We've all heard the phrase "practice makes perfect." But is it possible to construct the perfect practice?

Well, nothing’s perfect. But that doesn’t mean you’re practice can’t be a resounding success!

We asked volunteer coach Clint Schumacher for his thoughts on what makes a successful practice. Clint has extensive experience in youth sports, coaching all three of his sons in two different sports. Topics covered include: Does the definition of a successful practice vary across sports? What are the common elements of a great practice? Are full-team scrimmages good for players? Is the post-game ice cream party a good reward for a hard practice?

If you've got practice coming up, this is the episode for you!

It’s no secret that great coaches have a profound impact on their players. No matter the sport or the age, great coaching can’t be ignored. 

That’s why we invited Tampa Preparatory School Varsity Baseball Head Coach A.J. Hendrix to join the show. As a winner of the prestigious Positive Coaching Alliance Double-Goal Coach Award, A.J. is an expert on what it takes to motivate young athletes. Topics covered include reduce overuse injuries to players, how coaches influence players off the field, how coaches influence other coaches and even a little story time. If you’re a coach, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

(This episode is part two of a four-part series with select winners of the Double-Goal Coach Award. Check out part one with Jill Kochanek, and stay tuned for more!)

The introduction of technology into physical fitness has fundamentally changed how people work out. We track steps taken, calories burned, heart rates, distances, feet climbed, and more. It seems that everyone is wearing a Fitbit or using another fitness tracking technology when they exercise, giving quantifiable information during and after the workout. But when youth athletes train during practice or play in a game, no one tracks data that could improve player performance and prevent injuries.

Fit for 90 aims to change that. Focused on preventing injuries and increasing performance, Fit for 90 is cutting-edge, science-driven technology that coaches can use to optimize the training of youth athletes. Listen in as Dr. John Cone, founder and CEO of Fit for 90, talks with Emily Cohen about bridging the worlds of science and sport.

If the weather outside is frightful, the sprinters and cross-country runners in your house are probably going crazy. But it doesn't have to be that way, if you take advantage of one––or more––of the many cross-training options available in the winter months. In fact, some common running problems, including runner's knee and iliotibial (IT) band syndrome, can actually be helped by cross-training with a winter sport. 

Listen in as Dr. Monica Rho, director of the Women’s Sports Medicine Program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and attending physician in the RIC Sports and Spine Rehabilitation Center, talks about the advantages of figure skating, hockey, downhill and cross-country skiing, and skate skiing for runners of all ages. She also provides some valuable advice about exercises to help prevent and rehabililate common running injuries, as well as some tips for training at elevation.

This is one episode in which parents, coaches, and youth athletes alike can find something to use. So let's get moving!

What makes a great coach?

Not an easy question, is it? From teaching mechanics to inspiring their players, great coaches do a whole lot. We went to Jill Kochanek, Head Girl's Soccer Coach at Oldfields School in Baltimore, Maryland to discuss this subject. Jill is a recipient of the prestigious Positive Coaching Alliance Double-Goal Coach Award presented by TeamSnap, so it’s safe to say that she knows a thing or two about great coaching.

Where does passion for coaching come from? How do we help our players balance academics with athletics? How important is it for young female athletes to have female coaches? And what can we do about problem parents? Whew. That's just a few of the topics we cover! 

If you're a coach, thinking about becoming a coach, or want to know what it's like to be a coach, this one's for you!

(This is part one of a four-part series with select winners of the Double-Goal Coach Award. Stay tuned for more!)

Mentors can be some of the most influential positive forces for young athletes. The best of them are sort of like teachers, role models and advisors all rolled into one. 

However, great mentors aren't easy to come by. So then the question becomes this: how can you connect your young athlete with a good mentor?

For some parents, the answer might be CoachUp, an online network that connects coaches with athletes for sport-specific training. In this episode, CoachUp CEO John Kelley and host Emily Cohen discuss exactly what makes a good mentor. How do they alleviate pressure on their young athletes? How do they keep motivating their young athletes? What about the "fun" aspect? 

If you’re looking for a mentor for your young athlete, listen in!

How do you judge the success of a youth sports team? Is it the win/loss record? Is it the number of tournament championships won or the amount of hardware on the coach's shelf? Or is it something else, something intangible? And what challenges do youth athletes, parents, and coaches face in today's overly-competitive youth sports world? 

Listen in as podcast host Emily Cohen talks with Jenn Starkey of Fastpitch Fit, a former college softball player and author of the a book for teens on leadership called “A League of Your Own,” a compilation of leadership lessons from all-star athletes in many sports. While Jenn's area of expertise is softball, her strategies for success on and off the field are applicable to all youth sports. Game on!

It’s Super Bowl Week and all eyes will be on Santa Clara, California as the Carolina Panthers meet the Denver Broncos. And with the increased awareness of concussions, all eyes will also be on the sideline staff evaluating the players for concussions and determining whether they can return to the action. While the players in the Super Bowl are professionals, what do parents of youth football players—and of other young athletes—need to know about concussions? And what about CTE, which has recently entered mainstream conversations thanks to the film, Concussion?  

Listen in as Chris Nowinski, co-founder and executive director of the Concussion Legacy Foundation and co-director of the BU CTE Center, explains what you need to know about concussions, Second-impact Syndrome, Post-concussion Syndrome, and CTE. If you're the parent of a youth athlete, this is one podcast you won't want to miss!