The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Early Sport Specialization- Part 1

The number of multi-sport athletes in the US is dwindling. The young athletes in our country are in a race to specialize in a sport earlier than their peers. This fits right into the American culture of “bigger, better, faster.” We want our kids to excel and we want a success quickly.  Some parents dream of their kids getting college … Read More

Research Roundup: Improve Your Soccer Performance With Plyometrics and Sprint Training

Ever wondered how to take your soccer skills to the next level?  Footskills and tactical training are important, but adding plyometrics and sprint training give you the explosiveness to beat a defender to the ball.  This week’s study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning  shows the effect of this training on youth soccer players.   The researchers divided young … Read More

Concussion Series Part 5: Do Concussions Cause Other Injuries?

I’ve been working with concussion patients for a few years now… I’ve also presented on the topic of concussions in female athletes twice nationally.  When I was prepping my first talk, I came across this article.   College athletes who suffered a non-contact ACL injury scored lower than their non-injured teammates on a test of verbal memory, processing speed, and … Read More

The Concussion Series- Part 2: Concussions in Female Athletes

The gender gap in US sports continues…   Despite the heroics the US Women’s Soccer Team displayed at the World Cup this summer (in stark contrast to the Men’s Gold Cup loss to Jamaica a few weeks later), data continues to mount showing that female soccer players have more concussions than men and have symptoms for a longer period. Check out these staggering … Read More

How to know if an athlete has a concussion- and what to do. Part 1 of a series

Fall sports begin in a few weeks here in the CLE.  And while most of us can’t wait for the return of “Friday Night Lights,” soccer matches, and volleyball games, it’s important to remember how to keep our youth athletes safe during the excitement.  This includes recognizing injuries and finding medical care as they happen. In part 1 of this article, I’ll talk about … Read More

Research Roundup- Success in Volleyball, Training Power in Hockey, and Return-to-Kicking Program for Soccer

Future Elite Success in Volleyball-  What does it take? A recent study  showed that tests of motor coordination (balance, jumping, lateral movement, and upper body coordination) in volleyball players were predictors of success in addition to the athlete’s height and vertical jump height.  In fact, these three tests were able to predict playing levels in volleyball players 5 years later.   … Read More

How Necessary is Hamstring Strengthening for Preventing ACL Injury?

FOR ATHLETES:   Bottom line info you need to #GETBETTER The hamstring muscles work with the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) to maintain knee stability during sports.  Research over the past few years has shown that females who injured their ACL’s had weaker hamstrings than uninjured females or males.  Because of this, the sports medicine community thought that strengthening the hamstrings … Read More