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How to support athletes through changes during COVID-19

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Train for the Game LI in Coronavirus, Motivation, Sports Performance No Comments

5 tips to help athletes stay focused and positive as the coronavirus pandemic affects sports seasons

When cases of COVID-19 first began to spread across the U.S., young athletes had to adjust quickly to online school – and a canceled spring sports season. Now, as schools navigate reopening, athletes are still adjusting and tentatively preparing for a new sports season.

Still, athletes are facing numerous changes and uncertainties. Will fans be allowed to watch games? Will they play fewer games? What safety measures will they have to follow? What if their season is ultimately canceled?

Though we don’t know exactly how this sports season will play out, we know that it won’t be typical – which could be stressful for young athletes. Parents and coaches should be ready to support athletes and help them stay positive as things continue to change.

Kimberly Williams, LCSW, a clinical social worker with Children’s Health Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, shares tips to help athletes navigate this school year and their changing sports seasons.

Tips to support athletes during COVID-19

1.) Be ready to offer support

Athletes might experience a range of emotions with changes to their seasons: from grief to disappointment.

“Often, an athlete views their sport as their identity,” says Williams. “Having a cancellation or postponement likely puts this population at higher risk for mental health challenges when they are unable to fulfill these self-defining activities.”

Some athletes will experience grief over the loss of a normal sports season. Grief can look different for all teens and children. It could present as anger, denial, disbelief or depression. Offer support to athletes showing these emotions by listening to how they feel. These emotions may also change as athletes work through their emotions.

You can help athletes develop coping strategies and mental resilience to these changes during this time. Give them space to express their feelings and work through them without judgment. Help them participate in any other hobbies they have or other activities they enjoy, which can help them realize they have other things in their lives they love.

2. Lead by example

Children and teens will look to adults for how to react and handle the changes that COVID-19 is causing. Teach them that it’s important to stay positive and focus on things they can control, such as wearing a face mask and practicing social distancing.

You should also reinforce any decisions that the school or teams make for athlete safety, whether that is changes to practice schedules or changing rules of the game. Encourage your child to do the same to help keep their teammates safe.

By remaining confident and positive, you can help your athlete do the same.

3. Let athletes know they’re not alone

Millions of athletes across the country are facing the same challenges related to their sports season, whether it is delayed or canceled. It can help your athlete to know they aren’t alone during this time. Sharing their frustrations with people who understand can help them cope.

Athletes may be afraid that they will fall behind in their sport or not be able to perform as well as they used to. Remind them that athletes across the country are experiencing the same uncertainties. Athletes can obtain their competitive edge and avoid injury when they return to sports by staying active at home.

4. Adopt a different perspective

Instead of focusing on athletic skills they may be losing if their season is affected, athletes should focus on what they can do now to take care of themselves as a whole.

“The theoretical goal post can represent so much more than success as an athlete,” says Williams. “Character building during times of adversity will serve athletes well both in the classroom and during competition.”

Williams suggests that athletes take advantage of this time to learn a new skill not related to their sport. They may take up a new hobby, for instance, or learn to play a musical instrument.

Athletes can also take this time to do what they usually couldn’t do in the season. This may be the way to make the best of a difficult situation.

5. Try to help calm fears

For some athletes, the idea of returning to school and playing while coronavirus continues to spread can be scary. They may realize that they have closer contact with other people during their sport and feel their risk of getting the virus is even higher. Remind them to focus on the steps they can take to reduce risk of infection and stay safe during return to play.

“It is okay to have a healthy amount of fear in life,” says Williams. “That said, if fear begins to take over for athletes as they return to their sport, it is important to provide mental health support to manage these thoughts and feelings before they adversely affect their quality of life and performance.”

If an athlete is struggling with fear, grief or disappointment, seek professional support to help them address these issues. Therapy can help them cope and become stronger in life and in their sport.

Exercise May Boost Your Vaccine Response

Posted on August 27, 2020 by Train for the Game LI in Motivation, Performance No Comments

Two new studies of elite athletes found that working out amplifies the immune response to a flu shot.

If you are an athlete, you may gain greater immunity from a flu shot than people who are less active, according to two complementary and timely new studies of exercise and vaccinations. The two studies, which involved the same group of elite runners, swimmers, wrestlers, cyclists and other athletes, suggest that intense training amplifies our vaccine response, a finding with particular relevance now, as the flu season looms and scientists work to develop a Covid-19 vaccine.

Having an immune system primed to clobber infections and respond robustly to vaccinations is obviously desirable now, during the ongoing pandemic. And in general, exercise aids immunity, most science shows. People who work out often and moderately tend to catch fewer colds and other viruses than sedentary people. More immediately, if you exercise your arm in the hours before a flu shot, you likely will develop a stronger antibody response than if you rest that arm, a few small studies indicate.

But there have also been suggestions that under certain circumstances, exercise may dampen the immune response. Some epidemiological research and personal stories from athletes hint that intense, exhausting exercise might be detrimental to that intense, exhausting exercise might be detrimental to immunity in the short term. Marathon racers, for example, report catching colds at disproportionately high rates soon after a race, although some physiologists suspect these post-race respiratory problems are infommatory, not infectious.

The upshot, though, is that many questions have remained unanswered about whether and how strenuous workouts affect immunity and our bodies’ ability to respond favorably to a vaccination, such as the seasonal flu shot.

So, for the new studies, scientists from Saarland University in Germany and other institutions decided to convince a large group of competitive athletes to get vaccinated, an effort more difficult than most of us might expect. In surveys, elite athletes tend to report relatively low rates of vaccination for the flu and other conditions, since many worry the shot will cause side effects that affect their training.

