlete well-being to the forefront of training and performance. Metrifit is an excellent tool to monitor, evaluate and make the right decisions for your athlete’s wellbeing and performance on a day to day basis and to address an issue or potential issue in real time. To find out more visit our Metrifit Product Overview page or contact at for a free demo.
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Robert Karlsson, Professional Golfer
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Richard Deuchrass
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Dave Passmore
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References
Why Time Management Skills are Important for College Athletes
Time Management | University of Kentuckcy
Playing Senior Inter-County Gaelic Games: Experiences, Realities and Consequences
7 Time Management Tips for Student Athletes | Swimming World
The Pickle Jar Theory – Make Time for the Golf Balls of Your Life
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