MICHELE LABOTZ, MD, FAAP Sports Medicine Physician, InterMed Sports Medicine Clinic Dealing with your period while balancing sports can be stressful and uncomfortable. But your period is a positive thing: It's an important marker of health, and there are ways to make this part of your life easier. Here, Dr. [...]
Betsy Butterick, Coach and Communication Specialist If you often find yourself having arguments with your athlete about things like getting to practice on time, an unfair coach or referee, or what your athlete could have done better after a bad game, there are some simple ways to improve your style [...]
In youth sports, parents and caregivers are often tasked with providing team snacks for everyone at least once during the season. Deciding what to bring can be stressful—and it can be expensive, depending on what you choose! KRISTEN ZIESMER, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN Registered Dietitian, Founder Elite Nutrition & Performance [...]
As a coach, you play a large role in the creation of your team culture. While athletes make a difference, you are ultimately the leader who will set the tone for the team each season as athletes come and go. It's easy to fall into certain patterns and skip self-reflection, especially if [...]
Betsy Butterick, Coach and Communication Specialist Creating the team culture you want can be tricky: Every small action you take or conversation you have contributes to the culture as much as any result from a competition or the work you put in at practice. So how do you purposefully create [...]
Dr. Jessica Bartley, senior director of psychological services with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Are you coming to the end of a chapter in your sporting career? Maybe you're a high school senior who isn't planning to continue with your sport in college. Perhaps you were injured and need [...]
Laura Lewis, PhDDirector of Science, USADA It’s no secret: We know that sleep is an athlete's superpower. Athletes who get enough sleep and have good sleep hygiene are able to recover faster, while those with poor sleep quality tend to be injured more and recover slower. So, is it important [...]
It can be confusing when you’re shopping for a sports drink for your athlete and are confronted with an entire aisle of options. There are sports drink mixes and bottles, oral rehydration solutions in bottle and packet form, electrolyte tabs and mixes, and blends designed to promote recovery. Choosing the right one [...]
Laura Lewis, PhDDirector of Science, USADA Wearables are becoming more and more common amongst amateur and professional athletes, but should student-athletes be using these technologies? Dr. Laura Lewis is the Director of Science at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and her early research was done on cycling and power meters—devices [...]
Laura Lewis, PhDDirector of Science, USADA Should you be tracking your period with an app or trusting a wearable to let you know when it's about to start? Technology in sport has come a long way, and recently, great strides have been made in the women's health and technology space. [...]
Kevin Chapman, PHD Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Founder Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders How often do you consider what you're thinking, or tune in to how you're talking to yourself? Everything in our lives, and in particular, our sport performance, can be affected by our internal dialogue. Here, TrueSport [...]
If your athlete has a bad competition, game, or practice, it can lead to a tense car ride home. Often, caregivers are well-meaning in their efforts to soothe grumpy athletes with advice and reassurances. Unfortunately, we often end up creating a more stressful, angst-filled situation in our attempts to help our athletes. [...]
Motivating athletes on your team is an important part of coaching. And providing motivation while protecting mental wellness can be challenging, especially for coaches who were made to believe in concepts like 'no pain, no gain' and a culture of punishment for failure. Kevin Chapman, PHD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Founder Kentucky [...]
KRISTEN ZIESMER, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN Registered Dietitian, Founder Elite Nutrition & Performance If your athlete is struggling with gut issues, from constipation to bloating to diarrhea and everything in between, it can be overwhelming and stressful. There's a vast amount of conflicting advice, and what works for one person [...]
MICHELE LABOTZ, MD, FAAP Sports Medicine Physician, InterMed Sports Medicine Clinic You may be wondering to yourself: "What possible benefit can I get by understanding how brain chemistry relates to sport?" It matters more than you might think. A better understanding of brain chemistry may actually lead to improved outcomes [...]
USA Cheer & STUNT Join Forces with Double Good, Empowering the Cheerleading and STUNT Community with a $25,000 Donation DALLAS, TX. (April 8, 2024) – - USA Cheer & STUNT proudly announce a partnership with Double Good, a popcorn-based fundraising company dedicated to raising joy for America’s youth. With an extraordinary $25,000 donation from [...]
MICHELE LABOTZ, MD, FAAP Sports Medicine Physician, InterMed Sports Medicine Clinic If you're the caregiver to an athlete with a disability, it can be a daunting process to help them pursue the sports that they're interested in, and it may be tempting to shy away from putting youth with disabilities [...]
The term ‘equity’ has been used a lot in recent years when talking about diversity initiatives, but it’s not always clear what that actually means. And unfortunately, there are also misconceptions and assumptions around equity in sport that, as a caregiver of a young athlete, you should recognize and discontinue. Nadia [...]
Whether inflation is increasing the cost of your normal trip to the grocery store or you’re suddenly buying a lot more food for growing athletes, you may KRISTEN ZIESMER, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN Registered Dietitian, Founder Elite Nutrition & Performance be looking for ways to save some money while buying [...]
Cross-culture communication is exactly what it sounds like: Being able to communicate in an honest, productive, healthy way with all the athletes on your team, regardless of their cultural, ethnic, or racial background, as well as gender, sexuality, or religion. Showing that you’re open and respectful of everyone’s backgrounds and beliefs can [...]
Nadia Kyba, MSW, President of Now What Facilitation Many of us want to directly intervene when we see an injustice or instance of bullying, but the sad reality is that it’s not always safe to do so. However, that doesn’t mean you should do nothing. There are many ways you [...]
‘If you see something, say something.’ You may have seen that phrase in airports or on trains as you traveled, and in sport, the same sentiment holds true. People who report misconduct and suspicious behavior, often referred to as whistleblowers, play a vital role in our ability to maintain safe and fair [...]
Dealing with the preferences and needs of different family members at mealtime can be extremely difficult for caregivers. You may have one child who’s going through a ‘picky eater’ phase, another who’s a vegetarian, and a third who comes home famished after two-a-day practices. You may have your own food preferences as [...]
Is sugar ever good for you? You may have heard that sugar is bad and should be avoided, but for athletes in particular, this is absolutely not the case. Here, TrueSport Expert Stephanie Miezin, MS, RD, CSSD, the Director of Nutrition for the NWSL team, KC Current, destigmatizes sugar and shares the [...]
Appetite can be a tricky thing: Sometimes, after the hardest efforts or longest practices, your athlete may simply not feel hungry. This is normal—but if it becomes a regular occurrence, it can be a cause for concern. While hunger cues are generally important and should be respected, in situations like these, it’s [...]