June is National Athletic Therapy Month

June is National Athletic Therapy Month, please see the press release from Sandy Jespersen, Executive Director of the Canadian Athletic Therapy Association (CATA)

National Athletic Therapy Month reminds us that we’re all athletes

While we usually think of sports when we talk about athletic activity, most Canadians engage in some form of physical activity every day. Whether it’s lifting an infant into a highchair, running for the bus, or bending to reach a fallen sock behind the dryer, we move and exert our bodies constantly. And sometimes we feel the pain from those movements.

That’s the idea behind National Athletic Therapy Month this June: an annual reminder that everyone can benefit from the expertise of Canada’s Certified Athletic Therapists. By declaring, “We are all athletes”, the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association (CATA) hopes to educate Canadians who have sustained an injury to their muscles, bones, or joints that a Certified Athletic Therapist (CAT(C)) can help get them back to work and play.

 “While we’re primarily known for our role in helping athletes recover from injury faster and achieve peak performance, our skills can be used to help anyone with an injury,” said Richard DeMont, President of CATA. “Whether you’re a weekend golfer an avid gardener, or a busy soccer mom, moving without pain or discomfort is an important part of our overall health and well being.”

 Being able to translate the knowledge gained from years of treating elite athletes at the highest levels of competitive and professional sports into the needs of all Canadians makes the role of a Certified Athletic Therapist very valuable for injury recovery. 

 "For professional and elite athletes, the sporting arena is their workplace, and we treat workplace injuries,” said DeMont. “Whether that workplace is a playing field or an office tower makes no difference; we help get people back into their game.”

 From injury prevention to emergency care to rehabilitation, Certified Athletic Therapists are committed to assisting all of life’s athletes. 

For more information on Athletic Therapy or National Athletic Therapy month go to www.athletictherapy.org or www.aata.ca

We will be featuring local Edmonton area Athletic Therapists throughout the month to help you get to know your local ATs a little better.

Please follow us on Twitter @EliteInjuryMgmt and check out our website at www.eliteinjury.com for more information on Athletic Therapy and the services we offer. 

Fruits & Veggies in a Capsule

Juice Plus+ is whole food based nutrition, including juice powder concentrates from 25 different fruits, vegetables and grains.  Everyone wants to eat right and maintain a healthier lifestyle - whether you're a busy mom hustling to feed on-the-go children, a business traveler trying to stay fit, or an active boomer keeping up with grandkids.   All of us try to eat better for good health, but a healthy diet is often a challenge. We simply don't eat enough fruits and vegetables and that hurts our health and wellness.  Juice Plus+ helps bridge the gap between what you should eat and what you do eat every day.  Not a multivitamin, medicine, treatment or cure for any disease, Juice Plus+ is all-natural and made from quality ingredients carefully monitored from farm to capsule so you can enjoy improved nutrition and wellness.

There’s no complete substitute for eating the real thing. But shopping for and cooking fruits and vegetables every day takes a lot more time than most of us have.  How many people really consume the antioxidants and other nutrients they need in a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains every single day?  Juice Plus+ is a convenient, inexpensive, less than $3.00/day, way to ensure you and your family receive the benefits over time from adding more nutrition from fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. It’s an easy way to feed a healthier lifestyle.

Whole food based nutrition delivers powerful antioxidants that provide your body protection, because it relies on fruits and vegetables.   According to the National Cancer Institute, antioxidants are “substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals.  Examples of antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamins C and E and other substances.  Many of these antioxidant substances come from fruits and vegetables.” 

The Research

Clinical research has showcased the benefits of adding Juice Plus+ to your diet. More than 20 Juice Plus+ research studies have been conducted in leading hospitals and universities around the world.  The research has shown that Juice Plus+ delivers key phytonutrients that are absorbed by the body, reduce oxidative stress caused by free radicals, positively impacts markers of systemic inflammation, helps support a healthy immune system, helps protect the structural integrity of DNA and promotes cardiovascular wellness.   A study conducted at the Medical University of Graz, Austria showed that with following a standardized diet and extremely rigorous training program for 7 months with orchard (fruit) garden (vegetable) and vineyard (berry) blends compared to a placebo group,  had reduced markers of induced oxidative stress (protein carbonyls) and improvement of several indicators of immunity and inflammation. There was a trend for fewer duty days lost to illness in this special police forces of men (Cobras).

