Stop Undereating for Game Day SuccessWhy fueling matters more than you think As a middle school basketball coach and someone who grew up living off Purple Skittles before practice, I’ve seen firsthand how youth athletes often eat and drink like they’re trying to make game-day performance harder. Mouthfuls of chips and candy, chased down with…
Category: Blog
Focus is a Superpower
Focus is a superpower, especially today, for young athletes growing up in the age of distraction. In a world full of notifications, short videos, and nonstop stimulation, focus is a game-changer that can separate the average from the elite. Focus isn’t just helpful—it’s essential for youth athletes. And like strength, speed, or coordination, it’s a skill you…
Youth Sports Parental Behavior
Parents, grandparents, and future parents of youth athletes, today’s newsletter is for you! The topic is “What Appropriate Behavior Looks and Sounds Like during Your Child’s Sporting Event.” Right off the bat, I will tell you that it doesn’t involve yelling, screaming, or being boisterous, which you are bound to encounter a parent or two…
Sleep Variability and its Importance for Better Performance
70 A sleep study by Whoop determined that a sleep variability of more than 70 minutes can drastically affect performance and recovery. Sleep variability refers to the difference in sleep patterns, primarily bedtimes and wake-up times, from day to day. In other words, consistency in going to bed and waking around the same time, seven…
Unhealthy Normalized Practices in Youth Sports
As a society, we have normalized numerous unhealthy practices in sports for kids and teens. If we were to step back and view from afar, we might ask, what are we doing to the health and well-being of our future superstars!? Convenience has overtaken eating healthy, and highly processed foods that are easy to hand…
Healthy Family Habits
Parents who practice regular healthy habits will likely produce kids and teens that do the same. Kids and teens are observant creatures. They are much more likely to follow their parents’ lead than do what they say. Setting an example and being a good role model is probably the most crucial facet of being a…
Healthy Cell Phone Tips for Teens
The cell phone is a highly distracting device. It constantly steals our attention and does so successfully on a regular. Admittedly, overusing the cell phone is one of my biggest struggles, and below I share tips on how I attempt to be more conscious of my usage of the device, especially during certain times of the day….
Ditch the Electronics Before Bed
One of the best ways to improve your sleep quality and quantity is by ditching your electronics before bed. Yes, electronics means cell phones, computers, tablets, and televisions. Electronic devices are not only stealing sleep minutes but sleep quality. Which, in turn, leads to feeling less energized and as sharp as you could…
To Improve Your Health, Practice Gratitude
Gratitude: the state of being grateful. Gratitude involves recognizing the positive things in your life and how they affect you. You can probably imagine the delightful feelings and sensations that come with being in a grateful state. It’s typically the opposite of being stressed, anxious, or sullen. Being grateful, however, doesn’t just make us…
Eating Healthy On a Budget? Eat More of This
Canned food is convenient and inexpensive. It is easy to stock up, eat for a quick snack, or add to a prepared meal. Food that is ready to eat seconds after opening. But, because of the aforementioned traits listed above, people tend to believe canned food is unhealthy when in actuality, it can be a…