There has always been a controversy between whether sports drinks are good for you or bad for you. Well here is your answer: it depends. Drinking it while you sit on the couch watching tv, not good for you. Drinking it during or after exercising, that's good for you! The only time you should drink them is when you need to replenish your electrolytes, otherwise it's just unnecessary sugar for your body. It would be the equivalent to drinking a soda.
There are many different types of sports drinks such as Gatorade, PowerAde, All Sport, and I consider Propel a sports drink too. It is not bad if you drink one after just a simple run, but these sports drinks should be used only when you are still exercising, and you feel physically drained. You feel this way because when you sweat, you lose salts, or electrolytes, and your body needs them to run properly. Without the salts, your muscles could cramp up, and trust me, that is the worst pain of ever (I'm exaggerating)!
If I have a preference of these sports drinks, my favorite is Gatorade, the yellow one to be exact. My dad likes to surprise me with the giant bottles of Gatorade, and don't get me wrong I get really excited, but they usually just sit in my refrigerator until my next activity. I can say from personal experience, Gatorade actually replenishes your energy! I was playing in the 5th set of the regional semi-finals for Volleyball (this is the start of the state tournament, meaning you lose and your out!), and we had played almost every single point that could be played. The scores were 22-25, 21-25, 26-24, and 25-23 and I was absolutely exhausted. I could have probably laid down in the middle of the court and slept! So what did I do? I grabbed my handy dandy Gatorade and chugged that puppy down. That 5th set, I had more energy than the first, may that be accredited to the adrenaline of being in such a close match or not, and we won and advanced to the regional final! It was great.
So yes, Gatorade is good for you in those tough workouts and long games, but I wouldn't recommend it for your everyday workout. It is very sugary, and sugar leads to fat. If you would like to read another opinion, go to this link----->http://healthyfitfierce.blogspot.com/2014/09/is-gatorade-actually-beneficial.html
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Bad Coaches
I think every athlete can say that they have had a terrible coach once or twice in their career. I know for me, I have had like six of them. They can be such a pain and it makes you hate the sport, but you have to toughen up and get through the pain. I know, they can make your team be pretty bad, I'm actually on a team right now where the coaches are so bad, we literally cannot win. Hopefully things clear up soon.
I think the best thing you can do if you have a bad coach is just don't listen to the negatives. They can be yelling and screaming and cussing at you, but you just have to let it go through one ear and out of the other. Come together as a team and bring the best out of each other.
The next step you can take is to talk to your coach. Me and my team tried talking to our coach. Unfortunately they are both so young, they didn't take it very well. It was poorly timed and the rest of the weekend was very awkward and tense because of it. Make sure that if you choose to talk to your coach, make it a good time for everyone.
Since that didn't work for us, we set up a parent meeting with the club directors. Now this hasn't happened yet, but I hope this clears things up because we have nationals in June, and we all need to be at our best for that to be successful.
If you ask me, I think parents should stay out of this situation. Sooner or later, kids need to learn how to take care of these things themselves. My parents always make me talk to my coaches by myself. It may be scary, but it really does help to do it yourself. Your coaches will also respect you more if you do it by yourself.
All in all, there is a lesson to be learned by having a bad coach. You may not always like everyone in your life, may it be a job or simply a coach, but you still have to stick it out and be respectful. It is the adult thing to do, and if you ask me, kids with bad coaches have a leg up in the real world when they are older.
I think the best thing you can do if you have a bad coach is just don't listen to the negatives. They can be yelling and screaming and cussing at you, but you just have to let it go through one ear and out of the other. Come together as a team and bring the best out of each other.
The next step you can take is to talk to your coach. Me and my team tried talking to our coach. Unfortunately they are both so young, they didn't take it very well. It was poorly timed and the rest of the weekend was very awkward and tense because of it. Make sure that if you choose to talk to your coach, make it a good time for everyone.
Since that didn't work for us, we set up a parent meeting with the club directors. Now this hasn't happened yet, but I hope this clears things up because we have nationals in June, and we all need to be at our best for that to be successful.
If you ask me, I think parents should stay out of this situation. Sooner or later, kids need to learn how to take care of these things themselves. My parents always make me talk to my coaches by myself. It may be scary, but it really does help to do it yourself. Your coaches will also respect you more if you do it by yourself.
