From an offhand comment about what an athlete is eating for breakfast on race day to referring to one athlete on the team as having ’the right build for the sport,’ even casual references to an athlete’s body can have long-term consequences. Here, TrueSport Expert and licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Melissa Streno, [...]
Kevin Chapman, PhD Now more than ever, young athletes are feeling pressure: Pressure to perform in sport, to have a certain image on social media, to get good grades, to do extracurricular activities, and to get into a certain school on a scholarship. These pressures often lead to performance anxiety, [...]
As an athletic trainer (AT), you play a unique role in a young athlete’s life. You typically have significant insight into an athlete’s health and wellbeing, and often serve as an athlete’s advocate to their coaches and their parents. One key area that is often overlooked by coaches, athletes, and families is [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Talking about nutrition, especially to young athletes, can feel difficult. Your word choice can make a big difference and even the most casual conversations can have lasting impacts on your athletes. Here, TrueSport Expert Stephanie Miezin, MS, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, shares phrases that parents and coaches [...]
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, [...]
If you're the parent or caregiver of an athlete, you've probably heard it all on the sidelines: cheering, critiquing, armchair quarterbacking, arguing, cursing, and muttered insults. While plenty of parents and caregivers are respectful fans, some adults simply don't behave well in the stands. Here, TrueSport Expert Amanda Stanec, PhD, the founder [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
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 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 [...]