Adapting to the NEXT Level

It was 6:00 a.m. and the weather was around 70°F. I can still smell the freshly cut grass of the soccer field. The butterflies in my stomach were having the party of a lifetime and the palms of my hands were sweaty. The day that I’ve worked so hard for was finally here, my first practice as a college athlete. Like myself, there were other freshmen ready to impress everyone and show that they belonged in the team.

Whether you are an athlete moving from high school to college, about to compete at a more competitive league, or transferring to a more prestigious school, this jump to a higher competitive level is both challenging and exciting. Many athletes struggle to adapt to a new environment during their first year. To me, it was no different, but my experiences allowed me to find success later on and make these transitions become much smoother.

Based on these experiences, here are some tips on how to have a better adaptation when you get to the next level:

 Keep an Open Mind

It is important to be open to learn new things. Your new coaches and teammates have different experiences and knowledge that will help you find new ways to improve your game. Therefore, it is crucial for you to listen to what they have to say and be open to receive new information.

 Observe More

It is important to observe how others behave in this new environment. By observing you can learn how this team plays, how the coach wants you to play, and what things are acceptable or not in this new culture.

When I first arrived at my university’s soccer team, I wanted to show off my skills. I did not notice that the way I was playing matched neither the team’s style nor the way the coach wanted me to play. I learned this lesson only when the coach pulled me out of practice, made me sit next to him, and then told me:

“Watch Phil play, look at how he keeps the ball, look at how he offers support when he doesn’t have the ball”.

Although this stung a little at the time, the coach forced me to observe so I could learn how he wanted me to play, what I needed to improve, and most importantly, how the team played.

Make New Friends

Making friends is also an important part of this process. Your teammates can become lifelong friends and teach you many things about your sport and the team. For example, during the first few practices, a teammate, who later became a close friend told me:

“Hey Harben, the coach likes when we keep the ball and move it around. So, try to pass the ball and make combinations first”.

Besides giving me a great tip, we also began to hang out often. This gave me the opportunity to get to know the other players and make my adaptation to the team better.

Level Up Your Grind

At this new level, you might notice that the type of extra work you have always done might not be enough anymore. Therefore, you must look for new ways to complement your game.

 In order for me to become better, I started to learn more about tactics and to pay attention to the starter at my position. Further, I would ask myself questions like: “What things did he do to become a starter? What do I need to improve?”

This was a new level of grind that I was never exposed to before. Thus, leveling up your grind means finding new ways to complement your overall preparation and help you become a well-rounded athlete.

Enjoy Yourself and Have Fun

One day, some teammates and I went to play a pick-up game at a sports complex in the town. It was just a bunch of soccer enthusiasts playing for nothing more than fun. After I made a good play, my teammate came to me and said:

“Bro, how come you don’t do that at the university?”

At the moment I laughed, but later on, his question hit me. For the first time, I was not enjoying soccer. Throughout the season I was so worried about playing well that I forgot to also enjoy the game. After that day, I realized that I could be competitive and enjoy myself at the same time. This realization not only helped me to play better, but also made the whole experience more valuable.

Now I ask you, what makes you enjoy your sport?

Summary

So, based on my experience as a former student-athlete, I shared 5 tips to help you adapt when you make it to the next level of your athletic career. These experiences during my freshman year allowed me to have a better adaptation when I transferred to a new university. Further, I was able to help incoming freshmen and transfer athletes to adapt to the school.

The tips are the following:

1.  Keep an open mind. Be receptive to all the new information you will receive from your new coaches and teammates. Your way is not the only way, their experiences can make you better.

2. Observe more. By observing you can learn a lot about your team strategies and expectations.

3. Make new friends. By getting to know your teammates, you learn about your new team and you also gain a support group to help you adapt.

4. Level up your grind. Find new ways to improve your game and become a more well-rounded athlete.

5. Enjoy yourself and have fun. You made it to the next level, it is a huge accomplishment. Do not forget why you play this game, enjoy this moment have fun while you play.

Call to Action!

Your turn to take action. Based on the fourth tip from above, find one new way you can improve your game and share it with me by direct messaging me on Instagram (@harbenb).

Keep going!