• Doctors are good for diagnoses.
• Surgeons are good for…surgery.
• Physical therapists are good for… therapy.

All good. But you’re not done yet. To get back on the field again, you need to be performance-fit. Kids know performance. They know when they are back on their game and they know when it’s sub-par. That’s when I get ‘em at Fit2Finish. It’s sports and it’s science. I know the game and I know what it demands. That’s what I look at when I look at the kids.

The Gap Between “released to play” and “good to go”

This weekend a young lady came to me about an ankle that had been chronically sprained. She’s a high school freshman, plays high level soccer for her club team and high school varsity. She had been going to her school athletic trainer who had prescribed resistive band exercises that she had been doing faithfully. Three ways: extension, internal and external rotation. (down, in and out) But the ankle just wasn’t feeling strong, and it wasn’t letting her move the way she needed to out on the field.

Well, the ankle is a fairly complicated joint. Soccer is a complex game, played in all the planes of motion. The textbook exercises she got from the trainer may get her back on the field, but the textbook doesn’t know performance. She does.

That’s what makes Fit2Finish more than a science; it’s an art. And a relational art at that. I know this kid. I know what she’s after. I know what she’s capable of. I know her dedication and her persistence. She’s a captain of her club team and for good reason. She’s not satisfied until this ankle works just like the other one. She needs functional exercises (movement challenge that makes demands like the sport does), not just sets of exercises in a couple planes of motion.

To avoid collisions on the athletic field, you don’t just need forward, backward, right or left. You need to be able to U-turn, slam on the breaks or swerve between the parked cars when absolutely necessary. Yep – that’s youth sports these days. More NASCAR, less Driver’s Ed. Less, stop to look both ways, and proceed when safe to do so. More, milk the accelerator and slip in and out of traffic the second you see your opportunity.

This athlete also needs self-sufficiency. She must know what to do, how to do it and be able to monitor her own progress. All this so she can tell when she’s getting stronger and more balanced and avoid over-doing it and heading back down the injury road.

Here’s her prescription for ankle strengthening

• ankle up and downs on the field or on the stair at home (slowly with a hold at the top and the bottom – see video below)
• challenge yourself to keep your balance
• do it separately on both ankles
• start with a few and add a few more
• you’re finished with “rehab” when your “bad ankle” feels just like your good ankle
• keep doing as part of practice for maintenance of strength and balance

Here’s what it looks like:

Get your athletes to do “ankle up and downs” at the beginning of practice. (20 or so) Partner up. Have them count for each other, and insist on full range of motion and holding at the “top” for a count of 1-2. Notice the wobble. Then build their strength so they can control this, even when there’s a bit of a shove.

Because that’s the game. The player who keeps her footing wins – the ball and usually the game. Because it’s a whole lot easier to score when you have the ball.

Next up on the blog: a game I call hop and shove. Take your dynamic ankle strengthening to the next level.

This is the question I pose to the well-intended but extremely competitive AAU basketball coach who is negotiating with the families of his starters. He needs those top three and, you see, they also play travel soccer. Spring soccer season is in the full swing, and they’re in the hunt for the State Cup title. So, will it be soccer or basketball? Why not both?

It’s their soccer coach who comes to me, worried. He loves these kids. Doesn’t want them to get hurt. But he’s listening to these families try to negotiate practices every night of the week and several tournament games most if not every weekend. He says, “They are starting to sound like the teams I read about.”

And read about we do. Every season the ones who make the papers are the teams with kids dropping out: knee injuries, surgeries, concussions. We call them warriors and celebrate their courage, their fortitude. But while we are celebrating, they’re not. They’re sitting on the sidelines. Exactly the place they don’t want to be.

“They play in our game,” the soccer coach tells me,”and then they are jumping into the car, changing uniforms along the way to their next game.” When do they eat? When do they re-hydrate?

When do they rest?

Truth is: these athletic kids are in demand. All the coaches want them because they are good at all the sports. We’ve made that possible by exposing them to lots of opportunities. Good for us. But on the way to “select” teams we forgot to teach them the how to be selective.

It may seem like kids can do it all. They’ve got lots of energy. They’re young and fit and flexible. And the coach is on the phone pleading, “Please, we need them.” What he doesn’t say but means is…we need them to win.

Kids will come out the losers if we don’t help them decide which team and how many games to play. Oh, they want to do it all. Just like we do. But it’s not healthy. Deep down we know this. We get caught up in this, too. right? I’ll just add this and this, but let me hang onto these other things, just in case I need them later. Sound like a good strategy? Let me tell you about those size 2 jeans I finally gave away when I admitted I was never going to get back into them.

