The Off-Season Value Of A Social Media Group For Athletes
Athletes have to work hard at staying in shape all the time. Before and during the season, practice sessions contribute significantly to building up strength and cardiovascular conditioning. The off-season, however, can prove challenging. When the coach and the other players can't keep an eye on an athlete, he or she could slip up. Gaining weight or skipping out on cardio sessions might become the norm when structured training isn't in place. One way to keep tabs on teammates is to set up a social network group to keep everyone in the conditioning loop.
The Collective Motivational Approach
At the very least, a social media group composed of fellow teammates helps motivate the members. When left on your own, it's easy to become lax. No one tells you that you are slacking. When staying in touch through a social group, sticking with an off-season program might become less challenging. Everyone stays on the same page by creating group activities. Things the group can do together include:
- Coming Up with Workout Programs: Everyone could share their insights on how they train outside the season. Someone who notices significant progress by switching from free weights to bodyweight exercises, for example, can provide valuable information.
- Setting Up Group Workouts: Groups designed by sports fans often run group watches when a sporting event takes place. Who says athletes can't do something similar, but far more active? With streaming access, putting together a fun and productive collective workout session through the social media site becomes possible. Not only would this keep people engaged, doing so helps with bonding. And that's always a good thing among teammates.
- Displaying Progress Reports: Who says the off-season can't yield huge gains? Maybe hitting the gym leads to increasing bench press, squat, and shoulder press lifts. Reporting progress to the group could inspire everyone.
Of course, any social network group for athletes requires a good moderator. The group has to stay updated and focused to thrive. Maybe adding two or three moderators would help out.
Not Always Secret
A social media group can keep its privacy settings limited or even secret. Teams might not always want to share what they are doing with the public. Perhaps it's wise to rethink the idea when hoping to run an active group. Opening the group to athletes around the globe increases the amount of knowledge available. As long as the group is well-managed, a large membership might help all members tremendously.