All in all, there is a lesson to be learned by having a bad coach. You may not always like everyone in your life, may it be a job or simply a coach, but you still have to stick it out and be respectful. It is the adult thing to do, and if you ask me, kids with bad coaches have a leg up in the real world when they are older.
Apparently we do have something to thank our bad coaches for!
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Don't Be That Teammate
If you ask me, I think one of the most important things about an athlete is how good of a teammate they are. You may not think it matters, but college coaches are very good at picking up how good of a teammate you are. They care about how good you are, but they also care about coach ability and how good of a fit you are going to be for the team.
Here are my list of DON'TS:
1. Don't yell at your teammates. No one wants to be yelled at, and that's a good way for you to become the least liked player on your team. It could get you in trouble with parents and coaches, and everyone is better off if you just leave it up to the coaches.
2. Don't brag about yourself every second you can. No one actually cares! There are ways for you to talk about being good without bragging. Be humble!
3. Don't talk back to your coaches. Obviously you would think this would get you benched, but in some cases, it doesn't happen. I've had coaches who favor the players who talk back to them. Why? Couldn't tell you.
4. Don't talk poorly of your teammates. Eventually, they will find out, and it will be a very unpleasant time for the both of you. Remember when you were 5 and your mother said "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all!"? FOLLOW THAT RULE!
It's not hard to be a good teammate. It actually very much affects the team chemistry if you do have that one player that is rude to everyone. And, I have previously posted about how imperative it is to have good team chemistry. You will never play good if you don't have team chemistry!
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Here are my list of DON'TS:
1. Don't yell at your teammates. No one wants to be yelled at, and that's a good way for you to become the least liked player on your team. It could get you in trouble with parents and coaches, and everyone is better off if you just leave it up to the coaches.
2. Don't brag about yourself every second you can. No one actually cares! There are ways for you to talk about being good without bragging. Be humble!
3. Don't talk back to your coaches. Obviously you would think this would get you benched, but in some cases, it doesn't happen. I've had coaches who favor the players who talk back to them. Why? Couldn't tell you.
4. Don't talk poorly of your teammates. Eventually, they will find out, and it will be a very unpleasant time for the both of you. Remember when you were 5 and your mother said "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all!"? FOLLOW THAT RULE!
It's not hard to be a good teammate. It actually very much affects the team chemistry if you do have that one player that is rude to everyone. And, I have previously posted about how imperative it is to have good team chemistry. You will never play good if you don't have team chemistry!
Word Count: 303 words
Gotta Love Cool Uniforms
One of my favorite parts about athletics is probably the uniforms. I can't even count how many I have at home. Considering I play three sports, it's a lot! But, if you're like me, you like to be the team that everyone envies because you have the coolest jerseys.
Each sport, the jerseys are different, but they are all so cool in different ways. For volleyball jerseys, I think long sleeve jerseys look the best. For my team, we have three long sleeve jerseys. A white one with black letters, a black one with volt letters, and a gray one with pink letters. Fortunately our team is sponsored by Nike, and we get to have really awesome jerseys!
For softball, I have always liked the color maroon for jerseys. Teams like Alabama and Oklahoma just look so professional. White pants look very nice, but they are a pain! Once you slide in them, you can never fully get the dirt stains out! I think the coolest jersey award for college softball goes to University of Florida. I would love to wear jerseys like them.
Track uniforms aren't anything but solid colors and very very tight. For my high school, we just wear black tank tops with black spandex. I think it's the most boring jerseys out there.
I don't know if you can consider it a jersey, but gymnasts probably have the most glamorous outfits. They can have sparkly leotards in any color they want. My old gym used to be maroon, which I loved, but now they are purple, which I envy. Purple is my favorite color. Why not get those when I was still a gymnast!
Each sport, the jerseys are different, but they are all so cool in different ways. For volleyball jerseys, I think long sleeve jerseys look the best. For my team, we have three long sleeve jerseys. A white one with black letters, a black one with volt letters, and a gray one with pink letters. Fortunately our team is sponsored by Nike, and we get to have really awesome jerseys!
