Protect Your Investment
One universal truth (I think) that most people have is they want to protect and see growth out of the investments they are making. Maybe that seems pretty obvious, but I want to bring this kind of clarity to the topic.
When you put money into your IRA, 401K, 529 plan etc… you want to see growth! All the money you have put into those accounts you certainly don’t want to see draining. You set aside a certain amount of money each month to put into this account so that you will get a return on it when it matter most. You may also even cut out certain parts of your spending to ensure that you have the money to put into this account.
Truth is, you would probably call me crazy if I were to tell you to stop contributing to your account and rather start pulling the investments out early. It wouldn’t make sense based on all the hard work you put in to building it up!
Now take this concept, and apply it to your athlete’s performance.
Each week, we have athletes coming in and working relentlessly at finding a competitive edge for when season rolls around. The athletes are disciplined. The athletes are consistent. The athletes are earning their competitive edge each and every day and sharpening that edge so that it becomes dominant on the field.
Needless to say, the athletes and you as parents have a lot invested a lot this offseason, and expect a return on it!
Truth is, most athletes and parents spend an incredible about of time investing in themselves, but neglect to protect their investments once the season is upon us. They don’t plan on how to protect their investments. Quite the opposite actually. Instead, we see families HOPING that all the work they put in will carry them through to the end of the season like a savings account they hope will last.
For those who take that strategy we see…
Performance drops throughout season
Increased risk of injuries
Higher stress levels
Lower confidence
You must be active in protecting your investment when it matters most, and that is during the season! How do you do that? You create a plan for the season just like you do for an offseason.
What does that mean? It means you continue investing. It means you continue putting deposits into your performance throughout the season. To put it simply… you CONTINUE to train during the season.
This isn’t something that is controversial. This is WHY every professional athlete and collegiate team continues to train during the season. They continue to put deposits into their performance account because the season is when you need the investment to payoff most!
If we are all wanting to become college or professional athletes, shouldn’t we start acting like one and following their lead now?
It means working on an in season training program
It means adding a recovery program to your training
It means doubling down on your nutrition
It means making sure you increase your hydration
It means you are active in building the mental side of your gam
Now typically at this point there are a couple thoughts that run through most people’s heads.
I don’t have the time for this
I don’t want to be worn out and need rest
For many, any one or a combination of these will be the trap that the “Average Athlete” will fall into. But, if you have been training and investing in yourself all offseason, the last thing you are is ordinary and average… so refuse to fall into that trap!
Here is the truth…
There IS time… we just have to be more disciplined with your scheduling and how we utilize it. Just like an investment, the best time to put the deposits in is now. You don’t want to get to the end of the road and wish you had deposited more money/time.
You WON’T be worn out. The thing that will wear you out the quickest is by not getting proper sleep, nutrition, hydration. Most “Rest” days that atheltes take are days of doing nothing. That isn’t recovery. Recovery is active. Recovery is planned. Recovery is purposeful. A light, focused, purposeful workout can aid in the recovery process and will help promote healing to the body.
Being a former high school and collegiate athlete, I will be the first to empathize and say “Yes! It is difficult to manage this…” But it isn’t impossible. There IS a path to make sure that you are at your best and healthy when it is needed most.
What we hear consistently from athletes who take a break from training during their seasons is that they wished they had FOUND A WAY to continue training during the season. They come back into the gym, hoping to perform like they used to, and they find they are a long way from the numbers they were hitting at the end of the offseason.
How much better could our growth as an athlete be if all we did was maintain during the season? Heck, not losing anything is a HUGE win!
In contrast, for athletes who maintained at a minimum of one session per week during season, their numbers we just as high as when they left… and even had athletes who were setting personal bests during season and playoffs. That is called peaking at the right time!
As season approaches, I couldn’t NOT expose what we see as being one of the single biggest challenges, shortcomings, and traps that athletes face.
During the fight is when you need to be at your best.
During the fight is when you need your coach pouring into you.
During the fight is when it matters most!
So as we approach this season, use this as an opportunity to separate yourself. Use this as a competitive edge! If you have BIG goals and dreams, it requires acting in a manner that supports those big dreams.
It takes what it takes. If you want to be great, you must do what the greats do. Follow their lead.
Protect your investment.
Cherish the Challenge
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Here is a video I posted back in 2019 preaching the same message! Take a quick listen to this 4 minute video! It can be the Competitive Edge you are looking for this season! Watch Here!