Balancing Football, Academics, and Personal Life
Over the 15 years I’ve been playing football, I’ve found one of the hardest things to do is manage academics and your personal life, along with training and improving as a footballer.
In grades 6 to 9, I'll be the first to admit that I didn’t manage my academics and football well. I was improving as a footballer, doing loads of extra training, and my body and mind were changing. I was engrossed in the improvement I saw on the pitch and watching a lot of football on TV. The only problem with this is that I didn’t take the same pride in my schoolwork. Looking back, I was just going to school because it was a necessary part of my everyday life. It wasn't that fun.
That all changed when I left for Saskatchewan at the start of Grade 11 for a Celtic academy. In our contract for the academy, it was mandatory all players would maintain an 80% or above average in school. Any player would be removed/ suspended from the team if they hadn’t met the standard.
The contract was a moment of realization for me; I had to maintain an 80% or higher to stay on the team. I had to manage my academics with training and keeping myself in the best shape possible. It was now my responsibility. This balance was crucial to me throughout my time in Saskatchewan and my future. The contract functioned as a kickstart for me. I soon realized that academics would be pivotal in the route I wanted to pursue shortly.
When I returned home from Saskatchewan, I managed to maintain the same mindset for my academics. I knew the path I had to follow for my future.
I finished my grade 11 year in Calgary and moved into Grade 12, knowing I wanted to take the university route. I knew my high school grades dictated my options available for university. Fortunately, my grade 12 grades were good, which allowed me to pursue the university route after high school. I aspired to continue to play at a high level.
In late October 2021, I participated in the FTF Combine in Calgary. It was an opportunity to show that I had balanced my training to showcase myself to Canadian and American colleges and universities who watched online and in person. I performed well in the combine over the weekend. I still needed to show colleges and universities that I had the grades required for university entrance.
St. Thomas University's head coach contacted me after the combine, expressing interest in my game. I was invited for a trial in New Brunswick with the team in February 2022, where I once again had to prove that I had been balancing my training and academics. I got asked many questions about my academics and future school plans.
Luckily, the kickstart in Moose Jaw was what I needed to find a balance between sport and academics paid off. I got accepted to St. Thomas University and am now entering my second year of journalism at St. Thomas University, which starts in a couple of weeks.
As a young footballer, you'll be pulled in many directions as you advance with age. There will be many distractions, but you need to find that balance with football, schooling and having fun with your friends and family.
At university, I have to balance my grades and training with my personal life all at the same time. I’m obligated every day to become a better footballer and put the same level of passion and commitment into my studies. Ask my university teammates and my coach. Most days during our offseason, I was in the gym twice every day, once for upper and lower body strength and once for fitness and improving my touch. I had to find a way to manage my physical fitness and maintain a mandatory 3.0 GPA to stay on my university team, making sure I’m going to class every day, studying, and taking notes.
It's very challenging trying to balance this lifestyle. If you ask any of my university teammates, they will all confirm that I’m the guy who often stays in at night and chooses to study, work on an assignment and get a good sleep rather than stay out in the early hours of the morning. But, there are times when going out is the right thing, spending time with your teammates and meeting people around campus.
One of my past blogs talked about building connections with people. You don’t connect with people by only staying in talking to the same people. Go out a few times, enjoy yourself, have fun with your teammates, make memories and meet new people. Find the balance between your personal life, academics, and training.
It’s not easy, but I do the most to stabilize my school studies, training and personal life. To be a successful footballer, you must do your best to find that fine line between all three and guarantee you're growing as a person as you advance.
