Sports

#AHSAA ALABAMA ALL-STAR WATCH

#AHSAA ALABAMA ALL-STAR WATCH LIST

MILESTONE
YANCEY WINS 251^ST: Fred Yancey, the head football coach at Briarwood Christian (8-1) guided the Lions to a 12-7 win over Pleasant Grove and the 5A, Region 5 title with a perfect 7-0 record – and recorded the 251^st win of his outstanding career in the process. Briarwood’s 43-21 win over Shelby County the previous week placed the veteran coach in an elite group of just five active AHSAA prep football coaches with at least 250 wins. The others include: Buddy Anderson, Vestavia Hills (325-239); Danny Horn, Benjamin Russell (280-77); Terry Curtis, UMS-Wright (274-82); Dale Pruitt, Albertville (263-118). Yancey is 251-90 in 27 seasons at Briarwood and 292-110-1 overall. He coached 41 wins out of state early in his career.
The Lions clinched a playoff berth for the 24^th year in a row. Yancey’s teams have won three state championships and are 51-20 overall in playoff contests.

ALABAMA ALL-STAR WATCH:
MARLON WILLIAMS, McGILL-TOOLEN CATHOLIC: Williams, a Southern Cal commitment who was selected to play in the 30^th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Game at Cramton Bowl Dec. 10, had eight receptions for 156 yards and three touchdowns as defending state champion McGill-Toolen beat Theodore 43-7 to win its 18th straight game,. His TDs went for 10, 41 and 55 yards.
JUSTIN THOMAS, SPANISH FORT: The Toros linebacker had nine tackles, including three behind the line of scrimmage, as defending Class 6A state champion Spanish Fort beat B.C. Rain 31-20. Thomas was selected as a member of the defense for the upcoming Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.
Other top performances reported included:

RUSHING
SPENCER BROWN, MORTIMER JORDAN: Had 328 yards rushing and six touchdowns to help the Blue Devils beat Hayden 60-36 and claim the Class 5A, Region 6 crown. He had 220 yards and four TDs at the half.
TRAKEVON HUGHEY, REELTOWN: Gained 291 yards rushing on 16 carries and had four touchdowns in the Rebels’ 52-42 win over Fayetteville.
LANDON LAWSON, GAYLESVILLE: Ran for 277 yards on 20 carries with four touchdowns to lead the Trojans to a 50-24 victory and ended a seven-game losing streak.
DARIUS BRACY, BAKER: Had 235 yards rushing on 19 carries and scored twice as Baker beat Foley 42-14. He also completed 9-of-17 passes for 101 yards and another score to finish with 336 total yards.
DEKARLOS BILLINGSLEY, SCOTTSBORO: The senior rushed 25 times for 222 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-26 win over Etowah to give the Wildcats (9-0) the Class 5A, Region 7 championship.
DILAN KILPATRICK, FYFFE: Rushed 19 times for 217 yards and three touchdowns in the Red Devils’ 56-14 win over Gaston. Teammate Payton Anderson added 101 yards and two scores on just four carries.
ZALON REYNOLDS, CHELSEA: Ran for 211 yards on 20 carries and had three touchdowns as the Hornets sewed up second seed in Class 6A, Region 3 with a 51-23 win over Helena. He scored on runs of 11, 29 and 59 yards. Chelsea defeated Helena 51-23.
JEREMIAH WHITE, GENEVA COUNTY: Rushed for 203 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries in the Bulldogs’ 48-19 win over Barbour County.
MACKENZIE HICKS, G.W. LONG: Rushed for 197 yards on just 12 carries including a 73-yard TD run in a 41-13 win over Cottonwood.
MICHAEL MATTHEWS, UMS-WRIGHT: Totaled 197 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 18 carries as the Bulldogs downed Monroe County 42-0.
REGGIE WASHINGTON, OPP: Rushed for 184 yards and three touchdowns and added a 58-yard interception return for a touchdown, helping Opp edge Daleville 32-29 and win the Class 3A, Region 2 title.
ANTONIO ROBINSON, AUSTIN: The Black Bears’ workhorse had 33 carries for 167 yards and all three touchdowns as Austin captured the Class 6A, Region 8 title with a 20-13 win over Athens.
DONTE EDWARDS, DAVIDSON: Helped the Warriors clinch the second seed in Class 7A, Region 1 with 162 yards rushing and two TDs on 14 carries as Davidson beat Murphy 41-14.
JAXTON CARSON, CENTRAL-PHENIX CITY: Ran 15 times for 160 yards with three touchdowns in the Red Devils’ 58-3 victory over Prattville High. That gave the senior running back 1,040 yards in nine games this season. The Red Devils had six different players score touchdowns in the contest while rolling up 588 total yards of offense.
BRADY SHERRILL, HALEYVILLE: The senior running back had 213 total yards and five touchdowns in Haleyville’s 38-0 win over Fayette County. He had 123 yards rushing and three scores on 14 carries and eight receptions for 90 yards and two scores.
KAINAN POUNCY, DALEVILLE: Rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries in a 32-29 loss to Opp.
DAMON WILLIAMS, GADSDEN CITY: Rushed for 176 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries as the Titans beat Huntsville 48-21. Teammate Ryan Sparks also completed 8-of-13 passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns.
BRANDON COSBY, MAE JEMISON: Had 14 carries for 177 yards and three touchdowns (64, 31 and 22 yards) in a 34-21 win over Lawrence County.
CHRISTIAN COLLINS, BOAZ: Ran for 167 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-0 win at Douglas.

