The Elite Young Athlete

A key resource for coaches, scientists and clinicians Sport is by its nature competitive and even during youth it is performed at different levels with elite young athletes at the top of the performance pyramid. A coordinated series of comprehensive, research-based reviews on factors underlying the performance of children and adolescents involved in competitive sport is presented in this volume. Leading exercise and sport scientists provide the latest information on the physiology of young elite athletes, the essential role of nutrition, and the effects of endurance, high-intensity and high-resistance training and overtraining as well as on the importance of laboratory and field-based monitoring of young athletes' performances. Further, thermoregulation and environmental factors that might affect performance are re-viewed. Finally, strategies for preventing sudden cardiac death and the diagnosis and management of common sport injuries in young athletes are discussed. The book provides up-to-date, evidence-based information for sports scientists, coaches, physiotherapists, pediatric sports medicine specialists, and other professionals involved in supporting elite young athletes.

Mental Toughness For Young Athletes is a book designed to help kids and teens find and strengthen their mental toughness mindset muscle. There are a lot of books out there for mental toughness for the adult mind, but not a lot for the developing mind. This book fills the gap. Filled with proven, easy to apply, 5-minute exercises, "Mental Toughness For Young Athletes" is a chronicling of an actual youth athlete's mental toughness journey. In the book he and his father talk about their mental toughness struggles and successes. They also give the exact mental toughness exercises that helped them down their path towards their success. If you have a young athlete who is struggling with finding and growing their mental toughness this book is for you. Real proven exercises with a young athlete's perspective. Experts are great, but having a kid's mindset and thought process included in a book about mental toughness for kids and teens is priceless.

Award-winning coach and sports psychologist Jim Afremow has helped everyone from Olympians to professional athletes train their mind, body, and spirit. Now, in this new young adult edition of his highly praised The Champion’s Mind, Dr. Afremow is helping student athletes do—and feel—their best. Whether you are striving to balance your school and sports accomplishments, or just get that extra edge in your sport, his sage advice will be a much-needed guide in helping you navigate the field—or rink or court. New additions to The Young Champion’s Mind include such topics as:- Tips on how to get in a “zone,” thrive on a team, and stay humble- How to progress within a sport and sustain excellence long-term- Customizable pre-performance routines to hit full power when the gun goes off or the puck is dropped

The ratio of those that do, compared to those that don't is incredibly small. You mightn't have found the right sport for you, you might have faced setbacks, barriers, bad luck or lack of facilities. You mightn't have the knowledge required to optimise your performance, look after your wellbeing or take a long-term approach to your sporting journey. This book is the answer. Olympic Champion, Amy Williams MBE guides you through your entire sporting journey, using her own experiences & those of some of Britain's greatest athletes to help you turn your talent into your triumph.

What is life really like for the elite athlete? How does the experience of being a professional sports person differ from the popular perceptions of fans, journalists or academics? Why might elite sports people experience mental health difficulties away from the public gaze? In the first book-length study of its kind, Kitrina Douglas and David Carless present the life stories of real elite athletes alongside careful analysis and interpretation of those stories in order to better understand the experience of living in sport. Drawing on psychology, sociology, counselling, psychotherapy and narrative theory, and on narrative research in sports as diverse as golf, track and field athletics, judo and hockey, they explore the ways in which the culture of sport interacts with the mental health, development, identity and life trajectories of elite and professional sports people in highly pressurised and sometimes unhealthy environments. By casting light on a previously under-researched aspect of sport, the book makes a call for strategies to be put in place to minimise difficulties or distress for athletes, for support to be tailored across the different life phases, and highlights the potential benefits in terms of athlete well-being and improved performance. The book also considers how these important issues relate to broader cultural and social factors, and therefore represents important reading for any student or professional with an interest in sport psychology, coaching, sport sociology, youth sport, counselling, or exercise and mental health.

THE SECRETS OF SUPERHUMAN PERFORMANCE Never have the best sportspeople seemed so far removed from the rest of us, their prowess so unfathomable. So how are these extraordinary athletes made? THE BEST reveals how the most incredible sportspeople in the world get to the top and stay there. It is a unique look at the path to sporting greatness; a story of origins, practice, genetics and psychology. Packed with gripping personal stories and interviews with top athletes including Elena Delle Donne, Pete Sampras, Joey Votto, Steph Curry, Kurt Warner and Premier League superstars Marcus Rashford and Jamie Carragher, it explains how the best athletes develop the extraordinary skills that allow them to perform remarkable feats under extreme pressure. THE BEST uncovers startling truths of athletic greatness-including why younger siblings have more chance of becoming elite, which towns produce the most superstars, the role of informal play and the best time to be born in the school year. It goes inside the minds of champions to understand what makes them perform during high-octane competition, how to hit a baseball or tennis ball in under 0.5 seconds, the secrets of how the best train and what makes a great leader. The book appeals to all lovers of sport, anyone with an interest in psychology and excellence, the parents of budding athletes, and fans of books like Freakonomics, Outliers and Range. It is a deconstruction of what it takes to be the best-and how we can all improve in sport and beyond.

This essential new volume in the Encyclopaedia of Sports Medicine series, published under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee, provides a thorough overview of the unique physiologic characteristics, responsiveness to training, and possible health hazards involved in the training, coaching, and medical care of young athletes. Intense involvement in competitive sports often begins during childhood. During adolescence, many athletes reach their peak performance and some may participate in World Championships and Olympic Games at a relatively young age. The Young Athlete presents the available information relevant to exercise and training in youth, reviewed and summarized by authors who are recognized as leaders in their respective fields. The Young Athlete is subdivided into seven parts covering: the physiologic bases of physical performance in view of growth and development; trainability and the consequences of a high level of physical activity during childhood and adolescence for future health; the epidemiology of injuries, their prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation; non-orthopedic health concerns including the pre-participation examination; psychosocial issues relevant to young athletes; diseases relevant to child and adolescent athletes; the methodology relevant to the assessment of young athletes. This valuable reference summarizes a large database of information from thousands of studies and is especially relevant to sports physicians, pediatricians, general practitioners, physical therapists, dietitians, coaches, students, and researchers in the exercise sciences.

Provides a nutrition program for high school and child athletes to develop good health and optimal athletic performance.