4 Arcadia High Athletes Share Preparation Rituals
By Christina Read, AHS Correspondent
Ask any athlete, and he or she will tell you: practice, preparation, and mindset are all-important in the world of competition. Almost any sport is a mental game, and the most prepared athletes will always go the furthest. Whether through practice, pregame rituals or anything else, it’s crucial to be ready before a competition. So what do these four Arcadia athletes do to prepare themselves?
From Boys Varsity Track, junior Josh Kelly spends the day of a race mentally preparing himself for what he has to do. He explained, “Right before the race begins, while I’m getting into the blocks, I visualize myself hurdling with good form and most importantly, not hitting a hurdle.”
Josh is “working on strength and better conditioning” for his upcoming season, and despite being injured last year, he is “fully recovered now and more than ready to work hard and give 110%.”
Junior Erica Sawires said, “On game days it’s important to drink lots of water, and I try to get eight hours of sleep the night before.” The Girls Varsity Soccer member also shared that she’s personally “prepping for this season by running and keeping [her] fitness up,” while the whole team is “starting to get mentally and physically prepared with preseason practices and practicing outside of school.”
Another soccer player, sophomore Stephanie Yen, added that during games, she’s motivated by “people that are cheering [the team] on in the stands.” Their encouragements keep her primed for the game even when facing off against difficult competition. To prepare, Stephanie is “playing Arcadia Youth Soccer Association so [she] can stay in shape and get touches on the ball before [the] season starts.”
Finally, sophomore Sophia Farooq shared that she likes to “eat pretzels” before her softball games. For the next season, she and the team are “working out really hard, [mostly] working on techniques and running.”
All four of these Apaches do their best to be prepared for every race or match in order to succeed. As athletes, they know the importance of being ready for competition and making sure they are prepared each and every game.