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Building young athletes up: Coaching winners on and off the field

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Motivation, Sports Performance, Strength and Conditioning No Comments

Matt Kunz, a former walk-on linebacker and four-year player at Notre Dame, understands the intricacies of coaching kids as well as anyone through years of working with young athletes as young as 6 through the collegiate ranks.

He knows what works, and what doesn’t, when it comes to helping kids be their best both on and off the field.

“The question is whether the coach can put the team ahead of his own ego, because no coach has ever scored a touchdown or scored a basket or hit a home run, but they take credit for it a lot,” says Kunz. “And for some reason that fuels their sense of self worth but it really is not the way to go. The reality is that the players and the coach all work together in a system.”

Kunz is the author of Triumph! An Athlete’s Guide to Winning On and Off the Field, which is a guide for helping young athletes play with more confidence and a clearer focus, as well as prepare them for the many different types of coaches they’ll likely encounter along the way – both the good and the not-so-good. Plus, it’s insightful for volunteer coaches as well to gain clarity on what their role is really all about and the best ways to be a positive influence.

“I want people to realize that they all have self worth, and they can all contribute to the team, but so many times coaches think it’s about them and about them winning,” says Kunz. “Really, it’s about building an organization and the most important part of an organization is to build up all of the members within it.”

Kunz grew up playing a variety of sports and he had a closer look than most at the highest levels of the game as his father George was an All-Pro offensive lineman with the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Colts. Later, Matt found his way to Sound Bend, walked on, and played four seasons for the Irish – three for legendary coach Lou Holtz.

“As much as playing and winning was important the thing that mattered more than anything else was how we went about winning,” Kunz says of playing for Holtz. “It was that we showed passion for our sport, that we followed the technique that our coaches taught us, that we respected each other, that we played together and that we had fun together. He always said at the end of a practice to go on and have a smile on your face and a song in your heart. Those were all important things to him.”

CORRECTING MISTAKES – START WITH YOURSELF

“In competition you’ll always find difficult situations that will come up and the question is how do you handle those as a coach,” Kunz says. “So a lot of times if I was giving directives to one of my players or one of my assistants, if they screwed up did they screw up because I didn’t give them the right direction? I always looked at myself first before I went after someone else. And I think that’s a common mistake a lot of coaches make. If a player fails that means the whole team fails, not just any one individual.”

COACHING TIP: BUILD YOURSELF UP BY BUILDING OTHERS HIGHER

“Believe it or not, simplicity matters more than complexity,” Kunz says. “And execution matters far more than strategy. If coaches can keep those things in mind then what they end up doing they really focus more on the alignment, rules and technique that the players have and less on themselves as the coach trying to devise something on paper that can’t be run by the kids that are out there on the field. I think that’s where ego comes into play and coaches think they need to be more than they really need to be. But if they focus more on building and developing the players themselves, then the coach himself will be successful – and that’s the irony of it. As much as a coach wants to build himself up that’s the opposite way to go – you build yourself up by building others up higher.”

SMALL STEPS PAY BIG DIVIDENDS

“When you get a group of kids together you really don’t know what you have and every season is different,” Kunz says. “What you want more than anything is for them to have an appreciation for the technique of the game and help them understand small victories and little steps lead to bigger victories down the road. I always like to tell my kids that small steps in the right direction are far better than any big step in the wrong direction. Both literally and figuratively, so when they start realizing that it’s ok to take small steps good things begin to happen – and that’s where patience plays in and consistency plays in and that’s where repetition plays in. So it’s important during those periods of repetition, which can be boring from time to time, to help them understand that those little things lead to the victories and the celebrations at the end. And when those victories happen then it’s important to celebrate those things.”

THE PERFECT PERSPECTIVE

“Being an athlete is just one part of being human, but being human is every part of being an athlete,” Kunz says. “You’ve got to keep sports in perspective that it’s just one part of our lives.”

repost from: https://www.nays.org/sklive/for-coaches/building-young-athletes-up-coaching-winners-on-and-off-the-field/

Spring into fitness for Summer!

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Motivation No Comments

The days are getting longer, sunnier and warmer, meaning it’s time to get yourself out from the comfort of your winter pajamas and increase you energy levels with some exercise.

If you want to feel confident about your body this summer, now is the time to start your fitness plan!
But finding motivation to step into your exercise gear and get moving can be a challenge.

Motivation is a lot more complex than people understand. It is what causes us to take action. It is defined as the process that starts, drives and maintains behaviors. It is therefore not a simple act of flicking on an energy switch. It involves so many levels – the biological, emotional and social energies that activate behavior. Confused? Well this is why it is difficult to get motivated as you actually have to tackle motivation from lots of directions to then find the formula to get going.

However, with a little help from these motivation tips, you’ll feel more informed and ready to get moving in preparing your exercise plan and most importantly, enjoying yourself while getting fit.

Have a Workout Buddy
Let’s face it, having a friend give you a kick in the pants can be really helpful. You can actually motivate each other. Some people say the competition with friends is what drives them.