And that was a good decision: adding without subtracting is hoarding. Hoarding is not healthy. Let’s not turn our kids into people who don’t know how to say no, who do everything so no one gets hurt. No one but them.

Here’s the science: training, especially high intensity training (like games and scrimmages), is a stressor. It stresses the muscles, bones, joints and mind. It does this by design. We break down a little bit and then rebuild the broken bits to make them stronger. Stress, done this way, is a good thing. It stimulates growth and development. But when does the growth and rebuilding happen? When we rest. Particularly when we sleep.

So, here’s the rub. These kids are training/stressing/breaking down, but aren’t putting in the time to re-build. What do have when we break down but don’t build up? Rubble. Pieces. Injury. Yes, I am suggesting that rest be scheduled in. That rest is as much a component of fitness training as the sprints and the burpees.

“I’m just gonna have to hold these kids out of the game if they’re coming straight from basketball games,” the soccer coach told me. “I’m not gonna risk it.”

He’s not gonna risk them. Because he cares more about their long term health than winning today’s game. I do so admire this coach. Unable to influence the behavior of other coaches, other players, even the kids’ parents, he has made up his mind to do what he can for their health. And that’s to reduce their competitive minutes. For their own good.

By doing this he will risk being accused of docking playing time. Ah, the bone of contention on every travel team. How many minutes did my kid get to play today? I’m paying my money, too; how come my kid sat out more than his kid?

Answer: she was being rested. Isn’t it ironic we’ve become a sports environment where rest is considered a punishment? When really, for these kids, it is a reward. God did it on the 7th day after all. It may be the most important training tool of all, certainly the most under-rated.

I know. I know. Everybody wants, no, needs your athletic kid. Let ‘em play. But take a look at the number of competitive and training minutes you are willing to invest in. It’s your kid’s health you’re spending. Just like your dollars, you only have so many, where will you spend them?

Every kid is different so make it a family decision. But make it objectively, not emotionally. Perhaps the equation is:

Now you have something to negotiate. If you have already spent 60 competitive minutes in practices and 60 minutes in your soccer game then when you arrive at basketball you can tell the coach who has scheduled 4 (60 minute) tournament games in the next 2 days. I am happy to give you my remaining 100 minutes.

Then tell him, “I’ll play as hard as I can for those minutes, coach.” That puts you and your kid in charge of your own “playing” time. And your own resting time.

And we’ll know that little secret. Competition breaks down; rest builds up. Won’t that coach be surprised when he has a strong and well-rested player for the next game?

This in light of Spirit Goalkeeper, Ashlyn Harris’ comments:

“She got peppered in the face from point blank distance…I could tell she was pretty dazed. I said ‘Are you all right?’ She was mumbling. That’s not a good sign.”

I have a problem with this. Because I am reading the American Academy of Neurology Analysis of the new concussion guidelines (from their 665th annual meeting). It says,

“Suspect a concussion? Take them out.”

Here’s the longer version: “The AAN guideline insists that players who experience symptoms suggestive of concussion, such as blurry or double vision, confusion, dizziness, headache, nausea, memory loss, or other cognitive or behavioral problems, must have full resolution of their symptoms (off medication) and approval for return to play by an LHCP. (Licensed Health Care Provider) … This recommendation is echoed by the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine position statement, which clearly prohibits same-day return to play for an athlete diagnosed with a concussion.”

Abby circumvents this, I guess, by not coming out. So, who’s right? The pro player who is 3 goals from surpassing Mia Hamm as the all-time scoring leader, or the physicians in their 665th annual meeting?

It doesn’t matter who’s right. What matters is: who are kids and their coaches watching and listening to?

That answer is clear. We idolize Abby Wambach. Okay, I idolize Abby Wambach. She is spokeswoman for everything good going on in women’s soccer in America today. We listen to her. We watch her. We follow her on twitter. Her morning-after tweet:

“I’m all good here everyone. Thanks for the well wishes.”  That, along with this :

But that’s twitter.

Here in the real world we’re raising kids differently, right? We take precautions when we suspect a head injury, right? We take them out, even if it’s a tense moment and the game matters, right?

Right?

I can preach the virtues of injury prevention and being fit to finish all day and into the night, but when a pro player stays in the game while obviously suffering from a concussion, that negates the medical message.

