Below are some articles reprinted from the "NFL High School website" designed to help you get the most out of your performance, both academically and on the playing field.
-- Effective Note-Taking -- Setting Effective Goals -- Getting Organized --
By Kelly O'Brien, NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport, Springfield College
When you step on the practice field, you are expected to be an active participant. You have to listen to instructions, take part in drills, and learn new techniques and strategies. Each time you enter the classroom, you need to be active learner. If you are active and involved, then your performance is likely to improve. One strategy to help you remain engaged during class is note taking. Note taking keeps you focused on what the teacher is saying and often helps the time pass quicker than if you do nothing at all.
Similar to football practice, you must come to class prepared to learn! Below are some tips to make sure you are ready to take notes!
Once you are prepared, you need to find an appropriate strategy that will help you take effective notes. Many students become overwhelmed because they think they have to write down everything that is said in class. This is not the case. It can be difficult to recognize what information you need to write down, however the “cues” below will help you become a more skilled note-taker.
With practice, these “cues” will help you develop your own note-taking strategy.
Simply taking notes in class is not enough to perform well on exams. You must review them on a regular basis, either at night, in between classes, or on the bus. When time permits, it is also helpful to rewrite your notes. Sometimes students write things down too quickly during class and they need to be rewritten in a clear, organized fashion. If you find that you are missing information, refer to your textbook or ask your teacher. Remember, note taking is a great way to stay engaged in class. Developing a good strategy will keep you prepared for any exam or quiz that might “pop” up unexpectedly.
Information adapted from:
Nist, S.L. & Holschuh, J. (2000). Active learning: Strategies for college
success. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
By Kelly O'Brien,
NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport, Springfield College
reprinted from www.nflhs.com
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you will end up in the stars.
-- Les Brown
Now that the football season and academic year have begun, it is a good idea to consider your goals for the upcoming months. Do you want to complete more passes or make more tackles? Do you want to run for 1000 yards? Do you want to achieve a certain GPA or an 'A' in Biology? These are just a few examples of the goals you might want to set for yourself.
A goal is a standard or level of proficiency that you work toward or want to attain. Goals keep us focused and they can also increase our motivation and effort. There are many different types including outcome, performance, and process goals. Outcome goals focus on results. For example, achieving an 'A' in biology or winning a championship. Performance goals allow you to increase your own personal standards of performance based on previous experiences. Perhaps last season, you ran for 300 yards and this year you want to increase that number to 400 yards. Maybe you want to complete all of your homework assignments instead of missing one or two.
Finally, process goals focus on the steps you need to take in order to attain the desired outcome. More specifically, how are you going increase your total yardage? What new skills or strategies are you going to need to learn in order to achieve this goal?
The key to effective goal setting is to be SMART. Goals should be:
Specific
Measurable
Action-oriented
Realistic
Time-appropriate
An athlete who wants to run a mile in five minutes has a goal that is both specific and measurable. If you can currently run the mile in five and a half minutes, then shaving 30 seconds off that time is realistic. You also have to consider the amount of time this athlete has to complete the goal. Four months, rather than four weeks, is an appropriate time frame. Furthermore, you also want to consider both long and short-term goals. Earning an 'A' in Biology is an example of an outcome goal. However, you also need to plan the smaller steps that you need to take to get an 'A'. These process goals may include attending each class, taking notes, and turning in assignments complete and on time. It is helpful to think of this process in terms of a goal setting ladder. Each step you take brings you closer to your ultimate goal.
In order to keep yourself on track, make your goals visible. Write them on a piece of paper and post them on the inside of your locker or on the cover of a notebook where you are sure to see them on a regular basis. It is also important to verbalize your goals. Let other people know the goals that you want to achieve. These people can also act as your support team. Team members may include friends, family, a coach, or a guidance counselor. They can provide you with information, encouragement, and assist you with strategies to achieve your goals.
It is much easier to set goals than it is to keep them. Problems often arise that may throw you off track or challenge you to keep your goals. These problems are called roadblocks. Roadblocks can typically occur in four areas:
Lack of knowledge; Do you have all of the information that you need to achieve your goal? Lack of skill; Do you have the physical or mental skills needed to achieve your goal? Lack of self-confidence; Do you have the self-confidence to achieve your goals? Lack of social support; Do you have a social support team, such as friends or family, that will encourage and assist you during the process?
If you can answer yes to these questions, then you are well on your way to success. Otherwise, you may have to set a new goal to achieve the knowledge, skill, self-confidence, or support that you need.
By Kelly O'Brien, National Football Foundation
reprinted from www.nflhs.com
With
the football season here, your schedule can sometimes become very overwhelming.
How will you ever balance class, practice, homework, games, a job, friends, and
family? You can if you practice effective time management. Believe it or not, 24
hours in a day is enough time to do everything you HAVE to, and still have some
extra time for you.
Time management requires you to use the time you do have in an efficient manner. It allows you to be in control of how you spend your time. It can also help you accomplish more and reduce your stress by eliminating those last minute cram sessions. In order for time management to be successful, you must use your time wisely and make the most out of each moment that you have. Even the shortest periods of time such as walking to and from class or waiting for the bus, can be used in a beneficial and efficient manner.
There are four important steps to time management: patterning, prioritizing, planning, and preparing.
First, you need to make a Pattern of the time you spend on “have to” tasks each day such as sleeping, eating, going to class, practicing your sport, or going to work. By mapping these out, you will notice where you have flexible time. Next you need to Prioritize your daily tasks. Prioritizing means deciding what is important to you and what tasks you have to do on a daily basis. It may be helpful for you to put your daily tasks in order of priority or to make a list of “Have to, Should do, Could do.” At this point, you may also want to consider your goals for the semester to be sure that your priorities are consistent with them. If your goal is to achieve a 3.0 GPA for the semester, then it should be important to you to attend class, read your textbooks, and to turn in your assignments complete and on time.
After you have developed a pattern and prioritized, you need to Plan. A schedule book or daily planner will help you keep track of your assignments, appointments, social commitments, etc. When developing your plan, be specific about what you exactly need to do. Instead of “study for algebra”, write down “complete algebra problems 5-10.” It may also help you to make a reading schedule. If you have 50 pages to read in English and 50 pages to read in History, then divide the 100 pages by five nights. Reading 20 pages per night seems much more manageable than 100 pages. Once you write each of these assignments down, you must also look at your planner on a regular basis. After you accomplish each task, cross it off. It will give you a great sense of satisfaction! This type of planning will also get you into a routine and it allow you to Prepare for busy times in the future. Having a plan puts things in perspective and keeps you from feeling too overwhelmed during the high pressure points of the semester. For instance, you may notice that the same week you have to prepare for a big game, you also have to study for 3 mid-term exams. Having a pre-existing plan will keep you prepared, in control, and successful.
Time management, like any other skill, must be practiced on a regular basis in order for it to be effective. Reward yourself by taking short 10 or 15 minute breaks after spending an hour on your homework. Also, instead of “stealing” an hour from your reading schedule to watch a movie, try to “borrow” it. This means that if you skip an hour on Wednesday night, you will have to add that hour on to Thursday. If you follow these simple steps you will be on your way to a successful season both on and off the field.