Some may not know how match nights work so thought I best clarify...
Training is still on, miss it without good reason and don't expect to play!
4:45 - 5:45 an hour of walk through training, simple structure stuff. If anyone is around for 3:45 I will try and set up the video of the Bulldogs game to play in the academy room. Would be good for the players to sit and talk through it amongst themselves.
5:45 released to go get dinner.
For those not involved in the game, you should be still coming to home fixtures to support your teammates. The more you watch games, the more you learn from the sidelines and the less nervous you will be when its your turn.
You should have a pre-game ritual. Dinner should be light and easy. You are not carb loading that close to a game! Take on basic starches and a small amount of protein (more at lunch, hours before tip-off is better). Remember to ditch fatty foods pre-tip as the body will feel slow and sluggish to break them down.
Think about flavours. Yeah a nice chicken breast is good, but don't cover it in spicy hot sauce. You don't want that repeating on you all game with burps! Too spicy and you also risk cramps and stomach problems: not fun during a game.
Go to the bathroom. Sounds crazy, but you don't want that inside you while you sprint up and down.
Most importantly HYDRATE. You should be taking on fluids for hours before, sipping a bottle. Do NOT glug down litres just before the match, it won't work and will make you feel heavy and slow. Add sports salts if you have them, like SIS or Powerbar Active, to increase basic easily broken down carbs and salts to replace those lost through sweating. This also stops cramp.
7:15 back for a light warm up.
Please help to set up the hall, I have a million other things to think about and can't always be in control of this, plus I would like a warm up too! A bench for each team. All remaining benches should be on the opposite wall, not the end lines. A table and 6 chairs to be placed mid-court for the score officials. Remove or carefully store the football goals in the corners. Make sure the court is clean and nice. Sweep using the large brooms in the corner door if necessary.
Warm up should be light, include basic shooting drills and dribbling. Nothing too fast paced. Stretch off. Keep Drinking.
You should be completely ready to play by 7:30, kit on, shoes sorted, fingers tapped... whatever.
League Rules allow compression knees and elbows, sweatbands etc, but NO undergarments, unless it is for a specific medical reason, which you will need proof of.
Warm up should slowly ramp up and you need to feel ready to play and adrenaline hitting you by the tip-off.
7:45pm tip off.
During the game, no matter if you start, play the majority of the game or only a few minutes, you are positive and give your all. That means, you shouldn't have to leave the bench, except to fill water, [but there are loads of spares].
Support should be POSITIVE! That means you can cheer and make noise for our positive play, you MAY NOT make negative comments or noises for the opposing teams faults. You may NOT talk to or make comments about the referees during play. You may ask for clarification of a rule, from the refs, and as to why something was called, but not question their decision.
During Timeouts, you jog in, bench players clear the bench, give that 5 some sit down time, but stay close, huddle up, listen and be prepped to go on at any moment. Listen to the coaches. Let them finish what they have to say before giving your feedback to a team mate, if needed. Positivity goes a long way!
Be ready to go on at any moment, know where the Coaches may put you into a game and be ready for that. Know the defence we are playing at any time. On the bench, stay warm if necessary with a warm-up top, but be ready to go at the click of a finger!
Half-time warm up in the other hoop when necessary. I like to use SIS energy boost gels. They give a short boost for those that need it. They are about the equivalent of an hours workout.
First proper games for many of you...
LETS GO SEAHAWKS!!