Kids are busy. How are kids able to do homework, sports, and sleep, and continue to be successful? From personal experience I know it's hard to do all three but it can be done. All a person needs to be successful is determination and support.
Let me tell you, being an active high school student can be challenging sometimes. From personal experience some nights I'm up working on homework until midnight, or at school for a large portion of your day. Every Monday I'm at high school for 14 hours, and people ask me, "Austin, why do you do this to yourself?" All I say in response is, "The journey is hard, but the end is worth it."
Determination. What an interesting word that tends to be. To never give up, to always believe in yourself, to always persevere. A lot of people say they have determination, but in reality if you give up after trying and failing once, then you aren't even close to being determined. This word comes from a passion deep within that can only be met if a person truly cares about what they are working towards. In school it may happen when a student is struggling in a class. My freshman year I couldn't understand Advanced Geometry. I studied forever and took every note possible, yet would constantly get low to average scores. I was frustrated. I didn't know how to continue, but I was determined to find a way. I was after school with my teacher everyday from December until the end of the school year getting help. I succeeded! I started to get good grades and the accomplishment of that experience was incredible.
It takes a lot of determination to succeed in sports and school, if you are passionate about both. Some days something has to give, but if you don't give up, good things will happen.
In my opinion, support is the most crucial thing for a person to have. When you have so many things going on at once, it's almost impossible to do it all by yourself. Family and friends help make it easier. When I have those long Monday nights, sleep is hard to come by. After a long day, sleep is the only thing that sounds good to me, but my family supports me and helps me stay determined to succeed at my goal. My friends support me. Sometimes you have to say no to hanging out and having fun because of homework, but if they truly support you then they will be fine with it and help you with your homework. In sports support is the difference between a good team and a great team. If a team can come together when times get tough and battle through together they will be successful. If a fan base can rally behind a team and give them that extra boost, it's incredible what it does for the players.
Determination and support. Those are the two keys to succeeding in a busy life. It will never be easy because if it was easy everyone would do it, but the ending will be something to remember.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Pre-game meals
Pre-game meals are important to athletes everywhere because it affects the way they play in games. Not only do the meals the day of matter, but the meals the night before have a lot of effect as well. Along with eating the right thing, making sure to hydrate is another key component in being a success athlete.
How many people do you think realize what they are putting in their bodies before a game? I've been playing and watching sports for a long time, and many teams do not put enough emphasis on this component of the game. Players and coaches think about the strategy, the conditioning, and the preparation to win a game, but sometimes forget that staying hydrated and eating the right foods can influence the outcome of a game.
A great meal the night before a game is some sort of pasta dish. Spaghetti is a fantastic meal, along with something simpler like mac and cheese. Noodles give a player the extra carbs they need to be successful, and if eaten the night before, that will allow the foods to be broken down and used by the next day. Why carbs? Carbs are important to the body because they give off energy. Granola bars are also a great source of food for games. These can be eaten the day of or before a game because they break down much faster than a plate of spaghetti. Along with carbs, protein is also a key ingredient in playing well. Protein bars and shakes are used by many players because it is an easy way to get protein fast. Lean meats are also good to eat because of the amount of protein in them are helpful.
What things should I stay away from? Players should stay away from sweets and sugars both the day before and on game day. These things slow down the body, which makes the players unsuccessful because speed is a key component in sports. Some specific examples are, desserts, such as cookies and brownies, sodas, and fatty foods (fast food).
Along with the meal, drinking is another key component to success. Water is the best! Anytime a person can drink water is great because everything in the body runs off water. Dehydration is common among athletes because they workout everyday but don't drink enough at night and throughout the day. This leads to cramps during games, which is not a good scenario for the player of the team. Another great thing to drink after a game or the night before is Gatorade. Gatorade replenishes electrolytes much faster than water, and that's what the body needs to stay hydrated.
I've learned from personal experiences that these tips and strategies do work, and have helped me succeed in many sporting events. If you are looking for that extra edge against your opponent, pre-game meals are the answer!
How many people do you think realize what they are putting in their bodies before a game? I've been playing and watching sports for a long time, and many teams do not put enough emphasis on this component of the game. Players and coaches think about the strategy, the conditioning, and the preparation to win a game, but sometimes forget that staying hydrated and eating the right foods can influence the outcome of a game.
