Food is our fuel. Fuel powers our performance!
This week, our players learned that what we put into our bodies affects how we perform on the field.
Before training, we talked about endurance. Our ability to keep running, competing, and giving our best effort from the first whistle to the final minute.
Just like a car needs the right fuel to run, athletes need the right fuel to play their best.
Players explored how healthy foods help provide energy, strengthen muscles, improve recovery, and keep the brain focused during games. We also discussed how alcohol, marijuana, and other harmful substances can negatively affect athletic performance by reducing energy, slowing reaction time, and making it harder for the body to perform.
On the field, players put their endurance to the test through a fun drill that challenged them to run, stay sharp, and execute a advanced footwork.
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The Play Smart, Live Strong initiative by the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association empowers our youth to make healthy choices on and off the field. Together with the Saipan Soccer School After School Program, we are using the power of soccer to promote substance-free lifestyles and reduce the risk factors related to underage drinking and marijuana use.
Every week we will share about our practical lessons, group discussion highlights, and soccer skills we learned to support our players as they Play Smart, Live Strong!