Because isn’t that what we celebrate in sports? The never-say-die attitude? The play until you drop approach? The fortitude to take a licking and keep on ticking?

It is. And we better be prepared to pay for it. In injuries. Surgeries. Time out of play. And perhaps in long term ailments that will follow these kids through all their days.

That’s all I need to ask the girl at the gym. She looks about 16 and she’s got a 4 inch vertical scar down the middle of her left knee. She’s newly post ACL surgery. That goes without saying.

“Soccer,” she says. She tore it on Halloween but “just had surgery in December.” It’s “only been 4 months.” And that’s the language of the ACL tear. Once you do it, you start looking at life in months until you can get back into action.

She told me she played for a Herndon travel team. Oh, and played for South Lakes High School. Emphasis on the “-ed.” But not this year. Nope. That season is gone forever.

She tells me this after she finished up her planks and her floor strengthening work and climbs aboard a frame designed for heavy duty ab work. She looks strong, even though her scar looks raw. I had guessed about 4 months; I can look at ‘em now and predict how long post-surgery they are. She’s been through the traditional physical therapy and in a week she’ll start working with a trainer at the gym.

I don’t tell her that that’s the business I am in. I don’t steal other peoples’ clients. But that’s confirmation of what I am seeing more and more: kids are walking out of the surgical suite, running through 3-4 months of therapy (what insurance will cover) and then released into the world of competitive youth sports. They need a trainer to transition them back into the strength, quickness and confidence of high speed play.

Fit2Finish is getting this inquiry more and more. “My kid is recovered but she needs to “return to play.” Or she had an injury scare; thank goodness it wasn’t an ACL, but she needs to be stronger and quicker to avoid further injury. That’s why Fit2Finish is launching its new “Personal Training” branch. We’re not about training your nine year old to be faster than other nine year olds. We’re about bringing your emerging athlete back to the field full force.

Ali Krieger celebrates game-winning PK.

Last night I got a great look at Ali Krieger, US Women’s National Team defender and International Star footballer, taking the field for the Washington Spirit. January 20th, 2012, the day she tore her right MCL and ACL, is ancient history. She’s matching Sydney Leroux step for step in chase of a long ball down the flank. She’s backtracking on a perfect line to disrupt a would-be point blank shot from a Breaker attacker. She’s mixing it up in the box with the talent of today’s game.

And then calmly, coming away with the ball. To dribble, pass or make the attacking run up the sideline. Ali is back. Thank God for good surgeons and great rehab.

It’s the reality of these competitive sports. Injuries happen, often at the worst possible moments. We’d like to prevent them all, but we can’t. Next best thing: moving those kids back into the game, one exercise session at a time.

From what I can tell, the ones who really want it will work for it and come back both stronger and with a greater appreciation for what their body needs to perform. I’m not gonna say that it’s worth it. But it certainly does pay dividends.

Go ahead. Keep your eye on Ali. She’ll inspire you. But don’t underestimate her. She’s all business. You can just tell by the way she carries herself on the field. No doubt that’s the way she carried herself through rehab. She’s leading the way for so many girls to come back from injuries.

I’m hoping the 16 year old from Herndon will tune into see Ali, between training sessions, of course. It’s a way of life for athletes. Train to get better, no matter where you begin.

My 16 year old daughter and I found a few open seats behind the team benches just as the announcer asked us to welcome the Spirit “reserves.” I went to applaud and then stopped. Silence. No one else was clapping.

“Now, welcome our guests from the University of Virginia!” he announced. Perhaps a smattering of applause from glove-muffled hands. But no hollering. No shouting. Not much.

Then, the starting elevens filed in at midfield in a double line. Red flanked by white. Red peeled off to form one long line of extremely athletic, extremely dedicated, extremely accomplished soccer players. Blue shirted refs in the center. Players were introduced.

Lori Lindsey received the most enthusiastic welcome. She is the biggest name of the group, with perhaps 14 National Team Caps under her belt, most coming in 2010, her most productive year. A couple of local favorites had pockets of supporters in the crowd. I felt like I was the only one in the crowd who clapped for every player. I appreciated that my teen daughter did not yank my hand down and prevent me from further embarrassing her.

Starting line ups salute the flag.

After introductions we stood in unison for the national anthem, players, coaches and fans facing the flag in the dusky northern sky. It was eerily quiet. The notes rang out. No one sang. The tone was set.

