Talk about big changes during the growth spurt and beyond. Disrupted coordination. Longer torso. Wider hips. Hormonal changes. And so much more. Since this is such a dynamic time physiologically, coaches need to tweak training for young girls so they are safe and develop quality movement. I wrote an article for Stack.com...
This much I know: plyometrics can make or break a female athlete. You will either wear them down, or build them up. You see, plyometrics can be central nervous system heavy, and they take a lot of exertion. The tendons, muscles and bones take immense amounts of...
The human body doesn't work in isolation. It's one magnificent system that works simultaneously to bolster human movement and performance. If the feet, ankles and calves are weak, the pelvis is impacted. If the pelvis is flimsy, the ankles are precarious. If the shoulders and back are weak, the...
I love core training. Similar to the trunk of a tree, a sturdy core allows us to move our limbs freely. But not freely as in awkwardly, freely as in smoothly. Here's what I mean: the core encompasses the lumbo-pelvic area, which is an area that needs to...
I have always marched to the beat of my own drum. If I have a vision, I go for it. If I am challenged, I plunge into it. If I fail, I overcome it. If I'm told what to do, I do something else. If the crowd walks one way,...
I try to keep things light on this blog. With all of the Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and Beyonce references, my mission is to write about youth athletic development through the lens of simplicity and levity. Writing in pop culture references and sentence fragments...
The hips don't lie. If they're weak, unstable and or lack multi-planar mobility, female athletes will have a tough time handling high forces in the game (at the knee joint), accelerating rapidly, and changing direction at bolstering pace. The hips need to be the strongest and most...
Or, should I say footballer? Any time I have a podcast discussion with a lad across the pond, I have to catch myself when I say soccer, and remember to speak their lingo. This was an excellent discussion on ensuring young girls take training gradually, learn the...
Let's kick things off with this: my ideas for training female athletes are as endless as the Walking Dead series. When will I run out of content? When will it all end? Will there be a grand finale? Nope. Not ever. You see, this is a population so near and...
I'm giddy. After 9 years of working with young female athletes, this is one my biggest projects that I couldn't be more excited for releasing. Of course, over the years, I've been able to see 'munchkin' elementary school girls blossom into women, which has been the ultimate...