But the researchers managed to recruit 45 fit, young, elite athletes, male and female. Their sports ranged from endurance events, like the marathon, to power sports, including wrestling and hammer throw, to team sports, such as basketball and badminton. All of the volunteers were in the middle of their competitive seasons during the studies.

For the first of the two experiments involving these athletes, which was published in January in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, the researchers hoped to establish whether being an athlete and having an athlete’s outsized fitness would goose or impede the young people’s immune reaction to a flu shot. So, the scientists also recruited an additional 25 young people who were healthy but not athletes to serve as a control group. They drew blood from everyone.

Afterward, all of the young people received a flu shot and kept notes about any side effects they felt, such as a sore arm. The groups returned to the lab for follow-up blood draws a week, two weeks and six months after the vaccination. Then the researchers checked their blood for anti-influenza immune cells and antibodies.

They found significantly more of those cells in the athletes’ blood, especially in the week after the shot, when everyone’s cellular reactions peaked. The athletes showed a “more pronounced immune response,” with presumably better protection against flu infection than the other young people, says Martina Sester, an immunologist at Saarland University and study co-author.

The researchers speculate that the athletes’ immune systems had been strengthened and fine-tuned by the daily physical demands and damages of training, allowing them to respond so effectively to the vaccine.

But those results, while notable, did not look at the acute effects of exercise and whether a single, intense workout might alter the body’s reactions to a vaccine, for better or worse. So, for the second of the new studies, which was published in July in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the scientists returned to the same data, but focused now only on the immune reactions of the athletes.

They compared the numbers of immune cells and antibodies in those athletes who happened to have gotten their flu shot within two hours of their most recent training session against those of athletes whose shot had come a day after their last workout. If intense training blunted immune reactions, then the first group of athletes would be expected to show fewer new immune cells than those who had gotten their shot after a longer rest.

But the researchers found no differences. Whether the athletes’ inoculations came almost immediately after training or a day later, their immune reactions were the same. A strenuous workout beforehand had not lowered — or boosted — the response.

Together, the two studies tell us that being in shape is likely to increase our protection from a vaccination, no matter how intensely or when we work out before the shot, Dr. Sester says.

Of course, these studies focused on elite, competitive athletes, which most of us are not. But Dr. Sester believes even more-casual recreational athletes are likely to mount better flu-vaccine responses than sedentary people. Likewise, she and her colleagues expect high fitness should improve immune responses to other vaccines, including, potentially, a Covid-19 shot.

“The basic principles of vaccine response are probably the same,” she says. Future studies will have to confirm that possibility, though, if and when a vaccine becomes available.

Back To School: How To Help Children Adapt To A New Normal

Posted on August 25, 2020 by Train for the Game LI in Motivation No Comments

Child mental health care workers say families will likely face increased anxiety as schools reopen. Some classes will be in-person, online, or a mix of both.

Dr. David Fitzgerald, the director of the UConn Health Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic, said school this year comes with a lot of added stress. In school, there could be requirements for face coverings, social distancing, potential temperature checks and COVID-19 testing. At home, there’s distance learning and screen time.

“The larger, the bigger thing, is just the unknown,” Fitzgerald said. “What is going to happen, what is it going to be? And that is a pretty ripe opportunity for anxiety.”

But even though the future looks uncertain, Fitzgerald said it’s important for parents to remain calm.

“As the leader of the ship here, the captain of the ship, parents need to model calm, and that can come from knowing as much as possible about what the plan is, and doing whatever they need to do to get themselves calm,” he said.

Build Structure

Parents need to plan for the future, maintain structure, for both themselves and their children, and keep up with what’s going on with school policies — and be able to go with the flow if circumstances change.

“First is, let’s get back to a routine and a structure,” Fitzgerald said. “A lot of times, that slides away in the summer, understandably. Bedtimes move, mealtimes get scattered, and that’s not unusual but we had a three or four month head start on that, with going out of school, so many people’s schedules are sort of wildly out of whack compared to what it would be on a regular school day.”

Just Listen

It’s important for parents to pay attention to their children’s emotions.

“Parents know their children best,” Fitzgerald said, “if they’re starting to see signs that indicate that the child is more stressed, whether that’s through eating, sleeping, play, interactions, you might need to take extra time to spend with each child.”

He said parents should make time to spend with each child, and ask about their concerns and feelings — especially since children might be worried about different things than their parents.

“We might be concerned about illness, and the child contracting the virus, whereas he or she might be worried about what if I don’t get to see my friends,” he said. “We need to hear what their concerns are. We can’t promise things we can’t deliver, but try to answer as honestly as we can and take time to understand what their concerns are.”

Fitzgerald said parents can teach their children relaxation and deep breathing skills to help. There are apps and websites that can help.

For instance, Headspace is an app that offers guided meditation and articles on how to manage mental health. Happily is another app that offers activities to help relieve stress, and the app MoodMission teaches coping skills.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America has compiled a list of resources list of resources on how to navigate increased anxiety due to COVID-19. The National Institute of Mental Health offers resources as well, in addition to local governments and libraries.

Professional therapy and psychiatric help are also an option.

Identifying Anxiety

Parents know their children best — but it can be hard to identify anxiety triggers for their children. And there could be plenty with going back to school in a pandemic.

“The big decision is not about what backpack to buy anymore, it’s, you know, dealing with a lot of feelings and change, so we are anticipating a lot of anxiety, both from parents and kids,” said Shari Lurie, senior director of clinical services at the South Shore Child Guidance Center with EPIC Long Island, a mental health and resource center.