Healthy Children

In 1999 Juice Plus+® asked parents to share in a formal and quantifiable way what they experience in their own families as a result of beginning to take Juice Plus+®.   As an incentive to participate, we offer free Juice Plus+® to the child participant.  The Children's Health Study has since proven what we knew to be true all along: Juice Plus+® makes a real difference in family health and nutrition. 

The study is based on three important concepts:

1. Good nutrition is the foundation of health and inspires other healthy lifestyle choices.
2. The best time to establish good health and nutritional habits is in childhood.
3. The key to getting children to adopt good health habits is parental involvement.

How does it work?

The way the Children's Health Study works is simple. For every parent, grandparent, or other adult that signs up as a Juice Plus+® customer, the study provides Juice Plus+® Orchard Blend and Juice Plus+® Garden Blend free to a child, teenager, or college student for up to four years. At various intervals — after 4-8 months and then at the end of each year — adult participants are asked to fill out a voluntary survey to determine whether (and how) their families' health habits have changed as a result of taking Juice Plus+®.  The results of the first 150,000 families who have responded to our surveys are documented here — and the news is very, very good!  Including more consumption of fruits and vegetables, fewer days missed at work and school due to illness and less over the counter medication taken. 

Click here for more information on Juice Plus+ including more research and health professional videos or contact us at 780-699-8084 or robin@eliteinjury.com 

Follow us on Twitter @EliteInjuryMgmt or website at www.eliteinjury.com

Fatigue in Athletes

Many athletes become fatigued during the season.  With the prevalence of year round sport, young athletes are becoming fatigued more often that before.  As a coach and parent there are two main ways you can help deal with athlete fatigue.  Firstly you must plan a schedule that will help prevent athlete fatigue, secondly you must be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of athlete fatigue.  

Signs to look for when seeing if your athlete is becoming fatigued come as both physical, mental and emotional.  Physically athletes may become more prone to sickness.  Missing practices, games and competitions due to illness more often than normal is an easy sign for parents and coaches to see.  An increase in pain as well as slower recovery from work outs or injuries occur as athletes become more fatigued during the season.  As the body uses its energy to try to keep up with normal daily activities, It finds it harder to find the energy to heal, compete and learn new skills.  Skills that were once automatic become harder to complete.  

Mental and emotional fatigue can end up leading to depression, so it is imperative that early recognition occurs.  Athletes may appear moodier or more emotional.  The happy go lucky athlete who cheers everyone on, soon becomes withdrawn and irritable.  You may notice an increase in irritability.  Snapping at parents, siblings or teachers without cause or over reacting to situations can be early indicator of fatigue.  

Altered sleep patterns, both a increase or decrease in the amount of sleep is a sign of both mental and physical fatigue.  When or wear an athlete chooses to sleep as well.  You may find that an athlete is falling asleep during dinner or needing naps after school.  If this is typically abnormal and becomes more than an occasional occurrence, further investigations as to the cause need to occur.  

One of the major clues or signs to look for is a decreased enthusiasm for their sport.  Not wanting to attend practices or competitions, coming up with excuses as to why they don't want to go or wanting to leave early are all signs of this loss of enthusiasm.  This type of fatigue is associated with burnout and is typical with athletes involved in sports with early specialization and year round sport.  

Prevention of fatigue as with all types of injuries is simpler than dealing with it after it occurs.  When organizing an athletic year follow the principles of periodization.  Both physically and mentally the athlete can not be at peak performance all the time.  There must be highs and lows of training and competition. 

As parents, coaches and teacher-coaches; a balance between school, sport and social life must be achieved.  When scheduling practices and games allow time for both the body to recover as well as time for your athletes to complete homework and spend time with friends and family.  

Communication is pivotal for both recognition and prevention of fatigue.  Talking and listening to your athletes to both verbal and non-verbal actions will allow you to take any steps needed before it is too late.  

Athlete fatigue is more than just being tired and can lead to long term health problems.  Preventing and recognizing this before it becomes severe is important in truly making the athletes health a priority. 

Follow us on Twitter @EliteInjuryMgmt and check out our website at www.eliteinjury.com 

So You Only Deal With Athletes, Right?

