Mike Morris, Academic Coach, Valley HS New Kensington, PA

Michael Morris
Academic Coach
Valley HS, New Kensington, PA
Loving Life as we speak
mmorris@nscinnovations.com

Over the past few weeks I have been receiving phone calls from athletes that have moved on to the college ranks and have found themsleves in an academic battle that they have not had to ever face in school.

These athletes were the crème de la crème of the grid iron and of the classroom. For these athletes, academics came easy for them because there was always someone around to inform them what the next step should entail. And why not? this is high school where you should receive support on an ongoing basis so that you will succeed in any given field that you choose. As I say, “School is a place where students are allowed to make as many mistakes as possible but still given the opportunity to right their wrong without severe penalty.”

However, as you matriculate college or the real world, you will find out that you must now take full responsibility for your actions. Case in point, a past student of mine never failed an exam in high school but his first Psychology exam in college barely amounted to a “D”. He began to question what went wrong and how could this happen to himself. After further research, I realized that his study habits were weak, at best, for the college classroom.

The rule says that for every hour of class time you have, you should designate 2 to 3 hours of study time for each class hour to adequately prepare for the exams. If you are carrying a course load between 12 to 15 hours, this amounts to approximately a minimum of 24 to 45 per week. As you can see, this is equivalent to a full time job, which is ultimately what you have agreed to manage as your responsibility.

Before you get discouraged realize that being a student is difficult but being a student athlete is that much more challenging. If you would, allow me to share with you a plan that could enhance the outcome of the semesters that will follow your first semester freshmen year.

I have outlined two paths of approaching college. I must admit that 90% of the students select a certain path that leads them to fail first semester year. Let me lay out the time frame; take a moment to reflect; and then choose the path that you believe would work best for you academically. Once you complete that task, the next step is to ask yourself if you will follow that particular game plan to be an academic success.

Plan 1	Plan 2
September	September
1st week: Get aquainted with campus	1st Week: Get books and begin working
2nd Week: Meet friends and socialize	2nd Week: Work on papers and study
3rd Week: Get Books and begin working	3rd Week: Finish papers and studying
4th Week: rush to finish work and study	4th Week: Prepared for taking first exam
October	October
1st week: Put more time into school work	1st Week: Begin working on second paper
2nd Week: Get hyped for homecoming	2nd Week: Finish paper and begin to study
3rd Week: Enjoy homecoming week	3rd Week: Prepare for midterms
4th Week: Take midterms	4th Week: Take midterms with confidence
November	November
1st week: Begin to do work	1st Week: Continue to finish work on time
2nd Week: Cram for next exams	2nd Week: Prepare for next exams
3rd Week: Struggle with exams	3rd Week: Take Exams with confidence
4th Week: Thanksgiving Break	4th Week: Thanksgiving Break
December	December
1st week: Panic Study/no Sleep	1st Week: Prepare for finals
2nd Week: Take finals and fail	2nd Week: Take finals with confidence
3rd Week: Christmas Break	3rd Week: Christmas Break
4th Week: Christmas Break	4th Week: Christmas Break
Result: 1.6 gpa	Result: 3.5 gpa

The only difference between these two students is that one student is willing to sacrifice immediate gratification for a later, more exclusive gratification versus the other student who is more concerned about the here and now.

What I am trying to say is that the parties, girls, road trips, campus activities, and social life will be there regardless, but your performance 1st semster freshman year will set the tone for you for the next ten years and beyond. The habits that you develop in high school most likely will follow you to college and then to future employment. All I ask is that you seriously envision where you would like to be in the next ten years and determine what it will take to get there by asking those that have already endured the path that you are about to embark. Once you have completed your research, determine if you have the desire to perform on such a high level to capture your dreams.

Someone once told me that you can decide to work extra hard for the next ten years and enjoy the fruits of your labor for the next fifty years. or, you can enjoy the next ten years and work extremely hard the next fifty years.

I am glad that I listened to that person because I am now headed towards enjoying the fruits of my labor.

Think about it!!!

With major financial support from a broad-coalition of corporations, communities, individuals and organizations, including the NFL and the NFL Players Association, the Play It Smart program has quickly become one of the most comprehensive and effective youth development programs in the country, achieving dramatic results that include:

• 95% of seniors graduating high school, compared to 85% of their peers;



• 80% of seniors enrolling in college compared to 62% of their peers;



• Participants taking the SAT or ACT at twice the rate of their peers;



• Participants completing more than 67,000 hours of community service annually;



• Rosters increasing by 35% for teams with fewer than 40 players;



• Participants earning more than $6 million a year in scholarships; and



• 200-plus graduates earning places among the elite collegiate ranks during the 2007 season on Football Bowl Subdivision rosters.

Play It Smart builds on the positive peer influences of team sports and a participant's interest in football. The program's academic coaches are trained in a set of guiding principles and a variety of tactics, which are designed to make academic achievement the norm. Working closely with the direct support of a team's head coach and others in the community, academic coaches hold one-on-one goal setting meetings, career and life skills sessions, mandatory study halls, SAT/ACT prep classes, community service projects and other team building events.

ABOUT PLAY IT SMART
Play It Smart is an educational program established in 1998 by The National Football Foundation. The program's mission is to help student-athletes take responsibility for their futures through lessons learned on the playing field, in the classroom, and in service to others. At the heart of the program is a year-round academic coach, an official member of a team's staff, who serves as a direct link to the classroom by helping players and the team set and achieve their academic and personal development goals during the entire school year. Learn more at www.PlayItSmart.org.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE HALL OF FAME:
With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.

NFF