Deborah Gilboa, MD As a young athlete, you may struggle to ask for respect from your coach, your peers, and even your parents. For example, you might need your coach to communicate feedback differently or you may want your teammates to stop using a particular nickname. Here, board-certified family physician [...]
From a young age, it’s important that your athlete understands that not all kids are going to look the same or have the same abilities. This diversity can be tricky for very young athletes to grasp, but starting the conversation about physical differences early can help your athlete develop into a mature, [...]
TrueSport Expert Kristen Ziesmer If you’re a busy parent, dump and go meals should be your best friend when it comes to getting nutritious, filling, and even budget-friendly meals ready in minutes. The concept is simple: You dump your ingredients together, hit a few buttons, and come home to a [...]
If you’re reading this article, you likely want to start improving the diversity, equity, and inclusion on your team or at your school, but you’re simply not sure where to begin. Here, TrueSport Experts Michele LaBotz, sports medicine physician; Nadia Kyba, MSW, President of Now What Facilitation; and Kevin Chapman, PhD, clinical [...]
Kevin Chapman, PhD TrueSport Expert Nadia Kyba Unfortunately, the world of sport is not without risk: Even the most highly monitored athletes can fall victim to illness and injury. When Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field, eventually recovering consciousness days later in [...]
You may have noticed the term 'intuitive eating' cropping up on blogs, websites, magazines, and podcasts lately. Maybe your young athlete even mentioned it as a nutritional approach they would like to try. While intuitive eating can be helpful for many people, it’s important to know that it has some limitations for [...]
TrueSport Expert Kristen Ziesmer You may have heard about the importance of B vitamins for young people, especially athletes. But before you head to the store to buy a supplement for your athlete, let's dig into a few of the nuances you should know about when it comes to vitamin [...]
You've probably heard how important protein is for athletes. But how much do you really need, when do you need it, and how is it actually helping you? Here, TrueSport Expert Stephanie Miezin, MS, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, explains the latest research around protein intake for young [...]
Access to sport should be a universal right for kids, but unfortunately, even school sports have issues with access that are dependent on socioeconomic status. From away games and high gear costs to simple access to practice areas in urban environments, there are a lot of hidden ways that sport becomes inaccessible [...]
TrueSport Expert Kristen Ziesmer Noodle bowls are one of the most versatile options that busy parents can make to keep athletes well-fed and properly fueled—and most noodle bowls can be repurposed into leftovers for lunch or tweaked into entirely new meals for the next night! Here, TrueSport Expert Kristen Ziesmer, [...]
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 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 [...]
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 [...]
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 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 [...]
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 [...]
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 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 [...]
Although two-a-day practices remain a standard in many clubs and high school sports, they have been discontinued by a number of college and professional sports programs because the downsides often outweigh the benefits. Pair practices with school, games, extracurricular activities, work, and social obligations, and it’s amazing that any high school athlete [...]