Eat real, whole food

Forget counting carbs and calories; instead, focus on fueling your body. If you are eating nutritious foods with as few ingredients as possible — fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy and clean proteins — you’re treating your body well. This spring, try some delicious and healthy recipes that will have you feeling refreshed!

Don’t skimp on sleep

Easier said than done, I know. In our hectic, overscheduled lives, sleep often gets pushed to the back burner. But sufficient rest should be one of your top priorities.

Reward Yourself!
Giving yourself a reward is a nice reminder to yourself of how amazing you are and what you have achieved. Put together a chart and when you have completed, say 10 sessions, treat yourself (just not with an ice cream sundae, haha!) Rewarding yourself helps you reach goals and stay motivated.

Give Yourself a Variety of Activities and Equipment
Due to your natural daily high and lows and moods you need to have 4 or 5 different activities to choose from. Have your “go to” activities and options for when your energy levels are lower.

Having access to a variety of equipment can keep you motivated and different equipment helps confuse muscles which can increase results of your workout.

Easy Tips for a Happy + Healthy Memorial Day Weekend

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Sports Performance No Comments

For many, Memorial Day weekend marks the “unofficial start of summer” – three months of beach days and barbecues. With that comes a lot of ice cream, hot dogs and sugary drinks. Rather than throwing caution to the wind and figuring you’ll read a bunch of detox articles on Tuesday, why not stay ahead of the game? There are plenty of ways to keep your long weekend healthy and still fun!

First, Plan ahead. Don’t find yourself days away from the big weekend with a ton of stuff to do! Disorganization can lead to you in the grocery store at the last minute stocking up on chips and soda. Take a little time to plan your menu, write a shopping list, see what errands you can combine and shop ahead of time.

Ditch the margaritas for a drink with serious health benefits! The Healthy Zesty Martini is a delicious drink that will soothe your tummy and lift your mood without the booze! The best part is, it’s alcohol-free so it’s the perfect refreshing drink for the whole family. Grab the full recipe here.

Swap out heavy macaroni and potato salads with lighter, healthier options. And substitute the fattening hamburgers and hot dogs for some lean, palate-pleasing alternatives. Having plenty of light, veggie-friendly options will keep people from overindulging on meats and desserts and leave everyone feeling great even after you eat!

This refreshing jicama and carrot slaw recipe is fantastic served as a side dish or pile high on fish tacos. It’s perfect for your Cinco de Mayo party, too!

A sweet, tangy and nutty whole wheat couscous recipe with nectarine and toasted almonds can be whipped up in only 10 minutes.

Kick up your barbecue or your Father’s Day menu with these amazing lean hamburger sliders that are topped with a hot sauce slaw.

This easy grilled salmon in foil recipe, with the flavors of soy sauce and ginger, requires virtually no clean-up! That’s right. Just place the salmon in a double layer of foil, pour over a simple soy sauce (or tamari) mixture. Serve with ginger, garlic and green onions, and slide it onto the grill. It can be served hot or at room temperature.

Take your backyard barbecue from good to great with these tender and tasty Grilled Maple Dijon and Chili Chicken Drumsticks. Plus, they’re healthier than most drumstick recipes out there!

Succulent grilled pork chops make a perfect Memorial Day BBQ addition. This is a foolproof recipe for the most delicious, tender grilled pork chops around. Balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and dijon mustard give the chops incredible flavor. If you’re tired of burgers, this recipe will get you out of that bbq slump.

This healthy broccoli salad recipe contains quite a few detoxifying ingredients. Broccoli, shallot, olive oil and almonds combine with some Greek flavors to create a simple side salad.

Or try some grilled pineapple. Recipe here!

Enjoy Memorial Day Weekend and the start to a healthy, fun summer!

How to Fuel an Athlete Before a Competition

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Nutrition, Performance, Sports Performance No Comments

Many questions about what athletes should eat typically arise in the minds of youth sport coaches and parents. These adults know very well that the diet of “little superstars” has something to do with their athletic performance. And, of course, that includes what’s consumed in the pregame meal.

An important point about planning the pregame meal should be kept in mind: It should be planned. A well-planned eating experience tells athletes that their energy level is being adequately fortified to handle the upcoming event. This serves to enhance athletes’ confidence and ultimately contributes to their sense of gaining a competitive edge—at least in nutrition.

What are some guidelines for planning the pregame meal?

The meal should be eaten 2.5-to-3 hours before the game.
Locate a suitable place where the team or athletes can be together and can concentrate on the upcoming competition.
The meal is best if it is low in fat, modest in protein, and high in carbohydrates (bread, spaghetti, macaroni, potatoes, pancakes, cereals, fruits, vegetables).
The meal should be modest in amount.
The menu should avoid those foods that carry a greater-than-usual risk of food poisoning, such as cream gravies, turkey, and cream pastries.
Fatty foods are slower and more difficult to digest. Thus, they should be eaten 5 or more hours before a game.

Coaches, parents, and athletes should learn the old rule: Saturday’s game is played on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday’s food intake. The pregame meal is not the time to try to provide all of the energy for some high-energy-expending competition.

