How To Prepare Your Sports Team For The Upcoming Game: Tips For Coaches
What we have learned from movies like “Any given Sunday”, “Coach Carter” and “Remember the titans” is that coaches have a vital role in getting the team in the right mindset. This is quite an important step before any game if you want to be the winner when time on the clock runs out.
How to prepare - the lessons learned from a successful athletic team
We already mentioned how they did it in the movies - big motivational speeches, discipline, and personal sacrifice. However, there is a lot more than what Holywood is showing in these movies that it takes to prepare a team. The big winners take into consideration even the small things and that is why at the end of the day they are victorious. As Al Pacino said in “Any given Sunday” - life is a game of inches and the number of times you miss or succeed will be a decisive factor between winning and losing. In this article, we are going to cover some tips from a coach of a successful athletic team that will help you prepare your squad for any upcoming games.
Make sure everyone is well-rested and fed
Before any major challenge that you face, you want to be well-rested. This is especially true for sports. Ensure that you and the team are well-rested and have a good night's sleep before the upcoming game. This will help everyone be at the top of their game, be less stressed and be more focused. The lack of sleep can make people nervous and nobody wants that before a game. Also, when you are tired you are not able to show what you're capable of and give 100% on the pitch.
Good rest in combination with good healthy food can do wonders for you. That doesn’t mean you should overdo it. Set up an hour when the whole team should be in bed the night before the game and make sure to establish a proper diet for each player.
Transportation is important
Remember, when we said that the small things before the game can make a huge difference? One of those factors is providing proper transportation for you and the players. You can ensure that by hiring charter team transportation with experience in this area.
Getting from one place to another with a whole sports team can be a challenge. Especially, when we speak about longer distances. In any case, you want to have a reliable partner that you can trust to get you where you need to go and do it safely, in time, and ensure comfortable travel for everyone. Here a just some of the benefits of using such service, delivered by professionals with experience:
- Your trip will be more comfortable;
- The service is flexible - you can hire transportation for as many people you need;
- You don’t have to plan the route and figure out where to park after you arrive;
- You will have secure service delivered by experienced drivers, etc.
Imagine you arrive late to a game or had a horrible trip and some of the players might not be feeling well from the bad driving. Then all the training and great speeches won’t do you any good.
Get them in the right mindset
If you feel like giving loud inspirational speeches - go ahead! However, this might backfire if you don’t do it at the right time. At the end of the day, all sports teams consist of human beings. And they have their hopes, fears, and dreams. The best thing you can do about the squad is to get them in the right mood. As a coach, you should know the strengths of any player and what pulls their strings. Help them reduce stress and have a winning mentality of warriors when this is needed. And when they feel overconfident and underestimate the opponents - help them realize that.
If you make sure they get in the game focused and determined, then there are better chances you will be victorious.
Now off to the pitch!
By doing these things before any game you can be sure that your team will have good preparation to show what they are capable of and give their best. A lot of the factors that determine the win are not seen by the crowd, but their effects on the team can be critical. Be sure to remember that.
Amateur Sports Team Transportation Services: Going For The Gold
Being a part of an amateur sports team is undoubtedly an exciting experience. It can boost your confidence, help you manage your time better, improve your team working skills and encourage you to improve your self-discipline. However, attending sports events and competing in tournaments with your team is simply priceless. You not only get the chance to show your abilities (and hopefully - win the big prize) but also you’ll be able to spend some quality time with your teammates. It’s not a secret that Chicago is well-known for its sports teams, events, and tournaments. According to chicagotribune.com, the city will always be a football town. That being said, Chicago attracts sports teams, which participate in a variety of sports including basketball, baseball, American football, ice hockey, rugby, and more. Additionally, now that the windy city (and the whole world for that matter) is slowly returning to normality, we can expect that Chicago is going to be the host of ever more amateur games. Therefore, you better be ready to indulge in the fun and attend a tournament together with your team. Furthermore, you can even organize an amateur match between you and your biggest competitor. To ensure that you get the gold, however, you will have to consider some important details when planning for the game. From renting charter busses to creating a detailed schedule for the day, you will find essential information on how to organize your trip and end the day with a memorable victory.
Arranging transportation for the whole athletic team
One of the first things that you must think about is how to get yourself and your team to the game and back. Yes, of course, you can ask everyone to hop in their cars and be there at a certain time. Alternatively, if you’re coaching a team of schoolchildren you can also ask the parents of your players to give them a ride to the venue. However, this may not be the best decision because sharing the ride with your team can be crucial for your success for multiple reasons. First of all, you probably know how important it is to be physically and mentally ready for the upcoming game. You need to make sure that you are at the very least comfortable during the ride because you don’t want to arrive at the venue feeling stiff, sore, and crampy. So, if your teammates are stuck in traffic jams behind the wheel for a couple of hours instead of being able to relax in a comfortable vehicle during the journey, you can see how that can play a role in their performance. Furthermore, your transportation should allow you and your teammates to take a few moments to reflect on previous games you’ve played together. Consider any situations that can influence your performance and go through your strategy for the upcoming match. As pitchero.com shares, talking about the match and tactics or using mental imagery to practice key movements of the game can help with your mental preparation. And since you’re playing a team sport, you simply can’t do this by yourself. You have to be together with your teammates. Therefore, talking to a transportation company and hiring a big enough vehicle for everyone is your best team transport option.
Preparing for the day
There are quite a few tips and tricks that can help you prepare yourself and the team for the game, but two of them are truly crucial for your success. The first piece of advice that you need to follow is to be well-rested. It is very important to get a good night’s sleep on the night before your match. According to a study published on the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s webpage, getting an extended sleep beyond one's habitual nightly sleep likely contributes to improved athletic performance, reaction time, daytime sleepiness, and mood. Furthermore, a good rest can increase your team’s speed by 5% and shooting accuracy (for basketball players) by 9%. That is why it’s best if you get to bed early on the day before your game.
The other key aspect that you should consider is staying hydrated throughout the whole day (it’s best if you start drinking more fluids a few days prior to your game). When staying hydrated you replace the water you lose through sweat and maintain your body temperature stable, preventing cramps, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke. As the performance dietitian, Brittany Wehrle shares almost every measurement of performance – aerobic endurance, strength, power, speed, agility, and reaction time – decreases with as little as 2% dehydration. So, bottoms up!
Other important preparation methods include:
- Using positive self-talk
- Taking your mind off the game to avoid stress and overthinking
- Meditating
- Staying focused
- Setting realistic goals
Last but not least, keep it positive! After all, being in an amateur team takes the pressure off of you. You don’t have to play professionally, you simply need to have fun. Therefore, you shouldn’t worry too much. Take a few breaths to calm yourself, put on your favorite music to motivate and pump yourself up before the game and focus on having a great time with your team. Do your best and success will follow naturally. Good luck!
