College coaches will tell you, “A good forty time will get you a look, but good grades will get you in.” Academics play an important part not only in recruiting and admissions but also in financial aid and scholarship awards.

Students understand the importance of good grades, but there are many commitments (sports) and diversions (their phones) vying for their attention. Here are some tips for parents to help their athletes maximize their classroom performance and give them a competitive edge when it comes to applying for college.

Create a Core Courses Plan

To compete at the Division I level, the NCAA require 16 core-courses, meaning at least four years of high school English, math, science and social science. These courses will determine your student’s academic eligibility.

We recommend that, as early as their freshman year, athletes should consult with their counselor to map out a course schedule that will get them to where they need to be as a student-athlete.

Write it down, stay organized, create space

Whether in a notebook or a MacBook, encourage your student to write things down. This is a proven memory-boosting device. Students will get a better handle on upcoming assignments and tests if they commit them to a planner.

This will allow them to plan map out appropriate study time. Another method that will put them in a productive study zone is to create a distraction-free space in the home to get their work done.

Don’t settle for the minimum

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” That saying shouldn’t apply just to athletics but to academic performance as well. Your student should be motivated to go the extra yard (or base; choose your own sports metaphor here) in the classroom. That’s one way to stand out when applying to the elite colleges and universities. Any increase in GPA is going to help expand recruiting opportunities.

Don’t cheat on sleep

Those distractions we referenced earlier (we’re looking at you, phones) can keep students awake late into the night. This will affect their classroom and athletic performance. Getting organized, staying productive and creating a routine with a set time for lights/phones out can only help reduce stress and improve academics.