The spring season is over! Summer break is around the corner and you are excited for warmer weather and finally, a break from organized practice sessions and school!
Your coach gives you a program to follow during your summer break so that you can continue to maintain your fitness and be prepared for fall season. Here are some ways you can make the most of your summer break so that when season begins in the fall, you are ready for it!
- Be aware of the thoughts that comes to your mind.
What is the first thought that comes to your mind when you see the suggested work out program from your coach? Do you groan because your coach is being too hard on you or do you get excited to see what you are able to achieve in the summer?
Whatever thought that comes to your mind, ask yourself why. Being aware of your thoughts is the first step to self-reflection and athletes constantly reflect on their thoughts and emotions because these will lead to the behaviors that will follow.
- Reflect on your past season.
Looking back at the season that has just ended, what went well? What could be better? What is the kind of student-athlete that you hope to be when fall comes around?
- Have a goal for the summer.
What are you aiming to achieve in this next few months? Write them down and spend some time thinking about making those goals as clear and as specific as possible. Having something to aim for will help you stay motivated during summer.
What if your goal is to stay away from your sport?
That’s perfectly understandable, especially when you have spent months practicing in the same sport. Truly, your mind and body may need a reset! You coach may suggest some cross-training activities that you can do to maintain your fitness. If not, ask your coach about what you can do.
The last thing you would want to do it to spend your summer not doing any physical activities and starting the fall season being back to square one with your fitness. So, brainstorm ideas with your coach or even your teammates about what you can do!
A good goal to have during the summer break is to work on your mental skills!
- Make a plan.
Make a calendar of events and plans for your summer. This can be a visual calendar that you see in your bedroom everyday or a calendar in your smartphone. Include all the plans that you already know are going to happen such as travel and work schedule.
How many times a week are you going to commit to working out? How many hours are you putting aside on those days? Who are you going to work out with? Make this part of your plan, too.
Putting your work out schedule in your calendar allows you to be able to intentionally set aside time for it instead of leaving it to chance on a daily to see if it can fit your schedule or not.
Also, there is a difference between working out and practice. Working out (or exercising) are physical activities that you do to maintain overall health and fitness. They can be directly related to your sport or not. On the other hand, practice has specific goals that you hope to achieve in your sport that is usually scheduled by your coach or team captain. In the off season, it is perfectly okay to work out more than having organized practice.
- Minimize the noise.
When you start to lose motivation, think about the goals you have set for yourself. The lack of motivation is usually because of the presence of distractions. What is standing in between you and your goals? What can you do to reduce the distraction and get back on track?
Ultimately, it is your break time. So, if you lose focus for a day or two, give yourself a break! And then, get back to it!
- The time is now.
It is okay to feel like you need to rest during the summer break. However, give yourself a deadline on how much rest you need before you pick it up again to make the most out of being a young, fit, and strong student-athlete. Enjoy the process of working out and integrate it into your lifestyle. If working out is only when you practice your sport, it would be hard to establish the habit of leading an active lifestyle when you graduate and become a working adult. This is the best time to start creating that lifestyle!
If you need additional resources and help on how to stay motivated during summer, leave me a message and we’ll chat about how to get you back on your journey to be the best student-athlete that you can possibly be!
-Aisyah