As a young athlete, you probably focus on training, skills, and nutrition, but there’s one thing that can make as big a difference as all of that: sleep. Recent research shows that getting enough high-quality sleep isn’t just about feeling rested, it directly affects performance, recovery, and injury risk in athletes of all levels. Sleep […]
Is Your Child Getting Enough Sleep? Teenagers need more sleep than adults—ideally 8–10 hours per night. Yet most teens don’t get enough, and the consequences are wide-reaching. Research shows that those who sleep less than 7 hours are more likely to fall ill, suffer injuries, crave sugary foods due to hormonal imbalance, and underperform academically.
Why Sleep is the Ultimate Performance Enhancer for Growing Teens Read More »
The adolescent growth spurt is known as Peak Height Velocity (PHV). This typically happens around age 11 for girls and around age 13 for boys but children of the same age could be up to three years older or younger than their peers in terms of biological maturation.
Children of the same age are not at the same stage of growth and maturation Read More »
Adolescence is a window of opportunity for developing a smarter, faster brain in preparation for more advanced skills needed in adulthood. These incredible changes in the adolescent brain are often described as “neuroplasticity”. Neuro = brain and “plasticity” describes the adaptations that the brain makes in response to demands placed upon it. From emotional to
The Amazing Adolescent Brain Read More »
The Long Win: The Search for a Better Way to Succeed Cath Bishop After a summer of sport including the Olympics and The European Cup amongst many other huge sporting events, I was stunned by the number of times the word “cost” was used when referring to the toll that sport places on athletes. It
Does your view of success influence your child’s long term success? Read More »
As a parent, ensuring that your child is engaged in physical activities is important for their overall health and well-being. However, it’s equally crucial to monitor how they cope with their activities to avoid injury or burnout. Here’s a guide to help you navigate your child’s sports and physical activity schedule, ensuring they remain healthy,
Managing Your Child’s Return to School and Sport: Striking the Right Balance Read More »
Do you know the most common cause of low back pain in junior cricketers? At the start of the cricket season, the increased opportunity to play in multiple games and training sessions may prove too tempting for junior cricketers. If children have not done sufficient pace bowling training before the season starts, this sudden increase
How much is it safe to bowl? Read More »
Injuries occur when the volume or intensity of activity exceeds the current capacity of the muscles and bones such as at the start of a new term or season. They do more than they have trained for. Alternatively, their capacity to exercise might be lower due to inadequate sleep, or nutrition or perhaps they have
How to boost a child’s capacity to do more sport Read More »
Would you run a marathon without training? I hope the answer is NO! You would hopefully make a plan and over several months give your body time to adapt and get stronger. Why is it then that we throw sporty kids back to sports at the beginning of a new term, without any consideration for
Why do young athletes get injured? Read More »
BOOK REVIEW: An inspirational read for any young person who wants to become the best version of themselves. Be the best version of you. Footballer, Marcus Rashford has co-written a wonderful book for young people with journalist Carl Anka and performance psychologist Katie Warriner about his own journey to success and inspires youngsters who read
You are a Champion: How To Be The Best You Can Be by Marcus Rashford Read More »
If we don’t know what fuel we ate, how do we repeat a great performance? Be a food detective. What is in the food we eat? To create great performances both on and off the sports field, we need to know how much fuel we need, what fuel makes us perform at our best, and
Become a Food Detective for Peak Performance Read More »