#2- Offseason/ Preseason

Today’s post is all about going into depth about off season and preseason of sports. These are times when you are not playing your sport. This doesn't mean though, that you are not practicing your sport. In fact, this is one of the most crucial times for practicing and improving at your sport. Don Kardong, an American Olympian said this about the off-season; “In those long, lonely miles you put in during the off-season, and in those knife-in-the-gut track repetitions and hill repeats that buckle your knees - at that moment in almost every race when you ask yourself how much you're willing to hurt to catch one more runner - you can draw strength and inspiration from your running mates." I really liked this quote because he talks about how he pushes himself and stretches and has the mentality of that it will help him when he is actually racing during season. The fact that he can push himself in the lonely miles is what makes it so he can push himself in the actual season. Walter Payton said this; “During the off-season when you see other people playing in the Super Bowl, you wonder, and you say to yourself, 'Are you ever gonna get there and see what it feels like?' And it pushes you a little bit harder during that off-season to work to try to get there the following year." This quote is pretty self-explanatory, but it does show the importance of off-season. (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/off-season.html) In lacrosse we are fortunate enough to have a fall season, and a winter league, so that in spring when the real season is we have kept up with our game. This doesn't mean that you don't ever need to practice out of scheduled time. Personally I can tell the girls that have taken the time to keep up with the game. In lacrosse this can be wall ball, which is so important!! Wall ball is when you go and literally pass back and forth with yourself. You hit the ball against a solid wall and catch it as it bounces back. It is crucial to be able to pass and catch like it is second nature in lacrosse, especially in game speed. This is especially helpful if you are trying to master your non-dominant hand. I am dominant with my right hand, so I struggle with my left and that is the one I work the most. When doing wall ball, it is recommended by our coaches and captains to do at least 100 on each hand. Another thing that is important in the off-season is staying in shape! I cannot emphasize this one enough. In lacrosse there are large amounts of running. It is said that in a typical professional women’s game you run 3-5 miles a game! That is crazy, because you are not just jogging that 3-5 miles, you are game speed sprinting and changing speed and dodging and defending and using a lot of your strength. So it is very important to run outside of your season and even outside of practice. This is also another one of the things you notice most about your team. A team that is in shape is unstoppable. My freshman year of playing lacrosse we had great captains that made us run a mile before every practice. This was so hard coming up from junior’s league, and to be honest I was really frustrated that we had to. Because after we ran we then had to practice! So then in your practice you were exhausted. But this taught me a lesson, and I’m so grateful it did. It taught me how to push my limits, and it taught me that if I could run when no one else could I would be a great player. The captains always told us that we need to be able to run just as good in the end of the game as we do in the beginning. My coach said this to us, “We may not be the best skill team in our region, but we will be the best conditioned team.” That is the year we took state. I will always remember that and that is why as a captain this year I will be pushing to get in the best shape we can. Another way to stay proactive in off-season is to eat right. When you can create good nutrition habits in off-season and preseason you will be able to control yourself when it counts on game days and such. Plus it is really good for your body.