PASSING
JACOB FREE, BRANTLEY: Passed for 296 yards and five touchdowns on a 13-of-19 performance as Brantley sealed second seed in 1A, Region 2 with a 63-7 win over McKenzie.
MALIK CUNNINGHAM, PARK CROSSING: Was 13-of-18 passing for 243 yards and four touchdowns and tacked on 156 yards rushing and two more scores on 16 carries as the Thunderbirds downed Clay-Chalkville 56-17.
GRAYSON EDGEMON, MADISON ACADEMY: Completed 21-of-25 passes for 273 yards and four TDs in a 54-14 win over DAR.
CADE PRICE, SLOCOMB: Passed for 261 yards and three touchdowns in a 47-27 win over Straughn.

SCOTT McALPINE, HALEYVILLE: Was 16-of -28 passing for 246 yards and two touchdowns as the Lions blanked Fayette County 38-0 to win the Class 4A, Region 6 title – the school’s first region crown since 1993.

GRAYSON WAKEFIELD, DECATUR HERITAGE: Was 8-of-13 passing for 267 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 76 yards and another TD on eight carries in the Eagles’ 42-26 win over Lynn.
TYREEN DUPREE, CHEROKEE COUNTY: Accounted for 253 total yards and three-touchdowns as the Warriors knocked off previously unbeaten Jacksonville 35-21 to clinch the Class 4A, Region 6 championship. Dupree finished the game rushing for 110 yards on 23 carries and three touchdowns (1, 5, 35 yards). He also completed 10-of-17 pass attempts for 143 yards.

CASEY BAYNES, TALLASSEE: Was 9-of-11 passing for 2054 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 98 yards and a TD on 14 carries in a 56-22 win over Elmore County.
BUBBA McDANIEL, DOTHAN: Passed for 190 yards with a touchdown and rushed for 79 yards on 22 carries and caught a TD pass as the Tigers came from a 20-0 deficit to beat rival Northview 21-20.
PAYNE STANCIL, WEST END: Threw five touchdown passes as the Patriots rolled past Winston County 73-28 to earn a playoff spot. Teammate Jordan Malin rushed for three scores on the night.

DALEN MORRIS, MADISON COUNTY: Accounted for six touchdowns in a 51-21 win over Westminster Christian with TD passes covering 43, 40, 26 and 10 yards two scoring runs for 50 and 20 yards. He also had a two-point conversion.

PASS RECEIVING
CODY COLLIER, ALBERTVILLE: Caught eight passes for 213 yards and two TDs in a 42-28 win over Southside-Gadsden.
TRACE MEADOW, HORSESHOE BEND: Had two receptions for 114 yards and two scores, one coming on a 99-yard connection from quarterbackCade Worthy, and had a TD rushing in a 33-8 win over Woodland. Worthy finished 6-of-8 for 183 yards and two TDs.

DARIUS SMITH, SLOCOMB: Caught five passes for 168 yards and two scores and rushed 31 times for 159 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Red Tops beat Straughn 47-27.
CONNER HOWELL, GARDENDALE: Had 148 yards receiving with TD receptions covering 78 and 40 yards as the Rockets beat Center Point 55-26.

