Preparation …

The Y Athlete Blog!

Having played in many hockey games throughout my life, I have learned one important rule, be prepared.

Learning this rule has taken me many years, many coaches and many hard knocks. I thought I finally understood everything about being prepared. If you’re not prepared you are going to get crushed.

When I talk about preparation I don’t only mean a few hours before the game, I also mean the night before the game.  So let me tell about what I have recently learned about preparation.

Preparation the night before a game is really important. You need the right amount of sleep and the right foods in your body; otherwise you will have no energy to get you through the game.

Two weekends ago my team was at the Chicago International Invite. We had already played two games on Friday and had two more games on Saturday. After our last game on Friday night a few teammates and I went back to the hotel and decided to pig out on room service. Of course it took us a long time to order, it was a big menu, and we could not agree on what to order.  As the time passed we were getting hungrier and finally decided to share.

We ordered pizza, chicken wings, french fries, steak and some special pasta.  We devoured the food and went to bed twenty minutes later.

I woke up in the morning not feeling great, but ready to play. I planned a stop at Dunkin Donuts before the game for a bagel and juice.  It’s a good thing I went to Dunkin Donuts because I spent extra time using their facilities. I had a terrible stomachache!

Finally I was on the Ice, not feeling great, with no energy and not playing well. I was not really sure why?
Talking to Coach Webb on the way home from Chicago, we talked about the games, and the fun we had. I mentioned the room service the night before and the fun we had hanging out.   I had also mentioned that I have some small issues that morning.

Coach Webb explained about how the body works and how it digests foods. In short my stomach had to stay up all night digesting all that great food and had no time to sleep.  I never knew my stomach had to sleep.

So now I know it’s important to not only think about what you will eat, but also when you will eat so you can let your entire body rest.

A few lessons learned from the weekend…. Remember not to order late night snacks when at a tournament.  Your stomach and body both need rest in order for you to play to your full potential.

By Cory Gottfried #44, Long Island Royals, U16 Midget National Hockey Team