Stretching Develops Flexibility in Body and Mind

Stretching Develops Flexibility in Body and Mind  I often get the question: when should I stretch?* The short answer is: After your workout.  After your game.  After your run.  There are 2 main reasons for this.  One is physical:  after exercise is when your muscles are warm and supple.  Stretching afterwards allows them to lengthen, […]

Life on Soccer Sundays

A popular T-shirt reads: “Soccer is life. The rest is just details.” I would have worn this T-shirt when I was growing up. Athletics brought identity, order and discipline to my life. And the discipline I learned there, I brought to life’s other pursuits. Cut to today: my kids wear this T-shirt. And in spite […]

What Causes Overtraining?

Overtraining injury may be the result of one or several of the following: Activities which require repetitive motion. Increasing intensity or duration of training too quickly. Lack of fitness, especially core strength. Failure to fully rehab after an injury, come back too soon, not allow enough rest for recovery. Poorly functioning equipment.  Shoes are generally […]

Signs and Symptoms of Overtraining

Increase in Resting Heart rate (taken before getting out of bed in the morning for at least 10 consecutive days). Persistent muscle soreness. Fatigue. Reluctance to train.  Body is tired and heavy.  Pattern of skipping practices or games. Sleeplessness: trouble falling asleep, wake during the night. Decrease in appetite.  Weight loss.  Irregular menstruation in females. […]

Whatever happened to the games we used to play?

What ever happened to down time? ~ unscheduled time when there were no camps, no scheduled activities, when there was time to be creative, sit and think, stare at the clouds?? Anna Quindlen, former Newsweek columnist, writes, “I mourn hanging out in the backyard. I mourn playing wiffle ball in the street without a sponsor […]