Dr. Melissa Streno As a busy coach, the idea of making time for self-care can seem overwhelming or even unimportant compared to the endless tasks on your list. But carving out time to take care of yourself will significantly help your body and mind, while also making you a better [...]
Dr. Melissa Streno Self-care is often misunderstood, and in the sports community, it can be viewed as lazy or as a way to justify obsessive behaviors. In reality, self-care should be about finding and intentionally practicing experiences that make you feel renewed. Here, Dr. Melissa Streno, TrueSport Expert and licensed [...]
KRISTEN ZIESMER, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN Registered Dietitian, Founder Elite Nutrition & Performance Struggling to get dinner on the table after a long day of shuttling athletes to and from practice? Or maybe you're frustrated with the small amounts of leftovers sitting uneaten in the fridge. Good news: Freezer meals [...]
Charron Sumler, PhD, LPCC Sport Psychotherapist, The Ohio State University, Department of Athletics As an athlete, you know that not every competition will end with a win. In fact, there will almost always be something in a race, competition, or match that doesn't go your way. That can be emotionally [...]
MICHELE LABOTZ, MD, FAAP Sports Medicine Physician, InterMed Sports Medicine Clinic Back pain can be scary for both an athlete and their caregiver. It often doesn't have a clearcut reason or explanation, which can feel frightening, and lingering back pain can be frustrating for an athlete who's in the middle [...]
MICHELE LABOTZ, MD, FAAP Sports Medicine Physician, InterMed Sports Medicine Clinic Do you know which muscles make up your core? While it's easy to equate having a strong core with having visible six-pack abs, there's much more to your core than how your stomach muscles look in the mirror. A [...]
Shoulder injuries are unfortunately common for athletes of all types, whether due to acute or overuse injuries sustained during sport. Although there is no one-size-fits-all solution to building strong, mobile, injury-free shoulders, there are some general principles that can help regardless of sport choice. MICHELE LABOTZ, MD, FAAP Sports Medicine Physician, [...]
KRISTEN ZIESMER, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN Registered Dietitian, Founder Elite Nutrition & Performance The topic of weight gain for athletic performance is an incredibly complex, tricky topic, especially for caregivers of young athletes. It can be difficult helping an athlete gain weight in a way that's healthy from a nutritional [...]
TOM FARREY, Founder and Executive Director of the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program We know that sports are hugely beneficial to children and young adults, from both a physical and mental standpoint. But sometimes, the sport systems that are in place don’t promote the healthiest practices for all athletes—and [...]
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 when [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]