Youth Athletes
How to Talk to Youth Athletes About Coronavirus
Question: The recent cancellations of playoffs, championships, games, tournaments, and meets at every level are disappointing, but I also am aware they are necessary to prevent further spread of disease. [...]
Why Kids Need Risky Play
I want you to look at the above playground from my hometown, and tell me what you see wrong with it? I know it's hard to guess because you can't [...]
15 Games Every American Kid Should Play
Let the kids play. Modern children are over-scheduled and overprotected, leaving them little time for fun and games. Yet play is essential to raising happy, self-sufficient kids. I’m not talking [...]
An Open Letter to Youth Athletes
Dear Youth Athlete, You’re not a soccer player. You’re not a basketball player. You’re not a volleyball player. You’re not a hockey player. You’re a kid. In fact, you’re a [...]
The Sedentary Youth Athlete: Is Your Child Moving Enough?
Students here in my home state of Vermont have already enjoyed three snow days this month. If you're unfamiliar with cold weather states, snow days provide a fleeting glimpse of [...]
8 Mistakes I Made Training Youth Athletes (And What I Did to Fix Them)
When I graduated from college, I was looking forward to moving back home and becoming an assistant soccer coach with my high school program. I was just starting my journey [...]
5 Ways Young Athletes Can Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Sports are filled with a tremendous amount of physical duress. From getting kicked to being knocked down, scraping knees to bruising bones, turf burn to torn ligaments. The physical side [...]
Less Than Half of American Children Get Enough Sleep Each Night. How Do We Fix It?
How much sleep is enough for children? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, nine hours a night is the magic number. New research presented at the AAP’s National Conference [...]
12-Year-Old Girl Sinks Unbelievable No-Look Buzzer Beater
If a girl named Myli Harpold ever challenges you to a game of H.O.R.S.E., you should probably just walk away. Harpold, a 12-year-old student-athlete at Johnson Middle School in Melbourne, [...]
Why Kids Need to Roughhouse
Kids have always loved roughhousing. Boisterous, physical play is ingrained in their DNA, and when you get two or more kids around each other for long enough, horseplay's bound to [...]
