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 As a coach, you have to make a lot of decisions that shape athletes’ experiences, team culture and well-being. Who gets to start each game, how to resolve player disputes, when to make team culture adjustments, and the smaller everyday decisions made during practice carry consequences. Over time, [...]
Dr. Melissa Streno Shortcuts are everywhere, and it’s easier than ever to take advantage of them. Whether you’re looking for a shortcut to finish a research paper or get ahead in your sport, social media likely has a suggestion that claims to make you better, faster, smarter, or stronger. But are [...]
TrueSport Expert, Voleyball Coach and Recruiter As a coach, it can feel as though you are solely responsible for your team. But whether you lead a large program with a full staff or coach after school while relying on shared resources and caregiver volunteers, you can build a coaching team [...]
TrueSport Expert, Voleyball Coach and Recruiter If you've been playing the same sport since you were young, you may have settled into a specific position and focused entirely on honing the skills it requires. This could mean always playing left field in baseball, striker in soccer, or setter in volleyball. But [...]
TrueSport Expert Roberta Kraus, PhD The word “culture” is a buzz word we hear or read about all the time. With regards to the youth sport arena, it is about the everyday behaviors and interactions of the performers who show up to the competition. For TrueSport Expert Roberta Kraus, PhD, the [...]
As a coach, one of the most challenging skills in the youth sport world today is to learn how to evaluate the effectiveness of your team culture. How do you objectively diagnosis the culture of the team and connect that to an action plan that gives you clarity around what you want to [...]
TrueSport Expert Roberta Kraus, PhD Picking team captain(s) is a daunting and challenging task for athletic teams, especially given how their role can impact team culture over time. Sometimes selections are made strictly by coaches, sometimes it’s done by players voting, and sometimes it’s a combination of both. Regardless of the [...]
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 [...]
Betsy Butterick, Coach and Communication Specialist Creating the team culture you want can be tricky: Every small action you take or conversation you have contributes to the culture as much as any result from a competition or the work you put in at practice. So how do you purposefully create [...]
TrueSport Expert Nadia Kyba Social media usage amongst young athletes is all but guaranteed, and as a coach, you have the difficult task of ensuring that your athletes are using it to enhance team culture rather than spread negativity. It’s tempting to ignore how athletes approach social media, but because [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]