Train for the Game

Many people who are athletes make the mistake of trying to play their way into shape instead of training to play.
Masters athletes aren't immune to this approach as many think that they can just show up and start playing their respective game and that will suffice. Especially as we age this is a recipe for disaster as the first priority of any training program is injury prevention which is a huge issue for older athletes. Playing the sport doesn't do anything for injury prevention as it just
predisposes you to an even greater chance of injury without the appropriate training to decrease the chances of injury.
I see this mistake made all of the time: people don't train between seasons, go full bore in the first practice/game and pull their hamstring/ calves/ low back/whatever.
What would you expect? You had no off-season/pre-season training and then expected to go full bore without any consequences. But this happens all the time in Masters sports like squash, baseball, soccer and the like. As the body ages it is especially intolerant of such abuse as muscles tighten/shorten, ligaments/tendons are less resilient than they once were, and power isn't what it once was when you were younger.
So back to the title of the post: you must train to play not the reverse.
So examine the demands of your sport: speed, agility, fitness, strength, balance, etc. and determine where your strengths and weaknesses are and plan your training accordingly.
Your body will reward you with improved performance, less chance of injury and increase your overall enjoyment of the game/sport you love.

Train hard and train smart!
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