By TrueSport
When you’re constantly on the road with your young athlete, going between school, practice, games, and other activities, you’ve likely dealt with a hungry, irritable child in the backseat. Unfortunately, stopping for fast food along the way can be expensive and unhealthy, which isn’t good for busy athletes who depend on nutritious foods for recovery.
By TrueSport
When your athlete is recovering from a sports injury that’s keeping them from taking part in practice and play, proper nutrition becomes more critical than ever. Eating well during this time can speed up healing and a return to play, while overindulging in junk food can actually set recovery back.
By TrueSport
You’ve likely never considered adding ‘stronger feet’ to your list of what makes an athlete great. “We talk a lot about how important it is for a young athlete to be strong,” says Dr. Michele LaBotz, TrueSport Expert and sports medicine physician. “But we almost always ignore feet.”
By TrueSport
As young athletes return to practice after being away from friends and coaches for months due to COVID-19 lockdowns, athlete anxiety will be natural. Not only are there new safety protocols in place that may seem confusing or intimidating, it’s a big shift emotionally as well.
By TrueSport
Flavored water might seem like a simple, healthy choice to pick when compared to soda, juice, and carbohydrate-loaded sports drinks. But flavored water, which shouldn’t be confused with sparkling water, carbonated water, or water with fruit essence, from your local convenience store or made from a powder at home might not be the healthiest pick for your young athlete.
By TrueSport
Teaching your young athlete what healthy snacks look like – and ditching that reliance on fast food or ultra-processed snacks – isn’t just important for their athletic endeavors, it also impacts their overall health.
By TrueSport
Deciding when to use a sports drink, electrolyte-infused water, or plain water is important to your athlete’s performance, but it can also be confusing.
By TrueSport
As a parent of a young athlete, you’re likely going to be on snack duty at some point during the season. For some competitions or practices, this will be easier. But for longer days, you may be asked to provide meals or snacks to keep athletes satiated from breakfast to dinner. Here are a few foods to avoid bringing — and what to bring instead.
By David Benzel
If proper hydration for your athlete is not HIGH on your radar, then dehydration is a strong possibility. In fact, Dr. Susan Yeargin – an expert at the University of South Carolina – conducted research on this topic and found out something that every youth sports coach and parent needs to know. Up to 75% of young athletes go to practice ALREADY dehydrated.
By TrueSport
Every athlete will likely feel some kind of nerves during practices or in competition. Some athletes thrive under pressure and embrace the nerves, while others will crumple if not bolstered by a supportive coach and team.