Family Time at Tournaments

As an athlete balancing your family time with the time you spend on sports and school might be a little difficult. Athletes are always trying to do their best in school and sports and it is easy to forget about your family needs as well, especially at tournaments.

We have all faced our parent telling us to play with our little sibling or spend more time with the family instead of the team. This is often hard to hear, because you don't want to abandon the team or miss out on any of the fun they are having. With this being said it is also important to spend time with your families, but I do have to say it is not always at the right time. At tournaments your parents might always tell you to do be doing things to prepare for your games, but then tell you to spend time with them. Being with your teammates and having some quality bonding time is preparing for the games as well and will build team chemistry. This will help your performance as a whole.

Sometimes it is hard to choose between family and sports, but you must make the decision. Sometimes it is easier than others depending on the situation or how serious it is, but athletes should always put their family first in times of need, family stays with you forever and should be taken care of. With this being said, if the family dilemma is an extremely small one, like your sister wanting to play a game, you can sometimes get away with choosing to hangout with your teammates instead. This all depends on the situation and your decision making. It's not always going to be easy. Sometimes you are going to have to ditch your team when you really do not want to, but trust me they will understand and they will have to make that decision themselves too. Everyone must choose the days they dedicate to family and other things.

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.

Team Drama

When it comes to athletics and being on a team there is always going to be a little team drama, especially if you are girls. That is not meant to be sexist in any way, it is just that girls tend to get in more arguments, where as guys truly don't care at the end of the day and just want to win. There always comes a point when your team is not always going to get along as well as they usually do.

When your teammates get into an argument or some sort of unnecessary drama you should always talk about it. Discussing the issue is the first step to solving the problem. You must figure out what is happening that is causing issues and how to put a stop to it. Talking about how you feel towards the subject might make others we in your point of view as well and give others a better understanding of where you are coming from. It is important to always try and be respectful towards your teammates.

At the end of the day you all are on the team for one reason and that is to win. It's to play your hardest and come together for one common goal. When you arrive at your practice facility or convention center you should leave all of your problems behind you. Do not bring any outside worries with you and just focus on your sport. Your sport is your priority at the moment and should not be hindered by anything else. Playing with a team that is in the middle of an argument does no good, because your mind plays an extremely important role in your performance. Everyone needs to get along for just that time you are together. 

Your team is going to disagree sometimes or get into meaningless little fights. Do not stress over these and try to solve the issue immediately. It's not the end of the world if there is a disagreement, but there should be no hard feelings when you step on to the court. Remember your teammates do not have to be your friends, but you do have to respect them and play for them on the court. You must have trust in them and true love and compassion for the game you are playing. You play for your team, not just yourself. Your teammates always come first.

Fitbits

There's a new trend going around that is a great thing to have. Many of my friends have chosen to get their own Fitbits and I think it is a great decision. Fitbits are great for athletes or anyone concerned with their health or physical activity.

One of the great things about Fitbits is that it's basically an advanced watch. Fitbits provide athletes with stopwatches and allow for them to compete with them on. Another great thing about Fitbits is that some of them sense your heart rate. If you are concerned about keeping your heart rate down or like to see where your heart rate is at while working out, Fitbits are a great thing to have. Not only do Fitbits calculate your heart rate, but it can also calculate your BMI so you can stay on track if you are trying to lose weight. Fitbits are just great for working out and can count the amount of steps you take during a day as well.

Fitbits aren't only tools we can all use in our every day lives, but also something that is actually kind of fashionable. They look pretty nice and you can actually get different types of bands for them, depending on your Fitbit, to match the outfit you are wearing. Fitbits are very ideal for any student athlete.

I would highly recommend anyone who is concerned with their health, trying to change or maintain their weight, or simply an athlete to get a Fitbit. It will truly change the way you workout and encourage you to have better workout habits. Getting the most steps in can be a daily competition and push you to do better every single day. You will be more aware of how you are doing physically every single day and it might even change your eating habits. You will be more mindful of your body and learn that physical activity affects a lot of the things you do. Fitbits are a great way to get people started on losing weight and can be an easy way to help you in your first steps.

Seniority

Every high school student athlete has experienced some kind of seniority in their life, unless they didn't start sports until their senior year which is very uncommon. The life of an underclassman is very different than the life of an upperclassman. If you are an underclass men their might be a few things that annoy you about all of the upperclassmen privileges or so called rules.

If you are on a team with upperclassmen you will soon come to find out that seniority trumps everything else. Whether it's that they get to cut in line when you go out to eat or choose the restaurants you eat at, this is always an issue. You are just going to have to get used to it not matter how much it sucks. Even if your team is made up of almost all juniors, the seniors will get their way.