One of the many myths about Athletic Therapists is that we only deal with athletes and at that only those at the elite level.  Well yes the first word in our title is athletic but we are much broader than that.  As the Canadian Athletic Therapy Association states Athletic Therapy, is a rapid return to work and play.

As an Athletic Therapist I have worked with athletes as young a 8 to those who are still going past 40.  Clinically I have treated patients who have suffered injuries at work, from motor vehicle accidents to seniors looking to maintain their mobility.  No matter who the patient or athlete is they all receive that same care.  The goal for everyone is to get them back to sport or their normal life as soon as possible.

Athletic Therapists use an active model of care that includes contemporary rehab techniques, therapeutic modalities such as ultrasound, IFC, EMS, soft tissue mobilization, physical reconditioning and supportive taping.  We do everything to create an ideal environment for healing so that our patients and athletes can return to activity safely.

You will find Athletic Therapists working in a variety of areas including:

• Private sports medicine and therapy clinics
• Professional sports, such as the NHL, CFL, NBA, MLB
• Elite games, such as the Olympics, Pan Am, Canada Games
• Teaching or research at universities and colleges
• Minor, high school, amateur and varsity athletics
• Professional dance companies
• Sales and marketing for performance and rehabilitation brands
• Municipal government
• Industrial workplaces
• Insurance industry

So while many of us work with athletes on a daily basis in a field setting, we also deal with the weekend warrior, the new mom recovery from pregnancy, the airport rampee who got hurt at work and the senior recovering after a knee replacement.  No matter your level of activity, no matter your job, no matter your level of sport, Athletic Therapists are there to get you back in the game. 

What I Have Gotten Back

To give more of an insight as to why I do what I do, I thought I would give you a glimpse inside.

The athletes have always been my reason?  As an athlete I suffered through injuries that effected my performance and still effect my day to day life.  I had an amazing Chiropractor who helped me through so many of my injuries and led me to becoming an Athletic Therapist.  I wanted to be there for other athletes, to help them achieve their best.

As an Athletic Therapist you are there with your athletes through everything.  We see them at their highs and lows, both on the playing field or in their personal life.  It is not only the physical injuries that can cause devastating blows to athletes.  The loss of a girlfriend or boyfriend, family member or even teammate can effect athletes in so many ways.  Getting to know my athletes both on a physical, mental and personal level has helped me gain a better understanding of what makes them "tick".  Developing these relationships is what makes me good at what I do.  Knowing that I have been there for my athletes in their time of need means a lot.

The relationships that continue after athletes have graduated help me realize that I did make a difference in their lives.  Getting to watch my athletes get married and have babies, graduate from college or university, get drafted into the NHL and even play professional hockey gives me great joy.  Even greater joy is watching my children be able to enjoy the benefits of their mom being away for long hours and for all the time put in before they were born.

Being able to have my 6 week old son meet Nail Yakupov was pretty cool.  I know at the moment this picture means nothing to him but give it a few years and I think he will thank me.  I am also very grateful to Nail for being so wonderful and willing to hold him.  I am also grateful for C being so good at hanging out at the rink with me that weekend for the Stollery event.

The other picture is now one of my favorites.  Jaynen is a former athlete of mine who now plays for the Calgary Hitmen.  Q has decided that he is her favorite player and her Christmas present was getting to meet him.  For so many reasons I am grateful that this could happen.  Being able to watch Jaynen grow into an amazing young man who I am proud that my daughter looks up to is great.  The smile on both their faces says it all.

I hope that I have at helped all my former and current athletes in some way but mostly I would like you all to know that I am thank full for all of you.  You have all taught me something in some way, be it due to an injury, something you were studying on the bus or what music I should be listening to, you have taught me something.  Thank you.

This has been a short list of what I have gotten back because I truly have to be thankful for so many things in my life that I have gotten from sport and being an Athletic Therapist. Being able to help athletes achieve their goals, working through the physical struggles of injuries is just the tip of the iceberg as to what I have gotten back.

What is an Athletic Therapist?

I am pretty sure when I told my parents I was going to be an Athletic Therapist my dad had a heart attack.  He had no clue what it was but was pretty sure he didn't want his baby girl being one.  Since that moment I have spent a major part of my life explaining what it is I do and what an Athletic Therapist is, even to those who think they know.

