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 [...]
‘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 [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD As a coach, you’re often faced with implementing strategic decisions and making tough calls. And just as often, the athletes on your team may resist those decisions or the changes that you’re trying to make. Getting buy-in from athletes isn’t always easy, but it is often critical [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD Dealing with a resistant athlete—whether they don’t want to go to their practice or they are skipping homework for an extra workout —can be frustrating for any caregiver. But often, the reason for an athlete’s resistance may be more nuanced or valid than we realize, says board-certified [...]
If you're the parent or caregiver of an athlete, you've probably heard it all on the sidelines: cheering, critiquing, armchair quarterbacking, arguing, cursing, and muttered insults. While plenty of parents and caregivers are respectful fans, some adults simply don't behave well in the stands. Here, TrueSport Expert Amanda Stanec, PhD, the founder [...]
As a young athlete, it's natural to feel like there are many things in your life that are outside of your control. But often, we underestimate just how much control we do have over interactions with other people, including coaches, parents, officials, physicians, dietitians, and even our peers and teammates. Here, TrueSport [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD At a young age, we’re taught that perseverance and hard work lead to success. And we all have seen the success-through-struggle stories of professional athletes who faced great adversity but persevered, eventually making their way to the world’s greatest sport stages. But what about all the other [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD While perseverance sounds like a very serious skill, it can be fun to learn for your young athletes if you make persisting through tough challenges into a playful activity. Here, board-certified family physician and TrueSport Expert Deborah Gilboa, MD, is sharing activities for every age group that [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD Rejection happens. And whether we’re talking about not making a team or not getting a starting position, rejection is likely going to happen. And it stings—especially when you’re already doing the best you can do. Rejection can make you question your identity, question your love for the [...]
Assumptions and biases are unfortunately impossible to avoid entirely—and to say that you don’t have any around race, gender, sexuality, class, religion, disability, or any other identities, makes it impossible for you to grow as a person. As a coach, your teams almost certainly contain a diverse multitude of athletes with different [...]
TrueSport Expert Nadia Kyba As an athlete, you may have grown up with a ‘win at all costs’ mentality, and the idea of quitting anything was frowned upon. Or maybe you feel like leaving a sport will disappoint a parent or coach. If you’re debating your future in a sport [...]
As parents and as coaches, we often understand that there's value in pursuing a goal, even when it seems unattainable. Every hero's journey encounters some moment of adversity, some chance that they won't reach their goal. And even losing out on a goal has value because it instills resilience. Deborah Gilboa, [...]
Even from a young age, the sports children play and the teams they join can shape them into the adults that they will become. Here, three TrueSport Ambassadors are sharing how sport has changed their lives, not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. If you’re a parent or coach of a young [...]
There’s a not-so-secret epidemic happening on high school and college campuses: hazing. Although the hazing culture is condemned, sadly, it’s common.In the National Study of Student Hazing, 55 percent of college students involved in clubs, teams, and organizations experience hazing. The same study found that “for many students who step onto a college [...]
TrueSport Expert Nadia Kyba When it comes to dealing with misbehavior on your team, it can be tempting to label kids as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and ‘bullies’ or ‘victims.’ But rarely is real life that simple, and more often than not, bullying behaviors are driven by a need that a [...]
Teammates who regularly spend time praising, acknowledging, and appreciating each other will work better as a unit. And as the sport cliche goes, sometimes the best offense is a good defense. When coaching a team, creating a culture of appreciation is absolutely the best defense against bullying and other issues amongst teammates. [...]
When it comes to preventing cliques and bullying behaviors, it’s best to be proactive. While it’s easy to get caught up in drills, rosters, and logistics, coaches who focus on building strong team-wide relationships from the first day of practice are less likely to run into the social problems, like cliques, that [...]
One of the many outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic was that young athletes had to become resilient. No matter how much we may want to shield children from the harsh realities of cancelled seasons, lockdowns, and quarantines, every child experienced some kind of loss or hardship during the pandemic. But board-certified family [...]
Helping your young athlete understand the difference between an uncomfortable situation and an unsafe situation can be incredibly difficult. "We have to protect our children from danger,” explains board-certified family physician and TrueSport Expert Deborah Gilboa, MD, but we shouldn’t necessarily protect them from discomfort. A specialist in youth development and resilience, Gilboa wants parents [...]
We all make assumptions throughout the day—it's part of human nature. But young athletes sometimes make judgements based on assumptions that may or may not be true, and these misguided assumptions can hurt a team's dynamic. The COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated assumption-making in every arena, and young people are particularly vulnerable [...]
When it comes to youth sports, we’ve all seen the shocking videos of parents letting their emotions fuel violent outbursts against other parents, coaches, and even young officials. But what if that angry outburst comes from one of the athletes on the field? How would you as a coach or parent help [...]
Whether you're a child or an adult, a coach or a parent, a teammate or a team leader, difficult conversations are never easy. Having frank discussions that feel confrontational can be intimidating and emotionally taxing at any age, but fortunately, there are ways to improve your athlete's ability to handle difficult conversations [...]