Priya Cooper / Asst. Sports Editor

    A big question for athletes of this generation is: ‘How can I  reach the best of my ability?’ Additionally, ‘What environment stimulates my peak performance?’ 

   There is a lot of debate about whether consistent practice makes a better player, or if game-like situations such as tournaments and scrimmages are the key to improving performance. 

    The   concept   of   practice helps athletes reach mastery of their necessary skills. Through consistent practice, they can master fundamental techniques with drills and structured sessions that can be applied to in-game situations. Practicing a sport allows for muscle memory and refining motor skills. 

  USD  senior  and goalkeeper on the men’s soccer team, Luis Ludosan, talked about how practice is beneficial. 

   “I would say I would agree with intense practice. In general,  just to kind of  develop your skills. The practice we do is always game related, I would say it depends on who we play with and after we watch video, we just adopt all practice toward that. Discipline and hard work goes a long way.” 

   USD first-year, Sophia Quirk, a member of the women’s rowing team noted that both practice and tournaments help her reach peak performance. 

     “If  you  don’t  practice  what      you’re gonna do on race day, then you’ll never be able to perform to the best of your ability on race day, but you also need multiple races through styles like tournament, before competing in championship to be able to perform at peak quality.”

   On the other hand, tournaments promote players’ attitude and speed for future game-like situations. They also provide  a chance for players to showcase and try out the fundamentals they have been learning at practice and attempt them in a competitive environment.    

  While practice is essential for skill development, the intensity and unpredictability of real-game scenarios pushes athletes to perform to the best of their abilities. Through tournaments, scrimmages and other games, athletes are forced to adapt under pressure and understand how to anticipate the game. Some think the realistic conditions are more beneficial than practice with the same people and conditions. 

   USD  senior Rhys Gourdie, on the men’s soccer team mentioned how tournaments help.

   “Maybe tournaments are more helpful. It depends, I mean, I think you play your best when you’re constantly playing games. Consistency is key. I’d say the more games you have under your belt, you play, the better prepared you feel.”

   There are still questions about the negative aspects of tournaments, in comparison to practice. 

    The New York Tennis Magazine looks at how games can damage athletes’ esteem and end up hurting them more in the long run. 

   “What happens often  is that the kids revert back to the old habits and become addicted  to winning, because they put too much importance on something  that   should be a low priority,” the article stated.  

    If the goal is to win no matter what, then the article may suggest that tournaments are the preferred route to success. 

    Location    is    also   a   big   part   of sports culture  and the ongoing debate of which method of play creates the best athletes. The article also explained the difference between how the U.S. and countries in Europe prepare young athletes, and how those strategies are reflected. 

  “In some European countries, they have a different approach… The philosophy is that kids should not really compete in events until a later age when they are already technically sound and capable of playing ‘the right way.’ The kids will do repetition drills for hours every day and play monitored practice matches among themselves as their coaches supervise.”

 The emphasis on  continuous practice and tournaments are both beneficial. The approach that one takes may depend on their goal, whether their only objective is to win and come out victorious, or if their objective is to finetune their abilities and be the best version of themself as a player.  

Practices and games both advance a player and their skills.

Emma-Kate Squires/The USD Vista