A great meal the night before a game is some sort of pasta dish. Spaghetti is a fantastic meal, along with something simpler like mac and cheese. Noodles give a player the extra carbs they need to be successful, and if eaten the night before, that will allow the foods to be broken down and used by the next day. Why carbs? Carbs are important to the body because they give off energy. Granola bars are also a great source of food for games. These can be eaten the day of or before a game because they break down much faster than a plate of spaghetti. Along with carbs, protein is also a key ingredient in playing well. Protein bars and shakes are used by many players because it is an easy way to get protein fast. Lean meats are also good to eat because of the amount of protein in them are helpful.
What things should I stay away from? Players should stay away from sweets and sugars both the day before and on game day. These things slow down the body, which makes the players unsuccessful because speed is a key component in sports. Some specific examples are, desserts, such as cookies and brownies, sodas, and fatty foods (fast food).
Along with the meal, drinking is another key component to success. Water is the best! Anytime a person can drink water is great because everything in the body runs off water. Dehydration is common among athletes because they workout everyday but don't drink enough at night and throughout the day. This leads to cramps during games, which is not a good scenario for the player of the team. Another great thing to drink after a game or the night before is Gatorade. Gatorade replenishes electrolytes much faster than water, and that's what the body needs to stay hydrated.
I've learned from personal experiences that these tips and strategies do work, and have helped me succeed in many sporting events. If you are looking for that extra edge against your opponent, pre-game meals are the answer!
Friday, September 18, 2015
Staying Active
How often do you have physical activity in one day? According to www.cdc.org, children should have at least an hour of physical activity per day. I agree with this statement because an hour a day, even though it seems like a lot, isn't difficult to accomplish.
I used to be an inactive, couch potato when I was younger. I didn't feel the need to watch what I was eating and didn't do any physical activity outside of a sporting practice. I changed my ways. The older I became the more I realized that this lifestyle wasn't going to have a successful ending on my part. So I took to heart exercising at least an hour a day, and focused on staying active.
What does staying active mean? This phrase doesn't mean lifting weights, or running for an hour straight. This phrase simply means to get moving and use your body as a tool to stay fit. One common way of staying active, which I do a lot, is walking. Most people think of walking as a simple task that everyone does all the time, but in reality, most people spend their days in a confined space or sitting in a chair. Walking is a physical activity that can be done by most people and should be used more than what is actually done. I go on a walk with my family at least three times a week and try and do them on days I don't have other physical activities already planned. Would it hurt you if you walked and had a practice of some sort? Of course not! The minimum requirement for physical activity in one day is one hour, meaning a person is welcome and recommended to do more than that.
Other basic forms of staying active consist of running, lifting weights, core activities, or jump roping. All of these activities are great for staying active because it gets the muscles in the body moving, and allows for the body to gain strength. Ultimately if your body sweats, the physical activity is working.
My final piece of advice for staying active is to stay determined. Many people, after starting some sort of change, quit before actually trying the change to its full potential. At first this might not be a "fun" thing to do, or may be very difficult. Stick through it. After a couple weeks you will start to feel better in more ways than one. Then staying active will no longer be a chore, but be a lifestyle.
I used to be an inactive, couch potato when I was younger. I didn't feel the need to watch what I was eating and didn't do any physical activity outside of a sporting practice. I changed my ways. The older I became the more I realized that this lifestyle wasn't going to have a successful ending on my part. So I took to heart exercising at least an hour a day, and focused on staying active.
What does staying active mean? This phrase doesn't mean lifting weights, or running for an hour straight. This phrase simply means to get moving and use your body as a tool to stay fit. One common way of staying active, which I do a lot, is walking. Most people think of walking as a simple task that everyone does all the time, but in reality, most people spend their days in a confined space or sitting in a chair. Walking is a physical activity that can be done by most people and should be used more than what is actually done. I go on a walk with my family at least three times a week and try and do them on days I don't have other physical activities already planned. Would it hurt you if you walked and had a practice of some sort? Of course not! The minimum requirement for physical activity in one day is one hour, meaning a person is welcome and recommended to do more than that.
Other basic forms of staying active consist of running, lifting weights, core activities, or jump roping. All of these activities are great for staying active because it gets the muscles in the body moving, and allows for the body to gain strength. Ultimately if your body sweats, the physical activity is working.
My final piece of advice for staying active is to stay determined. Many people, after starting some sort of change, quit before actually trying the change to its full potential. At first this might not be a "fun" thing to do, or may be very difficult. Stick through it. After a couple weeks you will start to feel better in more ways than one. Then staying active will no longer be a chore, but be a lifestyle.
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