Road Trips: Goalkeeping Strategies To Stay In Hot Form When Travelling On The Road!
Living in Alaska makes me somewhat of an expert on long road trips. The shortest road trip I have been on with the state team in the last four years was four hours long, and the longest was about fifteen hours long. Although travel is an essential part of football, it is much harder at the youth level.
I cannot remember a time where I had more than 24 hours to recover from traveling before the first match of a tournament. Because of this, I have learned several ways to minimize the effect of travel and be able to perform well in the first match. However, it always takes at least one match to regain all of my playing ability.
Drink lots of water the day before and the day of travel. Dehydration is one of the most common ailments affecting players after long trips, but it is one of the most easily avoided ones also. These days, new flying rules do not allow bringing full water bottles through airport security, but I usually bring one and fill it with water from a fountain after security.
Get a good night's sleep before stepping on a plane. Most players count on sleeping on planes, but the kind of sleep one gets on a plane is much less restful than the kind of sleep one can get the night before. However, if it is a long flight, napping is essential to arrive rested and to pass some time.
Move around a bit both during the flight and after getting to the destination. I generally stand up every hour on planes to walk around. After I land, I go for a light jog and have a good fifteen minute stretch.
Drink more water and maybe some electrolyte drink such as Gatorade after reaching the destination. Once again, use urine color as an indicator of hydration.
Mentally prepare for the tournament after landing. It is easy to get caught up in feeling tired and sluggish from flying, but a good first match will take all the tiredness out of the system, both mentally and physically.
Road trips can be a good time for football. The usual distractions of home are not present, and it brings teams closer together. Even if the road trip is an hour long, these guidelines will help control tiredness and sluggishness. Happy travels!
Liviu Bird
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