Pre-season for spring sports has arrived and there’s no better time for your athlete to realize how to make the most of their pre-game warmup routine. A pre-game routine can help get your athlete’s mind and body ready for playing at their peak and also help in limiting injury risk.
Here are three non-negotiable aspects of a pre-game routine for athletes playing soccer, lacrosse, baseball, or any sport this season:
Sleep
8 hours minimum. Ideally, 10 for a teenager. But that’s not so simple with their school schedules. Parents, don’t be the reason your child gets out of bed too early. It’s counterproductive for their health and performance on the sports field and in the classroom. Your child probably wants to stay up on TikTok all night but if they are serious, hopefully they can understand the importance of a good night’s sleep.
You’ve probably heard it before: have a consistent bedtime. Make sure the room is quiet, dark, and a comfortable temperature. Avoid the phone at least 30 minutes before bed. Don’t eat within 1-2 hours of sleep.
These are tried and true methods for better sleep quality. If your athlete is getting their 8-10 hours, they will be infinitely more prepared physically and mentally than an athlete who isn’t.
Nutrition & Hydration
Another aspect a lot of parents have to fight with their athletes about is proper nutrition and hydration. An athlete needs to be fueled for training or playing their sport, and consistent eating and drinking habits will again improve their overall body capabilities and brain function.
We often ask athletes what they ate before coming in for training and the responses are truly terrible. “Nothing.” “Chips and soda.” “French fries.” If they are eating this before a game, and not hydrating during the school day, they are set up to perform at less than their ability.
They should be consuming adequate protein and carbohydrates all the time. Not just on game day. What does that look like? Drink 75-100% of their body weight in ounces of water. Eat 65-100% of their body weight in grams of protein. Eat healthy/productive carbohydrates (Fruit, vegetables, potatoes, rice) daily.
Specifically before a game for teenage athletes, we often recommend a protein shake and a healthy piece of fruit an hour in advance. Nothing too heavy in their stomach. For younger athletes, you might give them some chicken, turkey, lean beef, or eggs. Even some protein bars can be a healthy and convenient alternative when you’re on the go, or playing immediately after school.
Pre-game warm-up
There’s a reason we warm up for 15 minutes in Parisi classes. It is absolutely essential for firing up the nervous system and getting blood flow to the muscles that are about to put in a couple hours of strenuous work.
Pick your 10 favorite Parisi warm up exercises and do them at home or at the field before your game. If your athlete has trained with us, they know these exercises, but here’s a list to refresh their memory:
Squat, jumping jack, seal jack, flings, low pogos, high pogos, gate swings.
Lunges, skips, shuffles, side runs, backward cycle.
Hip thrusts, single leg hip thrusts, leg swings, side lying leg raises, inside lying leg raises, fire hydrants, hip circles.
Often, coaches do an oversimplified warm up or even static stretch before a game. This isn’t nearly as effective as a targeted warmup, and may even hinder performance. So if your athlete is embarrassed to be doing their own warm up beforehand, have them do it at home before heading to the field. This will be a game changer in their athletic performance.
We trained your athlete all winter and want the best for them this spring. If they can consistently do these three things before a game (and practice, too!) the work they put in to improve their athleticism will be that much more apparent.
If you have any questions about training, nutrition, or a winning pre-game routine, simply respond to this email!
Additionally, we have a nutritionist on staff if you need help establishing a winning healthy eating plan for your athlete: Matt Ryan (MRNutrition1@Verizon.net)
