I had the great privilege of attending an Ottawa Senators hockey game last night, as they hosted my favorite team the Detroit Red Wings.
60 minutes of non stop fast paced, in your face hockey between the two best teams in the NHL. There is a reason these two powerhouses are in a league of their own. It is undeniable that both teams practice, train and prepare at a disciplined and intense level that provides them the opportunity to claim first place overall in their respective conferences.
I’ve watched quite a few games live this year, and no other game/teams impressed me as much as last night’s show. The conditioning and physical abilities of these athletes is truly outstanding. Players in all sports are so widely criticized when the topic of their salaries is brought up – overpaid, not worth the money, making more than those who save lives. The reality is, today’s athlete doesn’t just go out and play, and endure the beating of a lifetime on their bodies throughout that match – they also beat up their bodies before they ever hit the playing field, and they do so through extremely rigorous physical training and workouts.
The majority of society might have a hard time getting past 5 minutes of what these athletes have to do day in and day out – just to stay in the game, never mind to stay in shape and shed a few pounds. Today’s sports universe is highly competitive, scientifically advanced and pushes the envelope every way possibly imagined. The best players become the best by training harder than anyone else. They have a belief that the next guy, their competitor, is doing more and pushing harder, this enables them to believe that they must never stop, never give up and work harder, or they will never catch up to, or surpass, their competition.
Check out these two sites – Pro Camp Sports and Institute 3 E for an understanding of how the pros train at the highest level.
