Leadership and Life Balance
How do I ask for help when school and sport pile up?
Rhema Adelaja · National Champion & 4x DUX
Asking for help is not weakness. Ask for support before the system collapses. Put everything in one calendar, then talk early to a parent, teacher or coach. Use Fact, Feeling, Question: say what is happening, how it affects you, and ask what can change next.
The answer
- Put every commitment in one calendar: classes, training, matches, travel. Now you can see the overload.
- Choose who can help. A teacher can speak to schoolwork, a coach to training, a parent to support.
- Ask early, before the system collapses.
- Fact: say what is happening in plain words. For example, "I have two assessments and a competition in the same week."
- Feeling: say how it affects you.
- Question: ask a collaborative question about what can change, such as "What can we move?"
- Listen to the answer, then follow through on what you agree.
- Warn your teachers and coaches early about heavy weeks.
If you feel overwhelmed all the time, not just in one busy week, tell a parent, a teacher or another adult you trust.
For information only. This is general information for student-athletes, not medical, legal, financial or professional advice. Talk to a qualified professional about your own situation. Terms
Rules and amounts change. Check the official source before you act. Last checked: 11 October 2026.