Rest and Recover Prior to Preseason
Every summer players from all over will hammer their bodies playing in all day camps or tournaments. When you mix in the individual workouts and the typical lack of sleep, the summer can be a very hard and trying time on a growing body. It is because of this that I recommend shutting down any workouts prior to school starting back up again.
It is tough to do and I should know because I was in the same boat. I loved playing the game and wanted to get better whenever I could so to shut it down for a week was asking a lot. Shutting it down will do several things for you that each player needs to really make the upcoming season a success.
1. Summer is grueling so get some sleep and take a week to relax. Don’t think for a second that you’ll see or feel some long term effects because you really won’t. You’ll feel like others might be getting better than you while you are relaxing but for now that is ok. It is a short term sacrifice that will produce long term results.
2. Reboot…I work with computers a lot now and sometimes a computer needs a reboot just to reset itself and start over. That’s what i call this relaxation period of time…rebooting or control alt delete. We all need it to reset our minds and refocus on the new tasks.
3. Ice sore body parts- If you have sore knees then take this time to rest and ice your knees. Don’t go running or jumping or anything. Just ice your knees for 30 minutes a day and any other sore muscles or parts that need it.
The point is that you have to prepare for the season in a lot of ways and since you never know what scouts are watching, it is important to take care of your body by resting and giving it time to recover. You’ll notice that you’ll feel better and have a renewed love of the game when you come back to it.
