Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Training

Heat Illness in High School Athletes

By Jason Bennett, DA, ATC, Associate Professor at Chapman University The Centers for Disease Control reported that heat illness was a leading cause of death and disability of high school athletes from 2005-2009 (Yard, et al., 2010). Fortunately, heat illness is 100% preventable with the appropriate knowledge and procedures in place. While about 70% of high school athletes who suffer …

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Fitness: Creating Rotational Power for Sports

Power can be defined as the ability to exert maximal force as quickly as possible. In sports such as ice hockey, baseball and golf rotational power is a prime attribute for an athlete. How an athlete develops the power, how efficiently they develop the power, how much power is developed and how the power is controlled and decelerated all play …

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Trying To Build Muscle? 6 Tips to Help You

Gaining weight and building muscle can be the toughest and most concerning task for many young athletes on a quest to achieve athletic success. Building muscle is important in any sport you are involved in. It benefits you physically and it can provide a psychological advantage to you on the field, court, or ice. But for some reason, no matter …

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Training: Got Sand?

Training tips to help with your game I am often asked three questions about training during the volleyball offseason: “How do I jump higher?” “How do I get to more digs?” “How do I hit the ball harder?” My answer: “Get sandy!” I have done research and have many ideas but the one common denominator I have for all of …

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RSI: What Are Repetitive Stress Injuries?

Repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) are injuries that happen when too much stress is placed on a part of the body, resulting in inflammation (pain and swelling), muscle strain, or tissue damage. This stress generally occurs from repeating the same movements over and over again. RSIs are common work-related injuries, often affecting people who spend a lot of time using computer …

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ACL Injuries: Understanding the Anterior Cruciate Ligament

Knee injuries often occur among active teens and athletes, and a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) — a ligament that helps give the knee its stability — is a common knee injury. Teens who play contact sports such football and basketball or so-called “cutting” sports (such as soccer and baseball that feature swift, abrupt movements such as pivoting, stopping, or …

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The Basics of Warming Up

It’s important to warm up your body before any physical activity. Warming up goes a long way toward preparing the body for exercising, both physically and mentally. It also helps prevent injuries. The term “warm-up” describes many light-aerobic and cardiovascular activities, which are separate from stretching. (Stretching works best when performed after warming up.) When you warm up, you are …

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Stretching to Improve Hamstring Flexibility

Have you ever had that pain in the back of your leg while running down the field or court? Do you still wonder why you can’t touch your toes?  The hamstrings play an important role in running and can be easily injured if not flexible. Tight hamstrings can lead to low back and knee pain as well. The primary function …

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Guide to Strength Training

Regular aerobic exercise, such as running or using a stationary bike, makes your muscles use oxygen more efficiently and strengthens your heart and lungs. When you strength train with weights, you’re using your muscles to work against the extra pounds (this concept is called resistance). This strengthens and increases the amount of muscle mass in your body by making your …

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Heat Illness in High School Athletics

The Centers for Disease Control reported that heat illness was a leading cause of death and disability of high school athletes from 2005-2009.  Fortunately, heat illness is 100 percent preventable with the appropriate knowledge and procedures in place. While about 70 percent of high school athletes who suffer from heat illness are football players, girls volleyball and girls soccer are …

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