Communication Plan For Incoming Freshman Athletes and How to Stay Out of Trouble

Being a freshman depicts going to college and beginning a new chapter in life. It includes various sentiments such as anxiety, anticipation and can also be distressing for some individuals. There is always the individual expectations and that of parents or guardians. It is also evident that parents hold one to a high standard despite them not showing it and even those in scholarship programs are expected to perform exceptionally as well. On the other hand, incoming student-athletes may experience the emotions described, but it may be vaster. Apart from their academics in which they are expected to perform exceptionally, there is also athletics whereby they should show their coaches that despite being an incoming freshman, they deserve an opportunity or time to play. The essay will entail a communication plan for incoming freshman athletes and how to stay out of trouble.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

One of the crucial aspects that incoming freshman athletes should do is to obtain a balance. In college, one has to find a way of balancing social activities, academics, and other obligations. It may be hard to maintain a balance, especially during the playing season due to time demands. Also, it is essential to note that one of the biggest challenges that one may face as an incoming freshman athlete is to learn the crucial aspects of time management that will assist them not only on campus but in future as well. Time for study should be arranged. Besides, workouts and practice are usually on an established schedule such that they end up being a routine. It is relevant to note that by learning or even doing homework during established times every week, one's academic life becomes predictable. Similarly, the same should be done for athletics. It should be crucial to comprehend the specific time for athletics practice, and in this way, one will have obtained a balance ("Student Athlete's Guide to Balancing Academics & College Sports," 2018). Therefore, it is apparent that balancing between academics, social activities and other obligations are useful for incoming freshman athletes.

Regarding the issue of obtaining a balance, the freshmen athletes can consider developing an hourly planner and ensuring that is updated daily. For instance, the time taken for naps should not be scheduled and instead breaks between the classes can be employed to study and even ensure other work is done. Proper time management during the day will ensure that one still has time in the evening to talk or visit friends (Dixon, 2018).

On the other hand, incoming freshman athletes should consider building in accountability. Most student-athletes have been observed to be self-driven and may, for instance, have never gone astray from their resolutions. However, there are still numerous others who succeed in the accountability provided by a team of players and coaches. Therefore, one may request one of them to hold them responsible for their academic objectives ("Student Athlete's Guide to Balancing Academics & College Sports,"2018). Also, they may form a study group with the other athletes. Through study groups, incoming freshman athletes will have a chance to share any challenges they may be facing in the academics field and social life and obtain efficient solutions from the other members. Moreover, one may get good and stable friends and thus eliminate the aspect of loneliness which may be observed among various incoming freshmen. It is also essential to note that some teams critically consider the issue of accountability into the program established. In this way, one will also be motivated to work in all areas, that is academics and athletics (Hebert, 2013). As such, accountability should be sought by incoming freshmen athletes as they will concentrate effectively on all crucial aspects of their lives in university.

Accountability should also be undertaken by telegraphing absences. When one is an athlete, there is a high possibility of missing classes. One of the primary ways to manage missed classes successfully is by communicating. As such, at the beginning of the semester, the professors should be informed of the dates that one will be absent since they will be partaking in athletics. The communication can be done through e-mail or by a letter from the athletic department. Furthermore, one week before missing a class, the professor should be reminded so that he or she can plan how the student will make up for the lost time and further obtain all the notes. When one gets back, they should then ensure that they have delivered their work at the agreed time (Wegzyn, 2014). Therefore, telegraphing absences ensures that one avoids the stress of missing classes or getting into trouble with the professors since they will be aware.

Being accountable has been observed to impart the skills of prioritization and discipline even after university. Most people in the professional field lack the skills of prioritization. However, university athletes have no choice but to eliminate unnecessary skills. When one becomes an athlete, there are choices that they have to undertake. For instance, it is hard to be committed to their sport, have a substantial party social life, get good grades and enough sleep ("Student Athlete's Guide to Balancing Academics & College Sports," 2018). Therefore, there is a way in which one undertaking the right choices as a university athlete ensures they remain discipline even later in their careers as it has been observed among most of those who have had this experience prior.