What’s a simple, inexpensive pregame menu?

Lean beef or chicken sandwiches.
Fruit punch or fruit juice.
A large Jell-O salad.
Nutrition bars or generous servings of sherbet.

A big steak dinner is a poor choice for a pregame meal. It’s a fine postgame meal for the affluent athlete or team—either to celebrate or to forget and get ready for the next game.

Special attention also should be given to the food needs of young athletes when they are away from home and spending an evening in a motel.

“On the road” athletes are at considerable risk for gastronomical disasters and compromised performance the following day.
It is as important to plan evening eating as it is to plan pregame food intake.
Nutrition bars and sherbet make good evening snacks.
By providing such refreshments, athletes can be kept away from vending machines and fast-food establishments and make a positive contribution to the energy taken into the next day’s game.

Healthy Passover Recipes

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Nutrition No Comments

Most people feel that a week without cereal, cookies, bagels, or granola bars is something akin to torture. Beyond the unbearable cravings, a stomach full of matzoh, eggs, potatoes, and oil is rarely a happy one.

Passover doesn’t have to be so stressful on the body. In fact, the holiday’s a great opportunity to experiment in the kitchen, finding new easy, healthy, and—most importantly— tasy recipes that meet the kosher-for-Passover criteria. To help you out, we’ve rounded up 34 Passover recipes, from matzoh brei with veggies to quinoa almond butter cookies, sure to please those observing Passover and even those who aren’t.

Homemade Matzoh

It is possible to make your own matzo instead of chowing down on the store-bought variety. It’s pretty simple, too: This recipe calls for just flour and water, plus a little mixing, cutting, rolling, and baking.

Breakfast and Brunch

Passover Granola

Try this DIY granola featuring walnuts (which pack a healthy-fat punch), honey, and dried fruit. Add it to protein-rich yogurt or milk or just bag it and munch on it as a snack.

Quinoa Porridge

This recipe is sort of like French toast in a bowl, since it combines milk, sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, and nuts. Those watching their sugar intake can go easy on the brown sugar. (Note: There’s some debate over whether quinoa is kosher for Passover, so this recipe might not suit everyone’s style of observance.)

Matzoh Brei With Bananas and Pecans

This rendition of matzoh brie (Yiddish for “fried matzo”) is more sweet than savory, but it’s still nutritious enough to meet our criteria for a healthy Passover meal, and the recipe’s pretty easy to follow. Bananas, pecans, milk, and maple syrup add a hefty dose of potassium, protein, and calcium to traditional matzoh brei (Those watching their sugar intake can use less syrup.).

Skinny Matzoh Brei With Fresh Spinach, Garlic, and Onions

.Traditional matzoh brei calls for a lot of eggs and butter, and not much else. But the classic recipe is easily green-ified (and at least a little health-ified) thanks to superfood spinach, which packs a ton of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Smoked Salmon Omelet

Bagels with cream cheese and lox are off-limits during Passover, but this dish seems like it would go perfectly with a piece of matzoh and cream cheese

Spring Frittata

Passover falls right at the start of spring, so it’s the perfect time to celebrate the return of greens like asparagus and sugar snap peas. Don’t worry about blandness—fresh dill, lemon, and black pepper keep things flavorful.

Green Shakshuka

Shakshuka’s an Israeli egg dish that’s just as tasty for breakfast as it is for dinner. Adding spinach and feta cheese makes it a little more omelet-y, while spices like cinnamon, cumin, and coriander add a powerful punch of flavor (and some super nutrients).

Almond Flour Pancakes

Almond meal, tapioca flour, and a bit of butter form the base of this tasty (swap in unsweetened applesauce for the butter if you want to cut down on sugar). Serve ’em up to friends and fam and top with fresh berries for some added nutrients and that extra “wow” factor.

Orange and Raisin Matzo Meal Pancakes

A surprising combination of ingredients are featured in this recipe for slightly sweeter ’cakes. We’re talking raisins and cottage cheese in the batter and sour cream and honey in the topping. Slap two (or three) on a plate for a hearty, protein-packed breakfast or save one for a mid-day snack.

Grain-Free Banana Bread

This mom-approved recipe uses almond flour in place of regular flour, plus wholesome ingredients like honey and olive oil.

Veggies and Side Dishes

Bitter Herbs Salad

Here’s another tasty twist on a traditional Passover seder dish. A bowl of bitter herbs (usually in the form of horseradish) on the table symbolizes the bitter lot of the Israelites when they were slaves in Egypt. This salad is a little less sad, and a lot more colorful—the nutrient-packed combo of radicchio, endives, and watercress gets its flavor from lemon and olive oil dressing.

Sweet Spaghetti Squash Kugel With Apples and Raisins

This kugel is sweet enough to be dessert, thanks to raisins, coconut sugar, and superfood cinnamon. But vitamin-packed squash and apples make it a nutritious side dish on Passover or any time of year.

