Cole Penzar

Cole Penzar is a boys volleyball player. Cole has been putting on outstanding performances and we wanted to see what a day looks like for him. 

Q: How does your game day start? Any specific morning routines?

A: The routine starts the night before: eating good food, hydrating a lot and going to bed earlier.

Q: What do you typically eat before a game? Do you have any specific meals?

A: I don’t like to eat a lot right before the game. A protein bar, pasta or something, anything light but is filling enough.

Q: How do you mentally prepare for a game, what kind of music do you listen to or any meditation practices?

A: I listen to Playboi Carti, Lil Wayne, Death Grips, Jpegmafia: anything with a high amount of energy to get your heartbeat up.

Q: What goes through your mind right before the game starts? How do you handle the nerves if any?

A: If I prepare right, the only thing on my mind is the game. All you can really do is your best, so I’m never nervous before the game. I’m prepared to put in 100% and we’ll see what happens after that.

Q: How do you stay focused during the game especially in high pressure moments?

A: Box breathing is really helpful. I do it before every serve, if we need to reset after a point or just any time where I find myself losing focus.

Q: What are some key things you do to stay calm if things aren’t going well?

A: You have to reset after each point. You can’t prioritize getting seven points in a row; instead focus on getting the point right in front of you. Constructive communication is so important. Usually your teammates know better than you about what you did wrong, and everyone is open to receiving and using new advice.

Q: How do you balance emotions, whether your celebrating a coping with a loss?

A: No matter what you can’t change a result, so instead of thinking what you should’ve done, I think about what I can do/change in the next game.

Q: How do you wind down at the end of game day?

A: After a big dinner, it’s either homework or a video game.