Teamsnap

Did you know that competitive cheerleading is the fastest growing sport among girls in the U.S.? The funny thing is, some people can’t seem to agree on whether cheerleading is a sport or not! Kimberly Archie joins our podcast to put that topic to rest, once and for all. After spending time as both a cheerleader and cheer mom, Kimberly is now the founder of the National Cheer Safety Foundation. In this episode, she and host Emily Cohen discuss cheerleading injuries, cheer in pop culture, the different types of cheerleading, and much more. If you love cheerleading or want to learn more about it, start here!

Mental toughness is one of those vital intangibles that no successful athlete can do without. It’s about being able to translate preparation to performance, and it’s a skill that needs constant development.  So, what’s the best way to develop it? In this podcast, Youth Sports Psychology Consultant James Leath is on the hot seat to answer all your questions about mental toughness. No, literally—we’ve collected questions directly from our fans, all the way from California to New York! If you’ve ever wanted to know what makes an athlete mentally tough, this is the podcast for you!

To specialize or to sample, that is the question! Some young athletes specialize, which means they choose one sport and focus only on that sport. Others try sport sampling, which means they sample a few different sports until they find their favorites.  Which is more beneficial to a young athlete and why?  Steve Boyle prefers sport sampling. Steve is the Director of 2-4-1 Sports, a camp where kids try many different sports until they find many to love, not just one. In this podcast, Steve explains why emotional burnout happens for single sport athletes, how young athletes can connect skills from one sport to another, and what coaches can do to become better teachers. Listen in!

If you’ve been around sports for even a little bit, you’ve probably heard of an ACL injury. It happens to professional, recreational, and competitive athletes in various sports, and it’s becoming more and more common. The good new is, you can help your young athlete avoid ACL injuries! Holly Silvers is the Director of Research at the Santa Monica Sports Research Foundation and the inventor of the PEP warmup, designed to help athletes avoid suffering ACL injuries. Holly tells us why these injuries are 2-10 times more prevalent in women than in men, why ACL tear rates seem to be increasing among NBA players, and how to warm up and cool down before and after workouts.  For all that information and more, take a listen!

The 2015 Women's World Cup has begun, and we're thrilled to have Brandi Chastain on our podcast! You know her as a two-time Gold Medalist, as an announcer for ABC and ESPN, and for her game-winning goal in the 1999 FIFA World Cup Championship. In this excellent episode, Brandi and host Emily Cohen discuss youth soccer, professional soccer, and how the two are related. And don't worry––there's plenty of talk about the World Cup, too. Topics covered include: how to protect young players from injury, why kids should play more than one sport, why parents shouldn't spend all their time on youth sports, who has the best national team in the world right now, and the strengths and weaknesses of the United States national team.  Jam-packed with insights and answers, this is a podcast no soccer fan will want to miss!

In a youth soccer world where competition is always increasing and pressure on athletes is always rising, how can coaches keep things fun?  Tony Waiters thinks we should give the game back to the kids. Over the course of his soccer career, he's been an English National Goalie, a Men's National Head Coach, and a youth soccer coach. Currently, his company, World of Soccer, works to improve the youth game. Tony and host Emily Cohen cover many topics, such as how to deal with overbearing parents, the best ways to coach young soccer players, and what rules need to change. If you call yourself a soccer fan, you'll love this podcast!

In 1983, Cyndi Lauper famously sang, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Surprisingly, her pop song wasn’t too far off from psychological findings. Joan Steidinger, author of the new book Sisterhood in Sports: How Female Athletes Collaborate and Compete, explains exactly what makes female athletes different than their male counterparts. What do male coaches need to know about their female players? Why are girls sometimes considered more emotional than boys? How important are teammate relationships to females? Listen in and learn more!

Did you know that over 750,000 athletes played lacrosse last year alone? With numbers like that, it’s no surprise that lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the nation. Though it was once a largely regional game, it’s now played all over, in places like California, Texas, Colorado and Canada.  Mike Ryder, head lacrosse coach at IMG Academy, tells us exactly what makes lacrosse such a popular sport. Topics covered include the roots of the game, the differences between men’s and women’s lacrosse, college lacrosse recruiting, injuries, and the creativity of the sport. It’s the perfect podcast for current and future lax fans.

Coaching youth sports is no easy task. Coaches must assemble their staffs, coordinate practice times, deal with unsatisfied players and parents, organize travel tournaments—and that’s before they even start coaching. If you’re a youth sports coach, this podcast is for you. Youth soccer coach and commercial litigator Brian Hafter joins the show to give us tips on how to be a better coach. Are pro coaches really necessary at recreational levels? What’s the best way to prepare for coaching? How can you set ground rules for parents before the season begins? For answers to these questions and more, take a listen.

