Work on yourself first, take responsibility for your own progress.
— THE I CHING
When you’re paying attention, things go better. No one knows what you are doing better than you! So this chapter focuses on four key areas that are often neglected by teens. These areas are highlighted to build a comprehensive and solid approach to your academic and athletic excellence. Take personal responsibility for each and for what is in your zone of control. We talked with several experts in these areas to provide specifics and actionable items, and to point you in the right direction:
• Sports Counseling
• Sleep Science
• Social Media
• Sports Nutrition
Ask for help. Not because you are weak. But because you want to remain strong.
— LES BROWN
Mike Mombrea is the Employee Assistance Program Director for the San Francisco Giants, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and a certified employee assistance professional. Mike was formerly director of Adolescent and Family Programs at Youth and Family Services in Solano County, California, and EAP counselor at Cisco Systems Integrated Healthcare Center in San Jose, California. Here’s Mike’s advice for student-athletes.
1. It takes courage to admit when you’re struggling and to ask for help. Greatness doesn’t come from doing it alone. You get better faster when you use the resources available to you. Ask any true champion!
2. Train yourself to have a calm mind by practicing the following exercise every day. Set the alarm on your smartphone five minutes ahead, close your eyes, focus on your breath, and let distracting thoughts pass until the alarm goes off. Feel the difference. You can do this exercise between classes, before practice or at night before sleep. During competition, take a few “clearing breaths” to focus on the present moment and then let it rip.
3. Negative thoughts will occur from time to time. When you notice them, you are not failing. View negative thoughts (e.g., “I’m not good at this”) like clouds passing in the sky. Take a “clearing breath,” and reset to a positive intention (“I can do this!”). This process of switching to positivity takes time and repetition.
4. When it is time to compete, a key understanding is to know that you can work with whatever state of mind or mood you are in rather than getting in your head about not being or feeling 100 percent. The goal is to be the best that you can be every day.
5. Do not allow what anyone else is doing around you (critics, opponents, officials) to impact your approach or get in the way of your talent. Once you realize that what is going on around you can never be an excuse for poor performance, you’ll be able to focus on your game 100 percent. What others are doing is outside your control and always will be. Make peace with this fact.
6. Being the best you can be and striving for excellence on and off the field is the aim. Others (opponents, spectators, and even negative teammates) may not like you, but your approach and commitment will command their respect. At the end of the day, you must live with you, not them. The sky is the limit when you’re confident in yourself.
7. Support your teammates, it’s good for your soul. Helping your teammates to have a great practice or competition will help you steer clear of negative thinking. We often put too much pressure on our own personal performance. In fact, the more you emphasize being a team player, the better you’ll become as an individual player.
Snapshot: Be courageous enough to ask for help when you need it. Let negative thoughts come—and go! Learn how to maintain your composure, and ignore what you can’t control. Lastly, be a team player; this will make the best parts of you even better. So go for a basketball-like triple double in points, total rebounds, assists, steals, or blocks! Be a complete person and champion.
Fatigue makes cowards of us all.
— VINCE LOMBARDI
Cheri D. Mah, MS, is a clinical and translational research fellow at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Human Performance Center and UCSF School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the relationship between sleep and performance in elite athletes.
Cheri consults on optimal performance and recovery strategies with professional teams, such as the world champion Golden State Warriors (NBA), San Francisco Giants (MLB), San Jose Sharks (NHL), Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL), Toronto Blue Jays, and teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB. Currently an advisor on sleep for the Nike Performance Council, Cheri has developed comprehensive sleep programs for professional and collegiate sports. She advises varsity teams at Stanford on optimal sleep, scheduling, and peak performance. These programs integrate sleep education, technology, and applied sleep research to optimize performance and recovery.
Cheri shared with me eight key suggestions for how student-athletes can master their sleep. In addition, she provides two sleep and recovery goals, as well as online resources for additional information.
1. Reduce/eliminate caffeine. Refrain from caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks) in the late afternoon and early evening.
2. Be strategic with hydration and try a presleep snack. Consider a complex carbohydrate + protein snack before bed (e.g., cereal + milk). Prioritize good hydration during the day and reduce liquids one hour before bed.
3. Make your bedroom like a cave—dark, quiet, cool, and comfortable. Blackout curtains are strongly recommended, or use an eye mask. Earplugs can minimize noise and a fan circulates air while doubling as a white-noise machine. Cooler temperatures are better for sleep quality (60 to 67 degrees).
