A teenage metabolism is a well-oiled machine raring to go at all hours of the day, only further compounded by high levels of exercise through sports and extra-curricular activities. In general, most teenagers need to eat a greater number of calories than their adult counterparts to help support proper growth throughout the maturation process and support high levels of intense...

What if I told you there was a pill you needed to take every night to ensure you had enough energy to function and perform each day properly? Would you take this pill? You probably would, that's a no-brainer, and you would probably take the whole thing to make sure you were getting all of the benefits, right? Well, sleep...

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Today's youth athlete is encouraged to partake in multiple sports and activities throughout their developmental years as the dangers of early specialization are well documented. Parents have seen the potentially detrimental effects that lasering in on a single sport at too early of an age can affect athletes in the past. Therefore the multi-sport athlete is a trend that has...

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Being born with raw athletic talent is quite literally a gift from the heavens. It can propel an athlete to the highest levels of competitive sport and afford them the opportunities of a lifetime. It is unimaginable that anyone who possesses such skill would not be successful, but unfortunately, it happens all the time. Talent is only one piece to...

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As a coach, one of the most rewarding aspects of my job is helping athletes of all ages increase their athletic potential and reach goals through strength and conditioning. When an athlete or parent entrusts me with their training, it is something that I take very seriously. I know that no matter who walks through the door or when I...

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Young athletes, particularly males, at the middle and high school levels often seek answers for how to pack on serious size in the shortest amount of time humanly possible. While there may be various explanations for this, some more reasonable than others, these young individuals are often misinformed about what a few extra pounds of muscle does to one's athletic...

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Most people associate the word 'age' with a number that refers to one's biological maturity or length of time on Earth. As our age increases, so too do our experiences in life and hopefully our wisdom along with it. While this is an elementary number to determine, another type of age exists that's a bit more complex. The age I'm...

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'Coach burnout' is an issue that is non-discriminatory, plaguing even the best of coaches from time to time. It can take weeks, months, or even years to manifest, but when work overrides living in the delicate dance we call 'work-life balance, ' burnout starts. A universal definition of 'coach burnout' ceases to exist. However, characteristics and behaviors that appear typical...

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Motivation is anything but static, continuously coming and going. It is easy to obtain when things are going your way and ever so absent when things are not. As a coach, you are responsible for mustering not only your daily motivation but assisting your athletes with theirs as well. What makes this particularly difficult is that most individuals are motivated...

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