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The bus ride
home from school seems to be taking forever. While all the other
kids are talking about what games they are going to play when
they get home you find that all you can think about is what
you are going to do in workout at the gym that night. You almost
made your double full on the floor last night and the coach
said if you can make it consistently he may move you into the
advanced optional workout squad with all the top gymnasts.
Rushing off the bus
and into your house you plunk your books down in the kitchen
as your mother asks the same old question, "how was school today
dear?"
Automatically you
answer, "Fine."
Quickly you try to
exit the room before she asks the inevitable... oh no, too late!
"Do you have any homework to do before you go to gym?"
You know perfectly
well that you do, but you just don't feel like it at the moment
so you answer, " I did it during study hall."
Did you know that
it is a proven scientific fact that when you lie like that your
tongue grows two millimeters longer? Keep this up and eventually
you may have to wrap your tongue around your neck like a scarf
to keep from stepping on it.
The world seems a
much better place an hour or so later when you are at the gym
working on your double twist. After giving it your best you
are rewarded for the effort by standing up three double fulls
in a row.
The coach claps you
on the back and says, "Well, I guess it's time we moved you
up into the advanced optional group. Will you be able to make
workout on the additional days the advanced optional group works
out?"
Of course you answer,
"Yes!"
At the end of the
workout you can't wait to tell your mom all about it. As you
are changing into your clothes you notice the coach has already
gone over to talk to your mom about the extra workout days and
for some reason he does not look happy.
Your mother is showing
the coach a note from your school teacher that says you may
be on the verge of flunking a subject because you have handed
in incomplete or poorly done homework assignments, and your
test scores are slipping.
Shivers! You could
just die of embarrassment as your coach takes your mother's
side and tells you in no uncertain terms that your school work
has to come before your involvement in gymnastics. Worse, you
are not going to be allowed to workout with the advanced optional
group until your grades have improved.
Homework can be an
annoying fact of life, however, it is an important discipline
to learn that will help you succeed later in life. Homework
is like conditioning after workout. You might not like it, but
you know it is necessary.
Homework conditions
your mind to be stronger and at the same time flexible and open
to new ideas which will help you with your school work and with
understanding new and different techniques in the gym.
Here are some suggestions
that will help make homework easier and more fun to do.
Suggestion #1: Do
your homework when you first get home from school. That means
right away, not after you watch some television, or talk to
friends on the phone for an hour. Your mind will still be in
the school work mode. It will be much easier to follow through
and get the homework done than it will be to get back in the
mood after you have started something else.
Suggestion #2: Keep
all distractions to a minimum. Doing homework with the television
on or the radio blasting your favorite tune divides your attention.
Keep focused on the work at hand and it will be finished much
sooner.
Suggestion #3: Pick
a place where you will have access to all the materials you
need to complete the assignment. Using the same place every
day will also condition the mind to get right to work once you
are settled in.
Suggestion #4: Keep
a small pad or section of your notebook for accurately writing
down exactly what your homework assignments are for each day.
Check it before you leave school to be sure you have all the
books or materials you will need to complete your assignments.
Suggestion #5:
Use different techniques to review the important parts of your
assignments or potential test questions. A couple of ideas are:
- Highlight the material with different color pens depending
on the type of information. (I.E. historical dates in blue,
famous names in yellow, etc.)
- Read important information aloud in to a tape recorder
while playing slow yet enjoyable music in the background.
Listen to the tape at night while you sleep.
- Use index cards. Write specific bits of information you
need to know on one side of the card, and a question pertaining
to the information on the other side. You now have a series
of flash cards that you can shuffle randomly to quiz yourself
on information that may come up on a test.
Each
of these ideas will help you to get your homework done a little
bit easier and quicker while remembering more of the information.
Remember to pay extra close attention during class and ask
as many questions as you need to understand the information
from your teacher. The better you pay attention in class the
more you will understand and the easier the homework assignments
will be.
Don't wait to talk
to your teacher, parents, or coach if you are having difficulty
with homework or a subject in school. Your coach can set up
special workout programs that will enable you to maintain
your present physical condition while you get caught up on
your school work. Talk to your teacher at school and let her
know that you are a competitive athlete and that you workout
a few nights a week. The teacher may be able to suggest some
ideas for better study habits, or she may revise your homework
schedule. Do not expect to get out of homework because you
are a competitive athlete.
Ask your teacher
if she can set aside some time to help you before or after
school with any subjects you may have a problem with. Many
schools offer after school study groups to help with class
and homework problems.
Around the country
a number of "Homework Hotlines" are set up where you can call
a teacher who will give you ideas on how to solve your homework
problems. Contact your school for the phone numbers in your
area.
Do You Have The Time?
How much time do
you allow to get your homework done? Many gymnasts, by the
very nature of the sport, are quite organized. They have learned
to get a lot done in the little time available to them. Make
sure that you are providing yourself adequate time to get
your work done.
A simple chart listing
your daily activities should give you an idea of whether you
are being more "active" than "productive." You may need to
drop some of your other activities to enable yourself to effectively
finish your schoolwork and still have time to workout at the
gym.
The most important
thing to remember is that your education is more important
than anything else - even gymnastics! Even your coaches must
continue to study and keep informed of new developments in
the sport.
Communicate with
your coach, your parents, and your teachers when you are having
a problem with your school work. Each will help you to learn
how to solve your problems so you can get back in the gym
and reach your gymnastic goals.
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