Tryouts for Spring sports are just around the corner for your son or daughter who participates in High School athletics. If your child was on the Junior Varsity team last season, but wants to make it up to the Varsity level this year there are ways to go about helping their chances.

Off season

It’s one thing to play your sport frequently during its main season, but it’s another to play year-round.  This is an absolute necessity if you are trying to be all you can be.  You can almost think of the offseason as the actual regular season, because it is just as important, if not more important.  

We’ll use swimming as an example. In many places, swimming is a winter sport. The season normally begins in November and is over by the end of February. If you don’t continue to swim during off-season it reduces your chances of breaking personal time records, your breathing will worsen and your skills won’t be as refined.

You need to do your best at getting yourself involved in as many offseason camps, training sessions, or other activities as possible. We know that can be extremely tough and often quite expensive, but trust us, it’s worth every penny.

Workouts

Playing your sport and getting repetitions in during the off-season is vital to success, but offseason conditioning can truly propel you ahead of your peers. Getting involved in a cardio and weight training program at your school or your local fitness club can make all the difference.  

Finding an instructor who knows what they’re talking about and who will give you sound advice will help you significantly. Not only will this benefit you for obvious reasons such as building and strengthening your muscles while becoming faster and increasing your endurance, but for less apparent reasons as well. That includes helping with nutrition, correct posture when training and ways to help with mental strength during competition.

Nutrition

Your child will feel more prepared for tryouts and will gain a competitive edge with good nutrition. Teach your child the basics of good sports nutrition and help them understand why maintaining a healthy diet is important to being successful on and off the field. Show them the importance of staying hydrated, as well as maintaining the frequency and timing of their meals and snacks.

This has major benefits as it will not only help them excel in their training, but in their mental clarity for school and overall life. Your child will feel more confident if they know they have taken the necessary steps to make sure they are properly hydrated and fueled to play their best during tryouts.

Exceeding at a sport is not only based off of your skill, but as you can see many other factors contribute to your success. Now that you know what it takes to rise to the top of your high school sport, the next step is to get out there and prove to everyone what you can do.

DREAM, one of the Midwest’s well-known youth mentoring organizations, provides life-changing and life-enriching experiences to at-risk youth through mentoring and after-school programs in Omaha, Nebraska, and Springfield, Missouri. Their proven approach puts children in a comfortable setting where they’re encouraged to discuss openly, learn, and grow as individuals. Are you interested in getting involved with DREAM? Contact us today.