“If your child is feeling anxious about returning or not returning, connecting to the school — the guidance counselors, the social workers, certainly outpatient clinics, to help the child and make that person in the school aware that your child is really struggling,” Lurie said. “Tell your child they can go and talk to this person if they’re feeling anxious during the day. Have a contact person.”

Give Them Space

Parents, your kids might just want space from you.

“Going to school is a break for a lot of these kids, and they weren’t getting the break from what could be tumultuous family life. It raised their depression, their anxiety, just feeling upset, so definitely, sometimes spending more time with the families was very difficult,” Lurie said.

Debra Cahill, Children’s Services Clinic Supervisor at EPIC Long Island, said children have gone through a lot this year that has done a number to their mental health.

“Families are also dealing with a lot of added stress that may not necessarily translate into anxiety,” Cahill said. “Financial stress is certainly something that a lot of families are feeling right now. A lot of job losses, unstable housing, and these are things that, while children may not be directly involved in this, they are aware of what’s going on in the house.”

“They could also be dealing with some grieving, if they have lost a family member, or friends of the family to the virus,” she said. “There may be some of that going on as well. I think that children may also be confused, because they all of a sudden have these rules they need to follow, and not everybody is following the rules.”

WorryWiseKids.org is one resource for parents with anxious kids. It’s run by a child psychologist, and offers resources and tips on how to help children manage their anxiety. Child trauma experts have published a list of tips and resources for supporting children’s emotional health during COVID-19 on Child Trends, a research organization focused on children.

The Calm app — aimed at improving sleep, meditation and relaxation — includes a section for kids. Smiling Mind also offers meditation programs for children.

Jennifer Colbert, vice president of clinic services at South Shore Child Guidance Center with EPIC Long Island, said parents aren’t going to have all the answers.

“I think it’s also important for the parents to understand that they don’t have to have all the answers, because of course, none of us have all the answers, we can’t, and to feel comfortable with that, and to just try their best and feel comfortable just not knowing,” she said.

Quarantine 15? What You Can Do About Weight Gain During the Ongoing Pandemic

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Train for the Game LI in Motivation, Nutrition, Performance No Comments

It’s easy to see how you might gain weight during the pandemic, especially if you are spending most of your time at home. Comfort food recipes have been trending on Google. You find yourself thinking that a cookie sounds good—or a beer. So as sheltering-at-home restrictions ease up, people are becoming concerned about “COVID curves” and the “Quarantine 15” (referring to new pounds gained).

Nobody has yet done an assessment of how COVID-19 has impacted the nation’s weight—in fact, there are reports that some people are losing weight. But John Morton, MD, MPH, MHA, medical director of bariatric surgery at Yale New Haven Health System, says he has seen patients in telehealth appointments who have gained five, 10, and even 30 pounds.

“Anecdotally, we are definitely seeing weight gain,” Dr. Morton says. “You can put on 30 pounds really quickly—you can do it in three months.”

In fact, COVID-19 has created a perfect storm for people who struggle with weight. “Life has been disrupted in a major way,” says Artur Viana, MD, clinical director of the Yale Metabolic Health & Weight Loss Program. Gym and park closures have upended exercise routines, and the stress has escalated for parents who suddenly had to work at home while teaching their children. People have had to postpone medical checkups and physicals, where getting updates like blood pressure and cholesterol numbers can be motivation to think about weight, he says.

How has the pandemic led to weight gain?

All this stress can affect weight. “We know that obesity’s causes are multifactorial and that stress is involved,” says Dr. Viana. “Not only are there organic body changes, but we turn to food as a way to cope with stress.” There are also metabolic changes associated with the “fight-or-flight syndrome,” says Dr. Morton. “When you’re stressed, your body will sense it, and it will not give up any calories when it thinks it needs for energy for running away or combat,” he says.

Inflammation is a primary factor, Dr. Morton adds. “It’s hard to establish if it’s the chicken or the egg. Does inflammation lead to more weight or does more weight lead to more inflammation? The answer is, probably, both.”

Is obesity a risk factor for COVID-19?

One reason to keep your weight from getting too far out of control is that obesity is associated with serious complications in people with COVID-19, according to Dr. Morton. “We know obesity is a big risk factor—not just for COVID, but it also caused problems in people with H1N1 [a strain of swine flu that infected people around the world in 2009] and severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS, a coronavirus that became an epidemic in 2002-2003],” he says. “We’ve known this for a long time. It’s being demonstrated right now even more because this virus has been so pervasive.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), severe obesity increases the risk of a dangerous breathing problem called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is a serious complication of COVID-19. Also, people with severe obesity are more likely to have other chronic diseases and health conditions that can increase the severity of COVID-19, if they become infected.

Dr. Morton is also concerned about how effective a COVID-19 vaccine will be for people with obesity, if and when one is proven to be safe and effective. “We’ve learned over the years that traditional flu vaccines do not work as well in people with obesity. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that the immune response is altered because of the weight and the inflammatory changes that occur,” he says. “I think as we develop a vaccine, we need to make sure that patients with obesity are over-represented in the trial, because they are at high risk, and we need to have a vaccine that is going to work for them.”

Is weight loss necessary and possible?

Losing five or 10 pounds during the pandemic is entirely possible, says Dr. Morton. He advises starting by stepping on the scale at least once a week. Having spoken to patients during telehealth visits in the past few months, he says, “I was surprised at how few patients have weighed themselves. Weighing yourself is both therapeutic and diagnostic.” The National Weight Loss Registry, which tracks people who have lost significant weight and maintained the loss, has shown that people who weigh themselves are more likely to keep their weight down, he says.

