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 [...]
Joint rules process yields nine updates aimed at clarity, consistency, and athlete safety Dallas, TX - March 17, 2026 - USA Cheer, in partnership with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), announces updates to the high school cheerleading rules following the conclusion of the joint annual rules meeting. The updated rules will [...]
TrueSport Expert Stephanie Miezin, MS, RD, CSSD Pre-exercise hydration can be a confusing topic for youth sports parents and coaches. Most people know that it is important, but the specifics of ‘why’ can seem murky. “How much water should my athletes be drinking before practices and games?,” “How can an athlete [...]
TrueSport Expert Stephanie Miezin, MS, RD, CSSD Artificial food dyes have received plenty of attention in recent years. Some headlines suggest they may increase hyperactivity in children, while others argue they’re simply unnecessary additives that we don’t need in our food. As a caregiver, it’s natural to wonder how concerned you [...]
TrueSport Expert Stephanie Miezin, MS, RD, CSSD High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has been making headlines for years—and usually not in a positive light. Often used as a replacement for cane sugar in sodas, candies, and other sweet snacks, it’s frequently viewed as the “less healthy” option. For coaches working with [...]
Getting the right fuel before an early workout can be tough. Many athletes find that eating first thing in the morning feels unappetizing, upsets their stomach, or simply doesn’t fit into their morning routine. But your body still needs energy to perform—and there are simple ways to make pre-workout fueling easier. “If you’re [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD Taking risks is part of sport, and part of life: You won’t excel as an athlete if you don’t take shots that you know may not go into the goal, push harder in a run knowing you may not be able to hold the pace, or opt to [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD As a coach, you may assume that your role is to protect athletes from failure, make the decisions that you feel are in the best interest of the team, and generally keep the team’s results steady. But viewing your role in this way may be holding your athletes [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD Encouraging young people to take risks and take ownership of making their own decisions can be hard for caregivers who are used to helping their children avoid failure. This is understandable and natural, but board-certified family physician and TrueSport Expert Deborah Gilboa, MD, explains that most caregivers are [...]
If you're the caregiver for a young athlete, you need to be paying close attention to their oral health and hygiene, especially since good practices for sports nutrition don't always align with the best practices for dental health. This Children’s Dental Health Month, Dr. Michele LaBotz, a TrueSport Expert and sports medicine specialist, is sharing [...]
Historic milestone marks culmination of 16+ year journey to create a collegiate sport derived from cheer and designed for women DALLAS, TX, UNITED STATES, January 20, 2026 - STUNT, the head-to-head competitive cheer sport governed nationally by USA Cheer, has officially advanced to NCAA Championship Sport status, marking a historic milestone for women’s collegiate athletics. [...]
Amy Eichner, PhD GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have become increasingly common for adults for both diabetes management and weight loss. Even well-known celebrities and tennis star Serena Williams have endorsed GLP-1 drugs, increasing their visibility and normalizing their use. These GLP-1 drugs are becoming more common, both through prescriptions [...]
As a parent of a young athlete, you’re likely going to be on snack duty at some point during the season. For some competitions or practices, this will be easier: a few granola bars, orange slices, and you’re good to go. But for longer days, like track and field meets or regional matches [...]
Amy Eichner, PhD Supplements targeted to athletes are everywhere, and they're becoming increasingly popular thanks to social media. As influencers and ad campaigns speak specifically to teens about recovering faster, gaining more muscle, or even shedding fat, your young athletes may be curious about supplements to boost their performance on the [...]
Amy Eichner, PhD While peptides have been popular for years, first making waves in products for skin and joint care, injectable peptides have recently become popular on social media thanks to claims of muscle growth, recovery, and a host of other benefits that may appeal to athletes. Here, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency [...]
TrueSport Athlete Ambassador Abby Raymond As an Olympic weightlifter, setting incredibly specific goals is nonnegotiable for Abby Raymond. Because a single pound of weight on the bar could be the difference between a win or a loss, the granular focus on numbers is key to success. But it's not always easy [...]