This month's "Fitness As A Lifestyle" Athlete Spotlight focuses on Lane Colleges' 6 foot 3 starting point guard and all around athlete Pierre Robertson! Recently I had the chance to sit down with the Dragons shining star to not only discuss his goals with Lane College as a student athlete but more importantly how a healthy diet and consistent regiment play into his success on and off the court.
So, Pierre, How exactly did basketball start for you?
I started playing basketball, just about how every other kid picks up a sport growing up. It was introduced to me at the playgrounds during my elementary school years, I stuck with it, and now I'm playing college basketball.
How serious do you take the sport?
Growing up, it was always something that I just did for fun and enjoyed doing. I really didn't start taking it serious until the summer after my junior year in college. I looked back on what I had did so far, and it motivated me to take it to an even higher level.
How hectic is your training schedule and give me a breakdown of a "typical" day of yours?
My schedule can get pretty hectic at times, but as long as you prepare for it beforehand, everything runs smoothly. On a typical day, I wake up at about 7am for a morning run. I get done with that at about 7:45, shower and head to my 9:00 class. That class is scheduled to be over at 11am and after that me and my teammate go to the weight room. Usually, players don't lift while they are in season, but we've been doing it for some time and wanted to make sure we were able to maintain our strength that we had developed during the off season. After weights, we usually get up about 300 shots, then I'll go home, shower again and get ready for more class. I have back to back classes at 2 and 3 o'clock and as soon as I get out of those I head to the gym where basketball practice is usually already in session. We stay in practice till about 5:30pm and after that I go home, shower, rest and prepare to do it all again the next day.
How important is nutrition to you and when and what do you eat?
Nutrition is VERY important to me. The older I've gotten and with the more experience that I've come across, I've realized that the only difference between people who are good at what they do and people who are GREAT at what they do is beforehand preparation. And that can be applied to all walks of life but especially goes for sports. Basically, the only real difference between anybody and LeBron James or Kobe Bryant is the fact that LeBron and Kobe have put in so much work and have exercised such great discipline to ensure the spot that they have today. Long story short, diet and nutrition is definitely a huge part of preparation.
Usually when I wake up, I eat about two bowls of Frosted Flakes or Honey Nut Cheerios cereal before I go running. When i get back, I usually eat a variation of eggs, waffles and some sort of meat. In the afternoons, I eat a lot of pasta's and rice meals. For the evenings, I usually eat grilled chicken breasts with rice and broccoli or some sort of vegetable on the side. And at nights, if I ever get hungry, I'll eat a peanut butter sandwich with a nice glass of milk.
Talk about your goals as an athlete…
My goals as an athlete are simple, I just want to be the best.
Well put, lol. Any advice for younger generations trying to get where you are?
Yes, and the advice I have is simple too. You CAN do it. Just work hard and be discipline. Obviously doing this won't be easy because if it were, everyone would be successful. But if you work hard and stay discipline, no matter where you come from, you can make it anywhere. Tell yourself and BELIEVE that the only difference between you and LeBron James or whoever you idolize is just a little more practice. With hard work and discipline, the sky is the limit. Don't stop "until your idols become your rivals." (Some quote i stole from Drake or Big Sean or somebody). Lol.
Fitness is not a life choice, it's a life style! When striving for your fitness goals always remember the the more you put in the bigger the pay off in the end.
For more information on Lane Colleges' Basketball schedule, season, players & stats please visit the link below:
http://www.lanecollege.edu/lanepages.asp?V_menu=08&p_num=03
If you would like to be featured in next months "Fitness As A Lifestyle" Spotlight please email our Editor in Chief at coreystaylor@comcast.net and tell us why.
*Live Well*