Once you know your weight, you can determine your body mass index (BMI), which is a height/weight ratio that will show where you fall in the weight spectrum. (There are many simple BMI calculators available online.) Your BMI is considered healthy if it falls between 18.5 and 25, and overweight if it is between 25 and 30—a good reason to adjust your diet and exercise routine. When BMI reaches 30, people begin to have an extremely difficult time losing weight without medical support and interventions, Dr. Morton says. The Yale Weight Loss Program offers options such as medication, endoscopic procedures, and surgery for people in need.

If you need to lose 10 or 15 pounds, it should be doable—even with the changes and restrictions of the pandemic, Dr. Morton says. The first step is to come up with a plan, he says. He recommends building new routines around what he calls the four pillars for weight loss: diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management. “You have to have routines. You can’t just be sailing along, hoping for the best. Start with the fundamentals,” he says. “That means getting up in the morning, taking a shower, getting breakfast, and having a plan for the day. Purpose gives direction, and it helps when it comes to weight.”

One or two pounds a week is a reasonable weight loss pace, Dr. Morton says. “If you want to cut back by 500 calories a day, that might mean you are exercising the equivalent of 200 calories and cutting out 300 calories in your diet.”

Strategies for shedding pounds

Dr. Morton and Dr. Viana provided several tips to support a weight management program:

Create a daily routine.
- Set a daily wake-up time and bed time.
- Plan your meals ahead, if you can.
- Dress up for work every morning—if you wear sweatpants or other loose-fitting clothes every day, it’s easier to ignore weight gain.
Renew your interest in food and cooking. If you are home more than usual, you might have time to learn more about cooking healthy foods. “When you are eating foods you like, you can learn to get a taste of fullness from taste as opposed to only the quantity of food,” Dr. Morton says.
- It might be helpful to cook a week’s worth of meals (or at least the protein parts of the meals) in one session.
- Be sure to include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats.
Think about how you are eating.
- Control your portions. Try using a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. You can also drink a big glass of water before you eat, then wait about 15 minutes to see if you’re still hungry.
- Eat proteins first, because they will make you feel fuller. Too many carbohydrates can cause swings in blood sugar and leave you feeling like you have less control over your hunger.
- Shop carefully. If you think you’ll eat a whole package of cookies in one sitting, don’t buy them.
Schedule regular exercise. If social distancing keeps you from your usual gym session or exercise classes, try other forms of activity, such as hiking or an online workout class. Exercise is not the main factor for weight loss, but it plays a role in keeping weight off once you lose it, Dr. Viana says. Weight loss can also help with mood and joint pain, adds Dr. Morton.
Get a good night’s sleep. This means seven or more hours a night, depending on what your body requires. “There is a lot of evidence that people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight or obese,” Drs. Morton and Viana say.
Decide how to manage stress. People of faith who get support from others in their religious community face a particular struggle right now, as congregating in large groups raises risk of infection. But you can set a regular time for prayer at home and take long walks. Meditation, yoga, and a mindfulness practice can help. Alcohol can seem like a way to calm stress, but it is not helpful for weight loss, Dr. Viana says. “When you have a glass of wine, count that as having a candy bar. It contains calories and the nutritional value is very low.” Alcohol can also disturb your sleep and make you dehydrated, which may prompt eating, says Dr. Morton.

Should you just relax?

Should you just go easy on yourself right now? It’s a question that comes up. “Everybody’s got a tipping point with their weight. A lot of people know this—when they get to a certain weight they start to have problems like reflux or joint pain,” says Dr. Morton. “I would say it’s fine as long as you are in a normal weight range, but if you are getting out of that range, I would do something about it.”

If you are still in a normal weight range, an extra 5 to 10 pounds may not make a significant impact on your health, says Dr. Viana. But if you are overweight or obese, losing 7 to 10% of your weight can have a positive impact on such conditions as heart disease, fatty liver disease, and joint pain, he says.

Whatever your weight goals may be, now is a good time to assess your lifestyle and focus on all the things that keep you healthy, Dr. Viana says. “You might have more time to reshape your priorities and decide what to do about food and exercise,” he says.

While you want to have a plan, you do have to make it sustainable and make allowances, says Dr. Morton. There is no reason to be rigid about it, Dr. Viana adds. “So, don’t have macaroni and cheese every day, but if you want to have it once in a while, I think it’s fine.”

Helpful tips for combatting stress and anxiety during pandemic

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Train for the Game LI in Sports Performance No Comments

As COVID-19 news relentlessly churns these days, it’s easy for families to be overwhelmed as stress and anxiety wreak havoc in households.

“Every time you’re searching for information you’re basically putting that IV drip of stress into your system,” says Dr. Jenny Yip, a leading parenting expert, author and speaker. “Then you overload your system and it impacts your immune system negatively. And the best thing we can do for ourselves right now is to make sure that our immune system is healthy.”

Dr. Yip urges parents to put extra care into their emotional well-being during these difficult days.

“Children can sense a lot of emotional experiences from adults,” Yip says. “So if you’re giving off a sense of anxiety and stress that’s probably when you will see them be a little bit more defensive and irritable because they’re sensing it from you. So adults have to do the same in terms of taking care of themselves.”

Yip is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the USC Keck School of Medicine. In 2008, she founded the Renewed Freedom Center – Los Angeles to provide the most advanced treatment for those suffering from OCD and anxiety disorders; and in 2016 she established the Little Thinkers Center – Los Angeles to help children with academic challenges develop the necessary critical and creative thinking skills that build self-confidence and resiliency.

