July 18, 2018

The Pro Player Timeline: Weekly

Working from The Pro Player Timeline: Overview, this Weekly post focuses on what a professional player overseas should be outlining their week like. Read Navigating Sports Abroad blog post.
Read Play Abroad 101 for the most accurate preparation in print.


Obviously, every player's schedule will vary based on practices, matches, and other planned activities; however, it's important for athletes to go into each week with an organized view of how the days within the week will play themselves out.


Most of the world outside of the United States starts their calendar week on Monday, as will this week outline. This is based on Saturday matches, but can be adjusted around when match days are as the peak of the week, with the day of reflection and rest following.

MONDAY - Food Day
Meal plan for the first half, if not entire, week.
Main grocery shopping trip of the week. Most local supermarkets have their freshest and most plentiful inventory at the start of the week.

TUESDAY - Wild Card Day
Do something different for 1 hour every Tuesday. Ideas for this are linked onto the "Tuesday post."
IF you want/need to take a more relaxed day for your nutrition, earlier in the week is going to be better than later.
Post inspirational or goal-oriented content on your social media platforms.

WEDNESDAY - Calm Day
Take at least ten minutes (thirty is better!) to be silent, whether through breathing exercises, meditation, or prayer.
If you are able to incorporate time away from technology everyday, great! But if not, use the middle of the week to take a break from your cell phone and computer.
In addition to your normal mobility and flexibility routine, take time to incorporate yoga and other deep stretches to refresh your body for the rest of the week.

THURSDAY - Double-Check Day
Return to grocery store to stock up before the weekend when you won't have much time and the stores will have inconvenient hours or will even be closed.
Make sure you have everything you need for the weekend in advance to go into match preparation stress-free.

FRIDAY - Preparation Day
Pack your game gear bag and prepare pre-game meals.
Your sleep and nutrition should be balanced everyday, but Friday is the most important.
Save your "going-out" days for post-match or the day after the match.

SATURDAY - Performance Day
Wake up on time and eat a great breakfast.
Post match times and links onto social media platforms for fans to follow online.
Implement your favorite and important pre-game traditions.
Fuel your body with healthy and energy-infused foods and meals to perform your best.

SUNDAY - Reflection/Rest Day
Take five minutes to review your week and the match from the day before. Write it in a notebook, type it into a document, speak it into a voice memo, or record a video of yourself reviewing the week.
Date and keep these records as the basis of your journey both as an athlete and person.
Post match results and links onto social media platforms.
Take at least thirty minutes to stretch, roll, and whatever other recovery routines you should be doing.


As your weeks become more routine, you can add more social media presence (i.e., sharing other pro players' match times/highlights, linking to your blog, etc.). The most important baselines for every week are getting enough of the right kind of sleep and eating properly. These actions take intentional planning and purpose. Too many times we have heard stories of athletes finishing practice after 9:00 PM and not having any food left to eat - and all the grocery stores and decent restaurants are closed! 

The athletes who make an effort to learn to exist in the schedule of the culture around them are going to be the most successful in the short and long term.


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 The Pro Player Timeline