3+ Day Tournaments

If you are an athlete who plays on a club team or any team for that matter that likes to travel and compete with some of the best teams in the nation you probably have gone on some longer day tournaments. In volleyball I know there are multiple 3 day tournaments where you are fighting it out each day to earn your way to the gold bracket. Sometimes you only have 2 or 3 games a day, but other times you have around 4 games. Usually a team will see the most amount of games on the last day of the tournament, because that is when everyone enters bracket play. 3 day tournaments can be rough for everyone, especially if you aren't preparing yourself properly each day.

One of the many important things you must do as an athlete if you are competing at a high level for longer periods of time is take ice baths. I know not everyone loves these and they don't always feel the best, but your legs will thank you later. Taking ice baths will help prepare your legs for the next day. You will be fresh and ready to go.

Another thing you must make sure to do on these long tournaments is get enough sleep. It is extremely easy to get caught up with your team when doing some team bonding excercises and not want to leave, but it is important to know when you must go to sleep. Remember the reason you are in that city, or hotel. You are there to play the sport you love and compete and win a championship. You are there for sports, not for friends. Not for team bonding. Not for shopping or finding new places to eat. You are there to compete. 

The last thing to make sure you do is stay  hydrated. Drinking plenty of water will help you not to get tired as easily as the days go on. If you aren't drinking enough, when the first game begins your mouth might dry up immediately and you will be extremely thirsty the entire game. You don't want your mind to be on water, when it should be focused on the game. Limiting distractions is extremely important.

3 day tournaments, or longer, can be a little stressful, but also extremely fun. It's like a mini vacation, but not. You are there playing something you love and it is really fun, but you are also there to do business. Even though it might seem like a small vacation, it is not. It is not a time for you to do what you want to have fun, no matter how much you want it to be. You are there for a reason, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun while doing what is necessary to win.