For softball, I have always liked the color maroon for jerseys. Teams like Alabama and Oklahoma just look so professional. White pants look very nice, but they are a pain! Once you slide in them, you can never fully get the dirt stains out! I think the coolest jersey award for college softball goes to University of Florida. I would love to wear jerseys like them.
Track uniforms aren't anything but solid colors and very very tight. For my high school, we just wear black tank tops with black spandex. I think it's the most boring jerseys out there.
I don't know if you can consider it a jersey, but gymnasts probably have the most glamorous outfits. They can have sparkly leotards in any color they want. My old gym used to be maroon, which I loved, but now they are purple, which I envy. Purple is my favorite color. Why not get those when I was still a gymnast!
Now I think everyone can agree that the University of Oregon is the luckiest college alive. They get the coolest uniforms ever! They have really awesome football jerseys, softball jerseys, and volleyball jerseys. I'm sure they have a lot of other cool jerseys for other sports too. I would kill to go there and get the uniforms they do!
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First College Coach Call
Today, I am going to be giving you some tips on calling a college coach for the first time. I know that it can be scary, but if you want to play a sport at a high level, you need to know how to do it.
First, be enthusiastic and engaging. Coaches are looking for athletes who are excited about the opportunity to compete at their school. Consider your tone, confidence level, and leadership ability while you're talking to a coach.
Second, before you call, it's a good idea to practice. Role play with a friend or a parent the conversation you expect to have. The practice should help calm your nerves when you make the actual call.
Third, do your homework. Research the college and the coach before the call. A coach will be impressed if you know the specifics about his/her program.
Fourth, be prepared. Have a list of questions or a script in front of you when you call. Introduce yourself with your name, city, and high school. Ask specific questions about the program and your chance to compete. Ask the coach what your next steps should be in the recruiting process. Cover the basics during your first conversation with a coach. On second and third phone calls you can discuss more detailed information about the program.
Fifth, be ready to answer questions from the coach. Phone calls give coaches a chance to find out more about you. They're likely to ask what your strengths and weaknesses are, what other schools you're considering, what goals you have, and what you're looking for in a college.
Finally, be persistent. Coaches are busy, and you'll likely have to leave a few voicemails before finally reaching them. I know for me that it took four tries the first time I called a coach. Find out from the coach or an athletic secretary the best time to call. When leaving a message, let the coach know exactly what time you plan to call back.
The main thing you need to remember is to be confident! If you follow these simple rules, and add in a little bit of personality, the coach will have for sure enjoyed your conversation! Good Luck!
Word Count: 369 words
First, be enthusiastic and engaging. Coaches are looking for athletes who are excited about the opportunity to compete at their school. Consider your tone, confidence level, and leadership ability while you're talking to a coach.
Second, before you call, it's a good idea to practice. Role play with a friend or a parent the conversation you expect to have. The practice should help calm your nerves when you make the actual call.
Third, do your homework. Research the college and the coach before the call. A coach will be impressed if you know the specifics about his/her program.
Fourth, be prepared. Have a list of questions or a script in front of you when you call. Introduce yourself with your name, city, and high school. Ask specific questions about the program and your chance to compete. Ask the coach what your next steps should be in the recruiting process. Cover the basics during your first conversation with a coach. On second and third phone calls you can discuss more detailed information about the program.
Fifth, be ready to answer questions from the coach. Phone calls give coaches a chance to find out more about you. They're likely to ask what your strengths and weaknesses are, what other schools you're considering, what goals you have, and what you're looking for in a college.
Finally, be persistent. Coaches are busy, and you'll likely have to leave a few voicemails before finally reaching them. I know for me that it took four tries the first time I called a coach. Find out from the coach or an athletic secretary the best time to call. When leaving a message, let the coach know exactly what time you plan to call back.
The main thing you need to remember is to be confident! If you follow these simple rules, and add in a little bit of personality, the coach will have for sure enjoyed your conversation! Good Luck!
Word Count: 369 words
Friday, February 20, 2015
Multi-Sport Athletes
Recently, I did a paper in my LA class about the benefits of being a multi-sport athlete. This is something that I am very passionate about, and I guarantee that if you were to argue me on this, I would win every time. There are very clear benefits to being a multi-sport athlete, for example, it makes you so much stronger. I play three sports, and I am 10 pounds away from breaking the hang clean record at my school. If you think about it, a multi-sport athlete is using different muscles in very different ways. For me, track makes my legs strong and fast for softball and volleyball, volleyball improves my vertical to help with long jump, and softball helps hand eye coordination for volleyball. It all works in a big circle.
