Early Mornings

How much to athletes truly sacrifice during off season workouts? How much time do they spend in the weight room or on the football field? The answer is;  a lot of time! Successful athletes put in a lot more time than many spectators think for only a few months or the year.

For varsity football players there isn't an off season. Once the year ends after school activities start back up to train for next year. The one thing players  have to get used to however, are early mornings. Last year I lifted every other day during the school year at 5am. I did this because I was able to lift with one of my coaches and some of my teammates, that way I was able to make a friendship with them and get to know my coach a little more. Also this opportunity was a great one for me because the teammates I lifted with tried their personal best every day, which made me try harder and eventually made me more successful. Now some might think that three days a week, waking up at five during the school year is a bit extreme. I'm not going to sugar coat it and say it was always easy because it wasn't. Many nights I would be up late finishing homework and then have a quick turnaround the next day. Even though sleep was on the underside of average I survived. I maintained being successful in school and improved myself physically.  

Along with waking up early during the school year, the summer was when practices and weightlifting really picked up. Every other day we would go back and forth between the gym and the football field, starting at either 6 or 6:30, all summer long. Sure this is a lot of work. While friends can stay up late and hangout with each other and sleep in all summer long, I have to wake up early every day and try and stay on a schedule so that I'm not overly tired. This sucks sometimes knowing that you could be out hanging with the guys or the girlfriend, but the ultimate goal is to be making yourself better for your season. 

I used to think waking up was the worst at 6 am. And some days 6am still feels terrible, but I've adapted and made this time change a part of my life. Sure it sucks sometimes, and makes you think, "Why am I doing this?" But the bonds you make with people and the better you become is a great feeling, and by the time you finish all of your work, everyone else is just getting up. No need to waste the day away when you can be productive.