This is the second in a series of articles about student-athletes’ pre-game rituals. Read them all here.
Hudson Marshall ’27. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.
In this week’s edition of Athletes’ Pre-Game Rituals, I speak to a young, new, exciting Northwood ski racer, Hudson Marshall ‘27. The ninth grader from Toronto, Canada, is rapidly developing into an elite skier. The 5-foot-10 student-athlete is physically strong for his age. His talent and intangibles are starting to become apparent. Since coming to Northwood, Hudson has spent a lot of time developing physically to be able to maximize his performance come wintertime.
I asked the Canadian youngster about his pre-race day musts. “Night before the race, I make sure to get a good meal in. No specific meal, just whatever is being served. Then I make sure to stretch a lot, I make sure my muscles are loose and fresh for race day.”
His race-day routine is a little more structured. “In the morning, I wake up, have a shower, all that good stuff. Race day meal, not too specific, but it’s gotta include eggs. That’s my one must.”
Once he leaves for the mountain, Marshall starts to focus and lock in. “I always listen to some music to get me hyped up for the race. Hard Rock and Rap are my two staple genres.”
Once at the hill, Hudson starts his routine: “I listen to music. I’ll do some free runs, get warmed up, and stretch.”
Nerves can seriously affect an athlete’s performance, especially in an individual sport, where the eyes are all on you. I asked Northwood’s freshman talent about how nerves affect him before his races. “This is something that is a big thing for me. I get nervous before races. I haven’t fully figured out how to get rid of or handle those nerves. I just always try to remember I’m there to have fun.”
When asked about advice he would give, the Canadian said this: “Super simple, but it’s something that I live by: Just keep on going, don’t give up. There’s a quote that I love. It goes, ‘If you don’t try, you’ll never know what might have been.’ I’ve liked this quote for as long as I can remember. It’s so true. If you stop and give up, you’ll never know what could have been if you stayed with it and kept on going.”
