Posts in category Parenting the Athlete
Thank you, Vienna Youth Soccer Strike...
Author’s note: I just finished six weeks working with the Vienna Youth Soccer (VYS) Strikers, 3 teams of U14 girls soccer players who compete in WAGS and ODSL. They are professionally trained by Gerardo Ramirez, Elise Fasick and Andon Tsarev. They invited Fit2Finish to introduce soccer-specific fitness and injury prevention.
Dear Strike [...]
Youth Soccer Players: What College Co...
Do you have what it takes for college play?
Are you ready for big time soccer? Here is what Diane Drake, head women’s soccer coach at George Mason University, has to suggest to the player investigating the college soccer ranks.
Know the rules for contacting coaches and when they can contact you. You can contact college coaches with you [...]
Youth Soccer Cross-Over Programs: Is ...
Does she come alive on the field?
She’s always where the ball is. She’s aggressive. Nothing gets past her. Other players defer to her on the field. She scores 4 goals single-handedly. You cheer. You smile. She’s only six years old, but you are sure she’s headed for stardom. Should you be?
Diane Drake, head coach of the George Mason wome [...]
Girls Soccer Needs Less Force, More F...
Girls stop at nothing when the game is on the line.
Boys play differently than girls do, even at the top levels of the youth game. Take a couple minutes to watch this video from US Youth Soccer National League championship play.
It begins with boys games, then at about 4 minutes it shifts to the girls’. Watch how the girls are heavier [...]
Quick Meals for Hungry Athletes
Does this look like your athlete's diet?
Are you always looking for quick, healthy ways to fuel your fast-moving athlete? Me too. Registered dietitian, Judy Caplan, has three great meal suggestions in the February issue of WashingtonFAMILY.com.
Meal 1: Stir fry chicken and veggies with toasted sesame oil. Add cooked rice. Serve with a rom [...]
Good Coaches Make Youth Sports Health...
“Youth sports is out of control! We need to go back to the good ole days when everyone played for fun in their neighborhoods!“
Look familiar? Even the referee doesn't know what to do with this!
The old days were good, but they’re gone. Now, issues of safety, distance, parental work schedules, and availability of playing [...]
Work and Recovery are Essential to Hi...
Stretching and chatting build team especially for girls
Recovery. Every athlete needs it. Suzy Germain says it’s missing from her son’s topnotch team and that’s taking a toll.
Wayne Goldsmith, in his January 4th blog post, has a great mnemonic to help us think about how recovery – that is, time off from sport-specific [...]
What Are the Chances Your Kid Will Pl...
Suzy Germain, Championship player and coach
When Suzy Germain and her freshman class (1980) teammates were recruited by Anson Dorrance to play for the UNC Tarheels, they were a force to be reckoned with. Describing it, Suzy says, “Practice was a battle. We took over every starting position. We knew we were better.” She says this [...]
Suzy Germain on “the Coach-Athl...
One of the hardest issues for kids in today’s competitive youth sports setting is playing time. No one likes to spend time on the bench; the fun is in playing the game. But, the more competitive the team, the more important the win. Coaches whose jobs and reputation depend on fielding a winning team play their starters. Maybe only their [...]
Suzy Germain Says We Need to Give Kid...
Here’s a riddle:
What do you call something you do almost every day, all week, year round? … work, right?
What do we call it when our kids do it? … sports. Is anyone laughing?
Neither are our kids. They’re paying the price in exhaustion, stress, injury, and burnout. The scenario sounds very much like the popular docume [...]
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