My name is Reuben. I am a senior at Colonial Forge High School. This is my first year as a member of Y Street. Throughout my years in high school, I had a knack for sports. I played soccer and ran track. I chose to play sports because I believe sports teach real-life lessons that an individual might not experience until adulthood such as failures, discipline, and initiative. Playing sports is not always about the accolades and achievements, it’s about being a part of something that brings a sense of self-confidence while teaching real-life lessons. Sports are the greatest metaphor for life. Most of the time the game doesn’t go as planned, and just like life, you are faced with unforeseen events, and the way you deal with it is really what molds you.
A huge part of being able to stay healthy to play the sport that I love is staying hydrated. Staying hydrated is an essential part of athletes’ work, off the field, to stay healthy in order to perform at their best. During practice and games, athletes’ heart rate increases a lot due to the strenuous exercises that they perform. Water helps with blood circulation to their hearts and regulates blood pressure. In my sophomore year, I failed to understand the importance of staying hydrated. I played a game without drinking an adequate amount of water to stay hydrated and suffered the consequences by sustaining an injury that ended my season. It was heartbreaking, especially because I caused it. Staying hydrated reduces muscle fatigue, which reduces the risk of injury. Once I made a plan to stay hydrated prior to and after games, I never sustained any more injuries throughout my years in high school. It is surprising how a small action like drinking water can have such a huge impact on an athlete.
One of the goals of Rev Your Bev is to educate students like me to understand that water is really important. If I had understood the importance of hydrating, I would not have sustained my injury. Athletes across the country find themselves in the same predicament, which is why I joined the Rev Your Bev campaign. I made it my personal goal to try to prevent other athletes from experiencing my pain. The Rev Your Bev campaign is really impacting change because for some people sports is all they have and without it, they feel empty. I am very glad to be a part of this movement to ensure that every athlete is hydrated and ready to perform at their best.
For more information on what the Rev Your Bev Campaign is doing to help students stay hydrated, please visit our website at RevYourBev.com.
