Starting in the off season, athletes begin preparing themselves. Even what they eat before games or practices can affect how athletes perform. Coming with a desire to get better, they have to follow a nutritional diet to feel energized during the day.

“I typically have eggs and toast or cereal… I try to eat a light lunch and a little snack before the game,” said girls varsity player Anneke Holm.

Adding to that, many athletes’ diets include good amounts of carbs and protein to feel in the best shape.

“After I work out, (I eat) two PBJs, a banana, and two oranges with milk to fill me up until lunch,” said boys varsity basketball player Charlie Pritchard.

Most athletes rely a lot on drinking lots of water with their meal.

“I like to eat four eggs and drink a lot of water every morning so I’m not thinking about food until lunch,” said boys varsity track runner Zach Weigenant.

Each sport is physically draining and also a mental game. Every athlete has their times of struggle, where there can be possibilities that their craft is off during games or practices.

Teammates can acknowledge that and help them get back on their feet.

“All my teammates in any sport are great because I’m usually close with all of them, and they always console me,” Prichard said.

Sportsmanship plays a huge role in sports because it benefits the players’ mental thoughts, backing with positivity and reassurance that they can keep going.

“My team is pretty positive and really supportive and trying to compliment me on the tiniest things,” Holm said.

Being with other athletes that are supportive helps, but it’s also up to their own to do great.

“All my coaches and friends are very good about being supportive, but I try to stay positive all the time because that’s really important, “ Weigenent said.

Continuing to get better, athletes take an extra step to get repetitions after practice. Whether it’d be shooting basketballs, catching footballs, or running laps, they are the people that truly want to improve themselves. “Three times a week, after my school practice, I drive forty minutes to my club track and get a workout there,” Weigenent says.

Seeing others practice after their sessions motivates them to join and get repetitions in.
“After every football practice, DJ or Coach V would stay after practice and make sure we catch twenty-four balls in a row,” Pritchard said.

Some athletes prefer to show up earlier to get ready for the main practice.

“I just come early to practice and do some things before if I need to,“ Holm says.

Seizing the opportunity to become the best version of themselves shows they want to excel in the sport and help their team.