Six Tips for a Successful Soccer Tournament
6. Don’t forget your music. Traveling can be stressful and boring—two things that are definitely not conducive to playing focused and at your best. Don’t for get your music player because it will save you from the zombie-like stupors long trips in the car or airplane may cause you. Once you settle in next to the pitch you’ll be playing on, turn on that song you love and then your socks, boots, guards, etc.—the better the song, the better focus you’ll have once that whistle blows.
5. Remember why you’re there. Traveling to tournaments are obviously meant to be fun—take advantage of the opportunities provided to you by enjoying wherever you go with your teammates and coaches. But remember that the money paid and the gas guzzled is so you can play the game. Don’t make “having fun” your priority unless it is on the field—and I can promise you this: playing badly individually or as a team because of a lack of focus off the field is not very fun, especially when it is a chance granted only for a limited time… Other opportunities might present themselves, but what happens on the pitch is what you’ll remember. My advice is to never leave a tournament with any regrets!
4. Eat right! Given, in the midst of travel this is easier said than done. Fast food seems to have been invented solely for the caravan or flying passenger who has little time and a huge appetite, so eater beware… Even if you think it won’t affect you—after all, you don’t play until tomorrow, right?—understand that a good diet starting 2-3 days before a tournament that lasts throughout will bring results. You’ll wake up easier, have more energy, and play better if your body has what it needs and doesn’t have what can hurt it. Carbohydrate foods like pasta, whole-wheats and grains and fruits and vegetables are a sure thing because carbs are essential to the body before and after any strenuous activity that lasts around 2 hours. Another tip: try and eat as fresh as you can—processed foods contain ridiculously high amounts of sodium and little nutritional value in terms of vitamins and minerals, whereas fresh foods digest the quickest (important if you are eating in between two games) and have high amounts of the vitamins and minerals your body needs to recover from strenuous activity. You’ll likely go out for dinner a few nights, so I beg you…stay away from the sampler plate at Chili’s! Don’t gorge yourself; instead, try and pack a lot of healthy snacks like apples, bananas and bagels to keep your body satisfied throughout the day without stretching your stomach. Remember the first 30 minutes after a game are the most vital, replenish quickly. A few places I find to have a good assortment of good options are places like Noodles and Company, Panera Bread, and Qdoba or Chipotle. Remember no matter where you eat it is a matter of portions and staying away from heavy cheeses, sour creams and side items that will only slow you down during the game.
3. Sleep…smart. I say “smart” because much like boring car rides, too much sleep is a sure way to dull your senses when it’s time to play. If traveling to a game that day, be sure to wake up and be alert for at least 30 minutes to an hour before you get to the field. If you are staying in a hotel and your game is the following day, get up and get breakfast early. Rest is imperative if your body wants a chance to produce over a period of three to maybe 6 days of serious activity, but getting proper rest is not simply equivalent to the number of hours slept; going to sleep at 2 am and sleeping right up until you need to be at the field at 12 PM is not the same as turning off the lights at 9 or 10 PM and waking up at 7 AM. One thing that many players overlook is that waking up earlier means your body will have more time to digest the food you eat—if you eat at all (sleeping until game time is a great way to forget to eat before a game)—and enough time to shake off that reluctance to act and think with intention—drowsiness. What your body tells you when you first wake up (that it needs more sleep) is a lie. Realize this and you’ll have an edge come game time.
2. Leave it all on the field. Usually you’ll have at least two or three games to play no matter what, and hopefully, the quarters, semis and finals after that. Be conscious that if your first or second game doesn’t go so well for whatever reason, stay positive and intent on doing well in the next match. Tempers may flare, but above all else stay positive with your teammates—there is nothing that can affect a team worse than having a bad sense of camaraderie before the next match even begins. Teams that win tournaments are not always the most skilled or the biggest and fastest; they are, however, always a team that is in tune with one another and on the same page. Individuality and teamwork work best together when each player knows his or her role. I advise you to find yours and do whatever you can to keep your team a cohesive and positive unit…when that happens good things come.
1. Stay hydrated. When it comes to your body’s ability to perform and recover during a tournament, staying hydrated is its primary concern. Therefore, it should be your top priority to make sure you have enough water during the day while you play, and to also stay conscious of your hydration needs off the field. This means going everywhere with a water bottle in hand—on and off the field. The summer months comprise the majority of the tournament season because the weather is beautiful, but beautiful also means hot. Not hydrating properly means you’ll hit that wall even sooner, no matter what your fitness level may be.
So enjoy your tournament! Stay entertained, but focused; eat right, but eat smart; sleep, but not too much; and build the bonds between you and your teammates. Do these things, and you might just come home with a trophy.