Use these tips from Yip to help you and your families minimize stress and anxiety while traversing these unprecedented times:

Navigating the news: “Watch the news earlier in the day,” says Yip, so it’s not what’s swirling in your mind as your head hits the pillow. “And as soon as you are done watching go and do something pleasant for yourself, whether it’s gardening, or reading a book or spending quality time with your children.”

Spotting signs: Temper tantrums, irritability, anger, frustration and combativeness are all signs that kids are feeling the crush of stress and anxiety. Also be on the lookout for those who have become more withdrawn and are showing less interest in activities they normally enjoy doing.

Focus on the facts: Children are going to have concerns, and it’s important that parents don’t brush those off with that overused ‘everything will be fine’ line. “I definitely would never respond to a child by saying everything will be fine,” Yip says. “Because you are invalidating the child’s experiences if you’re just saying everything will be fine because in the real world you actually don’t know. And kids sense that. So if all you’re doing is giving these kids false reassurance that’s not going to give them the comfort that they need. In fact, it’s more important for you to be able to give them factual information and be able to separate the fact from the emotional severity of it.”

Age-appropriate discussions: “You have to be able to speak at your child’s developmental level,” Yip says. “You have to be able to give kids factual information because if you’re not giving it to them, they’re going to hear it from somewhere else. And the last thing you want is for them to hear information that might not be the whole truth from their peers or off the Internet.”

Check-in conversations: Even though on the surface your child may appear as though they aren’t experiencing any difficulties, Yip advises to check in and have meaningful conversations with them. “I think too often parents are thinking ‘my child is fine, they haven’t expressed any concerns’ but that doesn’t mean they’re not concerned,” she says. “That might just mean that they aren’t comfortable talking about it with you. So it’s really important to check in and let them know that you are available to talk to and when you are offering information make sure it comes in the form that you are just educating your children rather than lecturing, because nobody wants to hear a lecture.”

Is your young athlete ready to return to youth sports?

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Train for the Game LI in Sports Performance No Comments

By Dr. Nick Molinaro and Celeste Romano

After several months of seclusion, the pandemic restrictions are lifting. Yet, while some of us are racing out the door to be the first to eat at a restaurant or hit the mall, others are self-implementing the previous stay at home orders. As I talk to other parents, I instantly see these varying degrees of concern. Some parents have expressed almost no concerns, while others maintain an almost doomsday scenario running in their heads.

And though most of us are proceeding with a healthy mix of concern and optimism, we must question how all this is affecting our kids. Do they feel victimized or empowered? Will they want to return to sports, or will they be nervous to do so? Are they questioning if they will be able to perform as they once had? How do parents give their kids the skills needed to weather this storm and grow from it?

Parents are the greatest factor in a child’s environment. And the child’s environment directly impacts their mental game, which in turn impacts their physical performance. So, how parents have reacted to the pandemic does affect how their kids have reacted to it.

Recently some states are allowing camps and some youth sports activities to start back up. What I tell parents is to be mindful of how their kids are responding to all these changes. Like adults, some kids may be reluctant to return to the norm. Other children may run back to their activities without an ounce of hesitation. Yet, the child returning to sports who is hesitant or fearful will increase their potential for a physical injury. Playing a sport or any activity where anxiety is present may create the potential for harm.

Parents must understand that no matter the source of the fear – Covid-19, their ability to perform as they once had, or the struggles they had prior to the pandemic still being there – the way parents and athletes address these fears are the same. Therefore, I encourage parents to practice the following:

Be alert. Watch for the child who is questioning and hesitant about returning to sports.

Be an active listener. Listen both to the words being used, what is not being said, and what the child’s body language is saying.

Be empathetic. Place yourselves in the child’s position and try to see the current situation through the child’s eyes.

Practice a growth mindset. Use growth minded words to communicate with the child; see challenges as opportunities. Make this time a teachable moment. Show kids how to adapt and find the growth opportunity in difficult, challenging times.

Answer questions while providing assurance. Let your child or a child you may coach know that you would never place them in a situation that would cause them harm. Allow the parent-child trust to calm any unsettled nerves. The more anxious the parent, the more potential for an anxious child.

Set Goals. Guide them in setting appropriate and measurable goals for their return.

Practice basic skills. Have them practice the basic skills of their sport. Communicate to the child that no one ever masters the basics, even professional athletes.

Practice imagery. This may be the last point but arguably the most important. Imagery is a powerful mental tool when dealing with anxiety or fear that may occur during play. It doesn’t matter what causes the fear or anxiety, what matters is how one reacts to it. I always teach players I work with proven imagery techniques–replacing fear or anxiety with a positive image to calm the mind and create focus. Follow these steps:

Ask your child to think of a positive image. Then tell them to put that image aside, in their pocket for when they need it.
Then have your child picture themselves in the situation they fear happening or a situation that posed a struggle for them in the past. Basically, visualizing themselves in their fear.
Then have them instantly replace the fear-provoking image with the positive image they identified in step a.
Practice this several times a day to imbed this as a skill. When they return to their sport and they are in a situation like they imagined, they will need to immediately replace any fear or anxiety with that image. The positive image will allow their nerves to calm and their mind to focus on executing the skill, not the fear they had.

In the end, going forward and resuming sports is as individual as the decision to play at all. Don’t compare your child’s reaction or fear to other players. As a parent, knowing your child and using the tips above will give you and your child the best environment to promote a healthy mental and physical game from this point on.

