Whether it’s winter break, spring break or the long dog days of summer, you’ll have a break from school, homework and basketball. However, this absolutely isn’t the time to lose your motivation. Instead, take the extra time you’ll have during your break to improve your skills and focus.
Stick to your schedule
This one may be hard to hear, but if you wake up at 6:30 a.m. for school, you should still wake up every day of your break at 6:30 a.m. (Ok, you can sleep in some during the summer, but don’t do it so much it’s impossible to wake up for school when fall rolls back around). It sounds harsh, but it’s important to keep your body on your usual schedule. This will help you overcome fatigue during the weeks after your break is over.
Exercise daily
You don’t have to play basketball every day if you don’t want to (but who doesn’t want to?). However, you do need to get in some exercise every day. This will keep your body from going soft. You may think that taking just a couple days off of exercise won’t hurt your skills on the court, but you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to lose your endurance.
Eat right
Since you have some extra time on your hands, you may just be tempted to dig into a bag of chips or eat pizza for every meal. Don’t give in to temptation. Trust us. It won’t be worth the extra time in the gym, you’ll have to put in later. If you continue to eat right during your break, your body will be able to stay strong and ready for the court time that lies in your future.
You may be thinking that you don’t need to worry about your motivation while you’re away from school. The key to staying motivated is to never stop being motivated. Although it is a break from school, it doesn’t have to be a break from your work ethic. And remember that every second you remain motivated may just be a second your opponent loses motivation. It’s always best to stay above your opponents.