Tucker's Blog

      The shoes you wear for any given situation should change based on the conditions and what you are striving for. For example if I am playing on a basketball court I should obviously not wear cleats because I will wipe out. Footwear can also affect your health as certain shoes can even cause back pain. While some shoes, such as Hokas or Brooks, can relieve yourself of lower bag and foot pain. I did not know this until I actually tried out Hokas and they genuinely have helped with my back and foot pain a lot. 

 Until I did research I never realized the benefits of listening to music. Throughout the years music has always put me in "a better mood" but I never really knew why. Well after doing some research I have came to the conclusion that music affects your brain in a couple of ways. The most simple ways it affects your mood is that music actually increases blood flow to the parts of your brain that affects your emotions. It also activates part of the brain called the "Limbic System", this system is in control of processing your emotions and controlling your memory. When music is heard, this system starts firing and memories begin flooding your brain. 

 Throughout my elementary, junior high, and high school experience, all my teachers made teamwork a priority. I believe this is extremely important, even though it may not have seemed like it was at the time. Every day in our jobs or classes we are often asked to worked with a partner or help someone out on a task. This ability for us to easily and quickly adapt to each other is a direct product, in my eyes, of good experiences with this at a young age. Obviously everyone may have had different experiences but in my opinion this is where this critical skill began to develop. 

      Mental health is as big, if not bigger, of an issue as it has ever been before. It seems to me like in today's society most people, especially men, are pushing away their struggles in fear of people judging them. Mental wellness has always been a thing I struggled with due to pressure to succeed in sports, but as I have gotten older I realized it follows me wherever I go. But, I can overcome it using strategies that I have discovered through the year such as music, shooting around on a basketball court, or playing any outdoor activity. These strategies may not work for everyone but, it can be a good starting point for someone who is not sure what they can do to help themselves.       In this picture I am golfing at Disney World. This was the day I realized golf was going to probably be my favorite hobby for the rest of my life. Especially, when I need to just get away from everything.