DEFENSE
JONATHAN NORRIS, BALDWIN COUNTY: Had 12 tackles, two fumble recoveries and returned an interception 20 yards for a TD in Baldwin County’s 28-20 win over LeFlore.
COLIN DUNCAN, SAINT JAMES: Had three interceptions, returning one 52 yards for a TD, and the Trojans beat Trinity Presbyterian 31-21 to finish the Class 4A, Region 2 race unbeaten.
TYLER McCLUNG, WEST MORGAN: Helped his team seal a playoff spot in Class 3A, Region 8 with two interceptions in a 17-7 win over Lexington.
QUARTEZ HENDERSON, CHEROKEE COUNTY: Returned an interception 50 yards for the game-tying touchdown with less than a minute left in the first half in the Warriors’ 35-21 victory over previously unbeaten Jacksonville to clinch the Class 4A, Region 6 championship. He also caught six passes for 61 yards.
EVANS WRIGHT, SCOTTSBORO: Made 11 tackles with four for losses in the Wildcats’ 56-26 win over Etowah. Teammate Justin Culver added 10 stops.
WILL SMITH, GAYLESVILLE: Led the Trojans defense with nine tackles and two fumble recoveries in a 50-24 victory over Jacksonville Christian.
TRAVIS SAUNDERS, VESTAVIA HILLS: Scored two touchdowns on fumble returns near the goal line as the Rebels beat Tuscaloosa County 41-0. His returns were 6 and 3 yards.
REED WALKER, WEST LIMESTONE: Had two interceptions on defense in West Limestone’s 26-19 win over Deshler.

SPECIAL TEAMS
JEFF KIRKLAND, DECATUR: Kicked a game-winning 32-yard field goal in the closing seconds of a 23-22 victory over Muscle Shoals.
DEE WILLIAMS, ELBA: Accounted for five touchdowns in four different ways during a 48-21 win over Zion Chapel. He returned a kickoff 92 yards for a TD, rushed for two scores, caught a 71-yard TD pass and tossed a touchdown pass.
CAMERON BUSH, CHARLES HENDERSON: Kicked three field goals (22, 27 and 31 yards) and converted all three extra-point attempts as the Trojans beat Headland 44-10.
BAILEY POTTER, SCOTTSBORO: The senior kicked eight extra point to run his current consecutive streak to 32 in a row as the Wildcats (9-0) beat Etowah 56-36.
MYLES HENDERSON, DAPHNE: Returned a punt 60 yards for one TD and caught a 56-yard TD pass as Daphne beat Robertsdale 41-7 for its seventh straight win.

Hartselle Encore Athlete of the Month, Trevor Oakes.

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Congratulations to the Encore Athlete of the Month, Trevor Oakes! Trevor is the senior Quarterback for the Hartselle High School Tigers. He also happens to be the VTO 100 MVP (football combine), as well as a 2-Time Al.com Player of the Week. Trevor has had many impressive games as quarterback this season and taken the local media by storm. Not only is he a great quarterback, he also has an academic GPA of 3.8 and is on Hartselle High’s National Honor Society. After graduation, Trevor plans to play football in college while majoring in Business. Keep up the good work, Trevor!

Long Beach Encore Athlete of the Month, Da’juan Masters.

Congratulations to Long Beach Encore Athlete of the Month, Da’juan Masters! Da’juan is a Junior athlete at Long Beach High School in Mississippi. He is a member of the Bearcats Varsity football team and wears jersey #13. Da’juan is a WR, OLB, and FS and has rightly won the Coach’s Offense Award. He plans to attend college to major in Sports Medicine. He is the son of Tishona Smith and Robert Masters. Good luck the rest of football season, Da’jaun!

Winfield Encore Athlete of the Month, Caleb Wilson.

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Congratulations to the Winfield Encore Athlete of the Month, Caleb Wilson! Caleb is a Junior at Winfield City High School and is a member of the Football and Track teams. He has played on the Varsity teams for 3 years now and wears jersey #53. After he graduates from high school, Caleb plans to attend Auburn University and major in Physical Therapy. He is the son of Janice Nichols.

