4 Top Tips for Student Athletes by Patrick Flanagan
Patrick Flanagan is a Paralympian swimmer and #TeamKinetica ambassador. Along with competing at the highest level of sport, Patrick also studies at university. He shared his top tips with us on how he balances his studies with training and competing.
1. Communication
Good Communication is the bridge between confusion & clarity! Ensure you talk with your coaches, lecturers and teammates. These people want to see you succeed and will always be happy to help. Communication is the key!
2. Time Management
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Planning out your days and weeks make life a lot easier. If you know that you’re going to be training between 7-9am and again at 5-7pm, you can make things simpler by writing down your daily plan, such as when you’re getting your study in, and of course that all-important nap!
3. Look Ahead
Following on from the last point. It’s important at the start of every academic year and sporting season to look ahead. Will you have an important competition around exams? Will you have a training camp away when a project is due? These things only become problems if you leave them to the last minute. Taking 30 minutes at the start of each year to think about this can save a lot of stress.