When you are playing as well as No. 4 Tennessee has so far this season, more eyes are on you than ever before.
Hence why the Vols continue to find themselves in the prime-time slot on Saturdays. While some fans appreciate the prestige in having their team star in the evening game, others hate having to wait all day for Saturday night. But what about the players themselves? Do night games have a positive or adverse effect on their play? Does it even have any effect at all?
On this week’s Vol Report, we talked to center Cooper Mays on the challenges of playing under the lights and how he adapts to them.
“I think the biggest thing is, you just wait around longer in the hotel,” Mays said about the game time difference. “I guess there’s more anxiety that builds up throughout the day you’re waiting to play. But, other than that, there’s not that much difference. Maybe going to be a little bit cooler… But, early in the season… probably a little bit better than a middle of the day game.”
Game day (at night) involves the team patiently waiting in their hotel rooms until it’s time to go to the stadium. They eat, work on last-minute preparations and try to relax. But when anxiety creeps in, Mays knows just how to combat it.
“I took a nap in the middle of the day, actually,” Mays said. “I mean, there’s probably no better way.”
Dealing with anxiety before a game used to be a bigger issue for Mays, but over the years as he’s gained experience, confidence and awareness, it’s not as much of a factor any longer.
“You’re just younger and the scope of everything in your life and your perspective doesn’t really give justice to the fact that it’s just a game,” Mays explained about game day anxiety. “You thought sports were really, really, really serious, and they probably weren’t as much as (I) was led on to believe when I was really young. So, I was more anxious for games when I was younger than I am now, honestly.
“Probably me being older, nobody’s really talking to me that is more negative to me than myself,” Mays continued. “It’s one thing when you go out there and you make mistakes, like you’re going to be hard on yourself. But when you’re young, you got coaches, your dad or mom that are rough on you when you mess up.”
Over his long tenure at Tennessee, Mays has had to deal with many ups and downs. New coaches, new teammates, and at least one injury that kept him on the sidelines for weeks. And there’s the travel involved. Playing a night game away from Neyland and the comfort of your own bed presents a challenge not many of us think about.
Mays and his teammates head home directly after an away game, exhausted, both physically and mentally. This Saturday, Tennessee plays on the road at Arkansas, which means Mays won’t be hitting his pillow for quite a while.
“Realistically, you’ll probably go to bed at the earliest, around like 4:45.”
Meaning he will most likely need to sleep all day Sunday to recoup. So, what does the overall recovery process look like for Mays?
“It’s a couple days after,” Mays said on his physical recovery. “It’ll take some time, that’s for sure. My position at least.”
Night games can take a toll on players and fans alike. But, as long as Tennessee stays this hot, expect cool fall night games and staying up way past bedtime.
