Officials are athletes. Like others on the lacrosse field, they must stop, start, change direction, and move in quick bursts. And like other athletes, officials can maximize their time on the field (less injuries) by training properly, including preparation before the season.
Six important areas of focus for season preparation are:
1. Cardio endurance: running, endurance, HIIT training
Good cardio levels help your heart, lungs, and blood vessels efficiently deliver needed oxygen to your muscles during exercise. The more you build your endurance, the longer you are able to maintain high-level activity without fatigue.
2. Build strength training
Crucial for building muscle mass, increasing bone density, and enhancing joint flexibility, strength training can also reduce fatigue and help minimize injury risk.
3. Practice proper warm-up and cool down
Research indicates that a 5-10 minute warm-up can optimize performance and reduce injury by preparing the muscles for exercise, while a consistent cool-down routine enhances recovery.
4. Stretching for injury prevention
Stretching increases flexibility, improves joint range of motion, and decreases muscle stiffness. Trainers recommend doing 5-10 minutes of a light cardo warm-up (walking, jumping jacks) before stretching so that you don’t stretch cold muscles.
5. Improving your nutritional intake to best fuel your body
We all know how important it is to eat right to maintain a healthy body. For athletes, nutritionists typically recommend a balanced diet with roughly 50-60% carbohydrates, 15-20% protein, and 20-30% fat to help prevent fatigue and support muscle repair.
6. Improve and increase hydration
Hydration is critical to help prevent fatigue and maintain peak performance by regulating body temperature and lubricating joints.
For more helpful tips about preparing your body for the officiating season, please visit these USA Lacrosse webinar presentations (free login required).
• Prepping your Body for the Season
• Preparing for the Season
