Staying Sharp During the Dog Days of Summer
Just because children have long forgotten about homework during the summer, that doesn’t mean they should also forget about all they’ve worked towards in sports. The warmer months are no excuse for children to fall out of the habit of training, but without the proper motivation, oftentimes they do. Summer is actually the perfect time for athletes of all ages to stay on top of their game and to develop new skills that will benefit them during the school year and beyond.
For many, these months are simply a transition time from one sport to the next, so it’s important to keep skills sharp. It can be tempting to sleep in and relax by the pool, but there’s no way to develop skills if you can’t find the motivation to train. Athletes should think about making the team or even about that starting position they’ve been eyeing. While some aspects of sports don’t lend themselves to individual practice, such as running point on a fast break in basketball, there are still ways for athletes to stay on their game and remain in game-shape all summer long. One way is through finding a one-on-one coach.
There are many benefits to working with a personal coach in order to achieve goals come tryout time. It’s true: every athlete encounters a weaknesses in their game at some point, so taking advantage of summer is the perfect time to work on ironing out the kinks. Whatever it is that makes an athlete a liability to their team can be fine-tuned in order to turn the weakness to a strength. When the seasonal team coach is no longer running the show during the summer, athletes are on their own when it comes to sticking to a training regimen and getting the most from the offseason.
A personal coach can provide athletes with the drills and exercises needed to push an athlete’s game over the edge. As an added bonus, coaches can also provide motivation on those especially lazy summer days. Indeed, a great coach can be a game-changer for an athlete. Coaching is important and good coaches can help tap into an athlete’s full potential. Ultimately, bringing out the best in kids, both on and off the field, is the key goal here.
In fact, research has found that athletes who trained with a personal coach performed better and improved more significantly in several fitness categories than those who worked out alone. The heart of the matter is that an athlete has to feel confident so that they can succeed and understand that hard work will result in that success. If they know that, then chances are greater that they’ll push themselves even harder. The summer offseason is an excellent chance to develop these skills as a player and reach goals that were otherwise thought to be unattainable.
Practice makes perfect and this is the best opportunity to see serious improvement before the next season kicks off.