So what is an Athletic Therapist?  Well we are health care professionals who are trained in the areas prevention, immediate care and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries.  We work with athletes from the young hockey player and the weekend warrior to the professional and Olympic level athletes.  No matter the level or sport we are there.  Be it at the rink, field, court, studio, gym or clinic we want to support athletes in achieving their goals.  Not only do we treat athletes we can work with general public helping them overcome injuries that they receive either at work or home.

So what do we do?  Everything.  We can help with equipment, tape any joint you prefer, assess your injury on site and rehab you from there to return to play.  We are the first ones there and the last ones to leave.  The best analogy I have heard to describe us is "mom".  We know when our athletes are hurt before they do, if they are having a bad day and how to fix it.

My daughter says I fix football players owies by putting bandaids on them.  My husband laughs because I love the smell of a hockey rink.  I can fix anything with a roll of athletic tape, and hate being called "trainer".  I have slept on treatment tables, numerous buses and even bags of equipment.  The long hours, endless bus rides are worth it.  Being able make a difference in my athletes lives is worth it, because that is what we do.  

For more information on what Certified Athletic Therapists can do please check out www.eliteinjury.com and www.athletictherapy.org.

Antioxidants and Sport

Why is it important for all of us to eat fruits and vegetables and other plant based whole food.  Well quite simply it is the nutrients that they provide.  The nutrients from these foods are special, they are called antioxidants and they help protect your body and cells from the damages that occur on a daily basis.

Antioxidants are found naturally in food and come in the forms of vitamins, plant chemicals such as flavonoids and carotenoids, and minerals.  The role that antioxidants play in the body is to protect cells from damage.  The damage that occurs to the cells is from free radicals.  Free radicals are produced during metabolism.  Free radicals can also be caused from environmental factors such as pollution, smoking and chemicals.  So with every breath we take, stress inducing moment, and exercise we complete we are producing free radicals in our body.  For athletes who are engaging in strenuous training their levels of free radical damage is huge.  The best way to counteract this damage is through diet.  

By consuming antioxidant rich foods they counter balance the free radicals in the body.  Antioxidants can be found in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, vegetable based oils, garlic and green tea.  By in large fruits and vegetables are great sources of antioxidants.  The Canada Food Guide recommends 4-6 servings of fruits and vegetables for children, 7-8 for teens and between 7-10 for adults.  The Food Pyramid recommends 2-4 servings of fruits and 3-5 servings of vegetables.  These recommendations are per day not per week, or for some people per month.  Typically raw is better than cooked when dealing with fruits and vegetables but in some cases cooked is better.  Spinach, kale and chard is better cooked as the cooking process releases more beta-carotene and lutein.

Of fruits and vegetables berries, broccoli, tomatoes, red grapes, spinach and artichokes are considered high in antioxidants.  As each food is created differently it is important to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to get all the nutrients and minerals available.  A good rule of thumb is fill your plate with the colors of the rainbow.  For many people, especially athletes finding time to eat the variety and amount of is hard.  If you are having difficulty achieving this level of consumption, you can consume a whole food based supplement made of a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Providing your body with the proper nutrition it needs to grow and perform is essential.  Knowing what you put in your body is key.

Proper Concussion Management

Gone are the days of returning to the game the same day you suffered a concussion.  Well it is supposed to be.  Even with all the media attention and front line education on concussions; coaches, parents, officials, athletes and trainers are still missing the message.  After a concussion has been diagnosed it is extremely important to have the athlete rest.  Not only physical rest but cognitive as well.  No matter the age of the athlete it is important to offer them this rest.

I has amazed me over the years that parents, athletes and coaches have tried to circumvent the return to play protocols because the concussion occurred in another sport. It is the parents role to inform teachers and other coaches of their child's concussion.  Concussed athletes may need to take time off work or school, to give the brain the rest it needs.  Student athletes need to be given the chance to fully recover before returning to full mental and physical activities.  Having athletes refrain from attending school while still suffering symptoms will aid in their recovery.  It may be required for the student athlete to remain home from school until symptom free as the level of concentration at school is too much.  Gradually introduce them back into school and homework.  Consultation with their teachers is important, ask for extra time to complete assignments and tests.  The other major part of cognitive rest is to take away screen time.  Put down the phones, turn off the computer, TV and video games.  That scream you just heard was every young athlete having a minor heart attack due to this.  The bright lights, sound and concentration needed for these activities do not help the brain heal.

