By Positive Coaching Alliance
Many of you may stay off the football field for a time this summer, but that does not necessarily mean you will completely leave football behind. Even though your body and mind need rest after a long school year, which might also have included off-season conditioning, summer does not necessarily mean football will be "out of sight, out of mind."
Summer is a great time to remind yourself why you love football, which is important for several reasons. For one, loving your sport is key to the PCA principle of Honoring the Game. If you love football, you will do nothing to dishonor your sport. You will stick to the "ROOTS" of positive play, respecting Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates and Self.
That makes football better for everyone involved, which in turn makes it that much easier for others to love the sport and help it grow and improve. Another reason it is important to love football is that you will more fully embrace its challenges, which can only lead to improved performance.
Here are a few ideas for activities to keep you in love with football even when you are not practicing or playing over the summer:
- Map out the upcoming season. Consider what you want to achieve. Identify key games and the preparation necessary as you reach various points in the season. This will not only help your performance, but also develops your long-term planning ability as an important life skill.
- Get out and play other sports – whether it be in summer leagues or recreationally – it is good to work other muscle groups you might not use in football. It also gives you the opportunity to build relationships with new people. Check out what PCA National Advisory Board Member and Northwestern Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald has to say about specialization in sports.
- Draw up new plays. Fantasize about your sport and imagine different moves you might add to your repertoire. In the off-season, free from focusing on games, you have mental and emotional space to ponder what else may be possible on the field.
- Read books on football. Avoid the trap of endless TV and video games. Reading generally keeps your mind sharp, and reading specifically about your sport can open up many interesting avenues. PCA’s book for student-athletes, Elevating Your Game, discusses how you can become a Triple-Impact Competitor®.
- Write about football. Putting your thoughts in writing can clarify them and may help you realize how much you love your sport. This also keeps you in practice for your school year, and may even turn out to fulfill an upcoming school assignment.
Notice that all of these ideas may be done alone or in groups. Sharing them with teammates, coaches and family may deepen your bonds both within football and elsewhere in your life.
For more from PCA, subscribe to the free bi-weekly e-newsletter, Momentum, and the free weekly series of coaching tips, Talking Points. To learn the specifics of bringing PCA to a school or youth sports organization, watch this video featuring Herm Edwards and to have a PCA Partnership Manager contact you, fill out this form.