Journal of Psychology and Sport
The ballroom was full of sweat, AC/DC, and chalk dust. Athletes from around the country had come to Oklahoma City to compete on a national stage. NASA (Natural Athlete Strength Association) was hosting its annual High School Nationals competition, there were strong athletes everywhere… for two young girls, powerlifting has given them so much more than physical strength.
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2022 IHSPLA Season Kicks Off at the Charger Regional Author: Chris Dertz On Saturday, February 26th, the first meet of the 2022 Illinois High School Powerlifting Association (IHSPLA) season commenced on the campus of Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills, Illinois. Representing the IHSPLA’s South Suburban Region, powerlifters from Sandburg, Romeoville, Marist, and…
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Professors Carol Ciotto and Ellen Benham of Central Connecticut State University are experts on Social Emotional Learning (SEL). At the 2022 Health and Physical Literacy Summit, they shared a review of these skills, as well as in-room exercises to team them in an athletics/physical education space. Their strategies center on what is referred to as…
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Coaching and teaching require similar skillsets. Leaders in each must develop subject matter expertise, create cultures rich with learning, and share information with students/athletes. The “classrooms” look different (some might have desks, others might have hoops or barbells), but the methods and objectives are similar. Eric McMahon understands those similarities. He played college football at…
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Powerlifting can be a hyper-individualized sport. The push for individual improvement is an essential component of the experience. When it goes wrong (too much focus on oneself), it can lead to self-obsession, obsessive compulsions, and narcissism. When it goes well, however, it can be one of the most powerful learning opportunities in all of sport.…
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On a beautiful September afternoon, I stopped in to watch a few of our Good Athlete Project coaches lead their teams in a tough youth football battle. It was everything one could ask for: energy, autumn atmosphere, support. The two coaches I watched did an amazing job toeing the line between tough and kind. They…
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Testing the water is safe. However, folks occasionally find themselves stuck in a constant state of testing, unwilling to jump in. Knowing when to go “ALL IN” is key.
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The weight room can be one of the most powerful learning environments in all of athletics. For 9 months each year (an offseason), dedicated educators create cultures within a “classroom” full of novelty, goal-directed behavior, hard work and fun. Time after time, young people report learning valuable lessons in the squat rack, or between sets…
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my natural social personality is to be laid back and let things come to me. No such thing as a laid back strength coach when you’re asking an athlete to squat twice their body weight at 6 AM on a Monday morning
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The Good Athlete Project just wrapped up another installment of Northside Speed and Power, an elite youth-focused speed and performance camp in the Chicagoland area. These camps focus on long-term athlete development, both physical and psychological. Coaches onboard essential movement patterns – what they refer to as “the phonics of movement“ – to improve not…
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