Another reason to be a multi-sport athlete is to prevent yourself from getting a overuse injury. Way too many young people are becoming injured because they spend too much time participating in one sport. Torn rotator cuffs and torn ACLs are ruining young athletes. If you focus on just one sport, it puts the strain on one part of your body. For example, athletes who only play softball are more likely to tear their rotator cuff. A girl on my team has a lot of little tears cause all she does is softball. Playing multiple sports spreads out the strain.
Lastly, it prevents an athlete from burning out. There are many young kids who get tired of the sports they are participating in because it's all they do. Take a break from your favorite sport, and when you come back to it, you'll be more ready than ever and you can be excited for what's to come.
Another reason to be a multi-sport athlete is to prevent yourself from getting a overuse injury. Way too many young people are becoming injured because they spend too much time participating in one sport. Torn rotator cuffs and torn ACLs are ruining young athletes. If you focus on just one sport, it puts the strain on one part of your body. For example, athletes who only play softball are more likely to tear their rotator cuff. A girl on my team has a lot of little tears cause all she does is softball. Playing multiple sports spreads out the strain.
Lastly, it prevents an athlete from burning out. There are many young kids who get tired of the sports they are participating in because it's all they do. Take a break from your favorite sport, and when you come back to it, you'll be more ready than ever and you can be excited for what's to come.
A lot of high level coaches agree with this philosophy. Gayle Blevins, my hitting coach and fourth most winning record in NCAA Softball history, would rather have multi-sport athletes. She agrees that it makes them even more strong and it makes them diverse. Another example is Urban Meyer, the football coach at Ohio State. Out of all of his football players, two of them were one sport athletes. Obviously he proved that multi-sport athletes are better because they won the championship. If that doesn't convince you, I don't know what will.
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The importance of practice
Practicing is the most important thing to do when playing a sport. If you don't practice, how will you get better? "Practice makes perfect" right? Well, it's the truth. You don't necessarily have to be practicing with your team or a coach either, you can work on things on your own time. I just heard a lecture about how the best coach you have is yourself, and practicing by yourself has proven to make you better than if you practice with a team or coach. Practicing something over and over again, the right way, gives you a muscle memory and you don't have to think about what your doing, it just comes naturally. But, be careful because if you practice something the wrong way, it is very hard to fix it. It is said that fixing a bad habit takes at least 500 reps of doing it the correct way. Save yourself some time and make sure you do it the correct way!
An example I can give of practicing on your own time is simply hitting off of a tee for softball or baseball. There are so many different drills you can do, and you can simply work on pitch location like, inside tee, outside tee, and even just down the middle. For volleyball, you can pepper with your parents or a sibling, and even set to yourself off of a wall. I used to do that all the time when I was younger. Make your dad go outside with you and toss around a football. Work on your footwork in front of a mirror. There are so many things you can do on your own. There are even things you can do for your confidence. I have a hitting coach, Gayle Blevins (super awesome probably my favorite person in the universe) who had me write the word "winner" on post it notes and put them in obvious locations around my house so I could be reminded that I was a winner. You can write goals on a sheet of paper and put it somewhere that you always look, so you can be reminded of what you're striving for. You can put anything you need to learn about your sport on a piece of paper and put somewhere you always look so that you can learn it while doing everyday activities like brushing your teeth. Be creative and do something on your own.
Practicing on your own is very important, but practicing with a team and a coach is very imperative too. You need to work on your team chemistry (something that is HUGELY important, trust me), and just overall skills work. Your coaches help you with your technique and make you the best you can be. Your teammates also help you out with technique. Some sports, you can't go without a team practice. For example, if you didn't practice volleyball with your team, nothing would go right. You wouldn't know any play sets, your setter won't be used to how the hitters like their set, the passers will be uncomfortable with each other, and there is absolutely zero communication. Communication is key to almost every single team sport there is. Another benefit to practicing with your team, is you just get to know them better. It helps when a team is very tightly knit.
So, hopefully I got my point across. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! It really is the most beneficial thing you can do for yourself as an athlete.
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