When it comes to sports, outsiders focus on a fraction of what athletes are responsible for. Games, matches, or meets are what the public gets excited about and pays attention to the closest, however, there are so many other things outside of the many hours of practice and events that go into performing to the best of our abilities.

I can admit that as a high schooler, I was oblivious to just how much time I would devote to my body besides just playing basketball.

The recovery at this level is two-fold because while physical recovery is a huge deal, there is also the aspect of mental recovery, and I would argue that this mental is just as important as the physical.

Everyone appreciates an off day whether you’re an athlete or not. While an off day means you are physically off, there is still an expectation to utilize this time to take care of our bodies and minds.

Part of figuring out what works best for your body as an athlete is experimenting with different forms of recovery.

Shooting around during warm ups before a game

Hanna Stelzer, my team’s athletic trainer at the University of Georgia, explains the personalization level of plans,

“Every individual on a team is different. Their bodies recover at different speeds, react to various treatments in different ways, so there is a lot of dialogue between us and student athletes to make sure that we are practicing the form of recovery that will have them performing as best as they can,” said Stelzer.

You might have heard of a couple of these, but here is a breakdown of a few of my favorite physical and mental recovery practices.

Scraping is one of my go-tos. It is often practiced in college training rooms because it is non-invasive and a quick process. Using a tool, athletic trainers can break down scar tissue in muscles, ligaments and tendons to promote healing. As someone coming off of an ACL injury, scraping has really helped me decrease my swelling and scarring in my joints.

Something specific that has helped with my anxiety over the years has been journaling. Whether I have a great day or a not so good day at the gym, I come home and write about it. I leave whatever energy I currently feel onto the paper so that it’s left there and not carried with me. Consistent journaling has helped me change my mindset over the years and decreases my stress.

Another physical form of recovery that I recently found to be beneficial for me is shockwave therapy. A handle built onto a machine sends shockwaves to injured tissues to stimulate healing. It sounds sort of like a taser, which definitely drove me away at first, but is proven to really help with recovery over time. When I have some soft tissue tightness and soreness this makes it a lot more bearable.

You can take a listen to it yourself here and see why it took me five years to try it.

The most popular form of recovery in our training room is probably the Normatec boots. They’re a form of compression therapy for legs that increases the blood flow, aiding in decreasing soreness and helping our legs recover after lots of running and jumping. They even make a pair of longer ones for taller athletes.

You remember the little floaties we would wear as kids before getting in the pool? Imagine that feeling around your legs as if it’s a blood pressure cuff. It inflates and deflates air, which makes it go from squeezing your legs very tight to moderately. When the pressure releases, sometimes you can feel a tingling sensation that goes away after a few seconds.

Maintaining a healthy body and mind requires a strong community. I have to admit some of my most memorable moments as an athlete come from talking with my teammates in the training room or with other athletes during mental health events such as stress ball making or circle discussions.

Sam Duncan, a good friend of mine who was a swimmer at the University of Kentucky, was the head of a subcommittee within athletics called Beyond the Blue Zone. Through this organization, I saw firsthand how creating events to talk about mental health struggles while also providing tips to deal with them can aid in performance as an athlete.

Events included making the aforementioned stress balls, introducing journaling to student athletes, or having a self care night surrounded by people who also have the pressures of performing well in the classroom and in their respective sports while still finding time to be their authentic selves.

Checking into a game against my alma mater, Kentucky

My normal reaction to a bad day was to buy a new cute cup or go shopping online, but letting out my emotions without spending became refreshing for my mind and wallet. The skills and practices I learned through the program are still a part of my routine years later, as are some of my lifelong friends from these events.

As a team, something that we’ve installed in our routines this year for mental preparation is BRAVR. Before the season started we spoke with Lindsey Wilson, a mindset coach, who developed a system of mental performance training activities specifically for athletes. Everyone from my team was engaged in the conversation that allowed us to understand each other on a deeper level, which has helped our chemistry on and off the court.

For a couple of days during our summer workouts, Wilson encouraged us to come up with a word or phrase to say to ourselves before practice with our eyes closed to visualize having a great day at practice or in a game. Reserving 30 seconds of space each day to breathe, visualize and practice positive self-talk has really helped my team and myself dial into our energy, intention and focus while we are on the court.

Covering space against Kentucky

The instructions are simple. We stand on the court, in a circle, before practice begins. Then for the next 30 seconds, whoever leads it that day instructs us to close our eyes, imagine ourselves having a great practice, having great energy and to repeatedly say our word or phrase.

Asia Avinger, our senior point guard, shares her phrase.

“Be you,” she says to herself over and over again.

Being a dedicated student-athlete requires more than performing well during games. To be a great player means prioritizing physical and mental health. Whether it is physical recovery like scraping and shockwave therapy or mental practices such as visualization and journaling, athletes need to find what works best for them to perform at a high level.

Recovery is also a reminder sports are not only about competition, but also about community. Our shared experiences through times in the training room or on the court visualizing before practice are what becomes the foundation of our individual and team success.

That is what stays with us forever, even after we are done playing. Taking care of our bodies and minds now protects us for the future too. Eventually, the ball will stop bouncing and our bodies will be used for different things. I think of being able to run around and play with my future kids, taking an afternoon jog after a long day of work, or even completing a 5K run. Next time you watch a sports event at any level, remember that there is much more to it than the actions on the court.