Amazing Charoset

Charoset’s a traditional dish on the sedar plate-the crunchy paste is supposed to represent the bricks and mortar the Jews used to build statues for the Egyptian pharaoh. The dish itself is a sweet treat made with relatively healthy ingredients: raisins, pecans, almonds, dates and figs mashed into applesauce. It works really well as a snack on top of matzoh or even paired with a meaty main dish at Passover dinner.

Carrot and Sweet Potato Tzimmes

The word “tzimmes” might look hard to pronounce, but this bright-colored meal is relatively easy to make. Everything about this dish screams sweetness, and yet the ingredients ain’t half bad—think sweet potatoes, apples, prunes, and apricots. Walnuts add some crunch, some healthy fats, and some protein, making this meal a hearty side dish for vegetarians and meat-lovers alike.

Mini Potato Kugels

This recipe, created by the former star of the TV show Blossom, is perfect in so many ways. For one thing, the individual mini kugels mean insta-portion control (assuming we eat just one). It’s also one of the simplest recipes on this list—nothing but potatoes, potato starch, and olive oil—meaning it’s also vegan and gluten-free.

Passover Root Vegetable Casserole

Vitamin-packed potatoes, carrots, superfood beets, and celeriac star in this recipe, which is topped by unsweetened applesauce and lots o’spices.

Carrot Salad

This blindingly-bright dish looks way fancier than it actually is: just vitamin-packed carrots, spices, and lemon juice. It makes for a light, tasty appetizer or side dish at a holiday dinner.

Meats and Main Dishes

Mediterranean Olive Chicken

Everyone always talks about the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, and this Passover is the perfect time to go Middle Eastern. This chicken recipe involves some unexpected ingredients, such as lime juice, honey, and red pepper, which make for a fragrant and flavorful main dish.

Tangy Spiced Brisket

Eggs and potatoes too bland? Spice things up with this brisket recipe featuring good-for-you onion, superfood garlic, paprika, thyme, and oregano. Just don’t leave this one ’til the last minute—it takes a few hours to bake in the oven.

Braised Brisket & Roots

Brisket’s often the main attraction at the Passover seder. Brighten up the batch (and add some nutrients) with carrots, parsnips, and rutabaga. Then enliven the flavor with spices like thyme, paprika, and pepper.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs Over Quinoa Pilaf

This dish scores major points in the health category, since it uses lean ground beef plus a veggie medley of carrots, celery, and onions.

Vegetarian Matzoh Ball Soup

The preparation’s a little more work-intensive than some of the other recipes on this list, but the look on guests’ faces when they start slurping will more than make up for it.

Matzoh Pizza

Any kid growing up in a Jewish household knows the real Passover fun starts when it’s time to whip up a batch of matzo pizza. Unlike the regular greasy variety, this Passover pie calls for just a few basic, natural ingredients: matzoh (try whole wheat for a healthier twist), canned tomatoes, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, basil leaves, and some healthy fats courtesy of olive oil. Choose your favorite veggies (we’re fans of spinach and mushroom) for the topping.

Cauliflower Crust Cheesy Pizza

Eliminate the grains entirely and check out this lower-calorie, cauliflower-based creation. Use a cheese grater to shred the cauliflower into small crumbles and mix with eggs, cheese, and spices. Top with onions and peppers, and voila! You’ve just proved a vegetarian, kosher-for-Passover concoction can still look and taste awesome.

Matzoh Lasagna

Leave the lasagna noodles behind and use matzo instead. The rest of the recipe is basically the same as the non-kosher-for-Passover variety: marinara sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and some nutrient-dense spinach. Be sure to snap a photo of the masterpiece before digging in!

Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

It’s totally possible to make this classic vegetarian dish using matzoh meal instead of bread products, plus tomato sauce and cottage cheese. Eggplant packs an antioxidant punch while the cheese amps up the protein value. And look how pretty they are all stacked up on a dish!

Desserts

Almond Pear Blueberry Cake

The recipe also calls for nutrient-rich pears, almonds, superfoods blueberries and ginger, and lemon. It’s technically a dessert, but we give you permission to eat it for a snack, or breakfast, or all day long…

Pistachio, Honey, and Sea Salt Matzo

It wouldn’t be Passover unless some guest brought chocolate-covered matzo as a contribution to the seder. This version takes the sweet stuff to a slightly more sophisticated (and slightly more nutrient-dense) level, using dark chocolate, honey, and pistachios for the coating.

Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

All that’s required is walnuts, confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, salt, egg whites, and vanilla—plus some quick mixing. It’s an easy way to reap the benefits of chocolate without going overboard, making it the perfect snack to have on hand throughout the week of Passover.

Blender Banana “Any Way You Want It” Ice Cream

This one’s super simple: All you need is some bananas, the nut butter of your choice (avoid peanut butter if you’re keeping Kosher), a handful of chocolate chips (optional), and some cocoa powder. It’s the perfect way to indulge a sweet tooth without consuming a ton of sugar.

Passover Pecan Bars

Miss those non-kosher-for-Passover granola bars? Don’t. Matzoh cake meal and matzoh meal take the place of flour in these nutty goodies, which also feature only a little bit of sugar, butter, and maple syrup (all for under 100 calories per serving).