Practicing is considered a tough task, but it is important to note that it has already been mapped out by the coaching staff. Also, studying is another task, but the central aspect here is to ensure that one plans their priorities. Working backward and carefully planning time is vital. Incoming freshmen athletes should always ensure that they are aware of the due date of every assignment and then estimating the time required to work on each one of them as well (Hebert, 2013). Moreover, they can design a schedule that puts everything into account as previously highlighted. When one is uncertain, they should always consult the academic advisor for assistance. Besides, they should not waver to seek assistance from parties such as professors or advisors when they feel that their priorities are indistinct or too overpowering (Dixon, 2018). Having priorities in place will ensure that one has undertaken all the vital activities or what is required from them with minimal stress or pressure.

Incoming freshmen athletes should note that they must manage their time to complete their projects, pass tests, obtain good grades and even graduate. Also, as an athlete, they may have sports commitments that may interfere with this responsibility. As such, it is always fundamental to crosscheck for them to crosscheck their athletic and academic schedules and identify any prospective encounters. They can then consult the relevant parties in case of a conflict in their programs which will guide and assist them to rectify (Hebert, 2013). Hence, incoming freshmen athletes should ensure that they confirm their schedules as it will guide them to avoid missing crucial events or activities connected to academics or athletics.

Support services are available in the university and should be a consideration by the incoming freshmen athletes. They entail tools and resources found in the institution like coaching to assist all learners. It is also relevant to note that there are additional support services specifically for student-athletes. In this way, incoming freshmen athletes should not be worried when joining the university especially since they are expected to balance academics and athletics since they will always have someone to help when faced with challenges. Universities usually have an academic supervisor who mainly works with student-athletes. They are also well habituated to the encounters they face. However, some institutions may lack a particular academic worker for athletes. The general supervisor will still be available to work with the student-athletes and even comprehend their issues in a better way once they visit them on a regular basis. They can guide one in choosing the proper courses and aptness requirements. The student-athletes also have other resources ranging from study halls, coaching centers, and urgency class registration. Moreover, some institutions even have individual trainers and dieticians for the student-athletes ("Student Athlete's Guide to Balancing Academics & College Sports," 2018). Consequently, it is vital for the student-athletes to take advantage and ensure that they fully utilize them in any way that may have a positive impact on their affairs.

Self-care is essential to any individual or professional. It is relevant to note that proper care of oneself entails eating well and getting sufficient rest. It may be quite tough, but it should be critically considered especially among the student-athletes who usually engage in workouts and practice that even take up most of their non-academic hours during the day. As a result, they may be lured to indulge in socializing after hours. Student-athletes who lack adequate sleep usually experience a burnout and may fail to conduct other activities effectively. Also, one may consider reducing their study time to create more for sleep, and in the long term, this will adversely affect their academic goals (Dixon, 2018).

It is fundamental to note that being a professional athlete may assist one to achieve their dreams and lessen any future financial problems. Also, most college athletes have been observed to take other professionals apart from sports. However, for this to be done, they ensured that they had earned their college degree. There are athletes who despite having the distinctive talent of playing professional sports, they depicted their pledge to obtaining an education. For instance, Mia Hamm, Tim Duncan, and Brett Favre are examples of athletes who completed their university education and proceeded to pursue prosperous careers at the professional level. However, their commitment to education and athletics was due to being disciplined concerning the way they managed their time and seeking assistance regularly from relevant parties when necessary. As such, they did not succeed on their own but had the necessary support (Wegzyn, 2014).

Incoming freshmen athletes should note that sometimes, it may be tough due to the expectations from parents and coaches. Julian McWilliams who played baseball at Ohio University gave an account of his experience. He has depicted that he had an exhausting schedule to manage school and sports which was quite tough. He had to lift weights at 6 am, attend classes from 8 am to 3 pm and then head to practice at 3:45 pm that would be completed at 6 pm, which was dinner time. At 8 pm, he was supposed to be at the study hall to do his homework and head to bed by either 12:30 am, or 1 am. As such, he would fall sick steadily due to having less sleep, and things were even worse since he did not have a good relationship with his coach. He ended up in a redshirt and had to transfer to another institution. In the end, he failed to attain his dream of playing minor league baseball but still did it professionally (Block, 2015).

Conclusion

The analysis has depicted the positive and negative effects of the choices made by Julian McWilliams. He followed the set schedule which was a useful feature but then had minimal time to rest. As such, this led to fatigue or burn out. The sport and academics also took an extensive amount of his time that he failed to focus on generating useful associations. It has been observed that McWilliams did not have a good relationship w...