Right after injury it is imperative that you do not give the athlete any pain medication.  Advil, Tylenol, Aspirin and Ibuprofen will only mask the signs and symptoms of the concussion.

Your qualified health care provider will complete a concussion test and compare it to the athletes baseline evaluation.  Only when an athlete is sign and symptom free do they progress onto step two of the return to play process.  A minimum of 24 hours is required between each step where the athlete must remain symptom free.
Step 1 - Rest until 24 hour symptom free.
Step 2 - Light aerobic exercise such as biking or jogging for 20-30 minutes.
Step 3 - Sport specific exercises such as skating in hockey, running drills in soccer or football.
Step 4 - Non-contact training drills such as passing drills.
Step 5 - Full contact training drills upon medical clearance 
Step 6 - Return to normal game play.

An athlete should remain at step 5 until both the athlete, parent and coach feels that the athlete is able to keep up with the play both physically and mentally.

Key points to remember are:

• Return to learn before return to sport
• No difference in management between elite and non-elite athletes.
• Younger athletes may require longer to recover.  

Rushing any athlete back to sport to quickly can cause serious damage both to the brain and other areas of the body. Following proper concussion management may help to decrease the long term effects of concussions. 

Concussion - Recognizing the Symptoms

"Coach, I have a headache", those five words make every coach grimace, dreading the worse, hoping the athlete does not have a concussion.  A headache is the most common symptom of concussed athletes, but by no means the only one.  No one concussion sign or symptom is more important than the others and all must be taken seriously. To start we will define the difference between signs and symptoms.  A sign is something that you as the coach, parent, trainer or fellow athlete will notice.  They include poor balance, slow or slurred speech, poor concentration, vacant stare, delayed response to questions and a change in the level of performance.  Symptoms, how the athlete tells you they feel, fall under four categories.  Somatic (physical), emotional, sleep disturbances and cognitive.  Somatic symptoms include headaches, nausea, vomiting, balance problems, visual disturbances, dizzy spells, sensitivity to light and sensitivity to noise.  Emotionally an athlete may be sad, depressed, nervous and more irritable.  They may sleep more or less and may have trouble falling asleep.  Cognitively, they may have difficulties concentrating, trouble with remembering, feel mentally slowed down or that they are in a fog.

If an athlete presents with any of these signs or symptoms they need to be removed from activity immediately and evaluated further.  As a coach, parent or trainer, use the Sport Concussion Recognition Tool to determine what further care is needed and refer them to a trained health professional in the area of concussions.  It is very important to rule out a cervical spine injury as well with any athlete that is displaying concussion symptoms.  Typically concussion symptoms are quick in there onset and involve short lived impairment for the athlete.  It should be noted though that in some cases signs and symptoms are delayed in their onset.

Next to knowing what signs and symptoms to look for the greatest tool you need comes from knowing your athletes.  Being able to recognize the difference in your athletes is key.  An athlete may tell you that they do not feel right and if you ask many parents and coaches who have dealt with concussions will say the athlete was not themselves.  Even though they are symptoms take notice of them.  Coaches one of your biggest indicators to watch will be how well the athlete is performing.  If a skill typically always done well can is being done poorly, something is causing it.  Remove the athlete and evaluate, it may not be a concussion but no matter what it is always better to error on the side of caution.  Parents, pay attention to how your child is acting.  They may not tell you they are suffering but you will notice changes in their behavior.  Everything from how they are sleeping, eating and interacting with the family and friends will be an indicator of how they are feeling.

Many of the former athletes when asked about concussions will say they never knew that they had one and definitely did not know what to do when did occur.  Recognize that a concussion has occurred and remove the athlete from activity, do not let them return until evaluated by a trained health care professional. Next is proper management, following the proper return to play can be the difference from a quick return to activity or the unnecessary lengthening of symptoms.

Concussion - Where to Start

Concussions, after staring at my computer screen for about an hour trying to come up with a new and inventive way to talk about concussions and why everyone in sport needs to be educated about them, I realized that their is nothing new to say.  The message is still the same, hopefully you will gain some new knowledge or understanding after spending some time reading this.  That is my hope, that by a coach, parent or athlete reading this, they will learn something about concussions.  We can't necessarily prevent concussions unfortunately it is one of the risks of sport, but we do need to increase the awareness of signs and symptoms and proper management when they do occur.