4. Power down. Make your bedroom a technology-free zone and eliminate distractions.
5. Prioritize a 20- to 30-minute routine (e.g., reading, stretching, yoga) before bed to prepare your body to sleep. Avoid TV, laptop, and video games one hour before bed. The bright light from these devices can prevent sleep and decrease melatonin release. Melatonin regulates our sleep cycles.
6. Establish a consistent sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Set a daily alarm on your phone to remind you that you have 30 minutes to wrap up your day and head to bed.
7. Obtain 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night. Adequate sleep is critical every day, not just the night before a game.
8. Leverage 20 to 30 minutes power nap/pregame nap. Power naps provide a temporary boost in alertness and performance, but are not a replacement for adequate sleep at night. Be cautious of longer naps, which can result in sleep inertia (feelings of sluggishness) upon awakening from deep stages of sleep.
1. Pay back accumulated sleep debt (accumulates from chronic inadequate sleep) and prioritize sleep over the entire season, not just the night before a game.
2. Aim for 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night. Start by adding 30 minutes (e.g., go from 7 to 7.5 hours).
ONLINE RESOURCES
1. National Sleep Foundation—sleepfoundation.org
2. American Academy of Sleep Medicine—aasmnet.org
Snapshot: After a busy day, every day, take time to wind down and prepare for sleep. This is just as important as warming up before a match, practicing your fundamentals, or staying positive. Your body uses sleep to recover, clear toxins, build muscle, and solidify neural patterns. In other words, you need a good dose of sleep to be at your best!
It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.
— WARREN BUFFETT
Joan Ryan is an award-winning journalist and author. She has written four books, including Little Girls in Pretty Boxes: The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters (1995, Doubleday), which Sports Illustrated named one of the Top 100 Sports Books of All Time. She is also the media consultant for the San Francisco Giants. You don’t have to be a teen to benefit from her advice about contemporary society.
Social media is like a torch: It can illuminate or incinerate.
Coaches, teammates, fans, college admissions staff, and employers will form an impression of you through social media long before they meet you. Every comment and photo you post—or have ever posted—tells them what kind of person you are. Even your retweets become part of the picture. You post it, you own it.
So, as an athlete, you need a strategy. Here’s a way to start. Think of three character traits you want people to know about you. (Examples might be loyalty, intelligence, self lessness, perseverance, focus, humor, and enthusiasm.) Make a note of them in your phone or on a piece of paper. In everything you post on social media and in everything you say to reporters, you need to project those qualities. Put another way, you can either leave it to chance that people will figure out who you are and what you stand for, or you can take control by using social media as your own personal billboard.
Remember, also, that you reflect not just yourself on social media but your team, your family, your town, and your school or organization.
The wonderful thing about social media is the opportunity it provides to engage with fans. Answering questions, retweeting or simply mentioning fans by name can be as significant as signing an autograph. On the flip side, as you probably already know, social media is a magnet for trolls. Don’t get sucked into responding to negative comments. The troll has nothing to lose by being a jerk. You do. Ignore them.
Today’s technology allows anyone to take a photo or video at any time. Do you really want to pose beside a pyramid of 116 empty beer cans? No matter how innocent the circumstances—maybe you didn’t drink a single beer—photos can create an image that can take years to correct.
You will be called upon to do interviews. Call the reporter by name (and ask for his or her name if you haven’t been introduced). Look them in the eyes. Smile. Don’t chew gum. Focus solely on the interview, which means putting away your phone and iPad. Body language and tone of voice have a greater impact on how people perceive you than what you say.
Having said that, your answers still matter. Anticipate what a reporter might ask: Did you hit the game-winning home run? Did you drop the baton in the relay? Did a teammate get suspended for punching a referee? Take a moment to think about what you’ll say.
You don’t have to answer every question, particularly if it is controversial—e.g., the teammate’s suspension, a political issue. You can say, “I don’t know much about it,” or “What I’m focused on now is getting ready for the next game… . ” or “That’s not up to me to decide.”
If a question isn’t clear, feel free to say so—“I’m not sure I understand what you’re asking”—so they can rephrase it or explain what they’re looking for.
If you’re being interviewed after a big victory, allow yourself to be excited and happy about it. Don’t try to be cool.
