Can You Trust Fit2Finish?
“In God we trust. All others must provide references.” That’s the way a renowned research scientist began his presentation at a conference of the American College of Sports Medicine, the largest gathering of sports medicine practitioners in the world. He knows what we all need to know: Good ideas deserve investigation. Findings must be supported by facts. The conclusions drawn […]
5 Potential Danger Zones in the Young Athlete
Kids need a challenge but they also need special handling. Most people think, why? My kids are flexible, resilient, and young. They bounce back from anything thrown at them. Let’s throw it all at them! They can handle it. Not so fast. Why? Because they’re growing, and growing presents special challenges and unique demands. They’re not mini-adults […]
Taking the Fear out of Post-Concussion Syndrome
It seems like nearly every soccer-playing kid has had a concussion these days. And even if we’re lucky enough to have kids still in the clear, we’re set on edge by the looming fear that the succession of “sub-concussive hits” now under intense scrutiny may be just as damaging as that one big blow that […]
Injury Prevention: Disparate Sides are as Hazardous in Sports as they are in Politics
What’s so bad about being sided? Nearly all of us have a side we prefer. We’re right-handed or left-footed or we may bat right and throw left, but when asked to choose a side, we do. This is why people like Oakland Athletic’s pitcher, Pat Venditte who throws both ways, is such a phenom, though even […]
Four Signs that Kids Sports Are Actually Hurting Them
When I was growing up playing sports, nobody ever got hurt, at least not seriously. I don’t remember a single teammate ever complaining of knee pain, shin pain, heel pain or hip pain. Today nearly all young athletes eventually experience at least one of these maladies. What has changed since the “good ole days?” Plenty. […]
It’s Amazing What Sport Shows Us and What it Shows Others About Us
I didn’t know Don Paup was a world champion. Yes, he was tall and athletic but his posture was welcoming and his presence, unassuming. Most days he sat behind a desk piled high with papers and journals or staffed the cardiac rehab lab joking with the guys as he took their blood pressures. Two days […]
Why Fit2Finish? Because it Starts and Ends with Healthy Kids
I often get asked, “How did you get started with Fit2Finish?” It’s a pretty good story… It was a sunny Sunday afternoon and I was watching my oldest daughter play a mid-season soccer game. The two teams were evenly matched and battled valiantly, contending for every ball – as only ten year old girls with […]
Paid Coaches: The Hidden Cost We Can’t Admit
Many, perhaps most, would say we have lost our grip on youth sports in this country. Parents are out of control, kids aren’t achieving, coaches are misbehaving and the whole system isn’t producing the kinds of players we hope to display on an international stage. I think this all started when we asked Dad and […]
Nutrition, Body Composition and Health: 5 Talking Points with Teens
Coaches boldly tackle teams, players, parents, administrators and opponents head on. But there’s one thing most of them won’t touch: the “nutrition talk.” Especially male coaches of female athletes, either out of personal discomfort or for fear of raising the risk of eating disorders, avoid the conversation all together. That leaves overweight, obesity, and body […]
The Killer Dynamic Warm Up in 5 Simple Steps
Confused about getting your dynamic warm up right? It’s the first thing I do with every youth team, no matter the sport, is make sure they perform a complete dynamic warm up before every practice and every game. A regular dynamic warm up, done with dedication and proper form, has been shown to reduce the chance […]