Laura Lewis, PhD Recovery strategies are increasingly trendy in the sports world, from new spa-like centers that feature ice baths, saunas, compression boots, and red-light therapies, to old staples like foam rollers and sports massage. But which recovery strategies really move the needle for athletes trying to optimize their recovery and [...]
Laura Lewis, PhD If you’re an athlete living at sea level, the idea of training or competing at a high-altitude location can feel intimidating. Maybe you’ve heard horror stories from teammates who struggled to acclimate, or you’re concerned that you won’t be able to perform at your best. While higher elevations [...]
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 Caregivers often think their job is shielding athletes from all stress. But board-certified family physician and TrueSport Expert, Deborah Gilboa, MD, says stress is a vital tool for building resilience. Instead of avoiding it, help athletes embrace stress strategically to grow mentally, emotionally, and physically. Here, Gilboa is sharing [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD Coaches juggle stress on two levels: managing athletes’ stress so they don’t burn out or underperform and managing their own stress so they can lead well and avoid burnout themselves. To do both, coaches need to understand how stress works, as well as how to make it work [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD You may have been taught that stress is always bad and should be avoided. But in reality, stress is critical for growth, performance, and being a happy, healthy human. Too much stress can absolutely be a problem, but no stress at all usually means you’re not being challenged [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD Taking risks is part of sport, and part of life: You won’t excel as an athlete if you don’t take shots that you know may not go into the goal, push harder in a run knowing you may not be able to hold the pace, or opt to [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD As a coach, you may assume that your role is to protect athletes from failure, make the decisions that you feel are in the best interest of the team, and generally keep the team’s results steady. But viewing your role in this way may be holding your athletes [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD Encouraging young people to take risks and take ownership of making their own decisions can be hard for caregivers who are used to helping their children avoid failure. This is understandable and natural, but board-certified family physician and TrueSport Expert Deborah Gilboa, MD, explains that most caregivers are [...]
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 [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD As a coach, helping athletes learn how to handle adversity is essential, both for their own growth and the success of the team. And change is often equivalent to adversity, especially for young athletes. Here, board-certified family physician and TrueSport Expert, Deborah Gilboa, MD, explains exactly how change [...]
Deborah Gilboa, MD Change is inevitable, but it’s also scary. Whether you get promoted to team leader or cut from the starting lineup, your brain is programmed to produce stress. However, it's possible to become more skilled at dealing with change by building your resilience muscles. Here, board-certified family physician and [...]