One rule of thumb for interviews: Own mistakes, share triumphs. This means you take sole responsibility for dropping the fly ball in the bottom of the ninth—even if you dropped it because your teammate got in your way. It means sharing the glory of your game-winning shot at the buzzer, mentioning the teammate who passed you the ball and the coach who diagrammed the play. This shows integrity and selflessness.
Just as honing your athletic skills takes practice, so does honing your media skills. Think of every social-media post and every encounter with the press and with fans as an opportunity to shape your pubic image. The smartest public figures understand that good reputations don’t happen by chance. They’re built, carefully and strategically, one interaction at a time.
Snapshot: Social media is part of today’s world. Apply a strategy to it, just as you do (or should do) for everything else. Identify three key qualities you want to project. If what you’re about to post doesn’t project one of them, don’t send it out to the world. Once poured, water never returns to the cup.
Nutrition is so important. It can’t be stressed enough.
— DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON
Jordan Mazur is a registered dietitian (RD) and the coordinator of nutrition with the San Francisco 49ers. He is formerly the director of Sports Nutrition for Cal Athletics at the University of California, Berkeley. Jordan carries with him a wealth of experience working with athletes on how to optimize athletic performance through food. Jordan also has a background in clinical nutrition, working with clients of all ages in private, collegiate, and professional sports settings. In his current role, Jordan is responsible for overseeing the performance nutrition program for the San Francisco 49ers and provides the players with evidenced-based practice and education about sports nutrition.
Here’s my Q & A with Jordan.
Q: What are some guidelines for proper meal planning (e.g., number of meals each day, number of hours between meals)? Pregame meal?
A: There is nothing more foundational, or functional, for any athlete than meeting their energy intake. What this means is ensuring that you are consuming the proper amount of calories per day according to your individual goals. To determine the number of calories that you need, it’s most beneficial to visit with a registered dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition. Registered dietitians are trained and educated on how to properly conduct a full nutritional assessment of an individual, which gives them a deeper understanding of your current individual health and eating habits as well as learning more about your nutrition or body composition goals. With all of that information, an estimated caloric range can be determined.
Once you know this, you then need to start to plan your nutrient timing. This means how often and when exactly you should be consuming the proper fuel. In general, athletes need to eat smaller meals, more frequently than nonathletes. This means two or three larger meals filled in with two or three snacks throughout the day, for a total of five or six feedings per day. Why does timing matter? The human body is always in constant need of energy, or calories, to function properly (physical activity, metabolism, thinking, breathing, digesting, etc.).
Athletes often have different energy demands than nonathletes. For example, they need to balance school, training, conditioning, film, meetings, treatment—and all of that requires energy. By providing the body with the fuel and building blocks (carbohydrates, protein, and fats) to use as energy, we supply the body with a steady flow of energy to meet all of our energy demands of the day. Not eating often, or not eating the right number of calories, can result in declines in performance, mental fatigue, and low energy as well as potentially increasing your risk for illness and injury.
For example:
| 6:00 a.m. | Breakfast |
| 9:00 a.m. | Snack |
| 12:00 p.m. | Lunch |
| 3:00 p.m. | Snack after school or before practice |
| 6:00 p.m. | Dinner |
| 8:00 p.m. | Evening Snack |
When it comes to competition, the precompetition meal is key. This meal will give you the proper fuel for performance, and timing it correctly will allow you enough time to digest and store that fuel before game time. The pregame meal should be consumed 3 to 4 hours prior to competing, and be high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein and vegetables, and low in fat and fiber. And of course it needs to include hydration!
KEY POINTS
1.Meet your energy demands.
2.Eat consistently every 2 to 3 hours for 5 or 6 feedings per day as your schedule allows.
3.Pregame meal should be consumed 3 to 4 hours prior to start of competition.
Q: What do you recommend for snacks (e.g., types of food, serving size)?
