Racquetball Training Tip - Journaling

There is no doubt that putting pen to paper has it's real advantages when you are trying to reach specific goals in your life. There is just something about articulating your thoughts, goals and needs down in a place that you can often look back at them. Whether your goals are for fitness, your family or weight loss, taking the time to really organize your thoughts, set short term and long term goals, track progress and record lessons you've learned along the way can really speed up the process towards your goals.

There are lots of ways to journal. This is just an example of what I happen to do for my personal Racquetball training. (Kind of feeling like I'm putting myself out here on this one)

There are 4 parts to my journal.

Part 1: Letters to Myself (Athletic Mission Statement)
This is where I actually write a letter to myself (maybe twice a year) reminding myself of what I am capable of, what I want to accomplish and what goals I have already achieved. I say things to myself that I'd want a coach to say. I'm positive and encouraging. On those weeks where you feel like you've taken two steps back, I often go to these letters for a pick me up. I also read my most recent one before I compete in a serious match. Brings the focus and passion.

Part 2: Training and Competition Section
This is my running log of my day to day Racquetball activities, training and tournaments. It's where I plan what I want to complete during my drilling sessions and where subsequently, I write down everything I learn while drilling. I write down what I'm doing well and what I need to work on. I include pictures of Pro Girls doing something I need a visual reminder of (get that racquet up!!) and even keep some stat sheets in there. When I compete at a tournament, I write down how my tourney goes, making game plans before each match and following it up with a Pro's and Con's list after the match (and ONE DAY, my Con's list won't be twice as long as my Pro's list, LOL!). Not only does this kind of record keeping help establish a sense of focus and purpose, it can be a ton of fun to read months and years later.

Part 3: Conditioning Section
I try to spend at least 2-3 days a week doing cross training. Something outside of the court that will help me in the court. I mix in weights, footwork drills, swimming, interval training, core conditioning and a multitude of other random activities that follow me back into the court. Cross training and conditioning is such a must to not only maximize your ability as an athlete, but to help prevent possible injuries in the future. This section is where I create different wacky combinations of work outs to keep it fresh and fun. Anytime I see someone doing something at the gym I haven't tried, I put it in there to try sometime soon. Cross training should be fun and if done right, you can't help but see the results in your Racquetball game.

Part 4: Opponents Section
Yep, I totally keep a little black book. :) There is always a learning curve when you play someone new. Some people are great servers, some return very aggressively. Some tend to play too far forward or maybe they tend to crowd a bit. Because there are not a ton of women in this sport, we often play each other frequently. If it took me 8 points to figure out that a hard Z serve to your backhand is a weakness for you.......I want to remember that at 0-0 next time we play. Hindsight is 20/20, so make your hindsight become foresight by keeping notes on your opponents.

There have been many times I've been so grateful for my Racquetball Journal. I'm not always perfect about keeping it up, but I certainly try to make every effort to remember the help it can be to me as an athlete. I started keeping a Racquetball journal when I got to the A/B level, but I think ANYONE at ANY LEVEL could benefit from Journaling.