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…
The Olympic trials for whitewater canoe and kayak include four runs down a whitewater course, spread out over two days of competition. The setting in 2024 was perfect – we had beautiful weather in sunny Oklahoma City, cooled by a little wind and some morning rain. The Olympic and American…
The ABC model in behavioral psychology outlines the relationship between antecedents, behaviors, and consequences. It serves as a diagnostic tool in various settings, but understanding behavior requires considering broader antecedents, including physiological and cultural factors. Integrating contemporary frameworks like HOP and CARE enhances this model, promoting sustainable behavior change through…
James (Jim) Davis, Ed.M., MA, RSCC*E Proprioception is the body’s quiet cartographer. It is the internal sense that continuously draws and redraws a map of where we are in space (Proske & Gandevia, 2012). Without requiring sight or thought, it allows us to know the position of our limbs, the…
Novak Djokovic has been ranked as the top tennis player in the world for 403 weeks over 13 different years. He has won 24 Grand Slam titles, including a record 10 Australian Open titles. He pushes back against the idea that his mental strength is a ‘gift’, acknowledging that he…
The e-sports landscape is rapidly expanding. Hundreds of millions of people tune into live events and millions of dollars are offered in scholarships and tournament prizes. Roughly 200 colleges across the nation have developed varsity e-sports programs and that number continues to grow. Now, as colleges recognize the potential value…
Attention is a skill. As technology improves and phones tug at the nervous systems of our students, it is a skill we should deliberately cultivate. Research has shown that “off-task” use of technology has become normalized in the classroom. Students are distracted more than ever before. Teaching the skill of…
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…
In a quiet office overlooking Northwestern University’s autumn-tinted campus, Dr. Tim Dohrer is quietly inspiring the new wave of teacher-leaders. Leadership is a skill for all. Whether it takes the form of coaching, parenting, or teaching – whether it occurs in the boardroom, on the field, or at home –…
The language we use to frame our experience will define our experience. Though it may seem obvious, it is clear that students, coaches, and professionals often fail to enlist the power of accurate framing for an optimal outcome. Worse still, we complain. Too often we identify problems as though the…