Ski racing has taught me time management

Ski academies give junior racers an opportunity to get valuable ski training and be able to get out on the road and race without missing out on academics.

At Mount Mansfield Winter Academy, the J1 and J2 racers ski in the morning and go to classes in the afternoon. We head up to the mountain around 7:45 a.m. We free ski and train, then head back down to school around 11:30 a.m. Classes start after lunch. Each class lasts forty minutes. Classes generally meet three to four times a week, unless the student is off racing. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, we head to the gym after classes to lift weights or do agility exercises.

Attending the academy is not only a blast, but it teaches you valuable skills like time management. Coming from the regular school schedule (school until three and sports practice for a couple of hours in the afternoon) it takes a bit of an adjustment to get used to the academy schedule, where there are more things to do in the day and the time goes by faster.
For a procrastinator like me, I have found that mastering my time can take a lot of will power. However, I realized that if I did my homework or tuned my skis as soon as I had time, I would have a lot more free time to do whatever I wanted later. Also, I learned that it is a lot more enjoyable to relax and hang out when you have your work done, instead of having it sitting, unfinished, in a huge pile on your desk.

The time management skills I have gained from being a student at the academy have carried over to other aspects of my life. I tend to plan better when I know that there are important things that I have to do. I get things done and out of the way rather than building up huge lists of things I need to do.

Last, spring upon returning to public school, I used my new time management abilities to help me stay focused and not get the usual spring slacking fever. These skills are valuable and I think that they will help me later in life both in college and the real world.