subject: Extracurricular Activities: Studies versus Professional Sport [print this page] Extracurricular Activities: Studies versus Professional Sport
Is there sound mind in a sound body? It is said that sport activities are beneficial for person's health. Sport improves self-organization and endurance. Still, professional sport may become a hindrance for person's graduating from a college and receiving a degree. It is important to know where to stop. Going in for sport for keeping fit is different from devoting too much time to training and achieving record-breaking results. Deciding between professional sports and one's studies setting the priorities is decisive. Unfortunately, not all dreams come true and not everyone may become a professional sportsman. A person has to consider this fact before giving preference to sport extracurricular activities. Certainly, sportsmen represent their college at competitions enhancing its prestige. As a rule, everyone admires sportsmen thinking that they manage to combine their studies with professional sport. In reality, they often fail to allot enough time to their homework and even do not attend classes. Who is to blame? It is important to look for the roots of the problem in order to prevent blaming the victims. Some sportsmen have no opportunity to attend classes. The fact is that some competitions may concur with classes. Physical activity and especially professional sport is really enduring and sometimes these students are unable to do their homework. Still, the responsibility is not to be shifted on trainers. Students often are not eager to devote time to their studies and sports activities are only an excuse. The question whether all professional students are underachieving students is disputable. Notwithstanding the generally accepted opinion some students manage to combine their studies with extracurricular activities. Professors need to get rid of their misconceptions concerning professional sportsmen and try to be objective assessing sportsmen's achievements; to motivate the sportsmen and appreciate their achievement; to take into consideration physical load tiring them out.