UVA controlled the ball from the kick off and dominated much of the play in the first half. They scored two unanswered goals. When Spirit forward Tiffany McCarty finally found the net to stem the shutout, the crowd full mostly of young female soccer players and their parent-coaches erupted in cheers. It was one part thrill and two parts relief. Who’d have thought the “professionals” would be coming from behind?

Lori Lindsey powers it forward

The half of play continued quite one-sided from there with UVA forwards slipping through the Spirit defense to score 3 more goals. The score stood UVA 5- Spirit 1, at half time. A very unexpected first half. A wake up call for the Spirit?

Now, I understand that Coach Mike Jorden was holding back some players, resting them for the regular season. I know that the glitter of national team players, five I think, was missing from Saturday night’s line up. Certainly, this ramshackle group was not the team that will take the field next against the Boston Breakers on the 14^th and the week following vs the Western NY Flash, armed with Abby Wambach.

But for the start of the second half, with score and outcome no longer an issue, I shifted my point of view. Instead of watching the game and anticipating an outcome I watched the individual  players and wondered at the bigger story being told down there on the field. The battle being waged. I’m all about fit to the finish, after all, so this is why I came.

I sat a bit more upright in my seat, as well as you can when your hands are shoved in your pockets, your hood is drawn tight over your head and there are no backs to the bleacher seats you’re sitting in. I took in the proceedings. Not the score, not the weather, not the lights or announcer or little chattering voices, but the play. One girl versus the other. The event: two squads of female athletes, fighting for roster spots and bragging rights on a cold night in Germantown.

And the comparison was stark, the contrast indelible. Coach Jorden’s squad came out with a visibly more aggressive style in the second half. Tighter marking. Higher pressure. More physical defending. And in nearly every case, his players ran into brick walls in the UVA players. The collegiate players used their superior physical strength to be commanding nearly everywhere on the field. This is the game women play now. Much more like the men than they used to play.

I wonder what Mike Jorden had to say in the post game talk.

And how long has Coach Jorden had to work with these women, a month? To strengthen, train and unite them as a team? How long has UVA had together? All season? All year? Some of them 3 ½ years together? I have to wonder what Caroline Miller, former star of the UVA squad and the Spirit’s first draft pick, is thinking. She is used to being fully prepared. This is a whole new ballgame.

My daughter, asks me, “Do these girls get paid to play?”

I tell her yes, that that’s what makes them professional, though I am not at all sure they are all paid. The league anted in for the salaries of the premier players – who are not playing tonight – but the clubs themselves have to raise the funds to pay the ‘other’ players. The ones I am watching get shoved and tripped up and out-muscled on the pitch. The ones who I paid not a cent to see play tonight. The ones who last year were starters for their college teams and now are scraping by, sacrificing day and night to put in the time to “play pro” and probably work another job or two to pay their rent.

I look to the midfield sidelines then to see three UVA players in white t-shirts and shorts readying to come into the match. UVA reserves, or subs saved for the second half, who have tossed off their sturdy collegiate issue cold weather jackets to enter the game. They bounce up and down to stay warm. Strong women, with muscled thighs and broad shoulders, no one would mistake them for anything but athletes. They are products of one of the best soccer training programs in the country. Back at school they probably train six hours per day, in addition to their studies, where they have the finest and newest training equipment, a ready training staff and a smorgasbord of food at the cafeteria training table. All of this paid under the terms of their scholarship. Most of us would say, “That is the life.”

That was last year’s life for Caroline Miller, when she wore the shimmering orange numbers on the back of her navy jersey. Now she wears the Spirit red, with white numbering that is much less bold. Much of her physical training time she does on her own, fueled by sandwiches she makes for herself. She’s what she always dreamed she’d be – a professional.

Funny, I think, how the roles seem reversed on this night. The collegiates look pro. The pro’s look amateur. Not so surprising really. This fledgling women’s league is trying to take flight. And they’re doing it on a shoestring budget. These young people getting paid peanuts for what they’re doing, and doing it gladly. Because it’s their dream.

But I’d love to see them a bit stronger and more prepared. A bit more like the college players, trained up and supported by fans and by alumni and by the parents of the players. By the university of us, the community that believes in them. We’re not that community yet. We don’t applaud for the reserves. We don’t pay for tickets. We don’t even sing the National Anthem, yet.

I’m hoping we’ll come together to bring the Washington Spirit out of the red, even while they’re wearing it. Because every young woman should have a step higher to climb. But someone has to build the foundation. The one that each who comes after her steps upon first as they ascend. Lori Lindsey, Tiffany McCarty, Caroline Miller and Co., you’re doing this work.