Quinoa Almond Butter Cookies

This recipe is like a batch of wholesome sweetness that combines protein-packed quinoa and almond butter, plus bananas, chocolate chips, and honey. One batch takes just 12 minutes to bake.

No-Bake Chocolate Macaroons

These no-bake treats are vegan, nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and kosher for Passover.

Healthy Easter Basket Ideas

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Nutrition No Comments

Get creative and come up with other Easter basket ideas to keep it healthy, but still festive! Try to focus on giving experiences instead of material gifts in your holiday celebrations.

Healthy Easter Baskets: Taking It Too Far?

Do you think taking candy out of an Easter basket takes the whole healthy thing a little too far? If your thoughts are running along these lines, consider:

Easter is the second biggest candy-selling holiday of the year after Halloween. Over 16 billion jelly beans are made each year, along with millions of neon marshmallow chicks and hundreds of varieties of chocolate treats. Most of these products are now made with high fructose corn syrup, food dyes, and ingredients our bodies (and certainly our kids’ bodies) were not meant to consume. The point is, if it’s extreme, it’s because its a reaction to a bigger problem.

Since food dyes may affect behavior, and many people consume over 100 pounds of sugar a year, it is becoming increasingly important to consider healthier alternatives even on holidays. These simple switches don’t take away any of the fun or tradition … they just reduce the sugar and food dye content.

Certainly, sometimes the stress of choosing natural options can outweigh the benefits, but this is a holiday where we can definitely make improvements. We can still celebrate all that Easter is meant to be without going to extremes on either end of the spectrum.

Ok, that’s out of the way … on to Easter baskets! Hopefully some of these suggestions get the wheels turning and inspire some ideas perfect for your family!

Experience-Based/Themed Easter Basket Ideas

These experience-themed baskets are more fun and long-lasting than a sugar-laden basket of candy. Create an Easter basket based around an activity or theme like gardening, baseball, swimming, or camping and give your kids the gift of a new skill or favorite pastime.

Gardening Basket

You can use inexpensive clay pots for the “baskets” and fill them with child-sized gardening gloves, seeds, small garden tools, and other garden-related items. Each child in the family could get different types of seeds that you will use in your garden and help to start the seeds, plant in beds, and water throughout the year.

Camping Basket

If your family enjoys camping, or perhaps want to plan a trip, this is a great way to stock your camping supplies! Each child could receive camping items in their baskets. Sleeping bags, flashlights, binoculars, whistles and camping silverware are just some suggestions.

Sports Basket

Baskets with gear to play certain sports and even tickets to local minor league teams to go to games as a family throughout the year are always a family favorite.

Movie Night Basket

Most kids really enjoy family movie nights, so their baskets could contain summer PJs and movie tickets or DVDs/Blu-Ray discs. Each kid gets a different movie and gets to “host” that movie night by making snacks and setting up for the movie.

Craft Basket

Every mom knows the challenge of keeping kids pleasantly and productively occupied (especially in the summer months, which are coming not long after Easter!). Craft-themed baskets are perfect for this. You might fill the baskets with craft supplies like construction paper, glue, scissors, buttons, and modeling clay.

Scavenger Hunt Basket

With this idea, the basket is part of the experience. Create a scavenger hunt around one big gift and leave the clues in their baskets. Hide one part of the first clue in each basket so the kids can work together to find the first clue and lead them on a scavenger hunt to the final destination or gift.

Easter Basket Filler Ideas

If you don’t want to follow a theme for an Easter basket, just fill it with a random assortment of items that encourage activity and experiences, such as:

Jump ropes
books
card games
jump gym passes/Bounce
puzzles
ingredients to make natural slime
outdoor games
Legos
water guns
kid-sized cooking tools
beach towels and toys
hair accessories
kites
coupon for a lunch date with Mom or Dad
sticker pads

And When There’s Time: Try Homemade!

Just say no to the neon jelly beans and marshmallow chickens! Skip the chocolate bunnies and Cadbury eggs completely and consider making healthier chocolate, marshmallows or fruit snacks (maybe in an Easter-themed mold!). And although it’s not as convenient, homemade candy comes with a bonus: quality time together preparing for Easter.

An Easter Basket to Treasure

It takes a little thinking outside of the box to come up with new Easter basket ideas, but in the end the kids don’t feel deprived or miss out the celebration of the season. In fact, it’s amazing how colorful, sweet, and festive a healthy Easter basket can be. Hope these ideas help you fill your Easter baskets with surprises, joy, and good health!

Arthritis at 30? Youth sports injuries can turn into chronic problems, doctors warn

Posted on February 20, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Sports Performance, Strength and Conditioning No Comments

Arthritis at 30? Youth sports injuries can turn into chronic problems, doctors warn – Chicago Tribune

Leo Anderson was in the middle of a baseball game when he threw a ball he had just caught, heard a crunch in his elbow and fell to the ground.

That sound was a growth plate in his elbow breaking, and it ended the now-15-year-old’s season last spring.

