Balancing two different worlds

As a swimmer, it is essential to learn how to balance two completely different lives simultaneously. You have to learn how to clear your mind before every practice. You cannot let your emotions interfere with your training. Personally, some of my practices in the past have been ruined because I could not clear my head of schoolwork, tests, or anger I had built up. Of course, it can go both ways. Practices may be ruined because of what happened throughout the day, however, you can also use your day, if it went well, as I way to boost yourself at practice. As a swimmer, it is essential to learn how to compartmentalize your life. You must also set priorities to keep yourself organized. You must set these priorities in order to avoid getting overwhelmed by problems and emotions in your daily life. My three priorities are swimming, school, and family. If you were to lose sight of these priorities, you would most likely end up derailing yourself from your goals and where you want to end up in your life. As an athlete, you will need to make hard choices, and these hard choices may make you choose between the sport you love or your academic career. Especially when choosing a college to attend, you may need to choose between one that benefits you academically but doesn't allow you to swim on the team or one that is beneficial for you as an athlete but less beneficial academically. Finally, as an athlete, it is essential to learn how to manage your time wisely. Time management is a quality that will serve you well for the rest of your life. When I entered high school, I had to learn quickly to manage my time in a better way. At the start of freshman year, I missed three practices in 2 months. In middle school, I never missed a single practice. I knew I had to change since I could not start missing this many practices. Overall, as a student-athlete, it is essential to compartmentalize your life and to manage your time wisely.