By Matt Klem In high school athletics, the use of creatine has been a controversial topic, often leaving athletes and parents with questions regarding the potential benefits and consequences that it can have on athletic performance. However, there is emerging evidence indicating that if used in conjunction with a balanced…
This article originally appeared in the Harvard Crimson in September, 2019. Football season is upon us. The current instantiation of the 10,000 men of Harvard take the field on Sept. 21 and finish on Nov. 23 when, for the 136th time, Harvard locks horns with Yale. But the battle surrounding…
Illinois, we’re heading in the right direction! There are so many exciting moments to come as we seemingly turn a corner in this pandemic. That is, if we take up the charge of ensuring a thoughtful return to training. Coaches across the state agree that the goal of the spring…
On New Year’s day, Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer went down with a head injury, again. It was his fourth concussion this season. The tackle that sent him out did not seem like a devastating blow. One announcer called it “fairly routine.” The issue wasn’t the hit, it was the state…
originally published in the Harvard Crimson in fall of 2015, this article was written in response to an OpEd suggesting that the school down their football program The death of Andre Smith, the 17-year-old football player who passed away last month, is a tragedy. Its impetus for the recent article (which calls for the…
On all of the weather websites we searched, a long red bar appeared across the top of the page: SNOW EMERGENCY IN EFFECT. We were less than a week out from the 2nd Annual Midwest Powerlifting Meet at St. Olaf College. The reports said that all should be clear by…
Death by suicide is a complicated occurrence which often leaves loved ones saddened and confused. The on-paper version of Tyler Hilinski’s passing is no exception: tall, bright, likeable young man playing quarterback in the Pac10. He leaves behind a loving family and host of friends who will miss him dearly. So…
The feedback we’ve gotten from the original article is fantastic – thank you to all who wrote in! There seemed to be two camps of responses, which might overlap. Many of you identified that, if one of your players were considering opting out of their bowl game, you would sit…
During the month of August, in the muggy Alabama heat, Nick Saban grants his players one opportunity to acknowledge the obvious: it’s hot. After that, the athlete must make one of two decisions: find a way to change the late-summer climate, or find a way to effectively deal with the…
After many conversations with swimmers, swim coaches, and strength coaches working with swimmers, a common question persists: where do we start? There is no easy answers; everything is contextual, dealing with team dynamics, timelines, and sport-specific considerations. Strength coaches who generally deal with land-based athletes find themselves grappling with a…