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 [...]
TrueSport Expert Kristen Ziesmer Multiple studies have found that most people are deficient in vitamin D, one of the essential vitamins that everyone—but especially athletes—need in order to function at their best. Athletes are even more at risk because a low level of vitamin D can be disastrous for bone [...]
Amy Eichner, PhD You might have found yourself in the grocery store staring at two similar bars or drink mixes on the shelf. While they look pretty similar at a glance, the labels on the back may look completely different. Why is that? It's because one is using a nutrition [...]
TrueSport Athlete Ambassador Abby Raymond Worried about your athlete's wellbeing but not sure how you, as a parent, can help? Maybe your athlete has asked for more space, or maybe a coach or trainer has policies about parents’ involvement. There should be boundaries, of course, since athletics also help kids [...]
Matt Fedoruk, PhD As a coach, you have the ability to either help or hinder your athletes' pursuit of success in sport, as well as their overall wellness. A good coach ensures that mental and physical wellness are prioritized for their athletes, even if it means de-prioritizing performance and wins. [...]
TrueSport Athlete Ambassador Abby Raymond As an athlete, your circle of care – from friends to coaches – is extremely important to your physical wellbeing and your mental wellness. TrueSport Athlete Ambassador Abby Raymond had to learn the hard way how to create a strong circle around her at a [...]
When he was young, Aaron Scheidies dreamed of being a professional soccer player, but as his vision began to decline, his aspirations of playing soccer became unobtainable. He struggled with his mental health, and was eventually diagnosed with an eating disorder, depression, and OCD in high school. Eventually, he discovered swimming—at his [...]
Many young athletes enjoy setting and working toward sport goals, whether it’s achieving a personal best in competition or just doing a certain number of handsprings at each practice. While goals around sport performance are important, non-sport goals are equally critical to a young athlete’s well-being. Here, TrueSport Expert Amanda Stanec, PhD, the [...]
You may have heard about branched chain amino acids, or BCAAs, in a sports magazine or on a fitness nutrition website and wondered what all the hype was about. You may have even wondered what the heck a BCAA actually is and if you need it. But while BCAA powders and capsules [...]
When you coach a young athlete who’s shown ‘natural talent’ or who has committed to one sport, it can be tricky to handle their expectations for their future in sport. Whether the advantage comes from physical build, parental involvement, or socio-economic benefits, it’s almost a certainty that the advantage will eventually become [...]
Life after sport—or more specifically, life after organized sport—can feel scary. If you’re heading to college and not planning to play, or you’re dealing with an injury or upcoming surgery that has you sidelined, it can feel like you’re adrift. And that’s why setting goals outside of sport is so important for [...]
As a Director of Athletics or Athletic Director at your school, you set the culture of the school’s athletic program, and you are in charge of ensuring that coaches and other athletic staff have the resources they need to thrive. This is especially important in an era when coaching staff and referees [...]
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 [...]
You may have seen a headline about coconut sugar being the new ‘healthy’ sweetener. Or perhaps you saw that honey is a ‘superfood.’ It’s important to remember that sugar is sugar, but there are some minor differences between sugar alternatives and things to look out for when considering a substitute to plain [...]
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 [...]
As an athletic director at your school, your role reaches far beyond simply scheduling games and handling logistics. You are capable of creating and maintaining a positive TrueSport-focused culture that revolves around good sportsmanship, character development, life skills, and healthy performance. Here, Vicki Vaughan, Director of Athletics at The Colorado Springs School [...]
It’s a common complaint amongst coaches these days that athletes come to their teams after years of being micromanaged by parents, so much so that they’re incapable of taking responsibility for their actions or making decisions. And this can lead to athletes feeling utterly un-empowered and without a sense of agency. As [...]
Giving feedback—and receiving feedback—can be difficult. But at the same time, glossing over areas of improvement can hold athletes back from achieving their full potential. A strong team ensures that every member is receiving necessary feedback—but also feels appreciated and valued. It’s easy to point out what an athlete did wrong in [...]
When you think of muscle growth and the nutrients required, protein is probably the first nutrient that comes to mind. But there’s more to growing strong muscles than simply eating a lot of protein. With young athletes in particular, there are a few important things to keep in mind if you’re trying [...]
Does your team have any rituals? At first, you might be shaking your head. But think about it: Are there team chants or cheers that you do before every game or competition? Is there a special thing you do every year at camp? Do you have a certain pre-game routine that you do [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD Does your young athlete need a break from their sport? As a parent, it can be hard to spot the signs that your athlete needs to take a season (or even just a few weeks) off from competition and training. After investing so much time and money [...]
It can be difficult to ensure that your young athlete is getting enough protein—especially when they are leaving early in the morning for practice before school and staying late for a second practice or other extracurricular activity. Processed, carb-based snacks can become an easy choice due to their shelf-stability and transportability. However, [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD In coaching, the only constant is change. Nearly every coach will eventually hit a point in a season or school year where change is coming or needed. According to board-certified family physician and TrueSport Expert Deborah Gilboa, MD, "If you want to lead through change, you're going [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD If you have ever volunteered or been elected captain of your team, you likely already know that leadership does not just mean being the most well-liked or popular person on the roster. Leadership, even if your primary job is simply moving your team through warmup drills, is [...]