A: Here are some great tips for making some golden choices for performance snacks:
1. Refuel every 2 to 3 hours to maintain energy levels.
2. Limit foods that are fried or in a cream sauce.
3. Sparingly use fats like butter, sour cream, and mayo.
4. Toppings can add flavor—like ketchup, light mayo, mustard, olive oil, light dressings.
Here are some great performance snack options to choose:
GRAB ’N’ GO SNACKS
• Granola bar
• Protein bar
• Instant oatmeal
• Dried fruit
• Fresh fruit
• Vegetables (carrots, celery sticks, broccoli, snap peas)
• Hummus with carrots and celery sticks
• Peanut butter with fruit
• Whole-grain crackers
• Tuna
• Beef/ turkey jerky
• Hummus and pretzel cup
• Greek yogurt with fruit or granola
• Cottage cheese with fruit
• Nuts and seeds
• Low-fat cheese sticks
• Pretzels
EASY-PREP SNACKS
• Hot oatmeal with mixed berries and raw nuts
• Toasted bagel with cream cheese, sliced cheese, or peanut butter
• Bagel, English muffin, pita as bread for a sandwich
• Fruit and natural nut butter
• Preportioned dried fruit-and-nut trail mix
• Whole-wheat English-muffin pizza made with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese
Q: What are some good refueling suggestions post-workout or after games (i.e., right away and even next day)?
A: When it comes to recovery, you should think about the three R’s: Refuel, Rehydrate, and Rest. The refueling part needs to include protein to rebuild and repair your damaged muscles and tissues, but it also needs to include carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the fuel for high-intensity activity, or in other words, it’s the fuel for your engine. You need to replace what you’ve lost during your exercise or competition. Depending on your size and intensity of activity completed, you want to aim for approximately 20 grams of protein and approximately 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrates for recovery. In general, here are some great refueling options.
Within 30 minutes post-game:
1. Chocolate milk and a banana
2. Greek yogurt with berries and granola
3. Pretzels with a cheese stick and almonds
4. Turkey sandwich with two slices whole wheat bread, 3 to 6 ounces deli turkey breast, and lettuce and tomato
5. Protein smoothie made with water or juice, whey protein powder, and fresh or frozen fruit
6. Muscle Milk or protein drink
Q: What are your thoughts about supplements for teen athletes?
A: Athletes need to be wary of taking supplements. The supplement industry in the United States is not regulated by the USDA or government agencies. During the teenage years, many athletes are beginning to develop more and are looking to find that edge or secret potion to get bigger, better, and faster. The reality is, there is no quick fix or shortcut. The best way to improve is through hard work, consistency, and dedication.
When consuming a well-balanced and varied diet, supplementation is often not even necessary. However, there is a time and place to supplement and if that’s the case, then supplement smart. Consult with a registered dietitian on what your goals are. Registered dietitians can help guide you to making the best decisions when it comes to supplementation. First and foremost, the question has be whether there is scientific research to support the benefits of the supplement that you are taking.
If you do choose to supplement, then make sure you are taking third-party tested supplements. Third-party testing organizations test and review supplements for quality and purity. Two of the most popular and reliable organizations are NSF Certified for Sport and Informed-Choice. Any supplement that is third-party tested will indicate so on the bottle of that supplement with the designated logo. Although this isn’t 100 percent guaranteed, it does give you peace of mind that what is labeled on the bottle is actually in that bottle. Without third-party testing, you have no way of knowing exactly what is in that supplement. The supplement industry is so unregulated that a supplement costing $80 and claiming to increase muscle mass may actually contain only rice flour, sugar, or even sawdust.
KEY POINTS
1.Supplements are not needed if you have a well-balanced and varied diet.
2.A dietary supplement is “a product intended for ingestion that contains a dietary ingredient designed to supplement the diet,” such as whey protein, protein/energy bars, creatine, multivitamins, probiotics, and fish oils.
3.Dietary supplements are risky, as they may contain banned substances and are not regulated by the FDA. There is no guarantee of purity and safety.
4.If you do choose to supplement, look for products that are third-party tested (NSF Certified for Sport or Informed-Choice)
5.Consult a sports RD to decide if a supplement is right for you.
Q: What are some guidelines for staying hydrated? What are your thoughts about sports drinks (pros and cons)?
A: Proper hydration is one of the easiest and most important things that an athlete can do to affect performance and health almost immediately. First and foremost, the human body is approximately 60 to 65 percent water, and in athletes that number can be closer to approximately 70 percent, due to their higher percentage of lean body mass or muscle mass. Muscle contains more water than fat does, so by default athletes generally have higher body water than nonathletes or overweight individuals.
