The 4-Minute Mile and Player Development

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In the 1990s, Lauren Gregg, the long-time assistant coach for the United States Women’s National Team, related a story about how the national team often used the example of the four-minute mile as motivation.

In the track and field world, the four-minute mile was a barrier every elite distance runner eyed as a measure of greatness. At the time, some scientists believed the human body was not capable of running one mile in less than four minutes. The goal, was silly, they said. The feat was unattainable. [Read more…]

Coaching Through A Growth Spurt

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One of your players all of a sudden appears uncoordinated, slower than normal, off-balance and struggles to perform skills you thought were mastered long ago.

It takes no time at all to accurately diagnose the problem – Growth Spurt.

When trying to identify the reason a young player is struggling, this is by far the easiest. There’s no need to list the physical changes needed to identify a player going through a growth spurt. It’s safe to say you’ll know it when you see it.

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Data Tracking: Not Just For Coaches

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The latest consensus in the debate about kids playing multiple sports seems to be trending toward it being a good idea.

It’s quite common to see young athletes – especially at the middle and high school ages – playing more than one sport in the same season. They play a school sport after school and rush to their club practice at night.

We are not going to add to the debate here and contribute our opinions on whether it is good or bad, right or wrong. Instead, we want to talk about the inevitable consequences – issues arising from overuse.

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