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 [...]
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 [...]
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 Change is inevitable, but for a young athlete, even a positive change can bring up feelings of stress and anxiety. For caregivers, it can be tempting to try to step in and solve every perceived problem or issue your athlete has, but if an athlete is going to [...]
Dr. Melissa Streno Your role as a coach doesn't begin and end with practice and game days, and your responsibilities extend far beyond skills, drills, wins, and losses. When it comes to keeping athletes healthy and motivated, boundaries are essential and you can help athletes create boundaries for themselves, as well [...]
Dr. Charron Sumler, PhD, LPCC Family units are the first teams that children engage with, and the skills that they learn from being part of a family are the skills they will bring to their sports team. But how do you model good teamwork for your athlete at home? Here, Dr. [...]
Dr. Charron Sumler, PhD, LPCC Being a culture chameleon, or being able to adapt to different environments and social groups, is a skill that often benefits student-athletes who find themselves in a wide range of sport environments. And while the ability to be flexible is important, staying true to your core [...]
Laura Lewis, PhD Measuring fitness is tricky as a coach: Should you be testing youth athletes for metrics like VO2 Max, doing lactate testing, checking body composition, timing them in a mile run, or doing a beep test? Do you need to know their maximum power or rep capability in the [...]
Kevin Chapman, PhD As caregivers, you want your athlete to perform at their best and achieve excellence in their sport, at school, and in their other extracurricular activities. But while striving to be their best is important, sometimes athletes can take these behaviors too far and end up hurting themselves as [...]
Kevin Chapman, PhD As a coach, are you thinking about helping your athletes form habits? It’s easy to be consumed by making it through the next practice, game, or competition, but in many cases, taking the time to focus on good habits can make your team run a lot smoother and [...]
Kevin Chapman, PhD Have you waited until the last night before a report is due to write it? Or delayed doing laundry until you don’t have any clean clothes left? That’s procrastination, and it’s very common! While it doesn’t always lead to bad outcomes, procrastination often comes with negative side effects, [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD Setting boundaries as a student-athlete may seem impossible given that you're obligated to turn in that history report on the same day as playoffs while also juggling family commitments and college applications.Setting boundaries is tricky because you have so many projects, obligations, and goals that you're trying [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD Boundary-setting is a tough topic for coaches, many of whom wear a lot of hats. However, learning how to set boundaries is critical to a coach’s personal well-being and their management of a team. Coaches also have the opportunity to lead by example, setting boundaries that reflect [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD Have you been wondering how to teach your student-athlete how to set smart boundaries that help them succeed in school, sport, and life? It’s tempting to simply give them specific boundaries that reflect your values (like always prioritizing homework over practice, or not texting after 8 p.m.). [...]
Dr. Charron Sumler, PhD, LPCC Social media is part of nearly every young athlete's life. It's how they connect with friends and teammates, see what other athletes are doing for training, and find like-minded communities that help them deepen their sense of self. These apps can be a positive force, [...]
Dr. Melissa Streno Self-care is important for everyone, from coaches to athletes to caregivers. However, self-care can go too far, especially when an athlete is using it to strive for optimized performance. Here, TrueSport Expert and licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Melissa Streno, is sharing the 'red flag' behaviors that can [...]
Dr. Charron Sumler, PhD, LPCC Are you worried about the amount of time your student-athlete spends on social media? Here, Dr. Charron Sumler, TrueSport Expert and Assistant Director of Sport Psychology and Wellness Services at The Ohio State University, shares the stats on social media, along with the pros and [...]
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 [...]
MICHELE LABOTZ, MD, FAAP Sports Medicine Physician, InterMed Sports Medicine Clinic As a caregiver, your behavior around your athlete matters. If you're yelling at the referee or blaming the coach for a bad outcome, you're teaching your athlete to do the same. On the other hand, when you can model [...]
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 [...]