Just as the final whistle blows, one little girl behind me clambers over the seats to the railing to get some players to sign her roster sheet. She calls back to her Dad, “I wanna get their autographs now, before they’re famous.”

That’s the spirit!

• a parent or grandparent
• a community leader or public figure?
• someone with a cool job?
• an entertainer or a movie star?
• a sports figure?

Sports figure, right? Yeah, if you’re reading this blog, at least one of your heroes was a sports figure. Why did you idolize them? Was it:

• because they were rich?
• because they were pretty or handsome?
• because they drove a fancy car or lived in a fancy house?
• because they were successful?

Yep, probably because they were successful. Nothing wrong with success. That’s what we’re all after, right? To be successful in our chosen field or career or sport. And our athletic heroes reached the pinnacle of their sports. Perhaps achieved more than anyone ever had. Probably had to make great sacrifices to achieve what they did. It was part of the great hero story. It’s part of the traditional hero story. Our heroes dreamed and then somehow their dream came true. 

And we celebrated this with them. Watched their amazing feats. Read their incredible stories or listened on TV or radio. Maybe even had their poster on our bedroom wall. Okay, personal admission, I had a poster of Mark Spitz, bedecked in gold medals, on my bedroom wall. Never met the man, but I idolized him. Wanted to be just like him. Swim for gold.

Today’s kids have sports heroes. Some of them with great stories of hardship and over-coming. Great talent. Tremendous effort and work. Some show great character and leadership. (Let’s focus on these.) And all of them have, as we all do, “fatal flaws.” Things that would bring them down that they must overcome. These, too, are what makes them heroes.

Two things concern me about the hero-idols our kids emulate today. The right now and the somehow.

Our kids wanna be their heroes  - right now

Our kids are growing up, at least in the US, in an immediate gratification society. They see it; they want it. They want it now; and often they get it. While parents are partly to blame here, myself included, I am not tackling the parent-problem. Rather, I see this transferred to the hero-worship. I see him; I want to be him. Why not now?!

I mean, it doesn’t look so hard to swing a bat like that or strike a soccer ball like that or hit a running back like that. Right? They hear, “Just believe in yourself.” Well, it takes more than believing (although it does take that). It takes years and years of hard work, a whole lot of talent, good decisions and maybe a bit of good luck along the way.

Our kids don’t see the “somehow” that made their heroes, heroes. The work and sacrifice and dedication and tough decision-making when they look at their heroes. They just see the talent and the success and they want it. Just like I did. But I didn’t live in a “right now” culture. They do. For those of us who coach and train today’s young people, we have to convince them to put in time working on the “somehow.” And even then of course there are no guarantees.

To stay in the game our heroes may have a “somehow” problem

I am not talking about the substance abusers out there. I am talking about the ones who have made it, maybe all the way to the top of their game. One might say they are the ones worth idolizing. But after all their training and preparation and diligence and perseverance, they are worn out. And unfortunately, some of our sport wears them out early. Faced with this, and unwilling to give up, they do all kinds of things to extend their careers. Including taking crazy advice about cure-alls and performance-enhancers. These are not only mythical in their effectiveness, they may also be dangerous to health. Certainly inadvisable for our youth. But when a hero does it…

Recently, Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens amazing linebacker, reportedly tried everything he could do to make sure he could play and not have to end his career early. “Everything” includes going to oddball clinics, which offer him things like specially soaked underwear that can help his recovery via certain chemicals that are allegedly in the underwear; devices to put on his arm that will deflect bad radio waves and cell phone energy that proponents say is bad for healing; and antler horn and other ground-up substances that supposedly contain growth-stimulating chemicals that can help you heal. According to Art Caplan, PhD, at the NYU Langone Medical Center in the Division of Bioethics, this is bad pseudoscience and needs to be debunked. He says,

“This is all utter nonsense and complete bunk. It is fraud. But athletes are out there trying it; athletes are desperate and will look for any edge. You can see that pro athletes Alex Rodriguez and Melky Cabrera, in baseball, and many, many college football players are trying these things out. [At least 1] person has been peddling stickers for football players to wear to deflect bad energy in the stadiums. Others are telling athletes to wear certain necklaces that will give you good vibes when you are trying to play.”

The point is, kids who emulate Ray Lewis are going to think they can play through injury or play through pain because they have a sticker or they’re wearing magical underwear or drinking specially treated water.

