Running Successful Study Sessions

One of my personal favorite aspects of managing my team is running their study sessions. My team requires study sessions twice a week in the fall for first-year students, transfers, or any student-athlete with a GPA below a certain number.  

These sessions have proven to be productive in various ways from an academic and social standpoint. Here are a few of my best tips for running successful study sessions for your team. 

Keeping a Sign-In Sheet 

This might be the education major in me, but I love a having a sign-in sheet ready and placed near the door when the student-athletes walk in. Even if your coach doesn’t require it, I’ve found it helpful in remembering who shows up every session. It also adds a bit of accountability for them.  

If you’re feeling fancy, you can put inspirational quotes or other fun messages at the bottom. 

Setting Clear Expectations from the Beginning 

Let the student-athletes know from the start what you expect of them during these sessions. Tell them you expect them to attend each session and to contact you beforehand if you cannot. My group last fall was great with this while the one before them was not. 

I accept tutoring, illnesses/injuries, and emergencies as valid excuses. I do not accept lazy excuses or them not telling me beforehand. If it is a consistent problem, I tell the coaches. Let them know that you’re here to help them, but you can only really do that if they show up as much as they can. 

Keeping Study Times Consistent 

Try to not move the dates and times of study sessions too often. I set a time of Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-8:30pm and try to stick to that as much as I can. Routine usually helps student-athletes, so keeping times as consistent as possible proves to be helpful for them and you.  

Of course, life happens, and there’s been times where I’ve had to switch out a Tuesday for a Monday or push the start time up. If this happens, just communicate the change clearly to the team and all will be fine. 

Assessing the Mood 

Some days, your student-athletes will be chattier than others. Or less productive, more disruptive, or simply tired from practice.  

It’s important to assess the mood of the group at the beginning of each session to best run it. If they’re ready to work hard, let them, and keep the room as quiet and free from disruption as possible. If they want to talk about practice, school, or life in general – let them. Often, they’ll put in headphones or move spots if they’re solely focused on working. Make sure they at least bring work to do even if they like talking. 

Having Fun with It 

Aside from just working, study sessions can be a great time to get to know your student-athletes more. This is especially important if they are first-years or transfer students. Each Thursday, I would conduct quick “check-ins” with each guy to see where they are academically, athletically, and socially. Through these, I was able to build relationships with each of them and notice any red flags that popped up. 

Additionally, I try to keep the mood as light as possible and sway any negative conversations to a more positive tone. Overall, while study sessions should consist of studying, they should also be a place to build rapport with your student-athletes, and for them to do the same with each other.