We lose water in the body through three main methods: sweat, voiding, and breathing. Our bodies can’t create water, so all of that fluid has to be replaced. Especially during exercise, even a 2 percent decrease in body weight due to sweating can negatively impact performance and cause early fatigue. Proper hydration and fluid balance is important not just for exercise and performance, but also for optimal body functioning overall.
Some general tips and guidelines for staying hydrated:
1. Focus on fluids throughout the day, not just around workouts.
2. Always have a water bottle with you or handy.
3. Weigh yourself before and after exercise to know how much water to replace: Drink 16 to 24 ounces of water for every pound lost within 2 hours of finishing a workout.
4. Track hydration by checking urine color—the lighter it is, the better you are hydrated.
Sports drinks were originally created to help athletes with performance in hot environments where there is a lot of fluid and electrolytes lost via sweat. Over time, some of those sports drinks have become widely available for the consumer. Sports drinks are most effective in periods of high-intensity exercise greater than 60 minutes in length. In general, a sports drink is not needed for exercise that is less than 60 minutes, and water is sufficient. Sports beverages contain electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) and carbohydrate (sugar) that are beneficial when used at the right time. Due to the higher concentration of sugar in sports drinks, stick to water, sparkling water, fruit-infused water, and sugar-free beverages around times that you aren’t exercising, to avoid excessive caloric intake.
KEY POINTS
BEFORE EXERCISE
•Begin exercise well hydrated.
•Drink at least 24 to 32 ounces of water at least 4 hours prior to exercise.
DURING EXERCISE
•Drink water or a sports beverage every 15 to 20 mins:
•2 or 3 gulps of water if shorter than 60 mins
•2 or 3 gulps of a sports beverage if longer than 60 mins
•Replace the fluids lost:
•16 to 24 ounces of fluid for every pound lost within 2 hours of finishing your workout
Q: What are some of the major nutritional challenges and mistakes you observe for incoming college student-athletes? How can they overcome these issues?
A: MYTH 1: I’M YOUNG AND I WORK OUT, SO I CAN EAT WHATEVER I WANT, INCLUDING FAST FOOD, BECAUSE I’M JUST GOING TO BURN IT OFF!
This is a common thing that I hear from many young athletes. There is the misconception because you are active you can eat unhealthy food. Eating to just eat is different from fueling your body as an athlete. Athletes are high-performing machines, just like a sports car, and so you have to put in the proper fuel and maintenance to optimize performance. You aren’t going to put diesel fuel in a Ferrari. You also can’t expect to drive a long distance with your tank on empty. Fast food is a quick fix or shortcut, but it does not supply the lasting energy you need to perform. Oftentimes, fast food is high in saturated or trans fats, sodium, and added sugars—most of which you will burn through quickly, leaving you hungry again shortly. Real, whole food nutrition will give you more bang for your buck in terms of nutrients, energy, and satiety!
MYTH 2: THE MORE PROTEIN THE BETTER, BECAUSE PROTEIN AUTOMATICALLY MEANS BIGGER MUSCLES!
Protein does not automatically mean bigger muscles. If that were the case, we would all sit around watching TV eating spoonfuls of protein powder and getting huge. A healthy regimen for building muscle is
1. Following a strength—training program that challenges muscles.
2. Adding 500 to 1,000 more calories each day to current dietary intake.
3. Eating foods that are both high in carbohydrates and proteins:
•Grilled chicken sandwiches, peanut butter sandwiches, and Greek yogurt with granola
4. Eating several small meals that include about 20 to 40 grams each of protein, throughout the day.
5. Choosing lean animal sources of protein (i.e., dairy and meats) that are more efficiently absorbed by the body.
MYTH 3: EATING HEALTHY IS EXPENSIVE!
Another common misconception is the idea that eating healthy is expensive. The truth of the matter is, it may cost a little more, but you can still eat well on a budget. The trick is to plan ahead. Store-brand products are often cheaper and often contain the same nutrition value as popular name brands. Buying in bulk can help reduce costs—buying items with a long shelf life like rice, beans, and canned products will go a long way. Help your parents out by clipping coupons and making a list of the foods that you want them to buy and stock up the pantry!
MYTH 4: I CAN TAKE A SHORTCUT BY SUPPLEMENTING INSTEAD OF EATING THE RIGHT FOODS!
