Blake Snow

writer-for-hire, content guy, bestselling author
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Tagged athletes

6 ways to become a more confident athlete

 

  1. Let go of fear. Play for yourself, never others. Play for fun. If it’s not fun, you won’t play well. So learn how to play freely for yourself, don’t hold back for fear of judgement from others, and have fun.
  2. Play efficiently, not perfectly. Accept that you will make mistakes but commit to reducing them instead of getting frustrated when you mess up. Accept mistakes as opportunities to learn and get better instead of something to fear or get overly upset about.
  3. Harbor confident, self-talk thoughts. Think, “I’m a good player and will only get better the more I play. I can do this. That mistake will not define my play today. Chin up, low and slow is the tempo, follow through, etc”
  4. Focus on the process, not the result. If you’ve trained hard, remind yourself that the hard work has already been done and now you can play freely.List the things you’re good at and things you need to work on.
  5. Practice like it matters instead of just going through the motions. Simulate in-game maneuvers over lazy warm-ups that teach you nothing.
  6. Visualize your next successful play. Tell yourself what you’ll do to make it happen.

The discouraging odds of becoming a professional athlete

proathletechart

To many boys (and some girls), professional athletes are modern-day heroes. Iconic celebrities with fame, fortune, and power. What wide-eye youth wouldn’t want the same?

Turns out, a lot of them do. (With oversized Bo Jackson and Michael Jordan posters adorning my childhood walls, I certainly did.) But as with all desirable things in life, getting paid to play sports isn’t easy.

In fact, the odds are downright nasty for aspiring players, according to new data from the NCAA.

Continue reading…

Bo Jackson: A childhood hero of mine

Bo-Jackson

I owned my fair share of Air Jordans growing up. But as a jack of all trades, I always had a soft spot for Bo Jackson, his amazing talent, and his cross training shoes. In fact, I probably owned more Bo Jacksons than Air Jordans. I certainly drew more cross trainers than basketball shoes.

Unfortunately, Bo Jackson was only superhuman for four years until he suffered a hip injury. But for those four years, he was arguably bigger than even Jordan, as this wonderful profile of him suggests. Bo, it turns out, really did know.

Sports drinks are a convient way of boosting athletic endurance

powerade

I’m not crazy about their using corn sweeteners. And they won’t make you jump higher or run faster. But sports drinks (read: bottled sugar water) such as Gatorade and Powerade actually work when it comes to endurance boosts. Marathoners know this, as does this new study by the University of Edinburgh.

Scientists discovered that 12 to 14-year-olds could play for almost a quarter longer during team games when they drank an isotonic sports drink before and during games. The sports drink helped the adolescents continue exercising for up to 24% longer than those who were given a non-carbohydrate placebo drink.

To be clear, you can make homemade sports drinks that are nearly as effective. Just mix water with a little sugar, some flavoring, and a dash of salt. (Most isotonic drinks are a 6% carbohydrate-electrolyte solution.)

They key is to know when to reach for sports drinks over good old water. And all the research I’ve read suggests water is more than suitable for workouts under an hour. Anything longer than that and your body will benefit from the extra dose of electrolytes, carbs, sugar, and salt.

I know mine does during long distance runs.

See also: Top 5 Powerade flavors