Returning to Play After an Injury
Injuries occur in sports. Some require rest, some rehab, sometimes treatment and modifications to activity are necessary in order to get the athlete back into competition. Every injury and every athlete is different so there is no black and white answer to how fast or...
Concussion Awareness-Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms and Return-to-Play Guidelines
No topic has garnered more attention over the last several years than concussions. The media is constantly showing violent hits in the NFL, NHL and other sports and the results of the hits are being shown more and more. Recent involvement by the NFL Players...
Modifying in the Moment
Have you ever had an athlete come in and tell you that they have a new injury or are struggling with pain in a certain area? I’m sure the answer to that question for you is a resounding “yes”! This is a very common occurrence in our fitness and strength/conditioning...
Establishing Credibility and Relationships
The teams that come to facilities like Compete are looking for someone to help their programs improve and grow every day. They want someone who will help their players to perform at the highest level possible and to rise above their competitors. In addition, lowering...
Variation of Exercises
Trainers and strength coaches come up with training programs for their athletes throughout their preseason, season, and post-seasons. It will look very different depending on their sport and the individual athlete’s strengths and weaknesses. Consistency with these...
Communicating with Coaching Staff
In the world of athletic training, strength coaching, etc., much of their daily interactions include talking with not only athletes and parents, but coaching staff as well. Therefore, it is vital for strength coaches and trainers to develop those relationships with...
Preventing ACL Tears in Female Soccer Players
One of the most common injuries seen in women’s soccer today are ACL tears. It is not uncommon to see young female soccer players, especially by college, that have torn at least one of their ACLs, if not both. Unfortunately, this is simply due to anatomical makeup...
Preventing Groin Injuries in Hockey
A successful hockey season filled with wins, goals, assists and enjoyment can be easily derailed with a groin strain. The groin musculature or adductor group is located on the inside of the thigh and brings the thigh back into the midline of the body. This is an...
Foam Rolling and Stretching
Foam rolling is an aspect of recovery that goes hand in hand with training that has become a lot more common and popular in the last few years. Much more research has come out regarding static stretching as well. Foam rolling and stretching are essential for the...
Creating Lasting Relationships with Athletes
As a strength coach/trainer, athletes come to you to better themselves and to improve in their athletic performance. Every week new and existing athletes come to you around generally the same purpose, to get better day in and day out. Therefore, creating lasting...
Exercise of the Month
The single leg box squat is a great exercise to use for any athlete who competes on his or her feet. Depending on strength and ability, this exercise can be used in a warmup, as a supplemental exercise, or even as a main lift in a lower body strengthening program. The...
Training Multi-Sport Athletes
Many kids grow up playing multiple sports, especially if they are born into an athletic family. From a young age, they are exposed to a variety of sports and levels of athletics. Some families do encourage one main sport, but others will allow their kids to try...