Another great advantage of coaches is their work on planning your exercises and drills. With a coach, you only need to be concerned with showing up to your session on time, while your coach will have the equipment and schedule ready for you to work on.
Setting performance goals. These are goals for achieving specific milestones while playing. They can involve scoring a certain number of points, or reaching another statistical marker, like reducing the time it takes you do run a certain distance. These goals should be easily tracked so you can see how close you are to achieving them. Setting habit goals. These are goals meant to change the way you play, focusing on your process rather than results. These can be things like making sure your head is up while making a pass, or going to bed at a certain time.
One way to help is to identify and focus on successes you’ve already had. Think about your greatest accomplishments, and how it felt to achieve them. This will help prevent you from dwelling on mistakes and errors, as that is a sure way to repeat them. [12] X Research source
The American Council on Exercise has recommendations for drinking water before, during, and after your exercise. Drink 17 to 20 fluid ounces (500 to 590 mL) of water 2 to 3 hours before you start, then 8 fluid ounces (240 mL) 20 to 30 minutes before or during warm-up. While exercising, drink 7 to 10 fluid ounces (210 to 300 mL) every 10 to 20 minutes. After finishing, make sure to drink 8 fluid ounces (240 mL) no more than 30 minutes later. If the weather is particularly hot, or the workout especially intense, feel free to increase the amount of water slightly. When working out, sports drinks can be helpful to maintaining hydration and energy. Look for drinks that are high in carbohydrates and electrolytes, as these will help you maintain your energy. [16] X Research source
Before you work out, you need to consume foods that will help give you the energy to get through. These can be simple meals with lean proteins like chicken, vegetables, and whole-grain rice. If you need something quick, look for easily digestible carbohydrates, such as half a banana or a carb-heavy energy bar. [19] X Research source After exercising, your goal should be recovery. You want more foods with protein and carbohydrates to help restore your energy. Foods like milk, which contain both, are particularly good. You can also consume things like trail mix with nuts or yogurt and granola to help the recovery process.
8 hours of sleep is generally ideal, but you can always give yourself a little more or less depending on your personal needs and habits. [21] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School’s Educational Site for the Public Go to source If you’re going through a period of increased training, or a tough stretch in your schedule, don’t be afraid to add a little more sleep to your routine. An extra nap during the day can give you a little extra boost of energy as you go along. [22] X Research source