Another thing that gets annoying is that seniors like to put all their responsibilities on you. Putting up and taking down nets or simply cleaning up is no longer their responsibility because they say "we've been doing this for 3 years, it's your turn". You just have to suck it up and do your part no matter how much you hate seniority. 

When all of this happens you are going to try and argue with the seniority rule and claim we are all a part of a team and should play equal roles. No matter how much this makes sense or how much you are right, the seniors will say you are not. There really is no point in arguing because it will just cause drama amongst the team. Sometimes you just have to go along with stupid situations no matter how annoying they are.

Seniority really sucks, but the seniors always tell me this is how I'll be. I always say I'll never be like them and that I'll be nice to underclassman. I guess everyone will find out what it's like to be a senior on their own time, and hopefully we all don't turn out to be exactly what we hated our junior year. But who knows, maybe I'll boss around the people I always said I wouldn't. Either way, one must know their role in a team and understand that things aren't always going to be easy and that it's not that hard to do a couple extra tasks if it makes everyone on the team happy. There's nothing wrong with being a team player and listening to what the seniors have to say. It's not going to hurt you to just do what you're told, unless it is extremely unrealistic and absurd of them to ask.

Music

Preparing for a game or meet is extremely important, whether it is mentally or physically. Every athlete has their own ritual or favorite thing to do or eat before a performance. Some people always eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before a game, while others simply eat any small snack to fill their stomachs. I, for example, make a smoothie almost every afternoon before a volleyball game. It's a routine I have that gets me ready and fills me up enough with healthy foods. For some people music plays a huge role in their preparations for a performance.

Music is extremely important to some people and can speak to them. Whether you need to be pumped up or relaxed, there is music for you. Music is great because it fits every single mood you will have. There is always something you can connect with. Music is a unique way to express your personality and simply enjoy life.

It is sometimes a great idea to bring a speaker to the gym you will be warming up in and listen to some music to pump up the team. A lot of teams actually create their own playlist that they always play before games. During warmups you might have a track prepared for the crowd that pumps up everyone in the gym. Music is a very powerful thing.

No matter the situation, there is a song out there that will provide you with comfort. By listening to comforting music or pump up music, you can really strengthen your mental preparations. Creating a routine is important to training your mind and should include good habits. Remember, mental strength can outweigh physical strength. 

Not only is music a way to create a routine for game days and a way to get you pumped up or prepared for the game, but simply something fun to do. Listening to music can sometimes ease your nerves and create a more light hearted environment. Your stresses will seem to just go away and you will have more fun. Having fun is extremely important when playing a sport, because without having fun what even is the point of playing? You should really enjoy the sport you play. This doesn't mean you aren't going to get stressed or have some undesirable moments at practice. It's going to be hard and you will be pushed in practice, but the people around you and the sport itself should make it all worth the while. 

Music plays a very important role in the everyday lives of many people, especially teenagers. With the many genres there really is something for everyone. Find your song or artist and just go with it. It might make a difference in the court if you loosen up a little bit before.

Faking an Injury

If you are or were an athlete I'm sure you have had some difficult practices. You are pushed so far that you don't know if you can continue and faking an injury would give you the easy way out. Your knee started hurting, or you are having an asthma attack. I know these are actual injuries you can have, but some people use them as excuses or make up that something is hurting them. I feel like a lot of people fake injuries now a days because they don't think they can continue with the workout.

If you don't think you can continue with a workout you need to push through it. This is training your mind to push through things it doesn't think it can do. You will make your mind stronger and each time you finish something difficult it will become easier the next time. Not everything is going to be easy and it is not supposed to be. Your body is physically able of doing these things; you just need to put your mind to the test.

Another reason you should never ever fake an injury is because you are not helping yourself in any way. Yes, you get to take a break for a while in order to not feel physically tired, but it is not going to truly help you. The people around you have finished that workout and are pushing to get better every day. They don't let up. If you give in to the pain you are just allowing your opponents to get even farther ahead of you. They will have done the hard work out and be more prepared for it next time. They are becoming stronger while you remain the same.

The next time you think you are doing yourself a favor by faking an injury to allow yourself to sit out, think again. It might be difficult during the workout and you may hate your sport for that couple of minutes, but it will definitely benefit you in the end. Skipping workouts is for athletes who aren't committed and don't believe in themselves. Be strong, be committed, and most of all believe in yourself. If you don't think you can do it, chances are you won't. Your mind is a very strong thing. What happens when you actually get injured and no one believes you? Be the athlete others look up to.