1. Getting up late each day. Just because you are able to sleep in, doesn’t mean that you should do it. Sleep is critical. Get yourself in a rhythm where you go to bed and wake up at a decent hour consistently. Get your 8 plus hours. It will positively affect your training, your mood and will naturally boost growth hormone.
  2. Not planning your training schedule in advance. Many athletes get a few weeks or more into the summer before they come up with an ironclad training plan. The best athletes go in with a plan; training (physical, mental, technical), competition, lifestyle. Prepare a detailed calendar in advance of what days you will train, how long and what you will focus on. Failing to plan is planning to fail!
  3. Focusing on getting big instead of getting better. Too often athletes will focus only on getting bigger and stronger. No doubt that is important but remember that improving in your specific sport is the main focus. If you want to become a better baseball player you need to get better at baseball, if you want to become a better wrestler you need to get better at wrestling, etc. Unless you are a bodybuilder or powerlifter, your main focus should not be lifting weights. It should be improving in your sport.
  4. Watching too much television, spending too much time on phone or playing video games. There is nothing wrong with any of these (they could be good recovery) but beware because they can cut into your productive time and lead to lazy habits. Build this into your pre summer planning by creating limits each day for electronics. There is too much to learn to waste time!
  5. Not reading quality books or listening to productive podcasts/videos. There is so much good information out there. Find books, podcasts and videos that you can learn from to help grow in different areas of your sport. These good habits can replace videos games and wasteful phone time. Check out our Winning Mindset podcast here.
  6. Developing bad habits. Staying up all night, sleeping in till the afternoon, eating lots of junk food, drinking, dipping, etc. The season may seem far away but rest assured these habits will hurt you in the worst moments eventually. Make sure to develop good habits throughout the summer. Stay in shape so you don’t have to get in shape!
  7. Not using sunscreen. Seriously. The science is out on this. You risk skin cancer, sunburn, etc. It’s not worth it!

***BONUS #8- Not training your mind. Think of this Training Paradox: Sports are at least 50% mental yet most people spend 95% of their time training physically. Winning Mindset helps bridge that gap for individual athletes and teams. Learn how Winning Mindset can help you develop a Summer Mindset Plan to give you the Mental Edge!

 

Category: Lacrosse