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How Student Athletes Prepare for Competition

by Chelsea Swanson 

Everyone knows that athletes need to stretch, stretch, stretch before each game. Yet what people don’t know is what else students at Chatham High School do to get ready for games.

That’s where junior Rachel Johnson and seniors Chelsea Edgar, Mitch Wagenbach and Taryn van Esselstyn come in.

Taryn van Esselstyn: preparation was key to the Chatham girls basketball team's successful season. FILE PHOTO

In addition to stretching and doing their daily drills, cheerleader Edgar and pitcher Wagenbach say that music helps them warm up and gets them pumped for their game.

However, the girls basketball team takes a different and much looser approach.  Johnson and van Esselstyn were both major contributors to their team’s remarkable season. Perhaps the key to their season was the bonding that took place in the locker room before each game. Van Esselstyn shared that before each game the girls had lunch and danced together to loosen up, and discussed their goals for the game.

 Johnson’s favorite pre-game sandwich is the classic combination of protein and carbohydrates in the form of peanut butter and jelly. Edgar agrees that anything with carbohydrates and protein will help keep athletes energetic. While Wagenbach, like most baseball players, snacks on sunflower seeds, which are loaded with potassium.

Also before games, Wagenbach says, that he likes to focus on his quadriceps while stretching after suffering an injury during the soccer season. Edgar makes sure each of her jumps and kicks are perfected.

Yet when the games become more intense and bring in larger than normal crowds, routines for these athletes change. Wagenbach thinks of how he can improve and mentally revisits past games. Edgar goes over her cheerleading stance and Johnson and van Esselstyn make sure to stay calm and not let anyone see them sweat.

As for anything lucky, only Wagenbach admitted to owning something he believes will bring fortune, a wristband that he lost on his move to Chatham from Minnesota. The girls basketball team also holds the tradition of wearing their uniforms in school on game days. However, sometimes luck isn’t enough.

Even with team traditions and lucky wristbands, games can still bring nerves.

 “Large tournament games with large crowds make me the most nervous,” Edgar states. “But it’s a nervous excitement though, a rush!”

Van Esselstyn and Johnson agree with Edgar’s statement: tournament games can be rather nerve-wracking. While for Wagenbach games in which he is the starting pitcher, are the most intimidating.

Yet, Edgar and the rest of the squad go to competitions almost every year, Johnson and van Esselstyn along with the rest of the girls’ basketball team had one of their best years ever, and Wagenbach is the proud owner of a no-hitter. How do they do it?

Johnson says she has to stay calm.

 “I have to tell myself to calm down so my teammates don’t see that I’m nervous,” Johnson says. She also added that when her teammates see her stressed they start to share the same feeling. Wagenbach stays relaxed by staying focused and doing what he is supposed to do, which is crucial for all athletes to succeed.

While nerves can get the best of an athlete, the only thing worse is losing hope during a lopsided loss or sub-par season. Van Esselstyn tries to “shake it off” and continue to have fun on the court.

And what good would a depressed cheerleading squad be? Edgar says that her team has to “keep their spirits high” and to continue cheering no matter what, because it’s not over until time runs out.

All of the athletes noted that when the season is not going well, one of the best things to do besides staying positive is to increase their overall physical activity. For Wagenbach, one motivational factor is that he comes from a family of athletes and is proud to say that his grandfather was drafted by the New York Mets. Johnson just loves playing the game and being able to spend time with her friends while doing the sport she loves. Johnson, van Esselstyn and Wagenbach said that they might continue their athletics after high school.

A last bit of advice from the athletes: When you lose, you have to forget about it, and when you win, you have to celebrate it.

3/27/08