The Fall Playbook
Credit: Topdesign
September is here! What a wonderful time of year in New England. Crisp morning air, pumpkin spice lattes galore, and a calendar full of athletic events, birthday parties, and back to school meetings. My calendar looks like a complicated corn maze these days, and I know I’m not alone.
Between school, ballet, soccer practices, jamborees, games, and family commitments, the days seem to string together. For many athletes and families, it may often feel as though there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Parents often find themselves spending countless hours in the car driving from one activity to the next, making sure everyone is fed and somehow getting all their homework done.
The challenge is real, but it doesn’t have to make life overly complicated. Balance this time of year comes down to mastering two essentials: routine and time management.
Routines give structure to busy days. When athletes and their families know what’s on deck, there is less scrambling and more focus. I like to call this organized chaos. It might be as simple as establishing a routine for game and practice days: school, pre-game snack, game time, dinner, and homework. Once it becomes a habit, the brain adjusts to the flow of the day, and each portion feels much more manageable.
Consistency is also a powerful tool – it can help alleviate the stress of decision-fatigue. Instead of reinventing the wheel each week, establish a cadence to family meals. Pick 8-10 nutritious meals you can easily toss together in 20 minutes and keep the ingredients on hand during the sports season. Or better yet, bust out the crock pot and come home to a hot meal after a mid-week game! Consistency lowers uncertainty and leaves more energy for the important things, such as homework or family time.
Time management is a popular term, but for young athletes, it’s more than scribbling a to-do list or color coding a google calendar. Effective time management requires establishing priorities and learning how to make the most of the hours available. The key to mastering time management? Cut down on wasted time. Put the phone away during homework or down time. Pack your game bag the night before. Use bus and car rides home to review notes or read assignments. Limiting junk hours is a huge cheat code to managing time effectively.
Families play a big role in setting the structures that make balance possible. When parents emphasize family meals, consistent bedtimes, and screen time limits, they’re promoting skills and habits that go far beyond sports. Family dinner, even if it happens at 5 PM one night and 8:30 the next, is more than just a meal. It is a chance to check in with one another, share the peaks and pits of your days, and reset together. As someone who regularly ate family dinners as a kid, I can say these are some of the most formative memories of my childhood. (Thanks, mom!)
In the craziness of the school year sports season, rest is often the first thing to get pushed aside. Late night games and long weekends on the road can quickly add up. Yet sleep is the one component athletes can’t afford to neglect. It’s the foundation for everything else - whether it’s writing a paper, performing on the field, or being a good teammate and friend. Without enough sleep, none of these areas function well. Sleep is often the piece we’re most willing to compromise, even though it’s the most essential.
Wrong answer! (Please read Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep and thank me later.)
Proper rest is a non-negotiable. I’m talking both physical rest and mental rest. Rest improves focus, boosts performance, and reduces injuries. It also allows athletes to recharge emotionally, helping them manage the pressures of school, sport, and everyday life with more resilience. Without intentional rest, even the most talented athletes eventually hit a wall – nobody is immune to burnout and chronic fatigue.
Balancing school and sports will always be a challenge. But with consistent routines and proactive time management, success is possible. For young athletes, developing these skills isn’t just about surviving the craziness of a busy season. It’s about establishing lasting habits that will lead them into college, careers, and the everyday challenges of adult life.
Carry on.
This article originally appeared in The Recorder on September 8, 2025.