college student question

Lately, yes he has. They're getting to the end of the season in a tight conference race, classes and scholastic work every day, there's been a practice or a game every day, missed classes, makeup work, proving yourself, seeing to laundry, meals...and finals are coming up. Emotions are running high. All away from home for the first time.

Can we be surprised?

Just be soothing, remind him of all he's accomplished, learned and become. And that things will look a lot brighter soon...and next year will be easier because it's no longer the 'unknown'.

This has been quite a year for our boys, and they have a right to be exhausted!

ofmom ...

There is an expressive question about bears and the woods ... and the definitive answer YES

When our son was very tired, we had him checked at the health center to be sure he wasn't harboring anything to worry about (mono ... altho he didn't have the traditional sore throat ... etc.) After getting a clean bill of health, we pumped him up with a mega vitamin and talked with him about his diet. A lot of times, by this point in the season, the boys are taking short cuts on the meals and stuffing their bodies with junk food and fast food ... not healthy for athletes. It is harder for the boys who live in dorms at my son's school because they don't have dinner late enough to accomodate game days. This year, I think all the players live in apartments, and can fend for themselves with decent food. But ... for the lazy or cooking impaired, diet can factor into the physical exhaustion.

Just some thoughts ...

ofmom03,
Yes he is complaining of being weary...recently had a vicious cold that had me really concerned but somehow managed to overcome it( I was worried about pneumonia due to being so run down)...this past w/e the dorm was basically empty except for a few BB players who were unable to go home for Easter he spent most of his time sleeping, cleaning his room and laundry and feels refreshed at the moment...this has been a challenging year for these boys....learning time management and prospective has been invaluable...one thing, which I feel was of tremendous worth, we had spoken to several players who had gone this road before and they had recommended a lighter schedule of classes in the spring and heavier in the fall which he did and he is also taking 2 classes this summer to jump start next semester...seems to have been beneficial in the academic field...if I had the schedule that this guys keep I would have fallen so those that are successful deserve a great deal of credit

Same here. Our son tell us he's tire all the time. Same as the other posts, we've been telling him to get more sleep. Last year as a Fresh, he was not this way. As a Soph, he's tired. Don't know the difference? Maybe he was running on adrinaline last year?

I know that he finishes his homework starting at 10pm. This is where I'm starting my bed time! I know, for my son, there is added pressure for continuing the recruiting process again from JUCO to 4-year school. Lots of emails, applications and phone calls along with regular studies. Thank goodness they are young.

I am going to have to agree with the rest of the posts here....my son is TIRED!!! He is a freshman ballplayer and I think all of the travel (planes, busses, etc.), ball games, excitement, adrenalin rushes, bad eating habits, etc. are starting to get to him. Actually, I can't even imagine how he is managing because I have been doing some travelling over the past couple of weeks to see him play and between the airplane flights and hotel rooms....sleep is at a minimum, stress is at a high level, and I'm not even going to mention what all the fast food is doing to me! I can understand completely why my son is "tired" at this point in the season...PLUS, add on the most IMPORTANT aspect this equation....CLASSES!!!! If you are concerned, I would get him checked out just to make sure he doesn't have mono, anemia, etc. I'm pretty sure he is going to have a clean bill of health. Then, I would just try to emphasize the need for adequate sleep (yeah right! lol), and nutrition. He's got to learn to handle all these responsibilities himself, and to do so in a healthy, productive way.

I concur with all of the ladies who have posted. As far as the health check, please do not forget the psychological aspect, also. Make certain that your son is not feeling overwhelmed, which can snowball into depression. Extreme exhaustion due to juggling so many priorities (even when all is going well) can lead to this. Just be alert to any warning signals.

My son during his freshman year ended up with high blood pressure because of all the worry about school work, being good enough to make the team, etc. It is tough for these young men away from home usually and they have so much going on that most do not eat right or get enough sleep. My son is a sophomore in college now and blood pressure is in check without any meds. He is still tired alot, but it is his own fault. He is a procrastinater and waits til last night to do an assignment and then stays up all night.