So, today we’ve got kids who wanna be Ray and read there is a magical way to get there. Sounds more like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in Potions class than real life and real sports. Can we get away from potions and please go back to the notion that too good to be true usually is?

Testimony from athletes who believe that something works because that’s what some peddler told them who made it “believable” when they typed up the label, is rarely good advice. Supplements for performance need to be tried and tested and found to be both safe and effective before we recommend them. Right now, time and effort are better spent on the training field. That’s where kids will find their “somehow.”

In the mean time, let’s introduce our kids to the athletes worth emulating. The ones who worked hard to earn the extra edge, gave thanks for all the people who encouraged them along the way, and once they succeeded, turned around and pulled a few folks up on the winner’s stand with them. They are worth having on a poster in your bedroom.

Who do you think are today’s athletes worth emulating?

When my daughter was born 13 years ago I was on the receiving end of some good-natured ribbing from family members and friends.  They knew how passionate I was about sports and how much time I had spent in a male dominated environment.  They wondered out loud how I was going to incorporate that mindset with a daughter the apple of her dad’s eye.  Over those 13 years, I have gained much experience in the variances she has as an athlete compared to her male counterparts.

As a coach and parent I came to realize the differences she had in athletics and her mindset toward sports, in general, from me and her male cousins, as well.  I saw some subtle and larger differences as she became involved in all girl teams and in some of her individual sports endeavors.  As a result, when my nephews got going with youth baseball, soccer and hockey, I became more in tune with the girls that were playing on some of their teams and their approach to the respective sport.

The difference between the boys game and the girls game is more than physical.

So, aside from the obvious physical differences, there are differences in mindset and mental approach, that a coach should consider depending on the gender they coach. Here are some points to consider when sending your child out to play in an organized sport.  Keep in mind that these are generalizations and each youngster is different:

Tough talk does not always work 

Most boys go into sports with the attitude that they are the next LeBron James or Albert Pujols.  That can be an embraceable attitude; however, what can happen is that they shut off what a coach might be trying to teach them.  They can have a ‘you’re not going to tell me something I don’t already know’ mentality, which can be a challenge as a coach.

What this translates to is a slower ‘buy in’ to the coaching philosophy.  It is going to take some time before that player is going to fully incorporate the teaching going on during the season.  Now some coaches confront this with a very hard line approach, which can work initially, but can also backfire into a trying to prove-the-coach-wrong mentality rather than a true developmental approach.

Girls tend to be more open to coaching and trying new things on the field, court or ice.  The coach tends to gain the girls’ respect more quickly.  However, girls tend to shut down with a hard line coaching approach.

Having fun is relative to each gender

There are subtle differences in what both genders enjoy in sports competition. Of course both boys and girls enjoy winning as opposed to losing.  However, guys tend to let it linger more than girls and tend to be more adamant about it, as well. (**Fit2Finish comment: Shakespeare knew, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”…but competitive girls keep it on the inside. They may not let it show that losing matters, but that’s all part of the female psyche. Don’t give your opponent the satisfaction of letting you know it bothers you. …”Never let ‘em see you sweat.” Right ladies?)

When my daughter was on the swim team, I got frustrated a few times with the outcome when they lost a meet.  I would be stewing off to the side about various events that could have gone better and therefore could have given the team a better chance to win.  My daughter and many of her friends would shrug that off and talk about how cold the water was or what they were doing after the meet.

I saw that with my nephews who were on mixed teams, too.  If a hockey game was lost, one of my nephews would trudge out to the car upset about the loss and think about what the team could have done better, whereas many of the girls were off with smiles and plans for the rest of the day.

I would give my teams, after a loss, 24 hours to stew and sulk about it. After that it was full speed ahead in preparation for our next contest.

Again, I’m not saying that girls don’t care if they win or lose, but I believe their approach is more social than boys.  Boys tend to use wins and losses, or how well they did, as a barometer to their confidence levels.  Having a coaching philosophy that can involve more intense motivational techniques tend to work better with boys.

Self-confidence differences in boys and girls

In general, most boys do not lack confidence in themselves, at least on the surface. Guys tend to project this ‘tough guy’ image and that nothing the world has to offer can throw them off of their groove. 

Although not dwelling on failures is a good thing, it can be an inhibitor if the player doesn’t feel that he needs to work on his game to get better. One drawback with this type of outlook is that a player can get too caught up in how good they think they are and not on how they still could use some coaching to improve.

