For many athletes, football is their life. They wake up, train and practice, eat only what helps them maintain their peak physique, study playbooks and watch hours of film. A recent study by the University of West Virginia shows that this is more likely to lead to an early retirement, and it causes the player to burn out faster.
The study suggests that in order for a player to have a long thriving career, he must balance multiple aspects. Life, Leisure and Football are the three aspects that he must find a safe equilibrium with. This article will delve into what makes each so important and how one can maintain this balance without sacrificing any of it.
First, we will cover Life. What this entails is personal matters. Having a wife, children, relationships that encourage a person to be a better player. Many players meet a sweetheart and marry them in college, and then when they go pro, the athlete focuses on their career, not thinking of how that affects their spouse. It is important ton have a residence within a fair proximity to the athlete's training facility and locker room. If a family is away for even home games it causes a great divide in a marriage as there is no contact between them. If a player can go home after practice and see his family, it boosts the family morale. Nothing inspires a player to do his best than having the love of his life watching. If she can not attend games, he may begin to feel as if she doesn't take interest in his career, so having a wife who is supportive of his career is a must. In contrast, an athlete must also respect her wishes if she does not want to go to every game, or make a fair compromise to attend something she enjoys so that they both are involved in each other's life. It is also important for the athletes to be home at night as much as possible. Relationships are far quicker to break down when physical emotion is lacking or completely non-existent.
Children add another complexity to this. There are a plethora of studies that show that an active father is highly beneficial to the development of a child. Athletes need to be especially weary of this because they spend a good amount of time on the road. While a wife may understand it is part of the job to be gone sometimes for weeks on end, a child will not be so understanding. Children must be attended to. Creating family time is a wonderful way to make sure both a wife and children are shown the proper love they deserve and expect. It doesn't have to be fancy. Watch a movie at home with popcorn, or play some games on the kitchen table, go on a mid-day picnic. Anything that shows the family that they're important will go a long way in establishing a pleasant balance.
Next is leisure. This can be a tricky one for many athletes to control. Leisure includes anything that takes the rigors and stresses of the locker room and helps remove them. For many athletes this includes going out to night clubs and partying. This is a dangerous line many have fallen victim to. All too often we hear that a shooting occurred involving a high profile athlete at a night club. Another hazard of this leisure choice is the presence of illegal substances, which if an an athlete imbibes, could mean an immediate suspension or even in some extreme cases, removal from the league. It is important to note that night clubs and socialized drinking is not a negative way to unwind, but there is a threshold in which must be upheld. If an athlete has a propensity to get himself into trouble at these locations, he might want to find an alternative way to relax.
Of course not every athlete is into that scene. Or they are, as stated before, inclined to find themselves in trouble at such locations. Alternate forms of leisure are out there. In many cases, playing video games helps unwind. Popping in a disc of Call of Death 4: Rise of McReaper or Elephant Torso 14: Tusk's Revenge and slaughtering all who oppose you provides some save release of aggression. Instead of getting into a fight at your local pub, one can take out their stress on the digital foes on their HDTV. In some instances, one can mix family time with video games and not only unwind with leisure, but get some valuable time in with a child or loved one at the same time. Playing games that children like establish bonds with them, and the gaming industry is surprisingly good at making child friendly games which are fun for adults too. Anything from the LEGO: Aardvark Man series is safe for kids and even challenges adults who play.
Another instance of leisure that, at first glance my not come off as too leisurely is volunteerism. Many athletes, especially some of the highest paid ones, donate free time to helping communities in one way or another. Athletes who help rebuild homes for those who have lost them, or with underprivileged children often say afterwards that they feel refreshed and renewed. By giving back to their community they show the community that people do care. Even if they make millions of dollars a year, they can still give back. This type of athlete is a great example of someone who can be a consummate professional both on and off the field. Not only will this relieve stress from the individual, but it shows the league that he is selfless and caring. An attribute that many teams look for when signing free agents and renewing contracts.
Lastly, the aspect of football. As it was said in the initial paragraph, football is one of the most important aspects in any athletes life. If he does not give the proper time, he will lack on the field. If he overdoes it, other aspects in life suffer and his mind can be distracted. It is important for every athlete to have a strict regimen. Set specific schedules on when to work out, when to read the playbook and watch tape. Schedule those things around your family time. Make sure to keep blocks open for leisure. Being a successful athlete requires an intricate balance. This isn't taught to anyone in collegiate sports. No head coach is going to give a pep talk saying to go home and be with your wife and kids. He's not going to tell you he's going to be on ZBox Live later if anyone wants to fight him in a CrashCart Moto X match.