AHSAA VOLLEYBALL STATE PLAYOFFS Tuesday’s Area Tournaments (4A, 5A, 6A)

Championship Matches
Winners and runner-ups advance to Super Regionals, Oct., 20-22)

CLASS 4A

Area 1 at Satsuma
Satsuma (14-10) 3, UMS-Wright (10-20) 2, 16-25, 24-26, 25-17, 25-9, 15-11
Area 2 at W.S. Neal
W.S. Neal(17-5) 3, Escambia County 0, 25-16, 25-12, 25-13
Area 3 at Andalusia
Andalusia 3, Ashford 0, 25-9, 25-1, 25-9
Area 4 at Saint James
Saint James 3, Alabama Christian 0, 25-18, 25-24, 25-15
Area 5 at Elmore County
Elmore County (22-6) 3, Tallassee 0, 25-13, 25-19, 25-13
Area 6 at Bibb County
Bibb County (10-3) 3, Hale County (25-12) 2, 10-25, 25-23, 25-20, 9-25, 15-9
Area 7 at Northside
Northside 3, Spisey Valley 0, 25-11, 25-11, 25-17
Area 8 at Saks
Saks(30-19) 3, Handley (11-8) 1, 19-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-17

Area 9 at Leeds
Leeds (26-6) 3, Oneonta (12-25) 2, 25-22, 21-25, 19-25, 25-19, 15-9
Area 10 at Cordova
Cordova (34-14) 3, Dora (22-18) 0, 25-19, 25-22, 25-12
Area 11 at Fayette County
Fayette County 3, Haleyville 0, 25-13, 25-9, 25-15
Area 12 at Jacksonville
Jacksonville (39-10) 3, White Plains (25-16) 0, 25-9, 25-16, 25-9
Area 13 at DAR
DAR (27-26) 3, Sardis (18-18) 1, 25-16, 25-21, 23-25, 25-17
Area 14 at Madison Academy
Madison Academy 3, Randolph 0, 25-6, 25-10, 25-10
Area 15 at Danville
Danville 3, Priceville 0, 25-16, 25-13, 25-13
Area 16 at Deshler
Deshler (40-11) 3, Wilson (25-13) 0, 25-20, 25-17, 25-15)

CLASS 5A

Area 1 at St. Paul’s Episcopal
St. Paul’s Episcopal 3, Faith Academy 0, 25-20, 25-10, 25-6
Area 2 at Lott Middle School (Citronelle is host)
Citronelle (7-12) 3, Jackson (1-20) 0, 25-19, 25-3, 25-19
Area 3 at Rehobeth
Rehobeth (29-7) 3, Carroll (22-9) 0, 25-20, 25-18, 25-20
Area 4 at Brewbaker Tech
Brewbaker Tech 3, Charles Henderson 1, 26-28, 25-23, 25-10, 25-9
Area 5 at Eufaula
Eufaula (9-9) 3, Beauregard (7-19) 0, 28-26, 25-17, 25-15
Area 6 at Calera
Calera (26-11) 3, Dallas County (9-12) 0, 25-17, 25-11, 25-13
Area 7 at Demopolis
Demopolis (15-8) 3, Central-Tuscaloosa 2, 25-21, 23-25, 23-25, 25-12, 17-15
Area 8 at Moody
Briarwood Christian 3, Moody (31-10) 1, 25-20, 17-25, 25-20, 25-15

Area 9 at Wenonah
Wenonah (18-12) 3, Woodlawn (17-12) 1, 22-25, 25-18, 25-15, 25-16
Area 10 at Lincoln
Lincoln (30-22) 3, Cleburne County (12-22) 1, 25-19, 23-25, 25-18, 25-23
Area 11 at Springville
Springville (30-20) 3, Mortimer Jordan (22-11) 1, 25-21, 25-21, 19-25, 25-21
Area 12 at Fairview
Hayden 3, Curry (24-17) 1, 25-20, 21-25, 25-18, 28-26
Area 13 at Alexandria
Alexandria (43-8) 3, Boaz 0, 25-17, 25-11, 25-16
Area 14 at Guntersville
Guntersville (28-26) 3, Crossville (26-20) 0, 25-18, 25-15, 25-17
Area 15 at St. John Paul II Catholic
St. John Paul II Catholic (3(34-26) 3, Ardmore (21-19) 0, 25-10, 25-13, 25-12
Area 16 at Lawrence County
Lawrence County (42-12) 3, East Limestone (41-9) 0, 25-19, 25-11, 25-16

