Sports as Emotional Therapy

October 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

We tend to think about sports as solely a form of entertainment, whether it be playing them or watching them. This perspective, however, fails to account for another role sports can fulfill for us: the role of an emotional outlet.

Stress, fear, anxiety, and anger tend to be regular parts of our lives, but sports can help manage and deal with these emotions. The irony of the topic of sports and emotion is that sports can induce all of these intense emotions during game-play, but also have the ability to reduce these same emotions from our day to day lives.

Nowadays, our culture has driven us to express our private matters to the public. We see our friends posting messages on Facebook about how stressed out they are or how they are so ticked off. Expressing your emotions publicly is fine but, for more intense circumstances, posting is not the way to go.

I think there is a much better way to blow off some steam. I know that when I turn on my computer or call a friend to vent, it ends up taking about an hour. I might feel better after venting, but oftentimes I just feel worse. We often are stressed because of a deadline, and wasting time online talking about stress usually does not help resolve the problem.

When used correctly, sports can be a soothing experience. When stress takes over, I go and find a basketball hoop. All of the stresses and worries of the world seem to be put on the backburner during the session. Even spending ten minutes doing this relaxes me and allows me to deal with my daily challenges.

We often overlook how useful and important these therapeutic breaks can be to our mental health. Turning ten minutes of stress into ten minutes of distressing can change a person’s outlook and mood for the rest of the day. Sounds like a great way to spend some time.

So the next time you are complaining about stress or are overwhelmed emotionally don’t go wasting your time dwelling on it. Go play the game you love and let it work wonders.

Written by Hollen O’Kelley
Edited by Sarah Gross

Image Sources: 2flashgames.com

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Pump Up: Pre game Music

October 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Imagine that it is the biggest game of the year –everyone is going to be there and this is a chance for you to make a name for not only yourself, but also your team. It is the earlier part of game day and you need to get your mind right. Time to play your “game day” playlist, filled with songs that will hopefully pump up your energy while still keeping you focused on the task at hand –playing your best.

Music is a huge part of my pregame ritual. Certain songs help me tune out everyone and all other distractions. On game day, my choice of songs tend to be more upbeat, energetic and filled with lyrics that help me build the confidence and intensity I need to see any opponent as only an equal, nothing more. I assume that most athletes listen to a similar type of up-tempo music, but this is not the case. One of my teammates will not listen to music at all on game day. It is a superstition of hers; listening to music is bad luck if listened to before a game. For her, the absence of music helps her focus her attention on the game ahead. My other teammates do not really care about the type of music, just as long as there is some type of beat flowing to their ears before the game. Others listen to music just because everyone else is listening to it and the room would otherwise be completely silent.

I always wonder what types of music different athletes listen to. Gymnastics, crew, even golf; what type of music gets them charged up and focused? It would be interesting to ask professional athletes what music they listen to before their games. Kobe Bryant’s playlist may have the same songs that you have on your “game day” playlist. I know I would feel a special bond if I shared the same pump-up songs with such a well-known athlete!

Athletics encompasses a whole lot more than just the games. From exhausting practices to personal disappointment, music always comes in handy. There can be days where everything seems to be going wrong, nothing I do on the court is as I want it and the coaches are on me from the start to make sure my every move is perfect. For these times, I could go home and listen to music so loud I cannot hear my own thoughts, or listen to quiet, soft music that will calm my nerves and allow the frustration to seep out of my pores.

Frustration happens all the time, especially for everyday living. Not every day is smooth sailing and music can be a great coping mechanism. Music has its own way of channeling emotion, making it easier for different people to deal with different situations. During my sophomore year, I listened to Kid Cudi every day. His music helped me handle the not-so-sunny days. Music helps people relate to others. With all the many types of genres and artists, all types of personalities are able to express themselves and get in on an artists’ feelings to help them cope with their own. Music has quite an influence. Music makes the world go ‘round.

Written by Lauren Juric
Edited by Andrea Herman

Image Source: coolspotters.com

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The Importance of an Athlete’s Diet

October 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The diet of an athlete is one of the more important aspects to one’s lifestyle. Research shows how important a diet is to ensure the health and recovery of the human body. For college athletes, this healthy diet is especially important because being a student-athlete is quite demanding emotionally and physically. It is beneficial for a student-athlete to have a wholesome diet to enable them to fight off injuries and illnesses. A healthy diet comes in handy to keep focused and alert in class, to be able to bounce back after a tough practice and most importantly, to continue an enriching lifestyle.

As a student-athlete at UCD, I have had the privilege of attending a couple of presentations from our well-known nutrition professor, Dr. Liz Applegate. She kindly prepares thorough information on what time to eat, what amount of food to eat and what foods are best in one’s diet. I am very grateful because I personally have never been fully educated on how to properly feed myself. I have grow up learning nutrition from my parents and some occasional other resources. To have someone like Dr. Applegate with such a large background in nutrition is a much greater source for information.

Dr. Applegate has presented in front of many of the teams at UCD. She knows the dire need for people and especially student-athletes to fuel the human body with proper nutrients. The only problem, especially for me, lies in the fact that us college students tend to have terrible diets. Staying up late studying for exams or even just hanging out with new friends always leads to late-night pizza excursions or the occasional ice cream run. During the day, I am on campus running from weights to class to practice and back to class again. It is hard to get in a decent meal during these times and I know I am not the only one. It is much easier to stop and buy a treat from Starbucks or from the school instead of preparing a well balanced meal to bring to school.

Once season starts, my healthy eating habits seem to improve. I have also noticed the improvement of my teammates throughout the years. I think Dr. Applegate has had quite an impact on many of the athletes here because they have seen the improvement in health from the improvement in their diet. One can notice the extra energy stored within the body after a rough week of school and practice. With having a weak immune system, the improved diet also helps me stay clear from getting sick. Since a healthier diet can bring so many benefits, I have been trying to stick to one. I am grateful for those who are informing us student-athletes about the benefits of nutrition. Hopefully more and more athletes can see the worth in proper nutrition so they can be as healthy as possible while also playing their best.

Written by Lauren Juric
Edited by Sarah Gross

Image Source: sportsbybrooks.com

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