Preseason is a critical and essential time for athletes, offering a chance to set the foundation for a successful season. Whether you’re in high school, college, or competing at a higher level, effective preparation can make all the difference. Here are some of the key strategies to help you prepare for preseason, covering timelines, mentality, goal setting, and progress tracking.
“Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail.” Write out your own unique timeline for what you want to accomplish & when.
Generally speaking, athletes should have a game plan for goal setting written 8-10 weeks out from the start of their preseason. Depending on the level you are competing at, you could get away with 6 weeks out or want to commit to a longer periodization plan of 12+ weeks out. Either way, the planning is in the pudding.
Conditioning? Strength training? Sport specific skills? More time playing the sport? Recovery? Nutrition? Maybe a mix of everything….
If you are not sure, consult with a coach or expert in your sport to understand the consistency and make up of what a successful training looks like.
Use visualization to envision where you want to be. What do you look like at the start of training. Are you amongst the fittest? Do you have the highest technical skills? Is your mindset positive, confident, and prepared. Visualize your own success and find ways to incorporate this into your training.
BE ORGANIZED & INTENTIONAL. Write out your week and days in advance. Always start your day with the goal you want to accomplish. Is that goal a part of your overall goal? Are your daily goals aligning with your weekly goals? Is your weekly goal aligning with your entire off-season training program.
Don’t just show up and be willy nilly with your thoughts and training. Actually have a plan, a purpose, & a goal.
Preseason Mentality & Mindset.
What is going to keep you motivated? Are you motivated intrinsically by the feelings of working hard and challenging yourself to be the best before preseason starts? Are you extrinsically motivated by becoming a starter and making your coach proud? Really take the time to think about this. What is your WHY.
How are you going to keep yourself disciplined to stay on track with your goals? Do you have someone who is holding you accountable? Do you want this goal bad enough that you are willing to sacrifice other things to make it happen? Your phone? Sleeping in? Video games? Hanging out with friends all of the time? Consistency is the key to routines. Great routines that consist of positive physical & mental focal points are the key to a successful and confident mindset.
Reach for the moon or land in the stars. Either way, set positive & realistic challenging goals.
Goals provide focus, direction, and motivation. We set goals for ourselves so that we can see what we are made of. The reason we get let down when we don’t achieve our goals is because we let it affect our identity… or feel that “failure” is what we are made of.
The fact is, the type of goal we set for ourselves and how we choose to reach those goals is ACTUALLY our identity. Whether we reach the goal or not, our process and our mindset defines us.
So as an athlete, you need to dream big. Create goals for yourself that you truly feel you can accomplish without setting yourself up to fail. We can always have HUGE dreams, because that ultimately sets the bar. However, we have to also have smaller bars underneath to help us get there.
Every day that you are training for preseason should be viewed as a step towards your goals. Set goals every single day for yourself that align with your bigger goal. Reflect on your goals daily. Did you accomplish them that day? If yes, what made it possible? If no, how can you accomplish it in the future? What would you change.
Reflection creates reaction. Let that reaction be positive and growth-oriented.
Track your progress & hold yourself accountable.
So how do you make sure you are tracking your progress and realistically heading in the direction of your goals??
You could get a journal, and write things down daily. If you have a whiteboard in your home or room, you can check off your progress and goals. Take rest and recovery days and hold them as reflection days as well. Trust in a friend and share where you started and how you are doing. Consult with a coach on your current training and how you are progressing. There are so many more that can be personalized to you.
But again, if your season matters to you, then make preseason matter to you. And if preseason matters to you, make training for preseason matter to you.
No elite athlete will ever just show up and be perfect for the season without training, dedication, sacrifice, and hours and hours of commitment to their craft.
Good luck to you as you begin your training plan for your sport! Reach out if you ever need a bit more support or have questions.