Doctors soon said the break was caused by overuse, and the Lake Forest teen underwent surgery to place a pin in his elbow to stabilize it. Anderson, a catcher who had been trying out pitching, wore a cast for 12 weeks before his comeback this fall, playing for the Slammers club team in Lake County. The freshman at Lake Forest High School also underwent physical therapy until November and says he hopes to play for his high school team in the upcoming spring season, in addition to his other team.

But his father, Bill Anderson, said he now closely monitors his son’s play, and that the injury was a wake-up call. Leo, like many youth athletes, plays baseball 10 months out of the year. “Quite honestly, it just didn’t occur to me that he was overusing his arm.”

Doctors say overuse injuries in youth sports have increased dramatically in the past decade. They blame it on kids focusing on one sport early on and playing it year-round, sometimes on multiple teams at once.

“Sports specialization has led to almost an epidemic in sports injuries,” agreed Dr. Elizabeth Matzkin, surgical director of women’s musculoskeletal health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at Harvard Medical School. “Kids are fatigued, and they’re not strengthening the way they should be.”

Matzkin said that, in the past decade, she’s seen overuse injuries in young athletes that she used to see mainly in adults.

“Over the past 10 years, you’d maybe see the occasional high school ACL tear. Now you’re seeing it in 12-, 13-year-olds,” she said. With such injuries at 13, “are you going to have arthritis when you’re 30?”

While doctors and physical therapists say they can treat the injuries, some worry what will happen as these young athletes grow into adults — when old injuries could turn into chronic problems.

“We can get you back playing your sport … but what we can’t do is prevent your arthritis in your knee,” Matzkin said. Then “you’re seeing young women in their 30s who can’t keep up with their kids in the backyard.”

Doctors say it’s largely up to parents and coaches to try to prevent these injuries through cross-training and rest.

But that message can be a hard one to follow in the increasingly competitive landscape of youth sports, where more parents seem to have their sights set on college scholarships and even professional play for their kids, said Dr. Andrea Kramer, a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at north suburban-based Illinois Bone and Joint Institute.

Kramer, who treated Leo Anderson, said she’s seen more overuse injuries in recent years, and at younger ages.

“I’m seeing kids from 7 on up for overuse injuries,” she said. The injuries come in the form of sprains, breaks, stress fractures and other problems that cause “much more increased pain at a much younger age” than she used to see, and span many sports, from baseball to gymnastics.

Kramer said children are at risk for these injuries because they are still growing and growth plates are shifting. She said she advises these young athletes and their parents to try more variety in sports or cross-conditioning, and stresses the importance of rest. Societal pressures seem to play into the desire for high achievement in sports, often leading to overplay, Kramer said.

“If we could convince people to not specialize in one sport at a young age, it would help a lot,” she said.

For Leo Anderson’s arm injury, the tipping point seemed to be when Leo, a catcher since childhood, started to try out pitching with private lessons, plus his regular team practices, which begin in October and last through July. His dad said rain-out dates last spring also caused more back-to-back games, which he thinks also contributed to his son’s overthrowing.

“Looking back it was pretty obvious,” Bill Anderson said. “As a parent, I’m (now) much more hypersensitive to Leo having a sore arm.”

Anderson said he, along with Leo’s coaches, doctor and physical therapist, is monitoring Leo’s play to make sure the injury is healed and to prevent another overuse injury.

Ed Tolzien, co-owner of the Slammers, said he and his staff “strongly encourage our kids to cross-train and play multiple sports” to prevent overuse injuries. About 70 to 75 percent play a sport other than baseball, he said.

Many baseball leagues and the Illinois High School Association limit the number of pitches players can throw in a game and a season to prevent injuries. Tolzien said his youth players abide by such guidelines, and though there aren’t official limits on high school-level club teams, his coaches keep a close eye on players, who are also given strength and conditioning exercises. The team also partners with Illinois Bone and Joint to make sure players get proper treatment and to learn more about injury prevention, he said.

Matzkin, who also serves on the board of directors at the Rosemont-based American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, said education of coaches and parents is necessary to prevent overuse injuries in kids.

The academy teamed up with the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine earlier this year to launch the OneSport Injury campaign, which focuses on just that. The slogan is, “Doctors can treat them. Parents and coaches can prevent them.”

The campaign offers materials geared toward coaches, parents and young athletes, providing prevention tips, statistics on injuries and guidelines for specific sports.

“Sports are beneficial, but playing the same sport more than eight months out of the year can be detrimental,” Matzkin said.

Helpful Tips To Get You Ready For Daylight Saving Time

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Motivation, Performance No Comments

In the wee hours of spring each year you may notice that it is getting lighter a bit earlier and inwardly shout “hooray!”

Another sign of spring that may take a little more adjustment is moving our clocks forward an hour.

Fun fact: Daylight Saving Time was established to take advantage of the longer daylight hours of summer and originally suggested by Ben Franklin in order to save money on candles!

We may not live by candlelight anymore, but most everyone is ready for more sunshine after a long winter!

Daylight Saving Time starts at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 10th, 2019; we will turn our clocks ahead one hour.

Springing forward in time can be disorienting for some of us who keep to a rigid schedule. Even adults need a few tips for handling the change with ease.

