Brain Injury and Mental Health, A Time to Heal
What a national conversation we’re having, around an issue very close to home: illness of the mental variety. We’re afraid of it, because we can’t see it, can’t touch it, can’t manipulate it to see where it hurts like we can for the other illnesses we’re used to. We are a nation of fixers. If […]
What’s in a Joint?
Nope, not talking about new legislation in Colorado and Washington State. Sorry. Talking about joints of the body. I know, there’s nothing more boring than an anatomy lecture. Trust me, I know. I’ve made students sit through hundreds of them. I used to trick them into having fun on the first day of class. I brought in […]
Are Fitness and Fun Important to Your Kid?
All kids will be healthy if Fit2Finish has its way and they’ll have fun doing it. It shouldn’t be a chore or a ‘work’out. We believe in fitness that’s fun for every body, even for elite athletes with performance on their minds. This fall F2F has been on the field with kids from the Vienna […]
Resistance Band Strength Training Home Program
Resistance bands are a great and fun way to help your athletes develop all-around fitness. I use them for field games during training. Each player that participates in Fit2Finish training gets a band to take home. Kids of all ages – including coaches – love them. But one of the best things about them is…they’re […]
Young Athletes Need Help with Nutrition and Body Image
America has a weight problem, and it’s not limited to adults. Many of our young people are overweight, and a rising number are obese. (Some put this percentage as high as 30 percent). On the flip side, an increasing number of young people have eating disorders. According to CNN Health, a study conducted by the […]
Healthy Nutrition for Young Athletes
None of us has the perfect diet. But the demands on our athletes require that we help them make what they eat count. Consistent training and performance depend on it. Here are some quick ways to check on how healthy your athlete’s diet is. Do they eat in moderation? (quantity and portion size to maintain […]
Coach as First Responder When a Young Athlete Gets Injured
As coaches we are not meant to be sports medicine experts and we shouldn’t overstep our credentials. But, let’s face it; we’re our athletes’ first responders. When they go down on the field, the referee signals for us to come on and check out their condition. This is a unique privilege – just ask any […]
Concussion Conundrum: Referees’ Role In Preventing Head Injuries
Everyone agrees: We don’t want our young players suffering concussions. The difficulty comes in figuring out how to minimize them. There is a lot to this conversation; I only just scratched the surface in a two-part article. In the first, we looked at the nature of the injury and in the second, how to return […]
Strengthening Our Girls Against Concussions, Three Simple Ways to Build Neck and Core Strength While Keeping it Fun
Concussions are rampant in youth soccer, especially with our girls. We know what symptoms to look for. We have taught them proper technique. But girls need to be physically stronger in the challenge in order to protect themselves from injury. Check out the Fit2Finish video for three ways to strengthen your players that are simple, effective, and […]
Concussions in Youth Sports Part II: What Parents, Coaches and Players Can Do
Read part I of this concussion series here. Paul Rupp, head Athletic Trainer at Oakton High School in Vienna, Va., has an extensive concussion protocol that is well-documented in athletic training literature. First, when he diagnoses a concussion, the student’s circle of teachers, administrators, counselors and parents are all notified. The athlete is counseled to stay home, […]