This may seem like a redundant thing to say but a concussion is a brain injury.  I state this because I have had a coach in the past say a kid could play because the emergency physician said he had a mild brain injury.  He must have been listening to me, he knew that he could not play a kid with a concussion, and obviously I had not educated him enough. As defined from the 4th Concussion Consensus Statement from Zurich November 2012, concussion is a brain injury caused by a direct blow to the head, face, neck or an impulsive force being transmitted to the head from a direct blow to somewhere else in the body that causes a set of physical, cognitive or somatic symptoms.  It is important to say that everyone person will respond differently to a concussion both in the symptoms they show and how they recover.

Every day it seems there is something new coming out about concussions.  For a coach or parent trying to keep up at times seems impossible.  I have found Twitter to be an excellent resource.  Follow health professionals who are known for concussion research to stay up to date and informed.   It is unfortunate that most general practitioners are not up able to stay up to date on the latest concussion research and proper return to play.  When dealing with any health professional ask them questions, if they have never heard of the consensus statements or are still following the earlier versions find someone new.  A great resource is a certified Athletic Therapist in Canada or Athletic Trainer in the States.  Proper concussion management is in their scope of practice and they deal with sport concussions on a regular if not daily basis.

So as a parent or coach what do you need to know.  We are going to break it down into three posts.  First we will focus on the importance of baseline testing, secondly recognizing a concussion, thirdly proper management.

Baseline concussion testing can involve a couple of different aspects.  Depending on your health practitioner they may choose to do a different test.  The most popular and common are the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 3 (SCAT3), ImPACT and King-Devick.  The SCAT3 has a version designed specifically for athletes aged 5-13 as well as the standard for those 13 and over.  ImPACT should be used along with the SCAT3 or King-Devick.

The importance of having baseline testing done is not to compare to other athletes but to understand the athletes normal state as well as to determine their past concussion history.  Finding out if an athlete has suffered a concussion before and if they have any medical conditions that may effect their recovery from a concussion if one should occur.  Athletes, coaches and parents always ask if the baseline test was passed.  This is where the naming can be deceiving, baseline testing is not a pass or fail, it is to determine how the athlete normally feels to a set of symptoms and to evaluate their memory recall, balance and thinking skills.  It is an evaluation.  How many of us have a headache on a regular basis?  Since headache is the number one symptom of concussion, it is good to know if the athlete regularly has a headache when trying to determine if a concussion has occurred.  When doing baseline evaluations athletes typically tell me they have a hard time with numbers or remembering months.  If we had not done the baseline evaluation I would not have known that and it could effect my evaluation of them post injury.

Education about concussions is always important but that includes the health practitioners education about each individual athlete.  Doing baseline evaluations allows us to get to know the athletes better, which in turn gives us an advantage when an injury does occur.  Have your athletes do baseline evaluations prior to each season as their physical and mental growth and development will change their outcome.  Think of a baseline concussion evaluation as an insurance policy.  We never want to have to use our insurance but are sure glad we have it when it is needed.

Balancing the Scales: Sport, School and Life

Being a student athlete is hard work.  The amount of time and dedication it takes to compete at any level can at times leave little room for anything else.  Finding time to schedule in school work, friends and family soon leaves many athletes overwhelmed and unsure of how to deal with all that is on their plate.  The majority of young athletes that excel in their sporting venue also excel in school because of their internal drive to succeed.  It is also what makes them say yes to student council, yearbook and many other school activities.   Creating an environment for the athletes to succeed is job held by many and each of them have specific roles.

As the parent you are the master conductor and scheduler.  You shuttle the kids from school to practices and games and back home again, watching them do homework in the back seat or in the stands while waiting for their siblings to be done.  You see them texting their friends or talking to them after school.  Part of your job as master scheduler is to put time in each day for your children to complete their school work.  Try to give them uninterrupted time and space to complete their homework for the day.  When planning for weekends away, have the children speak to their teachers in advance to get their assignments and reading for that period.  Schedule time each week for them to have friend time, family time and down time. It is very easy for everyone to get caught up in the rat race of classes and sport, even young athletes need time to spend with their friends.  It may be they end up playing street hockey, a pick up game of basketball or doing cartwheels in the basement but it needs to unstructured socialization time with their friends.  Family is important, as you will be who they fall back on when things get tough in life.  Spend at least one night a week together as a family to reconnect, turn off the phones and find out how everyone's week has been.  Each person needs some me time, so let them have it.  This time will be useful as your athletes will discover how they are feeling both physically and mentally when the world slows down around them.