If you had to guess the #1 concern of college athletes, what would you say? It’s not concussions. It’s not injury. For most college athletes, stress is more concerning than all else. But what causes stress to athletes, and, at the youth level, what can parents do to prevent such stress? In this podcast, marriage and family therapist Ann DeWitt shares her key insights on sports-related stress. Ann discusses why making certain mistakes in sports is good, why single sport specialization isn’t good, and how to know when a sport has taken over a young athlete’s life. Listen in!

When it comes to statistics in youth sports, things can get a little iffy. Some parents fear that recording stats will only intensify an already competitive environment. Others are concerned about the inconsistencies and subjectivity inherent in scorekeeping. Whatever the case may be, keeping track of stats in youth sports is at best a controversial practice. Do you use TeamSnap's statistics tab for your team's stats? Brett Law is here to clear the air. Brett is the founder of iScore, a popular scoring app that tracks individual and team stats for numerous sports. A sports dad himself, Brett explains how stats can help players improve their games, at what age players should begin to record their stats, and why stats should be used as a tool, not a means to an end. Don't miss it!

Nutrition, like practice, is an essential ingredient in sports performance. However, it seems that many young athletes don't have healthy eating habits. Some skip breakfast, others eat junk and call it breakfast, and still others just don't know enough about how to structure a healthy diet. What is a youth sports parent to do? Allison Maurer is here to rescue you and your athlete! Allison is the Sports Dietitian for the University of Tennessee Athletics. She explains why healthy food doesn't have to be boring food, how parents can get their young athletes involved in their own nutrition, and why pickle juice isn't as great a hydrator as some people seem to think. It's an informative listen for parents and youth athletes alike.

Which is it: natural ability or a strong work ethic? When we watch great athletes perform, we might sometimes assume that they were born with all that talent. Though that may be true to a certain extent, we also don't see the hard work and dedication that got them there in the first place. So which is more important: natural ability or a strong work ethic? If you ask David Epstein, he’ll probably tell you it’s a little bit of both. As a former senior writer for Sports Illustrated, a former track standout at Columbia University, and the author of The Sports Gene, David knows sports inside and out. In this podcast, he and host Emily Cohen discuss single sport specialization and why talent doesn't necessarily precede training. It's a fascinating conversation you won't want to miss.

If you know softball, then you know Jennie Finch. As a former pro softball player, a College World Series Champion, and an Olympic Gold Medalist, Finch has inspired us all. Jennie and host Emily Cohen dive into the world of Women's Sports: what messages are being sent to young female athletes, the state of a slow game in a fast-paced world, how to change D-I sports for the better, and the future of women's professional sports. As an added bonus, she tells us why she loves the color pink. If you're a fan of softball, women's sports, or youth sports in general, take a listen.

Every athlete, parent, and coach knows that sports are about far more than just physical ability. During those high-pressure moments, confidence and mental toughness can make all the difference. But what exactly is mental toughness, and how can an athlete develop it? Nationally recognized mental toughness expert and accomplished author Craig Sigl shares his advice on how to stay focused, confident, and determined under pressure. In addition, Sigl tells us how parents can support their athlete(s), how to stop dwelling on past mistakes, and how to deal with “old-school” coaching. If you're looking to improve your mental toughness, start here.

With young athletes playing youth sports, how can you prevent kids' schedules from becoming over-scheduled?  Rich Czeslawski, CEO of Better Basketball and Communications Director for the National High School Basketball Coach's Association, says the answer is simple: communicate as honestly and as often as possible. In this podcast, Rich advises parents, coaches, and athletes on how to stay connected and how to prevent over-scheduling. If you're a parent or athlete trying to balance multiple sports, you'll find some great insights here. 

Don’t just do strength and conditioning; do it the right way with the knowledge on how to do it correctly. Have a sport-specific plan before you go to workout.

TeamSnap sits down with Dick Gould, one of the most successful colligiate coaches of all time. As coach of the Stanford tennis team, Gould led his program to 17 (yes, 17!) NCAA team championships over his 38-year career. Host Emily Cohen covers a variety of topics with Coach Gould, including the state of U.S. tennis, line calls in junior tennis, and what junior players can do to prepare for the next level. This podcast is jam packed with insight for athletes, parents, and especially coaches.

Without a doubt, concussions are a growing concern in hockey and youth sports in general. A wealth of information has emerged regarding this subject, though it’s hard to tell what’s true and what’s not so true. Do concussions really occur more frequently after the first? Do some sports have higher instances of concussions than others? Does protective equipment actually increase an athlete’s risk? In this podcast, Dr. Elizabeth Pieroth offers her expert advice on how parents, coaches, and athletes can work together to reduce concussions rates. Pieroth serves as the neurological consultant for the Chicago Bears, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Fire and Chicago White Sox. It’s a must-listen for anyone involved in youth sports.

Sudden cardiac arrests do happen in children and in young adults. Be more aware of how to prevent it and how to respond if ever it happens in our community. Dr. Cindy Chang, Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician, former Head Team Physician for UC Berkeley and the USA Chief Medical Officer for the 2012 London Olympics educates us on this hard topic to swallow.