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 [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 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 [...]
TrueSport Expert Kristen Ziesmer If your athlete is struggling to fall asleep, stay asleep through the night, or is dealing with some mild feelings of anxiety, tweaking their nutrition habits can help. Here, TrueSport Expert Kristen Ziesmer, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, offers a few simple [...]
Jennifer Royer, PhD Youth sport has many stakeholders, ranging from the athletes themselves to their caregivers, coaches, sports organizers, and communities. While all those roles come with their own challenges, the role of schools or communities in helping to develop healthy youth sports can be especially complex. A recent recommendations [...]
As national statistics and stories continue to unveil, young athletes are in crisis in the U.S. right now, thanks in large part to a plethora of pressures placed on them. With this in mind, how can you best support their mental wellness while helping them grow as people and athletes? Here, one [...]