Take Advantage of Every Moment on that Field
In the past year I have watched friends and teammates tear their ACL’s, MCL’s, rotator cuff’s and hip labrum’s. If there’s one thing that those people have taught me it is that regardless of if your having a bad practice or your legs are feeling slow that day, always be grateful that you are healthy enough to be on that field.
Learn to Appreciate Each and Every Teammate
Let’s be real. There is absolutely no way that you are going to like every single person on your team but they are your teammates nonetheless so you better have their backs. It is so much easier to connect with someone on the field if you know something about them, even if it's something as small as their dog's name. If you think that someone is having a rough day, get out of your comfort zone and take a second to ask them how they're doing rather than just focusing on how sick your next play is going to be.
Treat Food as Fuel…
Honestly, for a long time I would come home from a hard day of practice and tell myself that I deserved that brownie, and that ice cream, and those cookies…. And eventually it caught up with me. It’s not to say that everyone doesn’t deserve the occasional treat, trust me chocolate is my vice, but saying that you “deserve” something just because you sweated that day shouldn’t become a habit. Start small by trying to incorporate a vegetable and a whole grain into every meal or drinking a little bit more water day by day. I promise that you will notice the difference on the field.
And Never, Ever Skip a Meal.
You are going to walk down the school hallway around 11:30 and hear those people that are like “yeah, all I’ve had today is my coffee” and you will probably think to yourself, “welp, I’ve had oatmeal, yogurt, a banana, and two bottles of water so far.” And you know what that is okay because when they go home to watch their Netflix you are going to go burn 1000 calories on the field, so go ahead and eat the second half of that sandwich.
Never Take Having an “Athletic Body” as an Insult
“Strong is the new skinny” is becoming a well-known phrase for a reason. Girls and women alike are beginning to realize that being able to achieve something like reaching a personal record in the weight room or crushing those running tests are far more satisfying than attempting to skip that pasta in an attempt to lose weight. So if someone ever tries to tell you that having an athletic body is a downfall, just do them a favor and show them what you can do on the field.
Learn to Recognize Your Mistakes
Sometimes it can be really difficult to be able to recognize that you have things that need work and that you may need help in reaching those goals. With that being said, never be afraid to go up to your coach and ask if there are things that they think you can improve upon, because in my experience there is nothing that a coach respects more than someone that is able to recognize their mistakes and take steps to fix them.
Thank Your Parents. Seriously.
Thank them for all of the driving they do, for all of the snacks they prepare, and most importantly for always being your number one fan. Thank them for being a shoulder to cry on when you lost that game or didn’t get that recruiting call, because you always know that they will be there when you need them the most. Thank them for forcing you to get out of the car at that first practice and making you take the first step in finding the sport you love.
Love the Game
Honestly, none of this means anything unless you really truly love it. All of the blood, sweat and tears that people talk about are just bumps in the road that get you to that one thing you’ve been aiming to achieve. So work harder than you did yesterday, never let anyone tell you no, and most importantly, do it all because you love it, not for anything else.
