All Articles by Brooke de Lench

Sports Drinks: Clearing Up The Confusion

Parents in a recent study were unsure about whether sports drinks were appropriate and under what circumstances. So MomsTEAM asked a sports dietitian and mom to clear up the confusion. Here's what she told us.

Talking Sports Nutrition: Parents May Not Be Best Messengers

A 2012 study by researchers at the University of Minnesota contains some troubling findings about parents' attitudes towards sports and healthy nutrition. MomsTEAM decided to ask sports nutrition expert Allison Maurer for her advice on improving nutrition among youth athletes. 

June is Sports Dads Month: MomsTEAM So Declares!


Are you a dad with kids in sports? If so, you may be feeling a little left out lately.  Not only did MomsTEAM celebrate May as Sports Moms Month, but Proctor and Gamble also launched their "Thank You Mom" campaign last month, with no companion campaign for dads.

We kept getting asked, would MomsTEAM give men equal time by designating June as Sports Dads Month, especially since we have so many male experts, bloggers and visitors? June Is Sports Dads Month

The answer is a resounding YES!

May was Sports Moms Month. What about June? No surprise: it's time to officially announce that MomsTEAM has designated June as Sports Dads Month. We so declare!

How To Make The Best Home Made Greek Yogurt: A Healthy and Affordable Alternative To Store-Bought


Over the past two months I have made more than 24 batches of non-fat, hormone free, plastic free, organic Greek yogurt that, I dare say, is far better tasting and better for you than than the store bought kind, and, once you get the hang of it, easy to make.

We eat lots of Greek yogurt in my family (one son goes through 3 large containers a week), but recently we Home made Greek yogurtbegan to add up our grocery receipts and we realized that the price has been creeping up to a point where a 32 ounce container of Chobani or Fage Low Fat Greek Yogurt costs between $5.59 and $7.49, depending on the store, and it doesn't go on sale all that often.

Here's how to make the best home made Greek yogurt. It's easy to make at home, once you get the hang of it, and beats the store-bought kind because it is less expensive, doesn't waste plastic, and is hormone-free (and organic, if you buy organic milk).

Praise For MomsTEAM Is Nice, But The Fight To Make Youth Sports Safer Isn't Over

As readers of this space well know, MomsTEAM and I have long advocated that the best way to help keep our kids playing interscholastic sports is for schools to hire certified athletic trainers (ATs). 

Years before sport concussions took over as the predominant youth sports safety issue of the 21st centry, we were highlighting the critical and unique role that ATs play in recognizing, evaluating and managing concussions.

Knowing that MomsTEAM's long advocacy for more certified athletic trainers in the nation's schools, and a powerful video explaining just why ATs are so critical to youth sports safety, are making a difference is not only gratifying, but with only 42% of high schools in the country having access to ATs, MomsTEAM's work is far from done.

Laurie Wolfe America's Most Inspirational Mom BGCA Contest Winner

Recently, MomsTEAM founder Brooke de Lench had the opportunity to interview Laurie Wolfe, the winner of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's “America’s Most Inspirational Mom” contest, about how her local club's Family Plus program has provided her the support system she needs to allow her her kids can play sports.

 

 

MomsTEAM founder Brooke de Lench interviews Laurie Wolfe, the winner of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's “America’s Most Inspirational Mom” contest, about how her local club has provided the support she needed as a single mom to allow her kids a chance to play sports.

Heads Up: Recent Developments in Sports Safety

Three hot topics are on my mind today: wearable technology, head impact sensors, and football helmets.

Wearable technology

During the past year, I have been invited many times to participate in conversations about wearable technology for athletes. With our headquarters close to the hotbeds of technology centers of MIT and Harvard, I am often asked to sit in on meetings to provide my insight.

What I know is that this is a rapidly-developing field in which we are going to see some amazing technological advances in the next decade.

Three hot topics are on my mind today: wearable technology, head impact sensors, and football helmets.

Preventing Overuse Injuries, Overtraining, and Burnout: 9 Ways Parents Can Help

Overuse injuries and burnout continue to be a major problem in youth sports.  Multiple injuries among some young athletes highlight the need for rest to prevent overuse injuries, overtraining, and burnout in young athletes. Here are 9 ways experts say parents can help.

Playing Hurt: Are Parents And Kids To Blame?

Many sports injuries are preventable, but continue to occur because of misconceptions about sports safety, uninformed behaviors by parents, coaches, and youth athletes, and a lack of training, says a new survey from Safe Kids Worldwide.  Perhaps most distressing of all was the finding that nearly half of all coaches say they have been pressured by parents or the kids themselves to allow athletes to play hurt.