Daylight Saving Time Tips for Adults

Go to bed 15 minutes earlier than usual on the Thursday before DST begins.
On Friday go to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual.
On Saturday try to go to bed 45 minutes earlier than your usual bedtime (notice a pattern?).
Eliminate all caffeine after 1:30 p.m. this week in order to make it easier to go to bed earlier.
If possible, also avoid alcohol this weekend, which negatively affects sleep.

Now that you have your plan in place you can think about preparing your baby or toddler for the challenge of a new sleep schedule. Don’t worry. There are a couple of ways to tackle this transition and you can choose the one that suits your style and your child’s needs the best.

Prepare For The Time Change

One of the best ways to prepare your child for Daylight Saving Time is to make sure they are getting good naps for the few days before the time shift. This will help take the edge off of the discomfort associated with the upcoming changes. You want to set them up for success by ensuring they are well-napped so that they are not extra cranky headed into this weekend.

You’ll need to decide how to help your baby transition to Daylight Saving Time. The following are recommended transition methods.

“Do-Nothing”

If you have an early-riser this is a great method for you! Just act like it’s a normal day.

Follow your daily routine according to the clock, but everything will be pushed ahead one hour.

Here are the specifics:

On Saturday evening simply move your clock ahead an hour after your little one is in bed. Do yourself a favor and change EVERYclock in the house at the same time. Sleep-deprived parents need to take extra precautions to help this change work as smoothly as possible.
Proceed with your normal day on Sunday. If you have an early-riser he should wake up at a more acceptable hour.
Consider waking your baby or child by 7:30 a.m. or 8:00 a.m. to help them feel “tired” enough to go to bed earlier that night. This will help move naptimes earlier too.
Keep meals, snacks, and naps at the normal times you always do. You may need to watch the clock to not fall behind at first.
Remember that your baby will be going to bed at their “regular time” according to the new clock. Of course, some babies will not seem particularly tired because their body is saying it is only 6:00 p.m. and not 7:00 p.m.

Be flexible and understanding. If needed, utilize The Shuffle for a few days at bedtime to help your baby fall asleep at the new bedtime.

The good news about this transition method? This method of adjustment seldom takes more than a week!

Split the Time Change “Difference”

For some children (especially young babies), making the one-hour change will be overwhelming. Maybe they already have an early bedtime or they are not napping well. You know your child and may even dread this next week. For you, use modified approach that will bridge the gap and minimize a struggle at bedtime.

This method pushes the bedtime back only half an hour at a time, giving the child some time to catch up. This example is based on a usual 7:00 p.m. bedtime. You can adjust the numbers to suit your needs.

Here are the specifics:

About a week before the time change, begin putting your child to bed 15 to 20 minutes earlier, moving the time back every few days until you reach a full hour — a week ahead usually works best. So, if your child has a 7:00 p.m. bedtime, you want to begin with bedtime at 6:40 p.m. ,then 6:20 p.m., then 6:00 p.m.
Be consistent as possible with your baby’s food and sleep schedule. This means that you need to shift all meals, snacks, and naps a half hour earlier as well. Watch the clock to stay on the new schedule of 30 minutes earlier. Don’t forget to wake your child a bit earlier to help with this transition schedule.
After about a week, your child should be back at their 7:00 p.m. bedtime.
Adjust all meals, snacks, and naps to fit the “new” schedule on the same day that you shift to your child’s new, fully-adjusted bedtime.

The goal is to get back to your child’s normal bedtime and daily routine. It may take as long as a week, though. This is because your child’s inner clock is fighting to stay on Standard Time.

Hope that these ideas help you make a smooth transition to the new time!

Have a Healthy St. Patrick’s Day Party

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Nutrition No Comments

St. Patrick’s Day is a festive opportunity to make healthy eating fun for kids. Capitalize on this holiday’s themes and create positive St. Patty’s Day food memories by serving up a nutritious spread.

Serve Up the Green

Use the green theme of St. Patrick’s Day to get kids interested in eating green produce, which is packed with all kinds of nutrients. Try these delicious options:

Leprechaun Dip: Make an edamame dip that is not only green, but also contains protein, vitamins and minerals. Puree steamed and shelled edamame with olive oil, lime juice and cilantro. Serve with crisp green vegetables, such as cucumber slices or snap peas.
Shamrocks: Cut green bell peppers crosswise near the pointed end to make Shamrock-shaped slices. Or, make “Shamrock Mini Pizzas” by spreading pizza sauce and cheese over split English muffins. Place one bell pepper slice on each mini pizza, and bake until the cheese melts.
Corned beef and cabbage: Make the veggie the focus by giving this classic dish a modern twist. Shred raw cabbage, add grated carrots and toss the mixture with a dash of salt and a tablespoon of sugar. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Drain any water that forms in the dish and toss the cabbage with a bit of vinegar. Sprinkle diced corned beef or bacon bits on top for a fresh, healthy cabbage and corned beef dish.
Celtic pasta with peas: For a meatless main dish, toss cooked whole-grain pasta with pesto and green peas.

