Journal of Psychology and Sport
Challenge is necessary. Stress is necessary. When they occur in appropriate doses and are balanced by proportionate recovery, challenge and stress create growth. Elite coaching cultures balance challenge and support, stress and recovery, in a way that makes growth not only a consistent possibility but an expectation. As a young coach I didn’t understand that,…
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Athlete Spotlight: Nick Yustin Nick Yustin will be heading off to Boston College in the fall. There, he will meet new people, navigate a new city and culture, and wrestle with advanced academics. He takes this next step with confidence. As an athlete at Saint Viator High School, he built skills which have prepared him…
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June 1, Washington, DC Character.org has certified 246 Promising Practices in schools and organizations across the country that foster character development in our children and teens. The Good Athlete Project’s Character by Design workshop was one of them. Jim Davis, Director of the Good Athlete Project, acknowledged that “although we do not do our work…
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There is one universal truth experienced by every athlete: one day, their career will be over. They might not enjoy their experience. They might never win a game. Life lessons are certainly not assured. The only guarantee is that their careers, as surely as they begin, will one day end. Athletes usually know when the…
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Slowly but surely, coaches are returning to training alongside their athletes. Zoom meetings and Google hangouts have helped bridge the gap, but there’s nothing quite like being together with your team, sharing time and space with your athletes, and working alongside one another toward a common purpose. In many states, by mid/late June, we will…
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By Jen Foust Potential is defined as “a quality or ability that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness.” In a strength and conditioning setting, the lessons taught in a weightroom can have a direct and lasting impact on an athlete. It might be the perfect place to maximize potential. It is…
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The overwhelming majority of conversation in the coaches locker room is positive, supportive, and fun. It hinges on strategy, planning, and getting the most out of young people. The coaches’ locker room is not a dark and dangerous place; rather, it offers an opportunity to bond and connect. Locker room talk, from my experience and…
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It’s Memorial Day. Coaches everywhere will hang a flag, spend time with family, and raise a glass to remember those who have paid the ultimate price to defend our country. On a day like today, it is easy to be grateful. It is safe to assume that coaches and mentors everywhere would agree that those…
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by Eric Torres There was a time, not that long ago, when skateboarding was reported to have been more popular than baseball among kids in the US. While those of us watching action sports industries know that the fervor of the early to mid 2000s (call it the Tony Hawk era) has passed, action sports…
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John Ratey changed public understanding of sports and movement. In his bestselling book SPARK: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, he identifies that exercise is not only a tool for fitness, but a primary lever in our cognitive capacities. Exercise can spark creativity and increase mood, focus, and wakefulness. Movement matters. In…
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