Remember, your child’s physical game depends on a healthy mental game. The mental game is a direct reflection of the child’s environment where you, the parent, play the lead role.

repost from: https://www.nays.org/sklive/for-parents/returning-to-youth-sports-is-your-young-athlete-ready/

4th of July Activities to Keep the Family Entertained All Day

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Train for the Game LI in Sports Performance No Comments

Like almost everything in 2020, the 4th of July is likely to look a little different in this age of social distancing. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t break out your best 4th of July party ideas. Even if this year’s 4th get-together is just limited to immediate family, you can still create a photo-op worthy day—complete with Instagram-friendly 4th of July captions….grilling assorted meats, making s’mores, waving sparklers, and camping out in the backyard.

But what about if you have major traditions—like visits to community pools or park-side fireworks? We know. It’s tough when everything is so uncertain. The long and short of it is we don’t know what will happen in July, so why not amend your plans and focus more on family this year? In lieu of a parade, go on a family bike ride (with bikes decked out in 4th of July party decorations). Instead of heading to the ballpark, consider putting together a baseball game in the front yard, or skip the theater and set up a backyard movie night to watch The Sandlot. You can also give everyone in the family a dish to make and a summer party idea to execute. This holiday will still be one for the books thanks to any one of these family-friendly 4th of July ideas.

1. Throw a Family-friendly Fourth U-Pick Party

After visiting a berry picking farm, head home and turn the fruits of your labor into some fruity desserts. When the baking is done, head outside to enjoy the sweet treats—like blueberry whoopie pies— under blue skies.

Get the recipe.

2. Go Camping in Your Backyard

Can’t make it to a real campsite this year? Try a little backyard tent camping instead. Once your cookout’s died down, watch fireworks from the comfort of sleeping bags and cap off the night with some (not super scary) ghost stories before sleeping under the stars.

3. Watch a Patriotic Movie Outside

Weather permitting, set up a movie screen and cozy seating on your lawn, then sit back and relax with some of the best patriotic movies like Yankee Doodle Dandy or Miracle. Of course, if it rains, you can easily move the festivities, popcorn and all, into the family room.

4. Plan a Soda Float Social

This is perfect for fending off the July heat and keeping your crew refreshed. Channel the 4th of July from decades past with glass soda bottles and a vintage-inspired bar cart.

5. Take a Family Bike Ride

No neighborhood 4th of July parade this year? No problem. You and your immediate family can have your very own private parade by decorating your bikes with flags, streamers, and ribbons, and setting off together for a few casual laps around the block. The ride will help everyone work up an appetite before the celebratory barbecue.

6. Play Patriotic Games

Spark some fun family competition with Independence Day-inspired games, like stars-and-stripes tic tac toe or tossing red, white, and blue water balloons. Should the weather not pan out, you can also keep kids entertained inside with a round of Go Fish—from a patriotic card deck, of course.

7. Dine Al Fresco

Sometimes the best 4th of July holidays are the ones celebrated with just your immediate family. This year, make use of your grill or outdoor kitchen and plan an intimate holiday meal while enjoying your most clever patio decorating ideas.

8. Create 4th of July Cocktails

Mix up some patriotic-themed cocktails and toast the good old U.S.A.

9. Make an Unforgettable Dinner

It’s America’s birthday, which calls for a special meal to celebrate. Whip up an incredible multi-course dinner for your family that both kids and adults will enjoy.

10. Throw a Family Pool Party

Gather the kids and cool down in the water on the hot summer day. If you don’t have a pool, get out the sprinkler.

11. Go for a Family Picnic

Grab your picnic basket and head for the backyard. This is the best time of year to enjoy a simple alfresco meal with your family. (Hey, maybe you can even convince your kids to leave their cell phones inside!)

12. Spark Up the Sparklers

While we don’t know how towns will be handling 4th of July fireworks this year, you can always stock up on sparklers and have your own patriotic light show.

13. Bake a Red, White, and Blue Treat

Show your patriotic spirit by whipping up some tasty stars and stripes-themed desserts. Bonus: Frosting is a fun way to get your kids in the kitchen.

14. Stage a Hot Dog Eating Contest

Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is one of the most American traditions out there, but who know if it will happen this year. But you can your family can stage your own hot dog eating contest in your backyard!

15. Play a Little Baseball

With the state of the MLB in flux, it’s up to you and your family to have your own friendly game. Don your jerseys, break out the mitts, find a ball, and batter up! It’s time for your homage to America’s past-time.

16. Make DIY Decorations Together

Decorate your entire home (inside and out) with DIY red, white, and blue decorations. Get the whole family to pitch in and make their own statement pieces.

17. Eat Barbecue with Family

Gather the kids together and make a plan to create the ultimate backyard barbecue. Get decked out in red, white, and blue, and make patriotic dishes that you can enjoy all day long.

18. Enjoy S’mores Around a Campfire

Head for the backyard fire pit armed with all kinds of fixings you can use to enhance your ingenious s’mores recipes. Sit around the fire and enjoy the chocolatey goo!

Q&A: Penn State nutritionist shares insight on sticking to a Division I diet during a pandemic

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Train for the Game LI in Nutrition, Sports Performance No Comments

NUBYJAS WILBORN

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Life became strange on March 12 for Kayla Martin, as it did for the rest of the nation.

Martin, a former track athlete at Penn State and currently the assistant athletic director of performance nutrition science, received word that all athletic competitions would be postponed immediately. As the days went by, more events were canceled and eventually, college campuses closed around the nation, including Penn State.

