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It’s the eve of the fall sports season and it won’t be long before athletes are sweating it out on the first day of practice.

Some will be rehashing habits that they have mastered over the years, and some will be taking it in for the first time. No matter where you stand in the pecking order, make these days count.

Practice is usually not exciting and it can be downright exhausting, but it’s where progress is made. Nobody ever improved at anything without feeling uncomfortable and the first practice of the year is often quite uncomfortable.

Legs ache, bodies beg for rest and the mind wanders into thoughts of a soft couch.

But physical tests are often the true measure of mental strength. When the body fades, the mind motivates.

Now is the time to build up a mental toughness that will carry athletes throughout their seasons. It’s time to ‘embrace the suck’ and sacrifice for the greater good of the team and your athletic future.

Best of luck to all area athletes, I’ll see many of you on the sidelines soon.