Pickleball tournament days can be tough and long! You can have an 8 am start time and making it to gold can mean you are playing under lights. With the US Open Pickleball Championship starting in just two days, I thought I would share with you what I do to perform at my best on tournament days.
Pickleball Tournament Day: Before My First Match
Pickleball tournaments can be really tough on your body. One thing to focus on is keeping your body loose and well fueled. Before I go to the courts I make sure I have a light breakfast, and a protein shake. If the venue has courts to warm up on, that’s great! But if not I find a venue nearby with my partner so we can spend at least a half hour warming up our dinks, third shots, returns, serves, etc and then playing out some half-court points to get in a good rhythm.
After we go check in at the venue. I keep an eye on the screen that tells you upcoming matches. When I’m on that board we try to hop on and off courts between games to do a shorter version of our previous warm up. As I am warming up and throughout the day I am HYDRATING! You cannot do this enough.
Pickleball Tournament Day: Between Matches
Especially on a long hot day on the courts you do not want heat stroke or have your body break down and not be able to perform. I have seen players have great days, get all the way to the gold, and then they are playing at 50% because they are under-fueled.
- I bring a cooler with me that usually has Gatorade, coconut water, Aminos and chocolate milk for after my games.
- If it’s hot and I’m perspiring I also change my socks between matches so I don’t get blisters.
- I want to make sure I rest but not to the point that my body gets too tight and sore for my next round. When off the court I am trying to walk around to stay loose maybe even take a jog and most definitely stretch!
- I will be snacking on light but solid enough food where I feel good. I often snack on meats and cheese, nuts, fruit, and protein bars. I don’t want to be too full where I feel heavy and uncomfortable while I’m playing.
Keeping your body fueled and loose takes a lot of effort and focus. I need to be thinking about this and stay focused on this as much as my games.
Pickleball Tournament Day: Getting my Mind Ready
When my name is listed to come up in the next few courts I also need to take a few minutes to get my mind focused on the upcoming match. I will be thinking of the things I need to do to perform my best. Maybe some strategies I will use and thinking of how to get focused and stay focused. I need to prepare myself mentally and physically for every game played. Sometimes we can be very good in practice and have trouble performing. A lot of that is mental Pickleball and being ready and able to execute the things I need to do in a little more pressured situation than regular recreational play.
Pickleball Tournament Day: At the End of the Day
Then after those last matches, win or lose, I deserve a nice dinner! Usually, I’ll try to have dinner with my partner and we will go over things we did well, maybe some things we can do better the next time. As always I want to be positive with my partner. I am always grateful to have partners I can go have fun with on the court and be competitive.
Because having fun on the court is essential to me performing to the best of my abilities.
