There is a moment you see over and over again in youth sports. A young athlete steps into the box, tight grip, busy mind, trying to remember every instruction they have ever been given. Mechanics pile up. Expectations creep in. The moment gets heavy. And just like that, performance becomes…
There is something distinct about returning to the place that raised you. The hallways feel smaller, the weight room carries echoes, and the values that once felt imposed begin to reveal themselves as foundational. For Coach David Payne of Clifton Central High School (IL), that return was not part of…
The Lost Boyz organization, on Chicago’s south shore, recently held an event in honor of Reverend Jesse Jackson. The theme of the day was “Somebody”- acknowledging that all the young athletes truly matter. The title of the event comes from Jackson’s famous quote: “I am somebody. I may be poor,…
We don’t control the actions of others. But only through discovering the “why” behind student actions, can we help them chart a path forward, teaching them the importance of personal accountability grounded in compassion.
An overview of an article which originally appeared in the SHAPE PA Journal, 2025: https://issuu.com/shapepainnovation/docs/shape_pa_spring_2025_journal Educators are rightfully concerned about student wellbeing. The rhythm of a school year affects mood, stress, motivation, and performance. Teachers notice these shifts in passing conversations. Coaches see them in practice. Counselors hear them during…
History is riddled with talented players and teams who underachieve. Stories of championship teams also include moments wherein supreme talent glosses over character issues... the unfortunate part of these stories happens after the banner has been hung. Athletes who, never having built resilience, integrity, empathy, self-awareness, or emotional mastery find…
Youth athletes often face the combined demands of school and club sport participation with limited (if any) recovery between competitive seasons. Continuous training without adequate rest can contribute to overuse injuries, psychological burnout, and diminished performance – rather than progressive development they were aiming for (Brenner, 2007). Addressing overuse effectively…
When gyms shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic, student-athletes faced an abrupt loss of structure, community, and routine. To understand how to best support them, we sent out a survey asking, “How can we support you specifically until we are back in the gym together?” The responses, stripped of “none” and…
Jim Davis, Ed.M., MA, RSCC*E In 2014, pediatric occupational therapist Angela Hanscom set out to better understand the student experience by sitting in on middle school classes. She sat. She sat some more. She then noticed that a day’s worth of sitting was affecting her ability to focus. She asked…
Jim Davis, Ed.M., MA, RSCC*E “That dog won’t hunt,” said the football coach about the athlete lagging during the final sprint. A tough appraisal. One of the most common psychological pitfalls in coaching is the fundamental attribution error (FAE). This principle, well-established in social psychology, refers to the tendency of…