Pre-season Preparations with WFA Athlete, Lois Cook

Xenith is proud to be the Official Equipment and Uniform provider of the Women's Football Alliance (WFA). To celebrate the kickoff of the 2022 WFA Season, Xenith will feature an apparel collection on our website with 10% of the proceeds from all sales through 4/13 going back to support the WFA. You will also get a glimpse at a day in the life of a professional athlete and her pre-season preparations, her nutrition plan for performing at the highest level, and an exclusive look at how she prepares for game day.

Lois Cook has played women's football since 2002 and she's also the mom to four boys. She's an advocate for women and girls in the sport and has grown a loyal audience on her Tik Tok and Instagram accounts where she shares her experiences. Lois plays wide receiver for the Washington DC Divas, and will be collaborating with Xenith on this project. We're excited to highlight her dedication and love for the game, and how she has become an inspiration for female athletes everywhere.

Pre-season Preparations

"Being an athlete is a lifestyle," Cook tells Xenith while talking about how she ramps up her training leading up to the football season. "As a team, we're on the field pretty much all year except for a month," she explains, "when I'm away from the team, I'm either reviewing film or doing light workouts at home." 

As the season gets closer, the team's practices - along with Cook's personal training - intensifies, so she's sharp and prepared when it's time to strap on a pair of shoulder pads.

Game Day

On game day, Lois emphasized rest and keeping a very narrow focus leading up to the game. "I don't like to get into deep conversations with anybody, I like to focus and have nothing but good vibes around me." 

Like many high level athletes, Lois said she leans heavily on visualization to get her mind ready for game day. "I try to do mental reps and focus on being in the game."

 

She said she'll usually do some light stretching in the morning, but overall gets her rest and lets her body just be relaxed before it's game time. Because when she finally does get to the field, "it's time to turn up!" Cook added.

Being a Role Model

"It's amazing I feel super grateful to be in such a position and sometimes I don't fully accept that I am in such a position." Cook said when asked how it feels to be a role model for young athletes.

"I was that little girl who grew up dreaming of playing football, but the coach told me no. I don't hold anything against him for it, I just accepted it. But if I would have had that vision of a woman on the field, I would have stayed in the game. I would have known there's something further for me to reach for. So for me, I want to be that vision for young girls who are looking for a way to play football."

Click here to shop the WFA pre-season collection.