This is where an individual approach to coaching can help.  Even though a player outwardly shows that his ‘slump’ is not bothering him that does not mean it truly isn’t. Talking and working individually with those kids can help immensely in these situations. Singling them out in practice, in front of the team, can only further build the wall of resistance, but one-on-one sessions during, or after, practice can help break that down.

Girls tend to have more of a positive attitude, even when the game or season is not going the route they would have hoped. It is more intrinsic here, rather than a ‘face’ they have to put on outwardly. Explaining their role as part of the team and communicating on a positive, constructive level with a female athlete goes a long way toward their progress.  This tends to amplify their self-confidence as they grow as a player.

(**Fit2Finish comments: Mike has made a nice point here, though he is grouping the genders. Of course, among girls, as among boys, we have kids who thrive in the highly-contested, competitive environment and those who don’t. It is important to help your child identify this nature in him or herself. Some kids want to keep it social – both genders. Some  kids want to ramp it up – both genders. The difficulty comes in mis-matching the one for the other.)

Mike concludes, “Knowing some of these differences in gender and how each approaches sports can go a long way toward enabling kids to get the most out of their experiences and can help parents assist their child in finding the right (and healthiest) sporting situation.”

Fit2Finish adds, Let’s keep all our kids in the game. Which game is best? The one they enjoy enough to keep doing!

Thanks to Mike Mancini, coach, parent and website owner of “Athletic Training Now” specializing in youth sports, athletic/sports training, and where you can sign up for his Two Free Reports, “Mental Edge to Winning” and the “Physical Edge Strategies for Champions,” in addition to his free trial newsletter.

Your kids bring their bodies with them to practice and probably a soccer ball.  That’s all you need. Pretend the field is just one big yoga mat or playground. Your choice. The kids came for the fun of the game, so take the “home workout” routine and make it kid fun- friendly. How?

• Make it competitive
• Make it a team event
• Make it tricky or challenging.

Kids love all three. They’ll never know it’s a “workout.” Here’s some ideas to get you started:

1. Planking

Make planking fun by facing kids off against each other. Head to head. They earn a point each time they tag their opponent. Play to 10 or 15 points. Then switch opponents.

• compete for time – who can hold it the longest (no slouching)
• plank with both hands on the ball or with feet on the ball
• forearm plank and have teammate add “extra resistance” by taking a seat (gently)
• plank head to head and tag your opponent to earn a point( *See photo)
• plank as a “passing gate” – spread the field and have kids’ planking as the gates (Let the gates move if you dare but watch the fingers. this can get very competitive!)

 2. With a Ball

Squeeze the ball between the insteps and bring it to vertical and then to just barely touching down before lifting again. Be sure to keep they keep their back pressed to the floor.

• push ups on the ball (traditional)
• bridge ups on the ball (one foot on ball and one presses up)
• ball relays – pass over and under, around left and around right
• reverse curls with ball held between the feet (challenge: pass the ball to partner standing over head who passes under to next players feet) (*See photo)

3. Bodies only – maybe a cone or 2

• Russian hamstrings – kneeling with teammates holding ankles, lean without bending at the waist (mostly hams but core must stay firm)
• Wheelbarrow races – favors a strong and immovable core in the “front man” walking on hands
• Shoving gauntlet – form 2 lines and have teammates partner up and shoulder challenge the length of the gauntlet (points if you can muscle your man over the line)

I hope these will get you started. If you’re in the Virginia/Maryland/DC region, Fit2Finish would love to come work with you and your team on core fitness the fun way. It’s the foundation for strong and safe play. And essential when games and life get tough. Contact Fit2Finish for more information or to schedule your team. 

Let me first distinguish this from the planking fad (balancing face down with arms at sides in tricky and often dangerous positions), which seems to have taken the world by storm. Of course, thanks to photo’s shared on social media. Humans, left to their own devices, will take something perfectly safe and healthy and make it into something extreme and risky.

Add challenge by reaching with one hand.

Basic plank position. Body is balanced on toes and palms of hands. Note that shoulders are strong. Shoulder blades retracted (pulled together) and abdominals are tight so there is no downward “sagging.”

Planking, the exercise, has long been part of yoga routines and military fitness regimens. It’s an isometric core strength exercise, most often performed in the front hold position – either balanced on the palms of the hands or on the elbows and forearms with hands folded into a triangular base of support. The primary muscles strengthened are the abdominals, back and shoulders.
The forearm plank position is easier on the wrists and better for people with concerns about shoulder health. It is also a bit lower intensity. The body assumes the plank position but upper body balance is maintained on the triangle formed by elbows, forearms and folded hands. (praying is optional but highly recommended )

I find it easier to keep the body in a firm, flat position using the forearm plank.