It is up to the individual to figure out what levels of Life, Leisure and Football work for him. For some it may be easier, and for others it might be far more complicated. But in every case, a balance must be found or else he will surely fail.
1172 words
GRADED
The study suggests that in order for a player to have a long thriving career, he must balance multiple aspects. Life, Leisure and Football are the three aspects that he must find a safe equilibrium with. This article will delve into what makes each so important and how one can maintain this balance without sacrificing any of it.
First, we will cover Life. What this entails is personal matters. Having a wife, children, relationships that encourage a person to be a better player. Many players meet a sweetheart and marry them in college, and then when they go pro, the athlete focuses on their career, not thinking of how that affects their spouse. It is important ton have a residence within a fair proximity to the athlete's training facility and locker room. If a family is away for even home games it causes a great divide in a marriage as there is no contact between them. If a player can go home after practice and see his family, it boosts the family morale. Nothing inspires a player to do his best than having the love of his life watching. If she can not attend games, he may begin to feel as if she doesn't take interest in his career, so having a wife who is supportive of his career is a must. In contrast, an athlete must also respect her wishes if she does not want to go to every game, or make a fair compromise to attend something she enjoys so that they both are involved in each other's life. It is also important for the athletes to be home at night as much as possible. Relationships are far quicker to break down when physical emotion is lacking or completely non-existent.
Children add another complexity to this. There are a plethora of studies that show that an active father is highly beneficial to the development of a child. Athletes need to be especially weary of this because they spend a good amount of time on the road. While a wife may understand it is part of the job to be gone sometimes for weeks on end, a child will not be so understanding. Children must be attended to. Creating family time is a wonderful way to make sure both a wife and children are shown the proper love they deserve and expect. It doesn't have to be fancy. Watch a movie at home with popcorn, or play some games on the kitchen table, go on a mid-day picnic. Anything that shows the family that they're important will go a long way in establishing a pleasant balance.
Next is leisure. This can be a tricky one for many athletes to control. Leisure includes anything that takes the rigors and stresses of the locker room and helps remove them. For many athletes this includes going out to night clubs and partying. This is a dangerous line many have fallen victim to. All too often we hear that a shooting occurred involving a high profile athlete at a night club. Another hazard of this leisure choice is the presence of illegal substances, which if an an athlete imbibes, could mean an immediate suspension or even in some extreme cases, removal from the league. It is important to note that night clubs and socialized drinking is not a negative way to unwind, but there is a threshold in which must be upheld. If an athlete has a propensity to get himself into trouble at these locations, he might want to find an alternative way to relax.
Of course not every athlete is into that scene. Or they are, as stated before, inclined to find themselves in trouble at such locations. Alternate forms of leisure are out there. In many cases, playing video games helps unwind. Popping in a disc of Call of Death 4: Rise of McReaper or Elephant Torso 14: Tusk's Revenge and slaughtering all who oppose you provides some save release of aggression. Instead of getting into a fight at your local pub, one can take out their stress on the digital foes on their HDTV. In some instances, one can mix family time with video games and not only unwind with leisure, but get some valuable time in with a child or loved one at the same time. Playing games that children like establish bonds with them, and the gaming industry is surprisingly good at making child friendly games which are fun for adults too. Anything from the LEGO: Aardvark Man series is safe for kids and even challenges adults who play.
Another instance of leisure that, at first glance my not come off as too leisurely is volunteerism. Many athletes, especially some of the highest paid ones, donate free time to helping communities in one way or another. Athletes who help rebuild homes for those who have lost them, or with underprivileged children often say afterwards that they feel refreshed and renewed. By giving back to their community they show the community that people do care. Even if they make millions of dollars a year, they can still give back. This type of athlete is a great example of someone who can be a consummate professional both on and off the field. Not only will this relieve stress from the individual, but it shows the league that he is selfless and caring. An attribute that many teams look for when signing free agents and renewing contracts.
Lastly, the aspect of football. As it was said in the initial paragraph, football is one of the most important aspects in any athletes life. If he does not give the proper time, he will lack on the field. If he overdoes it, other aspects in life suffer and his mind can be distracted. It is important for every athlete to have a strict regimen. Set specific schedules on when to work out, when to read the playbook and watch tape. Schedule those things around your family time. Make sure to keep blocks open for leisure. Being a successful athlete requires an intricate balance. This isn't taught to anyone in collegiate sports. No head coach is going to give a pep talk saying to go home and be with your wife and kids. He's not going to tell you he's going to be on ZBox Live later if anyone wants to fight him in a CrashCart Moto X match.
It is up to the individual to figure out what levels of Life, Leisure and Football work for him. For some it may be easier, and for others it might be far more complicated. But in every case, a balance must be found or else he will surely fail.
1172 words
GRADED
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