Kevin Chapman, PHD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Founder Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders For young athletes, it can feel like there is always another level to reach: Earn playing time. Secure a starting spot. Make varsity. Get a college offer. Commit to a program. Sign an NIL deal. Move to [...]
Dr. Melissa Streno Caregivers often face difficult decisions when navigating youth sports: How can a family balance chores, time together, homework, or other hobbies with multiple sports, teams, camps, and extra coaching without negatively affecting the family unit? For families with more than one child, coordinating schedules, costs, and transportation can [...]
Dr. Melissa Streno As a coach, you have to make a lot of decisions that shape athletes’ experiences, team culture and well-being. Who gets to start each game, how to resolve player disputes, when to make team culture adjustments, and the smaller everyday decisions made during practice carry consequences. Over time, [...]
Dr. Melissa Streno Shortcuts are everywhere, and it’s easier than ever to take advantage of them. Whether you’re looking for a shortcut to finish a research paper or get ahead in your sport, social media likely has a suggestion that claims to make you better, faster, smarter, or stronger. But are [...]
TrueSport Expert, Voleyball Coach and Recruiter Establishing an effective, positive relationship with your young athlete’s coach can be easy, and at other times, it can feel like a complicated struggle. Here, TrueSport Expert Keith Barnett, a longtime volleyball coach and recruiter, former player, and father to a current high school athlete, [...]
TrueSport Expert, Voleyball Coach and Recruiter As a coach, it can feel as though you are solely responsible for your team. But whether you lead a large program with a full staff or coach after school while relying on shared resources and caregiver volunteers, you can build a coaching team [...]
Whether it’s game day for your young athlete or you just want to give them the boost they need to start off the day strong, a nourishing, energizing breakfast should be a priority. The nutrients of a well-balanced breakfast provide foundational fuel for the brain and body while also supporting athletic performance. One [...]
TrueSport Expert, Voleyball Coach and Recruiter If you've been playing the same sport since you were young, you may have settled into a specific position and focused entirely on honing the skills it requires. This could mean always playing left field in baseball, striker in soccer, or setter in volleyball. But [...]
TrueSport Expert Stephanie Miezin, MS, RD, CSSD Helping young athletes stay hydrated is one of the simplest ways to support their health, safety, and performance. Water plays a key role in everything from focus and mood to muscle function and body temperature. When kids are active, their bodies rely on sweating [...]
Dennis Coonan, MSE, LAT, ATC For athletes, injuries can cause the same feeling of grief that comes from losing a loved one. Athletes may experience denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and hopefully, acceptance (along with a full recovery!). But during the process, it can feel difficult for a caregiver to know how [...]
Dennis Coonan, MSE, LAT, ATC People are often confused about how an athletic trainer fits into the sport ecosystem. What does an athletic trainer do for the team? And how can teams best take advantage of this resource? Often, athletic trainers are only mentioned in the context of an athlete who [...]
Dennis Coonan, MSE, LAT, ATC Injuries that force an athlete to take a break from their sport are common. And the impact isn’t just physical: A forced break from sport can be emotionally painful as well. For many athletes, coping with the injury, recovering from it, and advocating for themselves [...]
TrueSport Expert Roberta Kraus, PhD The word “culture” is a buzz word we hear or read about all the time. With regards to the youth sport arena, it is about the everyday behaviors and interactions of the performers who show up to the competition. For TrueSport Expert Roberta Kraus, PhD, the [...]
As a coach, one of the most challenging skills in the youth sport world today is to learn how to evaluate the effectiveness of your team culture. How do you objectively diagnosis the culture of the team and connect that to an action plan that gives you clarity around what you want to [...]
TrueSport Expert Roberta Kraus, PhD Picking team captain(s) is a daunting and challenging task for athletic teams, especially given how their role can impact team culture over time. Sometimes selections are made strictly by coaches, sometimes it’s done by players voting, and sometimes it’s a combination of both. Regardless of the [...]
After reading the TrueSport article below, visit the USA Cheer Concussion Education and Resources Hub Concussions are one of the most common injuries in high school and youth sports. And while they are most common in contact sports such as football and ice hockey, they occur across the full spectrum of sport, [...]
Laura Lewis, PhD Sport science can be overwhelming, and it’s easy to get bogged down in acronym-rich terminology that seems critically important to your athlete’s success. If you don’t know their VO2 max or their body composition stats from a DEXA scan or their anaerobic threshold, are you missing out on [...]
Laura Lewis, PhD Recovery strategies are increasingly trendy in the sports world, from new spa-like centers that feature ice baths, saunas, compression boots, and red-light therapies, to old staples like foam rollers and sports massage. But which recovery strategies really move the needle for athletes trying to optimize their recovery and [...]
Laura Lewis, PhD If you’re an athlete living at sea level, the idea of training or competing at a high-altitude location can feel intimidating. Maybe you’ve heard horror stories from teammates who struggled to acclimate, or you’re concerned that you won’t be able to perform at your best. While higher elevations [...]
Kevin Chapman, PhD Athletic success doesn’t happen just because of fast legs or strong muscles. Success is often due to mental strength as well as physical prowess, at any age. That’s why retrieval cues can be an athlete’s secret weapon when used effectively. Caregivers can use retrieval cues to help athletes [...]
Kevin Chapman, PhD Winning the big game, taking a state title, or finishing top 10 at nationals—these outcome goals are exciting to set with your team. But because they often take months to achieve and are influenced by factors beyond your control, focusing only on outcome goals can leave your team [...]
Kevin Chapman, PhD Visualization can be an athlete’s secret weapon, and it’s a skill that you can practice in the car, at home, or whenever you have downtime in your sport. Using mental imagery to work through key game-day scenarios can help you find the right balance of game-day nerves and [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD Caregivers often think their job is shielding athletes from all stress. But board-certified family physician and TrueSport Expert, Deborah Gilboa, MD, says stress is a vital tool for building resilience. Instead of avoiding it, help athletes embrace stress strategically to grow mentally, emotionally, and physically. Here, Gilboa is sharing [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD Coaches juggle stress on two levels: managing athletes’ stress so they don’t burn out or underperform and managing their own stress so they can lead well and avoid burnout themselves. To do both, coaches need to understand how stress works, as well as how to make it work [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD You may have been taught that stress is always bad and should be avoided. But in reality, stress is critical for growth, performance, and being a happy, healthy human. Too much stress can absolutely be a problem, but no stress at all usually means you’re not being challenged [...]