Your athlete is generally only training with you 2-10 hours per week. This leaves over 160 hours left in each seven day week for them to be negatively impacting their body and their training. With this in mind, the most important thing you can do as a coach is to educate your athletes on the different processes they can control every single day that will enhance performance. Below is a list of BridgeAthletic's tips to improve athlete performance and help control for the many factors that may inhibit athlete training.

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Ask active young athletes who they look up to and good chance you’ll get the name of an Olympian, professional athlete, or perhaps the next rising star in their sport. Many aspire to achieve elite status, or a future collegiate or professional career in a specific sport. This can lead to an excessive amount of pressure by the athlete, coaches, parents, and teammates to pick a sport to specialize in early and put in hours of training year-round. Is this the only way to achieve the skill and experience to make it to the top? What are the downsides of this? This sports science article will provide some background on sports specialization, discuss the risks of early sports specialization, how early versus late influences performance, and, finally, provide some recommendations to coaches, athletes, and parents on training.

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Nutrition is one of the most, if not the most, important aspects of being an athlete. The way an athlete treats their body before and after workouts on a daily basis can transform overall performance from being good to great. It is imperative to take time to prioritize and plan nutrition in order to keep your body healthy and happy!

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With the high amounts of snow and rain this winter, it’s been especially challenging to get outdoors, raising an important question: are you getting enough Vitamin D? Studies have found that 56% of athletes have inadequate Vitamin D levels.¹ Vitamin D, commonly referred to as the “Sunshine Vitamin” is not only essential for normal body function, but new research on athletes demonstrates an important role in sports performance and injury prevention. This article will focus on how athletes acquire and metabolize Vitamin D, its effects on performance parameters, bone health and immunity, and the controversy of optimal levels and supplementation. 

 

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Recovery is one aspect of sports that separates the elite athletes from the rest. The best athletes dedicate time and attention to their recovery, not just in the minutes following competition or training but also in the other 20+ hours of the day. Proper recovery demands a multifaceted approach ranging from the passive components like sleep and stretching to active components of rehydration, refueling, and foam rolling. To be successful, you must treat your recovery with the same attitude as in training: set goals and be consistent. Let’s touch on the primary pillars of recovery that you’ll use to hit peak performance day after day.

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With Junior Nationals, Futures, & Sectionals fast approaching, many athletes will soon reach the time of the year for rest and recovery. In this narrow window of time between the end of long course season and the beginning of short course, learn how to maximize your time off by mentally and physically recharging. Here are a few tips to make the most out of your post-season.

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