Here is the proper lower body position.

One way to up the intensity with either of these planks is to balance the feet on the laces rather than the toes. That challenges the balance a bit. Then, if you want a real challenge, push with hands with forearms and roll your body into balance on toes. Your upper body will have to “reach” to hold its plank. This increases the difficulty and the fun.

Side plank is a third option. The plank in this position strengthens the transverse and oblique abdominals along with the gluteal muscles and hip abductors (outside of the hip). In this position the body is “stacked” on it’s balance points – the side of one foot and the forearm bent at 90 degrees under the body.

Side plank with arm tight to side.

You can add challenge to this exercise by raising the top leg and holding, raising the arm upward, or both. Below is a a photo of American mile record holder Alan Webb demonstrating the high intensity version of the side plank:

Mile record holder, Alan Webb emphasizes core strengthening in his regular routine.

Notice that we could draw quite a straight line from Alan’s head along the side of his body to his foot on the ground. This is what the plank, performed well, always accomplishes. Solid and straight body position, maintained with the core muscles of the torso (front, back and sides), to resist the pull of gravity. No sagging. No rounding. No arching.

These three exercises: front plank on hands, front plank on forearms and side plan on one forearm are simple to do and require no equipment. You can perform them at home or at the field.

Here’s the prescription:
Beginners: hold each plank with perfect position for 30 seconds (progress to 60 seconds), then try 2 sets, then 3.
Intermediate: Add the body challenges, reaching a hand, rocking to laces. Maintain perfect body position. (hold 60 seconds plus) Add sets.
Advanced: Add the challenges. Create your own. Challenge your friends to a contest – who can hold the longest? Try the Alan Webb version.

Look at what planking (the exercise) can do for your physique!

Coaches, if you think this is just for your players, listen to this: According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the current world record for the plank position is 1 hour 20 minutes and 5.01 seconds, set in Naperville, IL on December 3, 2011 by 54 year old George Hood. Are you gonna let that go unchallenged?

• They need to be simple to execute, at least in their basic form.
• They must require little or at least easily accessible equipment.
• They need need to be “functional,” that is, part of the whole body movement and not just an isolated exercise.
• I have to have fun doing them and even more fun teaching them.

Here are  5 fitness ball exercises I recommend to start athletes building a strong core. Once you master these, give a holler (send an email, post a comment) and we’ll up the intensity a bit. 

1. The Clam – With the ball in front of you, roll your body forward, chest, then belly, then thighs and ending in a knees folded under you (clam) position on top of the ball. This is a great ‘get used to the ball’ activity and kids love it. Perform 10-15 reps or as many as they want if you have the time.

The Clam – roll up and hold steady.

2. Push Up or Plank position on the Ball – Roll your body across the top of the ball as far as you can and still keep your balance. The further you roll, the greater the challenge. Hold that position. Start with 30 seconds. Progress to 60 seconds. Add to the challenge by lifting one arm, then the other. Perform push ups with only your feet on the ball. Advanced: try a sideways roll, balancing on your side.

3. Sit Ups on the Ball – Lie back on the ball so your head falls over the far side. (the further you drop the head the more challenging the exercise) With hands behind head for support, bend your body forward from the waist. Make your waist the pivot point and not your neck. Advanced: twist and sit up facing 45 degrees right and repeat left. Perform 2 sets of 10-15 reps, slowly and controlled.

Start position – the further over you are the more demanding the exercise.

Lift from waist, keeping upper body strong and flat.

Leg muscles contracted with core for stability and balance.

4. Bridges on the Ball – Balance with back and shoulders on the ball, knees bent and both feet flat on the floor. Holding core strong and without leaning, extend one leg and hold. Repeat with other leg. Perform these slowly, holding at least for a count of 5-10. Keep the back straight; don’t sag.

5. Reverse curls with the big ball – Position the ball and squeeze it securely between the feet. Keeping the back pressed against the floor, raise the ball up, hold, control the return to the floor to touch it gently again. For a challenge, pass the ball from your feet into your hands. Bring your feet down as you raise the ball over the head, touch to the floor and then bring it back to position it between the feet. Then lower it again. Advanced: In ball raised position, rotate hips to the right and touch the ball down, repeat left. Perform 2 sets of 10-15 reps.

Be sure to keep back pressed to the floor as you lift.