Young athletes often worry about how they’ll keep up with training during the off-season. Right now, times are even more challenging with access to facilities being restricted and social distancing being put into practice. While there are a number of ways to ensure that your athlete copes best during this period without falling behind with […]
Dr Bennet Omalu in the Film Concussion (2015): “All of these animals have shock absorbers built into their bodies. The woodpecker’s tongue extends through the back of the mouth out of the nostril, encircling the entire cranium. It is the anatomical equivalent of a safety belt for its brain. Human beings? Not a single piece of […]
In my professional rugby career, there were almost always two schools of thought related to players. Those who believed that natural athleticism honed and channeled in the right way in training could be superseded by individual skills development in terms of time, effort and energy. Then there is the second, where athleticism and physical dominance […]
A year ago we founded Tackle Smart Sports to bring safer tackling techniques, that can be trained in a controlled environment, to the football playing capital of America. We strive to teach kids the techniques that will help them tackle safer as well as land more tackles to be more successful players. Watch this video […]
When girls think of a sport they’d like to join, a few things may come to mind. Soccer, martial arts, softball, tennis, basketball, and the like. But one sport notably off the list of many girls’ dream sports? Football. Sure, they might toss around a football with dad in the yard sometimes, but many girls […]
Training during hot weather puts extra stress on your body and, if you don’t properly prepare, it can result in serious illness including heat cramps, heat syncope, heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Yet, the summer is an important time for young athletes to train and training during heat can actually produce a number of benefits. […]
As youth sports become increasingly competitive, more and more parents believe that their child will go pro and actively work toward their child becoming a professional athlete. A 2015 study found that 26% of U.S. parents of high school athletes hoped that their child would become a professional athlete. In contrast, however, the data shows […]
All teens face a variety of stressors, demands and pressures that are a normal and important part of their development. These pressures are increased for athletes who, in addition to balancing social and academic demands, are also balancing a rigorous training and competition schedule; working to develop healthy habits; and trying to ensure that they […]
Practicing Tackling without Live Contact Situations Tackling is a huge part of football, and I believe it’s not given enough focus. With injury rates – and especially concussions – an increasingly hot topic, there are ongoing efforts to make the game safer. One proposed way is decreasing the amount of time that athletes engage in […]
Foods to Eat before a Competition Good nutrition is always important for growing kids, but the right nutrition is especially important before competition because it can help your child both perform better and recover faster. The right pre-workout meal will maximize performance while also minimizing muscle damage. So, one of the best ways you can […]