One of the most important days of the week in a college athlete’s busy schedule is game day. Although you are an athlete, it is important to still meet your school requirements on game days but being able to have your mind shift from school to your sport is something that is extremely necessary. Macy McHale, a member of the Miami University field hockey team brings us through what her typical game day looks like.
7 a.m.: Wake up and do homework
Macy likes to start her day early and be productive right away. This allows her to get her school work done and out of the way before needing to be zoned in on field hockey later in the day.
8 a.m.: Eat breakfast
Especially on game days, it is crucial for athletes to fuel their body to have the energy to perform well during their game. Macy’s go-to breakfast is oatmeal with frozen berries.
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8:30-9:30 a.m.: Class
To meet her academic requirements for the day, Macy goes to her sports psychology class.
10:15 a.m. : Heart spike/stretching as a team
After class, it’s time to get ready for the game. Macy and her teammates will get some heart rate activity and stretching to ensure that their muscles are ready to compete.
10:30 a.m.: Pregame meal
The next fueling meal of the day comes a few hours before warm up time, and usually consists of eggs and sandwiches, the perfect combination of protein and carbohydrates.
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11:30-12:30 p.m.: Pregame meeting
Right before the game Macy, her teammates and coaches will discuss their game objectives, scouting report, and starting lineups. Right before this is when everyone gets locked in and is ready for gametime.
1:00 p.m.: Sing the fight song
In their locker room showers, they will sing their fight song to get pumped up and then head to our field to being warm up.
1:15-2:00 p.m.: Game Warmup
Time to stretch and shake out the nerves.
2:00-4:00 p.m.: Game Time!!!
Most field hockey games last about two hours.
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4:30-6:00 p.m.: Postgame tailgate
After every game, a different set of parents plans a post game tailgate that all of the team’s families, friends, and teammates enjoy.
6:30-10:00 p.m.: Shower and homework, TV and hang out with roommates
Following a game day, Macy likes to relax the rest of the night doing homework, hanging out with her roommates and watching TV. This is important especially on how hectic game days can be and all of the excitement around them
11:00 p.m.: Bedtime
Time to rest so Macy can get up for practice the next day!
Image Credit: Miami University Athletics
End: What’s a day in your life like? Share your Daily Grind at [email protected]
* Originally published on November 2, 2022, by Andrea Leitner
