Balancing school work and sport - advice from those whose DCs can manage it!

[BringBack1996]

DS is in yr 11 and has GCSEs starting on the 14th - stressful household! However he isn't willing to lower the level of commitment he has to his sport and as a result is finding himself 'too tired' to revise. What have you done in this situation? He still wants to compete and there are some major comps coming up, but do I let him go to those in exam weeks or is he old enough to make his own decisions re time management? Really need help on how to manage this!

My DS is much younger (8) so I'll probably change my tune by the time he's 16 if he's still involved in sport. However my DH has competed at international level in his sport so I do have some understanding of the nature of competitive sport.

My view - sport (depending on what it is) might be something which he can only do for a very short period of time and will give him fantastic memories and experiences. The opportunity to get an education will always be there. However if he's expecting you to 'bankroll' him whilst he competes and gets an education then you get a big say. If he's got plans for a job then he should realise he'll need qualifications.

They aren't international comps, just national. He has no desire to do sport as a career, but at the same time knows he can get As with a couple of Bs without revising. What he doesn't notice is that A*s are possible if he revises!

Ahh, he's a 'do-enough' student then! If he was my son I'd be leaving him to it then. A's and B's sound good enough to me (but then I'm a bit of a do-enough person myself!)

In some ways I share that opinion - As and Bs are fab - but I think he wants to be better just can't be bothered! Not sure how to get through to him as he is way more concerned about his rowing!

Really depends what he wants to do next,I have been surprised how much GCSE results matter when applying to University,especially for competitive subjects such as Law and Medicine.

Personally I think that unless he is an international hopeful, GCSEs come first ,the better GCSEs he has the more choices he has ,poor exams but a first in the Javelin (or whatever) will mean little in the Autumn however big the competition.

Completely agree, outtolunch! I think once he breaks up for exam leave and isn't at school all day things will improve in terms of productivity I hope.

If its rowing is he looking at Oxbridge , Durham etc?

Don't they want A/A* at GCSE?

Can you persuade him that studying hard now will mean more rowing in the future?

I can't help thinking that a CV stuffed with As and Bs and competing at National level in your chosen sport, is going to stand out from the crowd of As and A*s but not a lot else going on in life. As an employer, I know I'd be picking out the former.

At the moment he's got his eye on LSE for geography, which in all fairness isn't as high an offer of other courses. He would need to pull his socks up to get in though. I'm torn between thinking that rowing is a great thing to put on personal statement etc but if that comprimises his grades it's not so good.

I'm going to say it's his call on this one. Will tell him the pros/cons of each but in the end it's his decision.

Tough one. To be honest extra-curricular stuff is not nearly as big a deal for admissions tutors at university as school teachers/parents often think or hope it is. Top universities don't really care about you being an "all-rounder"; and in any case most of the best candidates are accomplished in an impressive range of ways anyway. (I am a lecturer by the way and have been involved in admissions at a few places.)

A*s (rather than As/Bs) do sadly matter at GCSE as well when it comes to university admissions. I wish they didn't but they have to decide somehow and the grade inflation in the last 10-20 years has been pretty steep.

On the other hand lots of students mature loads between GCSEs and A levels and gain a lot of focus at 6th form so an upward curve after GCSEs is a common pattern, especially with boys; and even if an admissions tutor won't care much about the rowing that's not to say that he shouldn't if it's important to him.

I think you're right that you should lay out the implications for him and leave him to decide. If he could get a smattering of A*s rather than none that would leave almost all options open to him as far as universities go.

That's great to have your side of it, thanks. I will report what I've found out back to him and see what he wants to do!