Embrace Ireland’s Favorite Veggie

Potatoes contain healthy vitamins, minerals and fiber. Experience Ireland’s passion for potatoes on this holiday:

Baby Boiled Potatoes: Put garlic cloves, bay leaf and a pinch of salt in a pot of water. Drop in the baby potatoes and boil until soft. Toss with olive oil and chopped parsley or rosemary. Cut each potato in half and spear with a toothpick
Sprouting Potatoes: Cut baby potatoes and Brussels sprouts in half. Toss in olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Broil until lightly brown. Serve on skewers, alternating potato and sprout.
Mashed Potatoes — the Healthy Way: whip up creamy mashed potatoes using low-fat milk, light sour cream and chives. Serve as a side dish or use as a topping for a traditional Shepherd’s Pie prepared with lean ground beef or turkey.

Serve a Pot ‘o Gold for Dessert

Pot ‘o Gold: Make up fruit skewers with green grapes and kiwi slices. Place a pineapple chunk at each end to serve as the “pot ‘o gold.”
Apple Pie Smoothie: Blend a little bit of baby spinach, Greek yogurt and green apples. Mix in apple pie spice. Serve in 4-ounce portions.
Honeydew Sorbet: Make a green sorbet using honeydew melon.

The Importance of Sports Parents Accountability

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Sports Performance No Comments

Youth sports parents play many different roles: former (or current) athlete, coach, fan, motivator, role model, critic, and maybe most importantly, influencer. Studies have shown that family members may influence an athlete’s involvement and achievement in sport even more than coaches. Parents also are the first and most critical determiners in whether or not children reap the social benefits of playing sports. This is why it is so crucial that sports parents are aware and accountable for their actions, and how those influence their young athletes.

Accounting for Your Attitude

Parental encouragement is significantly related to a child’s attraction to and competence in playing sports. Parents who provide positive encouragement instill a greater sense of enjoyment, ability, and motivation in their child.

Research done by Windee M. Weiss, Ph.D. of the University of Northern Iowa emphasizes the importance of parents staying accountable for and modeling good behavior, and helping their children interpret their sport experiences. Parents are critical in helping their child develop coping strategies to deal not only with competition, but also with losing. Children’s perceptions of their parents’ interest in their playing sport also predict their lasting involvement in sport.

Studies done by the University of Minnesota’s Diane Wiese-Bjornstal found that the way girls perceive their parents’ assessment of their abilities predict their likelihood of playing and staying in sport. That is, if their parents do not have confidence in their abilities, neither will they.

And dads, are you listening? Studies have found that fathers hold more influence – both positive and negative – over their daughter’s sport competence and values than mothers do. However, mothers are more likely to first enroll their daughters in sport and then continue encouragement by providing transportation, uniforms, moral support, and snacks.

Being Responsible for Their Readiness

There is some good news to report from yet another study on the topic. Researchers from Yale University, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Michigan suggest that children participate in organized activities, such as sport, because they want to, not because their parents make them.

But parents still need to consider whether a child is mentally, emotionally, socially, and physically mature enough to participate in sport. Readiness for a sport is just as important as readiness for school. And, like schooling, younger children need more positive direction at first, until they begin to develop and master the sport.

Pros and Cons for Parents

Parents also benefit from their child’s participation in sport. Research from Wiersma and Fifer found that their positive experiences include watching their child learn new skills and having the opportunity to interact with other parents.

On the negative side, parents who lose accountability for their lofty expectations and put too many demands on their young athletes before, during, and after competition can create stress that can destroy their child’s enjoyment of sport. Research by Bois et al., Power and Woolger, and Van Yperen has shown that negative parental support and pressure can result in competitive anxiety, interpersonal difficulties among teammates, and even quitting. Conversely, lower parental pressure has been found to be associated with children enjoying their sport more.

An overemphasis on extrinsic goals (winning, trophies, status) by parents can negate focusing on intrinsic goals, through which the child gains enjoyment from playing, mastering skills, and improving their game. Coaches also report that children’s sport performance is affected by the presence of parents. Additionally, parents lacking self-awareness and accountability for their actions are most likely to create conflict for coaches during the critical time that their child is improving mastery and transferring their trust in authority from the parent to the coach.

LaVoi and Stellino research found that the children of parents who create anxiety about failing and emphasize winning are more likely to engage in poor sport behaviors than children whose parents encourage enjoyment and self-mastery. Another study from Guivernau and Duda showed how athletes’ perceptions of their parents’ approval regarding cheating and aggression shape their own views about appropriate sport behavior. When youth athletes feel that their parents are supportive, positive, and emphasize mastery and enjoyment, they are more likely to display concern for opponents and grace in losing. They also are less likely to trash talk or whine and complain about the coach or their playing time.

Accountability from parents for their actions and attitudes effects much more than just their athletes’ level of effort on the field. It also impacts their mindset, mood, and motivation to continue playing sports at all, as well as their trust in their coach and authority in general.

Creating accountable youth athletes and young adults starts at home, with parents taking responsibility for their actions first before demanding that their athletes do the same.