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North Carolina Football Star Dies Of Apparent Heat Illness

Another high school football player has died from what appears to have been a heat-related illness, emphasizing once again the critical importance of hydration safety for football players and other athletes.

Coaching Your Child's Sports Team: The Right Attitude and Preparation Are Keys To Success

Most youth sports coaches, especially up to the so-called "elite" or "select" team level, have a child on the team. If you are going to be your child's coach, assistant coach or team parent, there are three things to keep in mind to make the experience a positive one for both you and your child: recognize your own bias, train yourself to make decisions objectively, and explain to your child that it is your job to treat every player the same.

Raising An Elite Athlete A Financial Challenge For Most Parents

Supporting an elite athlete is expensive. At the level of national and international competition, the level where it becomes understandable that a young athlete would concentrate on one sport, we are a nation of elites, and the phenomenon is fueled by private coaches, private clubs, corporate sponsorship, and parental sacrifice. How can you manage it financially?

Early and Late Bloomers in Youth Sports: Lessons for Parents

For many children who experience early athletic success the reason is that they are so-called "early bloomers": children who simply develop ahead of their peers physically and/or psychologically, not that they are gifted athletes. On the other hand, some children - even if they appear to only be average athletes or lag behind his peers - may be "late bloomers" whose athletic talent will only become apparent later in adolescence.

What To Do If Your Child Is Injured Playing Sports

Deciding whether to call the doctor or 911 after your child is injured playing sports isn't always easy. Here are some guidelines to help you determine the best type of care for your child.

Pre-Participation Evaluations: A Primer for Parents

Most experts agree that you should have your child undergo a thorough pre-participation evaluation (PPE) every year. Not only can a PPE be an effective tool in identifying athletes who should not be playing sports because they have congenital heart defects or a history of concussions, but it is also useful in identifying medical problems effecting sports participation, such as asthma or the female athlete triad.

Raising An Athletic Daughter: Moms Play Key Role

As a mother you can have an enormous influence on your daughter's lifelong pursuit of physical fitness or sports. Here are some tips on how to help your daughter develop a love of sports and get the most of her sports experience.

Why Boys Need Sports: Hard-Wired To Compete and Win

Many of the ways boys behave - particularly their love of sports and rough and tumble play - are rooted in the distant past. Boys are hard-wired to form large social groups in which to compete against other boys and sort out winners and losers.

Heat Illnesses: Eight Reasons Why Football Players Are At Risk

According to the NCAA, over 100 football players died from heat stroke between 1960 and 2001. An August 2008 study by researchers at University of Florida says there are eight factors that make football players are especially vulnerable to heat illness.