CLASS 6A

Area 1 at Saraland
Saraland (30-8) 3, Blount (12-7) 0, 25-14, 25-14, 25-21
Area 2 at Spanish Fort
Spanish Fort (52-4) 3, Daphne 1, 25-19, 24-26, 25-14, 25-16
Area 3 at Dothan
Dothan (22-12) 3, Northview (3-14) 0, 25-14, 25-14, 25-14
Area 4 at Park Crossing
Sidney Lanier 3, Park Crossing (20-5) 2, 25-20, 18-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-13
Area 5 at Chilton County
Chilton County (11-10) 3, Stanhope Elmore 1, 25-7, 18-25, 26-24, 25-22
Area 6 at Benjamin Russell
Benjamin Russell 3, Wetumpka 0, 25-21, 25-20, 25-19
Area 7 at Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa
Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (42-4) 3, Brookwood 0, 25-21, 25-17, 25-8
Area 8 at Chelsea
Helena 3, Chelsea (38-8) 2, 25-22, 23-25, 25-21, 15-25, 15-13

Area 9 at John Carroll Catholic
John Carroll Catholic (28-14) 3, McAdory 0, 25-8, 25-10, 25-6
Area 10 at Ramsay
Homewood 3, Ramsay 2, 25-11, 18-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-12
Area 11 at Walker
Walker (52-10) 3, Minor 0, 25-3, 25-9, 25-6
Area 12 at Clay-Chalkville
Clay-Chalkville (27-13) 3, Gardendale 1, 25-12, 25-27, 25-17, 25-21
Area 13 at Oxford
Oxford (38-15) 3, Southside-Gadsden (31-15) 1, 25-23, 25-20, 22-25, 25-11
Area 14 at Albertville
Albertville (40-8) 3, Brewer (27-10 0, 25-22, 25-17, 25-17
Area 15 at Hartselle
Hartselle (64-10) 3, Austin (26-30) 0, 25-12, 25-17, 25-14
Area 16 at Hazel Green
Hazel Green (49-10) 3, Muscle Shoals 1, 25-15, 25-23, 22-25, 25-16

Center Point Encore Athlete of the Month, Javon Davis.

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Congratulations to the Center Point Encore Athlete of the Month, Javon Davis! Javon is a freshman, multi-sport athlete at Center Point High School in Birmingham, AL. He plays on the Eagles Football and Baseball teams and wears jersey #19. Javon has also won the Erwin Football Championship Award in middle school. After he graduates high school, Javon plans to attend LSU and major in pre-physical therapy. He is the son of Giovanni and Jawata Davis.

Fayette Encore Athlete of the Month, Tristan Nairemore.

Congratulations to the Fayette Encore Athlete of the Month, Tristan Nairemore! Tristan is a senior athlete at Hubbertville high school. He is a member of the Lions Varsity football team and wears jersey #52. The Lions Football team is undefeated so far this year. They stand 6-0 for the season, and 4-0 for their Region! Good luck the rest of the season, Lions!

