Monday training, Tuesday exam, Wednesday training, Thursday presentation, Friday training, Saturday game. Plus parents asking questions, coaches wanting more, and you yourself wanting to achieve everything. Eventually, your head just gets full.
Not all pressure is the same
A little pressure can motivate you. Too much pressure over a long time makes you tired, irritable, and perform worse – in sport and at school. It's important to recognise where you are right now.
How to get organised
- Traffic Light Check: Green = flowing, Yellow = a lot, but okay, Red = too much. Do it once a week.
- Sort out your expectations: What do you want? What do others want? Which of those do you have to take on?
- Schedule rest days just as deliberately as training.
- Say it in good time: If an exam week is coming up, talk to your coach. Most will understand.
Whose expectation is that?
When: Before trials or important games, when everyone's got an opinion – best to do it calmly beforehand.
- 1Write down what's expected of you today – everything.
- 2Mark: Who expects this? Coach, parents, team, yourself?
- 3Cross out everything you only assume but have never actually heard.
- 4From the rest, choose the two that are truly important to you.
Out of the game
A 16-year-old plays in the selection team and has A-level exams. For the past two weeks, she's noticed: red. She talks to the coach, skips one training session, and plans fixed study times. After the exams, she's fully back in the game.
When it gets too much
If you constantly struggle to get going or feel irritable all the time, it's not a sign of weakness. Talk to your parents, a trusted adult, or a support service. Asking for help is okay.
Remember this
You don't have to achieve everything at 100 per cent all at once. Prioritise, plan breaks, speak up in good time.