CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- The All-Navy Men's Soccer Team highlighted the importance of physical fitness and readiness during the first game of the All-Armed Forces Soccer tournament, Sept. 24 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
The team has been busy all month preparing for the tournament with two-a-day practices and high-intensity drills. Lt. Scott Cook, captain of the All-Navy Men's Soccer Team, stressed that the physical preparation began well before the team ever hit the field.
"I just finished the P90X II workout program, and I try to work out as much as I can. I've also been running between five to seven miles a day," said Cook. "I enjoy playing soccer, and if I wasn't in shape, I couldn't play."
The Navy is moving into the second physical fitness assessment (PFA) cycle of 2012, and the team focused on both fitness and nutrition as they prepare to take on the other services in the week-long soccer tournament and complete their PFAs for the Navy.
Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Erik Campos, team captain for the All-Navy Men's Soccer Team, said he uses the game to stay in shape and motivate him to meet the Navy's standards and prepare for the physical readiness test.
"We train every day and are some of the top athletes in the Navy. We should be mission-ready and ready to go at all times," said Campos.
The team's volunteer medic, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class James Porsche, stressed the importance of safe training to maintain physical and mission readiness.
"You have to make sure you're stretched out, that's number one," said Porsche. "If you do get injured, make sure you work out those muscles and get a good regiment of rest, ice, and compression so you don't stay injured for too long."
In addition to injury prevention tactics, the players emphasized that physical training should be a part of everyone's daily routine to improve their lifestyle. Campos advised service members to never over-exert themselves.
"Don't quit. Make your regiment suit you. Don't try to follow someone else's regiment. You do as much as you can and mark it down any time you beat your personal best," he said. "That's the only way to get better."