In a world before COVID-19, Martin and her team would’ve spent a spring Saturday last month at Beaver Stadium, making sure the football players had pregame snacks, proper hydration and a hearty recovery meal after the Blue-White Game. Instead, virtual tailgates and video chats to connect the Penn State community, family, friends, players and coaches replaced the game.

“Our nutrition staff has been having their Zoom meetings, just like our coaching staff, and coming up with the best plan,” defensive coordinator Brent Pry said. “It’s certainly something that’s not being forgotten about.”

Athletes have to get creative with their workouts. They’re carrying book bags with sand. They’re lifting water bottles for resistance training. But as much as creativity matters in exercises, none of it happens without proper fuel.

“I’m checking in with the athletes,” Martin said. “I’m looking at their situations. Then I ask a set of questions. OK, are you in a good eating environment? And are you able to get your meals in, and how does that relate to what your body composition or bodyweight goals are?”

The Post-Gazette caught up with Martin to find out more about the task of remotely providing specific meal plans during a pandemic. Questions and answers have been edited for clarity.

Q: How do you assess an athlete’s dietary needs in this situation?

A: Nutrition is a part of a larger group called the Sports Performance Team. Our purpose is to support the needs of the student-athlete. We are service providers. We communicate daily to synchronize care to the player. Members include myself (dietitian), athletic trainer, strength coach, a sports psychologist, sports scientist and our operations specialist. We complement one another service and share similar messaging. So, when we have the opportunity to “meet” with the team or speak with coaches or individual athletes, we cover more ground because we are all on the same page. In these times we use Zoom, FaceTime, phone calls, emails and social media to reach the players. Having a variety of platforms helps us find a method that can reach everyone when you can’t just stop by the fuel station.

Q: How do you keep the kids on track with their diet without it becoming overwhelming?

A: Gentle reminders. During this time food needs to be a part of the conversation; food is fuel. Good food will provide nutrients that support our immune system. A strong immune system and baseline health are the most important right now. So we focus our efforts on wellness and making sure there aren’t any major changes (with bodyweight, etc). Our sports scientist sends the players a daily wellness survey that includes nutrition questions. We take what we learn from it, assess the trend and address it as an overhead during team meetings. If one-off conversations need to be had, we do so and make sure he has the resources to succeed. We want to make sure we are supporting the athlete and not causing additional stress.

Q: How much harder is it to get the protein requirements for a 300-pound offensive lineman vs. a 200-pound cornerback?

A: Well first, eating 6,000 calories is harder than eating 4,000 calories, which is generally the difference between a 300-pound vs. 200-pound player. With that being said, achieving optimal protein intakes are also harder. If I’m working with a 300-pound lineman, he requires an average of 270 grams of protein, but the 200-pound DB needs 180 grams, nearly 100 grams less. That 100 grams looks like three more eggs for breakfast, one more 4-ounce piece of chicken for lunch, an extra glass of milk post-workout and another 6-ounce steak for dinner. So that can be a lot to plan for and digest.

Q: What are some substitutes that a kid could use if they’re having a hard time getting their protein or other nutrients?

A: Keep it simple. Eating doesn’t have to be elaborate. Carbohydrates should be the staple of every meal. You can do a lot with a box of oatmeal, a bag of rice and box of pasta. Protein, however, is generally the most challenging to obtain, especially with some of the recent meat shortages. Aim to have one meat-containing meal a day and complement it with eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, beans or packets of tuna to stack your protein. Add a little color and boost antioxidants with fruits or veggies; they can be frozen or canned if you don’t have access to fresh. And I always encourage meals to be topped off with some sort of enhancement that adds flavor, nutrients or calories. In this case, throw a jar of peanut butter or olive oil in the shopping cart to help boost calories. In this unique time, meal consistency trumps macronutrient “perfection.” Just do your best.

Exercise Can Boost Your Immune System

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Train for the Game LI in Sports Performance No Comments

You know exercise is good for your health, but you might be wondering—can exercise can help ward off respiratory illnesses? And should you continue exercising during a global pandemic, or should you give your immune system a rest?

As it turns out, continued physical activity can actually help boost your immune system—but just don’t overdo it.

A recent review published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science found that obesity and and inactivity can lower the function of the immune system, but engaging in a healthy lifestyle can help improve the immune system’s surveillance activity (when immune cells are in the bloodstream looking for infection) and may even reduce mortality rates from respiratory illnesses.

So, how can you make exercise work in your favor, and how much do you need? The review found that 30 to 60 minutes of near daily brisk walking (at least 3.5 miles per hour, or a 17-minute mile) can improve your body’s defense against germs.

“[Exercise] improves the surveillance activity of the immune system,” review author David Nieman, Dr. PH., health professor at Appalachian State University and director of the Human Performance Lab at the North Carolina Research Campus told Runner’s World.

That’s because each time you exercise, the activity increases the exchange of important white blood cells between peripheral tissues—which help with the body’s immune response—and the circulation (blood and lymph vessels). This increases the activity of immune cells in the bloodstream looking for viruses, Nieman said.

Can Running More Compromise Your Immune System?

Though hard to say without much current data specific to COVID-19, when people adopt a healthier lifestyle, especially those who were previously sedentary, it may help improve their chances of recovery from upper respiratory tract infections, Nieman explained. The same is true of those, like runners, who are currently active.

On the flip side, overtraining can lower your immune system function.

“Overtraining that leads to chronic fatigue, performance decline and mood disturbances can decrease immune function, resulting in increased odds for respiratory infections,” Nieman said.

