5 Keys to Success On & Off the Field

What a great time of the year.  Football season is in full swing, all Fall sports are now in-season, and school is back in session.  It’s now time for you to get into a “championship” routine.  There are several key components to having a success fall campaign, regardless of your sport or situation.

1.     Increase your strength.  It is important to think about actually improving your strength during the season.  Get in two solid workouts and one light workout during the week.  If you play on Friday nights, you can get a good training session in on Saturday or Sunday, another good session in on Monday or Tuesday and a have a lighter day on Wednesday.  I like doing a good tempo workout within 48 hours of the game, a heavy full body lift on Monday or Tuesday, and another tempo lift on Wednesday.   At Under Armour, the mindset is “We don’t train to maintain, we train to get better.”  This is no different during the season as it is during the off season.  Keep training to improve your strength and conditioning and it will pay large dividends throughout your season.

2.     Sleep.  This is so important since you are now balancing out school and sports.  The more sleep you get before midnight, the better.  Remember, your body actually repairs itself and grows when you sleep.  It is ideal for your body to get at least 8 hours of sleep per night and you must prioritize your sleep patterns.  It takes great discipline to get into bed every night by 10 pm and still get your homework done, but I encourage you to structure your time.   Immediately after dinner get on your school-work and get your home-work and studies done.  Don’t turn on the TV and no talking on the cell phone.  Just focus all of your attention to getting your work done.  This is called discipline and it will really set you apart in all aspects of your life.   

3.     Eat to win.  Now that school is back in session, it is easy to skip breakfast and skimp on your lunches.  Once again, if you want to maximize your athletic and academic performance, you must eat four to six times per day.  Examples of your nutrition should look something like this:

Breakfast choices (choose at least one):

·      Oatmeal

·      Cereal (whole grain cereal that does not have a cartoon figure on the box)

·      Eggs

·      Protein Shake

·      Pancakes/Waffles

·      Yogurt/Fruit

(accompany any of these choices with fruit:  blueberries, bananas, strawberries, peaches, etc.)

Lunch Choices:

·      Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich

·      Turkey or Tuna Fish Sandwich

·      Salad (buy it at the cafeteria)

(accompany any of these choices with at least fruit (apple, orange, pear, etc.) and at least one vegetable (carrots, celery, etc.))

Pre-Practice Snack:

·      Protein Bar

·      Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich

·      Chocolate Milk

Dinner:

·      Whatever Mom and/or Dad chooses to serve (ideally chicken, fish, or whole-grain pasta)

·      2-3 servings of vegetables

Pre-Sleep Snack:

·      Protein Shake

·      Fruit & Yogurt

Also, be sure to drink a lot of pure water.  I advocate that you drink ½ of your bodyweight in fluid ounces of water.  So if you weigh 200 lbs, you should drink approx. 100 oz. of water per day.

4.     Go to class and apply yourself.  It is one thing to go to class.  It is another thing to apply yourself and be a leader in your class.  Take personal responsibility for your grades, your assignments, your homework, and the work you produce.  Your schoolwork ultimately determines your options at the next level and I encourage you to not only “show up” to class, but to really apply yourself.  Read books, do more than the “minimum requirements” and challenge yourself to see how great you can be in the classroom.  Your education is one thing that no-one can ever take from you.  If you are wise and want to set your future up, don’t be afraid of standing out in the classroom and having your school-work shine even greater than your performance on the grid-iron or field of strife.

5.     Avoid distractions.  It takes a lot of great time management to do well as a student-athlete in high school and at the college level.  Do yourself a favor and eliminate or avoid distractions that could ultimately rob you of attaining any dreams or goals you have academically or athletically.  Partying, wasting time, playing video games, talking or texting too much on your cell phone, having an excessive social life, and watching too much television are all examples of distractions that will prevent you from focusing your time and attention on school and sports.  Make a commitment to yourself to stay focused and this will put you in the best position for success.

These five key components will give you the energy to succeed and put you in the best position to do well.  It is said that “proper preparation produces peak performance.”  By adhering to these “simple” yet critical steps to success, you are putting yourself in the best position to win in the classroom and on the field.  Commit to success and do all that is necessary to stay focused on your schoolwork and sports and you will not be disappointed in the end-result.