Coaches need to remember that sport is not their athletes full time occupation, school is.  Schedule enough time for your athletes to rest, do school work and have fun.  Athletes who are both mentally and physically fatigued will not be able to focus on the skills expected of them.  You should encourage your athletes to excel at school, as the problem solving and critical thinking skills they gain there will help improve their on field performance.

As an athlete you may feel the pressure to say yes to every request you get.  Learn to say NO and to find a way to schedule time for yourself.  Using a day timer or calendar to organize and write down when assignments, tests and games are will allow you to manage your time wisely.  You don't want to have to worry about doing the ten page essay after family supper on Sunday night.  Talk to your friends, find time to hang out with them away from school or gym.  Your friends and family will help you out when you start feeling like everything is too much, keep them close so they are their for you when it happens.

Usually as a teacher you are probably doubling as teacher during the day and coach at night.  Be understanding of your student athletes when they let you know they will be away, let them know what work they will miss so they don't fall behind. Students who exercise typically do better in class, help them excel at both school and sport.

Everyone involved in student athletes lives needs to pay attention to how much pressure they are putting them under to complete everything asked up them.  We all need to be realistic in our expectations of them and to pay attention to the signs of burn out.  If they are getting burnt out, be there for them and help them adjust as need to so they can live that balanced lifestyle where they gain the full benefits of school, sport, family and friends.

Symptoms of Burn Out
low motivation, decreased energy, concentration problems, loss of desire to play, lack of caring, sleep disturbances, physical and mental exhaustion, lowered self-esteem, negative affect, mood changes, substance abuse, change in values and beliefs, increased anxiety, highs and lows.

Teach an Athlete to Drink

It amazes me that no matter the experience or level of competition that an athlete competes at you still must remind them to hydrate.  Proper hydration is one of the key components in athletic performance.  Dehydration not only effects the body physically but those physical side effects will effect you mentally as well.  Hydration does not start when you step into the dressing room or at the first water break, it is a continual ongoing process.  Think of your body as dam.  You need a water source coming in, a place for it to rest and somewhere for it to go.  The water you consume is like the river flowing into the dam, your body is the the reservoir, and the river flowing out is the water you lose through sweat and urination.  How well do the muscles work if they are not lubricated?  How will they receive the nutrients they need to perform?  Water is used throughout our bodies, we need make sure it has an ample supply.

If you are able carry a water bottle with you so that you can hydrate throughout the day. A 120 pound person should consume 8 - 8oz glasses of water each day if they have not exercised.  For every hour of exercise you should consume 16 oz or 2 cups of water.  It is important to hydrate before, during and after activity.  A good rule of thumb for during activity is to drink 1 to 1.5 tablespoons every 15-20 minutes. Continue to replenish after activity, for athletes who are losing excessive amounts of water replenish with the amount of weight lost during activity.  Yes, chocolate milk is a great post activity drink to help replenish liquid, protein and carbohydrates, I still recommend drinking water on top of that.

For coaches, parents, and trainers be on the lookout for the following as they are signs and symptoms of mild dehydration:

• Dry, sticky mouth

• Sleepiness or tiredness — children are likely to be less active than usual

• Thirst - dulled with activity

• Urine that is yellow or gold in colour

• Decreased urine output — eight hours or more without urination for older children and teens

• Few or no tears when crying

• Dry skin

• Headache

• Constipation

• Dizziness or lightheadedness

• Decreased mental awareness

Learning how to hydrate is an something that all coaches, parents, trainers and athletes must do to keep the body performing at its peak.  Your body is 60% water and requires it for many body processes.  Replenish your stores with glorious water.  Sport drinks should not be used by children and only in certain circumstances by adult athletes.  No one should be consuming energy drinks at all and definitely not as a means to hydrate.  As a coach schedule water breaks no more than 20 minutes apart and encourage your athletes to drink.  Parents should check with your children's schools to see if they can carry a water bottle with them, it is amazing how often they will take sips if it is sitting right there.  Athletes, it comes down to you, if you want to succeed you need to provide your body with its major nutrient, so grab a bottle of water and good luck in achieving your goals.