There are no shortcuts in life, and nutrition is included. Supplements often advertise as a shortcut to hard work, but it is rarely true. Supplements only work well in conjunction with a well-balanced and varied diet. Spend your money on real food and nutrients before supplementing; your body will thank you. Plus, you won’t run the risk of some of the dangers associated with supplements.
Q: Suggestions for making good nutritional choices at the school cafeteria?
A: Eating well in a school cafeteria can be a challenge, with so many options available, but remember, it is possible! We all have choices in life, but remember that fueling your body well will pay off in the long run, especially if you want to be athletically successful. Paying attention to your meals in school will put you at an advantage over other student athletes your age. Here are some tips to fuel with purpose at school:
• Eat a healthy breakfast every day. If you skip breakfast, you’re more likely to eat unhealthy foods and snacks by the time lunch comes around.
• Get a piece of fruit with your meal. Aside from the health benefits, it will help to keep you fuller longer. Plus it can help to satisfy that sweet tooth of yours.
• Make sure to balance out your plate with some veggies. A fresh salad with a variety of ingredients is best. Don’t ruin that healthy salad with your dressing choice—choose oil-based dressings instead of cream-based dressings, and drizzle in moderation.
• Drink water. You should aim to drink around eight glasses of water a day. Bring a water bottle to school and fill it at the fountain before lunch. It is a great way to get some of that hydration at lunchtime.
• Don’t be stingy. Fueling as an athlete is not the same as eating less. It’s not about eating less, it’s about eating the right foods.
• Skip the pizza and nachos altogether and get a sandwich. Choose sides like whole-wheat pretzels, a baked potato, baked chips, yogurt, and string cheese.
• Wait on the dessert. If you get it, you’ll eat it. But if you hold off on buying anything until you’re done with your meal, you might decide that you don’t want that dessert anyway.
• Skip the soda. Those little bubbles might fill you up, but go with water, sparkling water, milk, or 100 percent fruit juice.
• Don’t try to be perfect. Everyone deserves a chili dog and fries now and then. Just be sure to balance it out with fruits, veggies, and a healthy dinner later on.
Snapshot: Food is fundamental to your health and high performance. You can’t run a high-performance Ferrari on soft drinks. “Eat well”—you know what that means. Review the lists we’ve provided, which include yogurt, fruits, lean meats, carbs, and hydration. You’ll be burning a lot of energy, but avoid junk food; choose quality food instead.
If you do this, you won’t need supplements. However, if you decide to go with some supplements, after speaking with a registered dietician about your goals, then make sure you choose those that have been third-party tested. Otherwise, you might pay $80 for flour and sugar.
Take your performance to the next level by improving your hydration. Muscles are thirsty and using them produces sweat, so you need to replenish body fluids. Sports drinks work well during high-energy activity, but generally go with plain water, fruit-infused water, or other simple fluids to keep yourself hydrated.
And last, just because the food comes from the school cafeteria doesn’t mean it’s best for a high-performance athlete. Choose the healthier options and eat like a pro!
So, there you have it—advice from some of the best athletic experts out there today. They’re helping elite and professional athletes perform at their maximum, and they can help you too. Their advice covers several foundation areas, and if you pay attention to these areas, you’ll be a better athlete.
The first area concerns your mind and soul. This includes staying positive, mitigating distractions, and building up teammates so that you build up yourself. Learn how to meditate, focus your mind, reach out for proper counseling and help when you need it, and understand that there are things within your control and things you can do nothing about.
Next, take time to sleep. Sleep is the body’s time to build and rebuild muscle, clear toxins, and settle in neural patterns. If you deprive yourself of sufficient sleep in the name of working harder, then you’re not working smarter. Set up daily presleep routines to wean yourself off the day’s social-media blitz and technology frenzy. Power down.
Implement a strategy for your online social brand. You don’t need to post everything, but everything you post lives forever on the Internet! As you look ahead to a time when you’re a sports figure giving interviews or a college athlete looking for a scholarship, consider what you post now. Implement some guidelines for yourself. For example, identify three key traits you want to convey to your friends, family, and those around you. Post only those things that show these traits. Be your best, off line and online.
Above all, eat well. What’s put in a box, processed, fried, and fizzed is not premium gasoline. While your training and age will help you to burn a lot of calories, don’t waste your precious high-octane engine on burning sludge. Drink plenty of water often. Remember to refuel, rehydrate, and rest—the three R’s of successful athletics.