Good nutrition is important for optimal athletic performance. Adolescent athletes often depend on their coaches for nutritional information on weight management, dietary supplements, and dietary practices. Some dietary practices, such as vegetarianism, have the potential to be harmful to the adolescent athlete if not followed with careful…

Each year many young athletes suffer injuries from overtraining. According to the existing literature, strategies do exist to help control this growing problem. This article explores the basic nature of training and overtraining, with a particular emphasis on endurance athletes. Several psychological factors are highlighted as the first clear…

Interscholastic coaches have unique needs relative to how they learn their practice and progress toward higher levels of professional comfort and competence. The purpose of this article is to review the professional development needs of interscholastic coaches and suggest the use of social-learning techniques, specifically communities of practice,…

This article addresses the question of whether early sport specialization provides a "physiological" advantage for future athletic success. It examines the limited literature related to the effects of early specialization on the body's organ systems: the endocrine system, the muscular system, the nervous system, and the cardiovascular system. The…

This article presents a different focus on the specialization debate, one that changes the focus to the quality of sport instruction regardless of the level of specialization in training. It suggests that many of the negative consequences of early sport specialization may be avoided with appropriate coaching and sport skill instruction. Rather…

Coaches have always needed to respond to differences in sport and have always been concerned with finding hard-working kids who mesh well as a team. While coaches still try to build team cohesiveness, today's coaches must respond to complex issues related to diversity and are expected to be politically correct. The purpose of this article is to…

The pole vault was considered the ultimate test of physical ability and daring before the advent of modern extreme sports such as skateboarding, snowboarding, and mountain biking. The inherent risks of the pole vault have been well documented. The National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research reported in 2007 that the catastrophic injury…

Although the National Association for Sport and Physical Education and other governing bodies discourage coaches and teachers from using exercise as punishment, its use is still fairly widespread. In order to better understand why coaches and teachers use exercise as punishment, this article examines some of the findings from a recent study (Burak…

Each individual learns in a different manner, depending on his or her perceptual or learning preferences (visual, auditory, read/write, or kinesthetic). In sport, coaches and athletes must speak a common language of instructions, verbal cues, and appropriate motor responses. Thus, developing a clear understanding of how to use students' learning…

The purpose of this article is to describe a player-centered approach (PCA), highlighting its qualities, and then to provide examples of its application in coaching and teaching sport. Most of the examples relate to the game of volleyball, but many of the recommendations and examples can be applied to most team sports. The article will conclude…

One in six high school football players in the United States will sustain a concussion at some point during their playing career. The consequences of concussion can be catastrophic, especially since the symptoms are rarely visible and often overlooked. To ensure the safety of athletes in youth and interscholastic sports programs, having Certified…

Participation in youth sport generally begins to decline after the age of 12. Among the reasons for this are personal aspects such as lack of desire, and social aspects including negative experiences with coaches. One way that coaches can improve the sporting environment is through group activities that promote team building. The purpose of this…

Distance runners spend many hours training assiduously for competition, yet on race day they can often make mistakes that sabotage their performance. This article addresses five common race-day mistakes: (1) failure to bring proper equipment to the race; (2) failure to eat an appropriate race-day meal; (3) failure to hydrate properly; (4) failure…

This article presents a historical perspective through the story of Alvin Roy, the first modern strength coach. Roy went against the common belief in the 1950s that weight lifting made athletes slow and bulky. When the football coaches at Istrouma High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, allowed him to set up and supervise a weight-training program,…

In a time of scandalous actions and me-first behaviors, teachers and coaches as leaders of character and competence are needed. Leaders have integrity and demonstrate their character by adhering to moral principles and displaying moral values. The competence of leaders is based on knowledge, skills, and abilities and enhanced by exploring varying…