Lets face it, being injured stinks; especially as an athlete. If you’re a competitive athlete and have experience with injuries, you’re no stranger to the fact that the physical pain you feel is just a small part of the long-term pain that lies ahead in the path to a full recovery (Goldberg, 2016). We’ve all heard the phrase, “Just walk it off, you’ll be fine.” Coaches and parents may be unaware of how severe injuries may be, and at times push athletes to work through the pain (Groom, 2013). However, this unawareness can be detrimental to an athlete's future - both physically and mentally. It is extremely important to educate coaches and parents on the important role that a healthy mentality plays in an athlete's recovery and  performance. Many athletes become overwhelmed by a variety of internal and external losses when t...

Read Full Article

Practice makes perfect. If you’re an athlete, you’ve probably heard this a few thousand times throughout your life. Practice is necessary to improve health, build confidence, gain a better understanding of rules and regulations, and also try out new techniques. But how can practice really bring out peak performance? When athletes partake in “deliberate practice,” they are more in tune with their bodies and see results. Deliberate practice relates to the quality of the practice time. It focuses on specific goals of improving performance by participating in highly structured activities relating to that sport (Barr, 2016). It may be easy to just “go through the motions” of practice, but if your goal is to gain skills and become an elite athlete, engaging in deliberate practice should be one of your objectives. Dr. Janet Starkes, a kinesiology professor at McMaster University, and colleagues recently concluded a study dating back almost three decades on del...

It’s go time. This is where you need to perform at your very best. Your team is counting on you. Even you’re counting on you. But, you’re not exactly sure you can do it. Sure, you’ve practiced more than ever before and you really want to do well, but there’s always a chance you’ll fail. You’re nervous. So, what do people tell you? “Be confident!” And you probably respond with something like: “Perfect! That’s exactly what I need: to be confident. Awesome... but, how do I be confident, exactly?” There are actually many ways to build your confidence. As you’ll see in this video from TED-Ed, confidence is built upon body language, having the right mindset, and turning optimistic thoughts into courageous action. In on...

Read Full Article