How to Stay Strong During a Sports Break

Many of today’s young hockey athletes, even the young ones, are super serious about their sports. They play and practice as hard as they possibly can during the on-season and then continue their training throughout the rest of the year.   

However, there will come a time in every athlete- even the most dedicated athlete’s- life when he won’t be able to practice and/or play for a period of time. Whether an athlete is recovering from an injury or just on vacation, not playing and practicing can be rough, and, if the athlete isn’t careful, it can easily lead to a loss of strength and ability, which is every athlete’s worst fear!

Fortunately, however, there are things athletes can do to stay strong when they’re taking a break and to make sure they don’t lose what they’ve worked so hard for!

Eat Right (for the Most Part)

Athletes who are “on a break” are still encouraged to try and eat relatively healthily. It’s important for them to remember that, if they’re not training, they’re not burning the same amount of calories, so this definitely isn’t a good time to overeat!

None of this is to say, of course, that athletes can’t enjoy the occasional splurge or treat, just like anybody, but they should try to make somewhat healthy choices most of the time, and, no matter what, they’ll want to make sure they are getting enough protein.

Without adequate protein, the muscles can start to break down, which can actually inhibit strength and make those gym sessions harder once an athlete resumes his routine.

Continue Taking Supplements

Another piece of advice for athletes on a break is to continue taking their healthy, doctor approved supplements. Many athletes make the mistake of stopping supplementation because they’re not training and don’t think it’s necessary.

However, getting out of the supplementation routine can reduce some of the good effects the supplements have had on the body thus far and make it harder to get back into a routine. For best results, athlete should resume their normal supplementation routines even when they’re not following their normal diet and/or training schedule.

Remember, Breaks are Okay!

Finally, it’s important for athletes to remember that breaks from all that training and practicing can actually be a good thing. While it’s hard for many athletes to “let go” for a little while, sometimes it’s necessary.

How Not to Let the Competition Get to You

As a coach, I’ve often seen my young players get really worked up over the competition. Sometimes, a player is worried about another player on another team. He’ll complain about how that person is “better than him.” Usually, he ends up stressing so much that it throws off his game; he ends up focusing so much on the other player that he forgets to focus on the game itself and playing to the best of his ability. Other times, it’s a particular team that my team gets really worried about; they put all their energy into worrying and not enough energy into the game, and, most of the time, it turns out disastrous.

What I’m getting at here is that when athletes focus on the competition and not on themselves, they usually create a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. They’re so worried about failing that they end up doing just that.

Thus, if you notice your team members (or yourself if you’re a player) stressing about the competition, you’ve got to put a stop to it right then and there. Otherwise, you’re practically going to guarantee that you’ll do poorly.

Of course, you’re probably thinking, that’s easier said than done. And, in some ways, that’s true. But you’ve just got to force yourself or your team members, whatever the case may be, to focus on themselves, on doing their best, and not on the competition. Tell your team members what they’re doing well. Remind them of their strengths and abilities. Don’t allow them to get all psyched up over the competition. Everyone will fare much better when they focus on themselves and the game at hand, not on the competition.

Is Kids and Competition a Good Thing?

When it comes to hockey, you’d be hard-pressed to find a sport more rewarding or more fun for young players. In spite of all the positives associated with youth hockey, however, there are always going to be naysayers who dwell on the negative. Most of those in the “negative camp” just don’t approve of competition. Their most common complaints are that:

l  Competition destroys the fun of the game

l  Too much competitiveness can cause players to lose the joy of the sport

l  Competition, especially when losing is involved, is detrimental to self-esteem

Of course, there are also people on the opposite side. These are the people who believe that competition, win or lose, actually instills confidence, teaches youngsters how to set goals, drives home the value of hard work, and is, in general, ultimately beneficial.   

People on both sides are technically right, depending on the circumstances. What makes the difference between positive and negative competition is the adults involved. Adults who encourage kids to do their best but who don’t place too much pressure on winning enable kids to enjoy all of the benefits of competition, without any of the negatives.

To ensure that the children in your life get only the benefits of competition, keep the following tips in mind:

l  Find a like-minded coach who believes in trying hard, but who also understands that winning isn’t everything.

l  Focus on what the child gains from the sport, win or lose, and emphasize this with the child through positive encouragement.

l  Allow mistakes and use them as an opportunity for growth and learning.

l  Be supportive and encouraging, no matter what.

l  Put the child’s happiness above everything else.

l  Never react negatively or with anger when a loss occurs. Focus instead on what can be learned from the loss.

l  Teach children to treat all players, opponents, coaches, referees, and others involved in the game with respect at all times.

Sometimes, especially when emotions are involved, following these tips isn’t as easy as it may seem, but if you always put the child first and strongly desire to make competition a positive experience for the child, it is possible.

Related articles

• Set your child for the top (yoursuccessinspirer.com)
• 10 Keys to Children's High Self-esteem (robertjrgraham.com)