Balance Athletics and Social Life

by Abby Plevin

Photo By: Abby Plevin

Welcome to my first blog post featuring why it is important to have a balanced social life while being a student athlete. Being a student athlete is a challenging yet rewarding experience. It requires a lot of dedication and discipline to balance both academics and athletics. However, having a social life outside of sports is just as important for a student athlete’s overall well-being. Balancing the two life styles will enhance your life in many positives ways. Here are some reasons why this is important.

1. Mental Health: Athletes have so much pressure in life that it is important to get their heads taken off just the sport. A social life outside of their sport can allow their mind to drift in a different direction and let some steam off. Spending time with family and friends can improve your mental health and allow you to be happier and relaxed.
2. Diversity: Meeting new people is so important. While being apart of a team you already have so many friends, but it is essential to make friends outside of just your team. Being with the same people every single day can become frustrating, which I know from experience. Being able to find others in different sports or friends in greek life has personally been so helpful for me. It allows you to broaden you horizon of freidnships.
3. Time Management: Time management is key to being a successful student athlete. Being able to balance a social life and being an athlete will help grow your time management skills. In the long run this can benefit you in college and when you entire the real world.

Overall balancing your social and athlete lifestyle is so important! While it is difficult to manage your social life with everything you have going on in sports it is essential to do so. So don’t be afraid to take a load off and enjoy time with friends or family, it will be a positive in your life. Remember balancing these two aspects of your life can only benefit you, so what is stoping you from trying it?