The Strong Youth Project

In this interview, Dr. Jenae Nelson discusses transcendent indebtedness and goals in sports. She provides several ways in which parents and coaches can help athletes to implement these kind of goals. She also discusses developing character and virtue, in particular how this can be done through sports.

Dr. Jenae Nelson is developmental scientist, with a PhD in psychology. She has done two post doctoral experiences, one at Harvard Medical School and the other at Baylor. She is an expert in transcendent indebtedness. Dr. Nelson is currently a professor at Brigham Young University.

In this interview we will be discussing youth sport injuries and how specialization can lead to greater injuries in youth sport. Dr. Anthony Beutler is an expert in this field, serving as the associate medical director of Sports Medicine for Intermountain Healthcare. He is also the program director for Intermountain’s Sports Medicine fellowship in Provo, Utah, and serves as a team physician for Brigham Young and Utah Valley Universities, and previously as a team physician for the US Naval Academy. As a member of the JUMP-ACL Partnership and of the CHAMP Consortium, his study teams have received multiple national grants and awards for their ground-breaking work in injury prevention and injury prediction.

Join us in this interview with Justin Yee as we discuss various aspects of youth sports coaching, such as effective coaching methods, sports specialization, strength training, and a parent's role. Justin Yee is a Co-Director of SYP with Matthew Seeley and earned a BS degree in Exercise Science from Brigham Young University. He served as a Police Officer for eight years and concurrently coached high school and youth soccer teams. It was during this time that he became passionate about using sports and physical training to help youth develop positive character traits that could help them overcome life’s obstacles. Justin owned and operated a CrossFit gym for over ten years and started a youth non-profit that provided physical training to underserved youth. Justin believes that participation in youth sports needs to focus on character development and is committed to providing resources for athletes, coaches, and parents.

This interview discusses nutrition, why it is important, and the effect good and bad nutrition can have on young athletes. Dr. Chad Hancock earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education-Exercise Physiology from Brigham Young University. He earned a PhD in Physiology with a focus on muscle physiology and energy metabolism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. Since 2008, Dr. Hancock has taught courses on general nutrition and sports nutrition in the Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science Department at BYU. His research has generally focused on how changes in energy demands and energy supply impact muscle metabolism, function, and overall health. Dr. Hancock firmly believes that maintaining a physically active lifestyle is critical to achieving and maintaining good health and wellbeing.

In this interview, we will discuss early sports specialization and its impact on young athletes. Dr. David Bell is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Kinesiology and Orthopedics and Rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Dr. Bell earned his B.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his master’s degree from the University of Virginia. He teaches in the Athletic Training Program and serves as the director of the Wisconsin Injury in Sport Laboratory. His research focuses on identifying risk factors for musculoskeletal injuries with a special focus on sport specialization in children.

Dr. Michael Larson is a Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Center at Brigham Young University, where he has taught and conducted research since 2008. Dr. Larson holds of Bachelors of Science Degree in Psychology from BYU, and a Masters and PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Florida in Gainesville. Dr. Larson has served as the editor in chief of the International Journal of Psychophysiology since 2016. He also works as the chief sport psychologist for the men's basketball team at BYU. Watch this interview to learn more about sports-related anxiety from Dr. Larson, a recognized scholar on reducing sport-related anxiety and improving mental health for youth athletes.

Kara duraccio is an assistant professor in the Psychology Department at BYU. Her research is focused on (a) uncovering risk factors for insufficient sleep in youth, (b) understanding the mental, behavioral, and physical health consequences of obtaining insufficient sleep, (c) developing innovative methods for measuring and manipulating diet, physical activity, and sleep outcomes, and (d) creating effective pediatric obesity interventions. She is a certified expert in the area of sleep research and is passionate about the importance of youth getting enough sleep!

In this interview we discuss various aspects of sleep and its effects on youth with Kara. We learned a lot being part of this interview, and we know you will learn lots by listening!

Matthew Seeley, one of the co-founders of the Strong Youth Project, is a professor in the Exercise Sciences Department at BYU. He has taught courses and conducted research in the BYU Exercise Sciences Department since 2006. His research has primarily focused upon factors that affect knee cartilage health, including lower-extremity movement biomechanics and knee joint biochemistry. Dr. Seeley is also passionate about improving youth sport experiences, for all participants; Dr. Seeley believes that a positive sport experience for youth can contribute to joint health and overall wellness for youth, and a stronger society overall.

In this interview, Jordan Searle, a student at BYU, and Matt Seeley discuss the Strong Youth Project. Watch this interview to learn the story behind SYP, our mission and aims, the goals and motivation for our project, and much more!

Jake Sorensen is an assistant professor in the Exercise Sciences Department at BYU. His research is focused on how skeletal muscle adapts to stress through injury, disuse, aging, and disease. Jake grew up playing sports, has a masters degree in coaching performance, is a certified strength & conditioning specialist, and has worked as a high school rugby coach & strength coach for youth, collegiate, and professional athletes.

In this interview we discuss resistance training with Jake and its effects on youth athletes. Tune in to learn more about the benefits of resistance training and the common misconceptions concerning this practice!

Intro: (0:00)

Define youth: (4:44)

Resistance training: (5:58)

Resistance training vs lifting weights: (7:30)

Benefits: (8:36)

Favorite modes for youth: (14:02)

Plyometrics: (19:26)

Making exercise fun: (22:57)

Lift heavy vs light & quick: (24:31)

Supplements & casein protein: (30:20)

Message for youth: (35:10)

Summary: (37:17)

Qualified to supervise training: (39:07)

End: (41:35)