Suggestions For Helping A Middle Schooler Balance Cheer And School?

[DonnaM]

After a year of spending more and more time in the All Star gym taking tumbling, jumps, and stunt classes, CP decided to move to All Star from rec cheer for this year. I'm a little concerned about the practice schedule and competition schedule combined with fairly heavy schoolwork that is only going to get more so in high school, particularly since she is planning to do an early college program where she will be doing her associates while in high school.

Does anyone have any suggestions on helping develop that balance and good study skills? I figure we have 8th grade to figure it out!

 

[cheer25mom]

My CP is in the dance studio 10 hours a week and the cheer gym 6-7 hours a week. She has done a pretty good job of balancing that with an accelerated math and science middle school program. She has to have a schedule, and be disciplined about sticking to it. She knows what time is allotted to school work each day, and when she has long team projects she has to sit down and budget that time accordingly. For instance: she knows Tuesdays she will not get home until after 8, or start homework before 9 so if there is a big assignment do Wednesday, it has to get done the weekend before. She knows she cannot wait until the last minute for anything. That was the biggest change that had to be made when her schedule stepped up. There has to be advanced planning for long term assignments.

 

[AjfromOpals]

Schedules are so hard to stick too but they really help. As well as being a competitive cheerleader and dancer, I'm in all extension classes at my school and I'm also on the mock trials team so balancing has been one of the hardest things for me to deal with. Creating good, efficient study habits has helped me a lot but whatever you do please remind your CP (or yourself) that there has to be time to socialise, be a kid or just relax. As great as everything I do is and as much as my hard work is starting to pay off (both academically and as an athlete), I cannot tell you how much I now value my timetable. Also just a quick note I'm in year 10 which is the equivalent of sophomore in the US :)

 

[MissCongeniality]

We actually found that the busier the kids were the better they did. Yes it took self discipline, studying while commuting etc. But the time juggle really has proven beneficial now that my older two are in college. They both comment on how much they attribute their ability to balance education, work, social life.

* DO NOT miss more school than absolutely necessary. No "extra days" because "their friends are". We always tried to get in at least a half day before leaving for a comp and when arriving home late. A good relationship/communication with teachers is very helpful too. Ask them for work beforehand. Don't put the sports before school but don't skip practices etc. because of "grades" "studying" etc. Both are commitments. Honor both.

 

[CLynn]

Agree with the other posters re: being disciplined with school work and planning ahead. I also think communication with teachers re: schedule and missing school is so important, as is finding a gym that sticks to the schedule. Our gym runs like a Swiss clock but others vary in terms of how many extra practices they have, and that can make maintaining a strict homework schedule tough. Lastly, make sure CP is prepared for the social sacrifices all-star will entail (missing plays, dances, nights out, etc). GL!

 

[IEA.Elizabeth]

Make sure she knows school work comes first it's a lot less stressful when you just work hard to get most of your work done at school/on the way to the gym (I know from experience) also it's not as overwhelming as it may seem right now this past year I did all honors course at school high school football cheer (we cheer for wrestling too) and I did Allstar and even still had down time some days :))


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[CheerBank]

We actually found that the busier the kids were the better they did. Yes it took self discipline, studying while commuting etc. But the time juggle really has proven beneficial now that my older two are in college. They both comment on how much they attribute their ability to balance education, work, social life.

* DO NOT miss more school than absolutely necessary. No "extra days" because "their friends are". We always tried to get in at least a half day before leaving for a comp and when arriving home late. A good relationship/communication with teachers is very helpful too. Ask them for work beforehand. Don't put the sports before school but don't skip practices etc. because of "grades" "studying" etc. Both are commitments. Honor both.

I cannot agree with this more. Your child may not be happy coming home before everyone else but her grades (and overall stress level) will. Mine missed three less days of school than her team this past season, by coming home early at my insistence. It was just not negotiable for me. Pay attention to the comp schedule and awards times. Know what your gym's policies are in terms of arrival and departure for their athletes. There is a gym by me that is requiring all Summit teams to be in Disney today. One of the teams is not even competing until Saturday. To me that would be a deal breaker.

 

[Mom2Cheergirls]

Find down time...and don't dictate what she does in that down time (within reason). My kids are great at balancing the demands but there are times when they are in down time mode and I want to scream because they are laying around doing nothing ...before I holler I remind myself what they do physically and mentally and I let them be. We also make sure we do family things. That time away from the gym is really time away. Making sure there is more to life than school and cheer is important to and sometimes that can get lost in the shuffle.

In our house I touch base daily with my kids about where they are with their homework (do they have any and what is due) but it is their responsibility. Not done that falls on them. Each of my kids has a different style and what works for them (one likes to get assignments done early one just on time). They get to come home and relax for like 20 minutes unless they have something due and it is a practice night then it gets shortened to like 10 minutes.

It is doable but finding what is best for your family balance is the key.

 

[BlockHead]

My CP has done all-star for 5 seasons. She took a year break after season 2. That year long break is when her grades suffered. She seems to do so much better is school when she is involved in the the cheer world. Keeps her disciplined!

 

[Nikki Moore]

I like for both of my girls to be involved in school stuff as well at their sport. If there are activities they want to do tied to the school, see how feasible it is for them to do but don't let cheer stop them from doing it.
Non-CP recently got invited to do an Honors Orchestra clinic and it was the same day as a SB game but we just had to tell them she wouldn't be at the game because in the long run, doing the clinic was a bigger opportunity for her. I know in cheer, it's not as simple to just "miss" a comp, but if at all possible, don't turn down stuff like that.

But we run into the same issue with CP and school. The days she has a private, she brings her school work and does it at the gym until her cheer practice starts. Luckily practice really doesn't take up all that much time for her. She tends to do her work in school as well..