How to Tell If You’re Running Too Much

And while overtraining looks different for everyone, Nieman cautions against pushing too hard during exercise training without adequate rest and recovery, as this can lead to chronic fatigue, performance decline, and mood disturbances, which decrease immune function.

As for increasing your mileage during marathon training or adding in more tough workouts? You’ll want to be careful you don’t push too hard.

“I recommend keeping exercise training at normal levels until this pandemic gets under control,” Nieman said.

Bottom line: If are already an avid exerciser—keep it up, but remember everything is multifactorial, Nieman says. Physical activity is just one important factor that helps the immune system do its job better. Other factors include high flavonoid intake from berries and other fruits, low mental stress, regular sleep, and a nutrient-rich diet. And if you haven’t previously been active, making healthy changes in your diet and exercise routines will be beneficial to your health, just be sure to check in with a doctor.

HEALTHY SUMMER SUPERFOODS YOU CAN ADD TO YOUR DIET

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Train for the Game LI in Nutrition, Sports Performance No Comments

Summer is here, which means you should have already started to reel in your diet. The best way to lose weight while boosting your immunity and overall health are with summer superfoods.

Your diet is going to be more than half the battle when it comes to getting into good summer shape.How much you eat dictates if you’re going to gain or lose, but your nutrition also impacts your stress levels, hormones, sleep quality, and training performance. All of these factors play a role in how you look and feel. From a calorie standpoint, you may still lose weight when you drink a beer and eat a burger every night, but you’re not going to feel great after a while. And if you don’t feel good you won’t train as hard or be as motivated—you see how this cycle goes.

That’s why what you eat is as important as how much. Besides being lower in calories and fat, whole foods like vegetables and fruits, also contain natural vitamins and minerals that can give our body an edge. While there’s no official “superfood” group, foods that contain high concentrations of vitamins and minerals are considered to be super. When buying these foods, however, be sure to get the freshest variety available. Otherwise, you risk buying an overly processed version that is either stripped of its positive properties or lack any satisfying flavor that just doesn’t appease your appetite.

These summer superfoods will brighten up your plate and pack a punch of nutrition — delaying muscle fatigue, burning fat, and creating higher testosterone levels. Piling up your plate with the following foods will help you get that much closer to hitting your fitness goals. Below is a science-backed list of superfoods and their benefits so you can start picking smarter when it comes to your nutrition.

So next time your making a grocery list and heading out to your local grocery store, while also practicing good social distancing measures, remember to get these fresh and healthy summer superfoods.

Tart Cherries

When you’re going hard in the gym, inflammation is bound to happen post-workout. Tart cherries can expedite the recovery process due to their powerful antioxidant compounds. Intense workouts bring oxidative damage to the muscles, however antioxidants can counteract this. The Journal of The International Society of Sports Nutrition published a study where a group of runners ingested tart cherry juice twice daily for seven days prior to running. It was concluded that drinking the juice before an intense workout can decrease muscle soreness and inflammation.

Green Tomatoes

Next time you’re in the produce aisle, look for green tomatoes. And yes, they’re still edible when they’re not fully ripened. Green tomatoes contain higher levels of the compound, tomatidine—a by-product of when the stomach digests the tomatoes. The compound works by preventing muscle atrophy and playing a role in muscle protein synthesis.

Watermelon

Fun fact: watermelon is a fruit and a vegetable that can relieve muscle soreness. A Spanish study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry discovered that the juice from watermelon could soothe your sore muscles post-workout. The reason: it contains the amino acid, l-citrulline. Citrulline has also been tied to acting as a vasodilator, which means more muscle pumps.

Blueberries

This muscle-enhancing summer food list wouldn’t be complete without blueberries. They’re an antioxidant powerhouse — decreasing muscle fatigue. Throw a cup of blueberries into your post-workout shake, and you’ll be set.

Cantaloupe

Since it has a low fructose content, cantaloupe is one of the few fruits that is a fast-digesting carb. After a night of rest where your body has reset its metabolic clock, pair this melon with your protein-packed breakfast to help refuel glycogen stores.

Summer Squash

Whether it’s zucchini or yellow squash, both fall into the summer squash family and are vitamin and mineral rich — specifically in magnesium. Magnesium plays a vital role in muscle contraction, supporting the function of actin and myosin. When your muscles contract, actin and myosin shorten — decreasing the length of your muscle fibers, eventually going back to normal. Having an abundance of magnesium in your system can prevent those unwanted muscle cramps. Summer squash is also rich in vitamin B9 (folate), which aids in the breakdown of macronutrients.

Bell Peppers

Bell peppers are the ultimate summer superfood because they’re packed with phytochemicals, vitamins, capsaicin, and enzymes — all working synergistically to pack on the health benefits. Load up a salad or simply snack on a few pepper slices with hummus.

Swiss Chard

Yes, Swiss chard is a dark, leafy green vegetable, but it’s important to pay attention to the bright colors in the stem and veins. Betacyanin and betaxanthin are powerful phytonutrients that give the stem its reddish purple and yellow color— helping keep everything in sync in the body. It’s also rich in magnesium. So if you’re tired of kale and spinach, give Swiss chard a try.

Peaches

This summer favorite fruit is in season from July to September. Peaches are rich in vitamin B6, niacin, folate, and vitamin C. The B vitamins will help break down protein and carbs while vitamin C works to block cortisone levels — ultimately allowing for higher t-levels.

Jalapeño Peppers

Add some heat to your plate with jalapeño peppers. Studies have shown that the capsaicin in the peppers can rev up the metabolism — helping you get that lean summer physique.