The moment you find out you’ve made it onto the college football team might feel like the pinnacle of your lifetime achievements. And you have the right to feel awesome about the accomplishment. But bear in mind that the work has only just begun.
Getting onto the team is part of your goal setting process. However, to continue living your dream, you need to stay on the team. Here are things you should do to live your dream on your college’s football team.
1. Take things step by step
The best sportspeople don’t sit back after they’ve made the team. The people who do relax afterward start losing their fitness levels.
While your practice sessions include fitness training, you should still be doing some of the work on your own. Create a balanced program that works on developing your strength and endurance if you want to achieve your goals.
Don’t expect to be perfect at the game all the time. Everyone makes mistakes, and no one is exempt from a bad day. Some people have been on the team longer than you have. Don’t compare yourself to them. Instead, learn from them to improve yourself.
Football is a team sport. It’s not about individual glory, because team members can achieve nothing on their own. One of the most important characteristics of outstanding football players is their ability to work with a team. It is something coaches and scouts are always on the lookout for when they observe players.
2. Show some initiative
Coaches and teammates find it hard to rely on a teammate who doesn’t show any initiative. That doesn’t mean you should walk into the first training session and try and take over.
Instead, you need to show the coach and your team members that you can think on your feet and come up with ideas on and off the field. During a game, a lot of unforeseeable situations arise. Your adaptability and ability make you an asset to the team. If you can’t think outside of the box, you won’t be able to play effectively.
Bear in mind that you’re not only at college to play football. You have academic commitments as well. At most colleges, you risk losing your place on the team if you don’t keep your grades at satisfactory levels.
Don’t neglect your studies, but don’t hesitate to get help either. Initially, companies like Edubirdie started to offer essay help to Australian and other students across the globe with many commitments who need help to keep abreast of their assignments. The assignments include thesis, dissertation, term papers, coursework, etc.
3. Keep your skills sharpened
You’re on the team because you have a skill set the team needs. As it is with most skills, practice makes perfect. Don’t expect to maintain a high level of ability without keeping it honed.
You’ll need to make time to maintain the skills that make you valuable to the team. It could be your speed or your abilities in passing, catching, and throwing. Don’t take these skills for granted. They are what got you onto the team and helped you accomplish your goals.
There are many secret tips to playing football well. You may have learned some of them while you were playing football at high school. But don’t assume that there’s nothing more for you to know. Learn from your coach and teammates.
Some of their contributions can make a huge difference in your performance as a player and a team member. As you grow more experienced, pass these tips and tricks onto new players that join the team.
4. Give yourself a break
So far, you’ve been so focused on how to achieve goals that you may have neglected yourself. Self-care is a critical part of any sportsperson’s life. You are not a machine that can operate all the time. Your body needs rest, and so does your mind.
Your schedule will be packed with classes, assignments, exams, practices, and matches. It’s hard to find the balance. However, if you don’t, your performance in all areas will start sliding. With all your potential, it would be sad to start feeling resentful because of the demands on your time.
You should maintain an active social life and make time for rest. It’s easy to sit and plan your time, thinking that you’ll get up at 4 am every morning, seven days a week. Eventually, your body will start to resist because it needs more sleep.
Your academic and extra-curricular performance is important, but it cannot be your entire focus. You won’t be able to enjoy it if you become sick at the expense of it.
Conclusion: Spike the ball
You have so many goals you want to achieve in your time at college. It is one of the most special times of your life, which you should make as memorable as you can. Getting onto the football team is an undoubted highlight, but it shouldn’t be your only accomplishment.
Being a well-rounded individual is something employers look for when they are screening job applicants. They want to see that you’ve succeeded both on and off the field. Make the most of every opportunity college and football offer you. They are unlikely to come around again in your life.
Author Bio:
Emma Rundle is a famous academic counselor, student mentor and career coach. She also works as a part-time academic writer and editor and runs a blog as well. Donning multiple hats comes naturally to her as she’s been a fitness junky and a star football player since her college days. She also likes to read fiction books in her free time.