Mastering Consistency: How Champions Celebrate the Holidays While Training

The holiday season brings joy, festivities, and, often, a myriad of distractions that can challenge an athlete’s focus and dedication to training. Coaches, athletes, and trainers face a unique challenge during this time – balancing the celebration of the season with the maintenance of disciplined training routines. Amidst the tempting aromas of holiday feasts and the allure of relaxation, staying focused on training can be an uphill battle. However, with strategic planning and unwavering determination, athletes can not only navigate but also excel during this festive period.

Read More

Pump Your Brakes: The Power of Deceleration in Sports

Pump Your Brakes: The Power of Deceleration in Sports

We've all heard it before: what goes up must come down. This basic principle doesn't just apply to gravity, but to sports as well. While we're usually focused on acceleration as coaches and athletes, it's time to shed some light on the other side of the equation: deceleration.

Acceleration is undoubtedly important for success in sports, but to excel, athletes must also be efficient at slowing down. This is especially true for sports that require changes in direction and quick movements.

Read More

Coaching Athletes on Their Period: Normalizing the Conversation

Coaching Athletes on Their Period: Normalizing the Conversation

If you’re reading this, chances are that you have women in your life that are important to you or you may coach female athletes at some point in your career. People often debate whether female athletes should be coached differently than male athletes. This article will talk about important physiological differences between females and males that coaches need to take into account when training female athletes.

Read More

Readiness. Set. Go! How to Interpret and Respond to your Athletes' Readiness Data

Readiness. Set. Go! How to Interpret and Respond to your Athletes' Readiness Data

How do you know if your athletes are ready to compete?
How do you know if they’re ready to take on the practice or the workout of the day?

It’s hard to assume everyone is always ready or will be ready at the same time. Although your athletes may be enduring the same practices and workout regimens, it does not mean their bodies will all respond the same to them. Each athlete will have a slightly different perceived rate of exertion and they’ll each have their own set of external stressors or factors that are influencing their performance. These external factors may not be additional physical stressors, but may be mental and emotional stressors. Some external factors may include: personal hardships, relationships, school, work, a traumatic event, internal or external pressures, sleep deprivation, lack of nutrition, or financial struggles.

Read More

More Than Just "Working Out." Three Simple Periodization Tactics for Lifetime Fitness

More Than Just "Working Out." Three Simple Periodization Tactics for Lifetime Fitness

Many good-meaning people engage in some form of random ‘working out’ that is loosely focused on ‘strength’ or ‘cardio’. While well intentioned, human psychology is a tough nut to crack, and the majority will cease exercise for reasons that include a lack of variety, a lack of priority, or just simple boredom. It is time to re-think how you are going about your fitness.

Read More