Contemporary athletes may optimize their athletic endeavors through team sports or attending a gym, or can carry on through generations of the past. Sport Specific Training typically comes to mind when a person seeks to boost their athletic abilities, but they may overlook aspects such as nutrition and rest. 

According to Medical News Today, the level of importance of nutrition stems from the fact that athletes need an increased amount of calories and macronutrients than the average person in order to maintain their energy for performances in competitions and everyday practices. Athletes may require different types of diets, depending on the intensity of their workouts. Due to the physical stress that athletes experience, a healthy diet filled with optimal nutrients can exponentially improve performance. 

“In sports, what I’ve learned is that not everything’s always physical,” Miami Palmetto Senior High school senior and Shooting Guard on the Palmetto Boys’ Varsity basketball team Nick Pineyro said. “[In] basketball, everything is mental. So you could train for seven days a week, train your skills all day, but you come to the game and you’re nervous–it’s not going to pay off. So you got to have a strong mind too–you got to have a confident mind too and know that you’re going to play well.” 

Athletes must prepare for what is to come when dealing with opponents and challenging training both physically and mentally. Simple activities can prepare one for the challenges that lay ahead in their path to success. Activities such as practicing the sport they love on a daily basis can elevate their game to a higher extent. 

“[Confidence] really just comes with reps. In game reps, playing at the park, even just playing with your friends will probably get your confidence up. So when you play in a game you know what exactly you’re going to expect on the court,” Pineyro said. 

Athletes can maintain certain mentalities when striving to achieve goals that push their performance forward. Mentalities such as a growth mindset allow athletes to persist through hardships and continue to do their best while simultaneously creating healthy habits that benefit them in current competitions and in the future.  

Rest also plays a massive role in the advancement of athletic and mental preparation. Sleep is an important part in the well-being of the average person due to its ability to regulate and prevent emotions. In addition to this, sleep improves an athlete’s alertness and performance. Increased sleep has been associated with increased speed and accuracy within sports such as tennis, basketball and swimming. 

“You can’t train to improve if you don’t recover first. Recovery is a big thing, especially if you’re running long distances or if you’re putting a lot of stress on your muscles. In order to do better you have to recover,” Palmetto freshman and Cross Country and Track Team member Lucia Castillo-Rios said. 

Castillo-Rios traveled to Tallahassee this season for the Cross Country State competition. Her achievement in doing so can be attributed to her commitment to improving her performance by focusing on specific aspects of her game, including rest. 

“You can’t train to improve if you don’t recover first. Recovery is a big thing, especially if you’re running long distances or if you’re putting a lot of stress on your muscles. In order to do better you have to recover,” Castillo-Rios said. 

Athletes need to maintain a balance within their rest, diet, and physical and mental preparation if they want to perform to the best of their abilities for themselves and their teammates.