Chris Levis of the Columbus Landsharks, shares his expertise on pre game preparation.

A very overlooked factor in an athlete's ability to perform to their highest potential is their pre game preparation. It's very important for an athlete to develop a ritual or routine, once they find out what works for them, and then to stick to it. Every pro does it so lets talk about some key factors you may want to use to up your performance levels.

Make sure your getting enough sleep the night prior to your game. Nothing cuts into a performance level more than not getting enough sleep the night before and not having enough energy. Some players enjoy taking a game day nap in the afternoon to make sure that they are plenty rested prior to the game. Either way 6-8 hours the night before should be enough to keep your energy up.

Drinking lots of water on your game day will keep your body performing at the highest level without dehydrating. Dehydration will cause a drastic decline in your ability to run and play your best so avoid it at all costs by drinking 1.5 to 3 litres of water throughout the day and stopping about a half hour out from your game. Try to avoid soft drinks and high sugar fruit juices. These drinks will cause a big sugar high initially but will crash your energy levels shortly after, leaving you feeling drained and tired. During the game, to ensure you replenish the water you've sweat out, sip some water in tiny amounts on the bench. This will help you perform at your best without overheating or cramping up.

Your pre-game meal should consist of some complex carbohydrates anywhere from 3-5 hours out from your game. Some different types of complex carbohydrates are pasta, rice, beans or legumes and potatoes. You can mix one of these foods with a little bit of chicken or a meat sauce adding a little protein to the meal as well. Finally, eat a salad full of water based vegetables. This helps get a little more water into your body to ensure you're fully hydrated.

Lacrosse is a very fast sport where things happen in the blink of an eye. It's important that your able to use your muscles in the same manner. Getting a good stretch before the game wakes up all your muscles so they can react with lighting like speed. Besides it helping you move faster, stretching also helps decrease the chances of you getting injured and increases your flexibility.

Getting good rest, drinking lots of water, eating properly and stretching on your game day will help you take your game to the next level. Practice it just like everything else and you'll be playing beyond your potential in no time.