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Take a break from sport, but stay in shape
Justis column: Tips on how to stay in the game when you’re relaxing
Time off during the summer months from organized and structured practices can be a blessing and a curse for your young athlete.
Boredom can sneak in, but, on the positive side, there are several things athletes can do mentally, physically and technically to prepare for the next season.
The best way is to ask themselves two questions: “What kind of player do I want to be on the first day of the next season?” and “What do I want my coach to say to me after my first practice?”
A group of experts who met at a United Soccer Coaches seminar discussed tips of what players can do. Ben Edwards from soccerstripes.com contributed an article to “I Love to Watch You Play.”
Their tips can be used for any sport.
- “The Summer of You.” During a competitive season, athletes spend a lot of time working on making the team better. The summer should be all about the individual player who gets to chose where to focus his or her energy.
- What about rest? At the end of a formal season, players are ready for a break, mentally and physically. It’s good to step away from the game for awhile to allow the body and brain a chance to recover. The amount of rest needed depends upon what level they were training and playing at.
- Cross training. Taking too much time off can impact fitness levels. It takes only a few weeks to lose a lot of what was accomplished during training. One good option is swimming, which is easier on joints and good for cardio. It helps to build an aerobic base. Many swim teams practice in the mornings which forces kids outs of bed. Of course, you don’t have to join a team to take advantage of a good swim workout. Other options are attending different sport camps and participating in yoga and martial arts.
- Becoming a better player. Edwards wrote it’s “nice” to get a mental break from “team dynamics and be able to focus their energy on what’s most important to them … what they enjoy most about the game.”
- Off-season goals. Start the summer with self-reflection on the previous season. A simple list of times in training and games where the player experienced success or struggled to reach the desired level can be helpful.
- Feedback from a coach. If the child didn’t get a formal evaluation at the end of the season, email them asking such questions as “what skills, if any, am I far behind in?” or “what skills are my strongest attributes?” or “what would the coach like me to add?” or “where should I improve?”
- Mental habits. Coaches or mental professionals should work with players to help them understand how their before and during games thoughts can impact feelings and how emotions can change their performance. One sports psychologist teaches players “transition thoughts” that can help them move from a negative to a positive mindset. Players can develop a physical, visual and audible routine to go through to shift to a positive mindset, such as wiping hands on their shorts (physical); looking at the back of the net (visual); and saying a phrase meaningful to them (audible).
- Developing habits takes time. Putting together a mini-workshop with several teammates instead of with just one player helps an individual to absorb strategies without feeling like they are on the spot.
- Finally, players can watch game video with an eye for improvement. Instead of looking back for highlights, watch for things that weren’t done well.
Nancy Justis is a former competitive swimmer and college sports information director. She is a partner with Outlier Creative Communications. Let her know what you think at njustis@cfu.net
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