Alabama Squad Named For 2016 Ala-Miss Football Game

Seventeen players already committed to Division I-A schools are among the players have been selected to the 40-player Alabama All-Star Team that will face Mississippi in the 30^th annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Game Dec. 10 at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl.
The roster, comprised of current high school seniors, was announced Tuesday by Alvin Briggs, Director of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association. The annual contest is an event of the AHSADCA and the Alabama High School Athletic Association.
The game was played in Mississippi for the first time in the series last year. The hosts won 28-21 on the Southern Miss campus in Hattiesburg. That win by Mississippi snapped a seven-game winning streak by Alabama, which now holds a 21-8 edge in the series.
“We hope the 40-man Alabama roster selected for this year’s game will bring the Alabama-Mississippi Game Championship Trophy back (to Alabama),” Briggs said.
UMS-Wright Coach Terry Curtis, who is serving as the head coach for Alabama, will be coaching a squad full of Division I-A prospects – several still embroiled in national recruiting battles.
The roster, comprised of current high school seniors, was selected through a rigorous process that began last winter, Briggs said. “The selection committee has worked extremely hard to trim down the strong list of nominations to the 40 selected. It is a difficult task for sure, and we thank the committee for its dedication.
“We are excited about returning to Cramton Bowl. This will provide another opportunity for the AHSAA and City of Montgomery to work together to produce an exciting event for local fans as well as our friends from Mississippi and the vast TV and Radio audience that tunes in via Raycom Media’s Alabama-Mississippi TV Network and the AHSAA Radio Network.”
The annual all-star event was played at Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium since its inception in 1988 until 2010. It moved to Cramton Bowl from 2011-2014. It is now on a rotating basis between the two states.
Of the 17 players picked that are already committed, five have selected defending National Champion Alabama: running back Brian Robinson of Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa; offensive linemen Hunter Brannon of Cullman and Kendall Randolph of Bob Jones; defensive back Chadarius Townsend of Tanner; and linebacker Markail Benton of Central-Phenix City. Auburn has commitments from two, defensive backs Malcolm Askew of McAdory and Jordyn Peters of Muscle Shoals.
Three other SEC schools (Arkansas, Florida and LSU) have commitments from players on the roster while Southern Cal, North Carolina, Michigan, Duke, Purdue and UAB have at least one each.
Committed to LSU are defensive lineman Justin Thomas and McGill-Toolen defensive back John Young III. Arkansas has a commitment from quarterback Daulton Hyatt of Etowah, and tight end Zech Byrd of Stanhope Elmore has announced plans to sign with Florida.
Curtis’ Alabama All-Star coaching staff includes Caleb Ross of McGill-Toolen, Ben Blackmon of Spanish Fort, Kelvis White of Mae Jemison, Keith Etheredge of Pell City, Steve Smith of Piedmont, Ed Rigby of Elba and Richie Busby of Fultondale.
The game will be televised live over the Raycom Network of stations in Mississippi and Alabama. The contest will also be broadcast live over the AHSAA Radio Network.

-AHSAA

Hamilton Clinic Athlete of the Month, Alana Loughrige

Congratulations to Alana Loughrige who was chosen as the Hamilton Clinic Athlete of the Month! Alana is a senior, multi-sport, athlete at Hamilton High School, who plays Volleyball and runs track/cross country. She has played varsity sports for 4 years now wears the jersey number 7. Alana is the daughter of Karin Holliday. Keep up the good work Alana and good luck during volleyball season!

Athletes: How to get the most out of Summer Training.

“No more pencils, No more books, No more teacher’s dirty looks… School’s out for summer”

Written by Encore MS, ATC/LAT, Eric Oehms. 6/5/2015.

Summer used to be a time to slow down. There were no 7 on 7 tournaments, travel baseball and softball teams did not exist, and AAU’s primary focus was to get players from many different sports ready for the international play and the Olympics. But for athletes today, summer is time to focus on honing your athletic skills, improving your strength, speed, endurance, and preparing your body for the upcoming seasons. Because one thing is sure; right now, your opponent is getting better in order to beat you.

Are you doing the things you are supposed to do?

Staying hydrated is always important especially in the summertime heat. It’s important to weigh before and after every workout and consume 2-3 cups of water or sports drink for every pound lost during exercise. Water is great but if you are exercising for long periods of time, consuming a sports drink within 30 minutes after the workout will benefit you more due to the added carbs in the sports drink. Make sure you are checking your urine color for hydration status. Remember, you want it to look like lemonade, not apple juice.

Proper nutrition is key if you want to get the most out of your time spent in the weight room. Timing your snacks or meals is an important part of the equation.

– 3 hours prior to a workout or competition is the ideal time to eat a meal, however that is not always possible. If your workout is in the early morning, make sure you wake up in time to eat something.

– If you only have 30 minutes to an hour before a workout, keep it light with a granola bar/sports bar and a sports drink. If you have 1-2 hours prior to your workout, your breakfast should consist of fruit, whole grain toast or bagel with a little peanut butter, and 16 ounces of water or sports drink. Stay away from sugary cereals, whole milk, and high fat meats.

One of the most overlooked components of your plan should be getting the proper amount of sleep. Studies have shown that athletes who get 9.5 hours of sleep per night have improved proprioception (sense of body position) and reduced injury rates. If you find it difficult to fall asleep, lower the light level in your house or room 30-60 minutes prior to going to bed. Also, put a curfew on your technology. Make a decision to put your gadgets away and stop checking social media by 9pm.

Make no mistake; summer should be some of the best times of your life. Spending summer with family and friends and enjoying time away from class are some of my best childhood memories. However, you can still enjoy your summer while preparing your body for the season ahead. But it takes planning and commitment , something today’s athlete should already be accustomed to doing.