Eight Essentials for your kit list this beach season!
With the first events of the season rolling out on the UKBT, I thought I’d take a moment to share some of the essentials that I’m gonna be packing my backpack with every time I leave for the courts.
- Sun cream. Make sure you apply suncream before you get to the beach, give it time to set in. I personally use factor 50 so I can compete without having to worry if I’m burning. Make sure to bring it with you to the courts so you can top up throughout the day!
- Water bottle: the essential for any tournament. Hydration is key for the long days at the beach, so make sure you get a 2-litre bottle at the minimum to help prevent de-hydration. If you can get an insulated water bottle, even better, as it will keep your water nice and cool whilst you’re heating up. In my time at CEV u22 I found that the best option was to bring two water bottles, one for electrolytes and one for water.
- Electrolytes, hand in hand with a water bottle, you can get them either as a tablet to put into your water bottle or as a chew tablet. These will help reduce cramps and help replenish sodium, potassium, and magnesium lost through sweat, while providing carbs for energy.
- Bands, and a Roller. If you want to be able to perform at the top of your game, you want to be taking care of your body on and off the court. I always prep for matches with my bands, Spanish squats to help prevent and manage any knee pain with a larger band, and then using my roller to target any specific muscles which are a bit sore. Bands are great for helping activate muscles pre-game as well, making sure that all the specific muscle groups are working effectively without having to compensate with another muscle group.
- Snacks! ideally an energy bar with some carbohydrates, or a banana to help keep cramps away.Other players like fruit and nut, biscuits, sweets… Fireball head coach Sam always brings a lot of different food with him on tournament days as he wants to make sure he has something that he wants to eat when he has a break. More fuel is normally good! Try to avoid anything fried or deep fried or too fatty.
- A notepad/Journal: for tournament days I like to bring my journal to help me keep track of any notes I want to take on teams I’m up against, but also it can help for post-game reflections that you can keep track of over time.
- A quick dry towel: these are great for many reasons, you can use them, to wipe the sweat off your face, douse it with iced water to put on your head and neck in-between matches, or just use it to dry yourself off after going into the sea!
- Sunglasses and/or a cap! Some people play without either of these accessories, but for me the sunglasses are an essential piece of kit that I need to be able to play. Having a cap can also be helpful, as if you’re approaching an attack too early, the cap will let you know by taking the ball out of your sight.
With these items all packed in your bag, the only thing you’ve got to worry about is who you’re going to be up against on the other side of the net! I hope this list helps some of you level up your pre game rituals. If you’ve got any items that you think deserve to be on this list send us an email over at Firepod@Fireballbeachvolleyball.com.
Written by George Ruddick
