FEATURES

Nutrition for High Intensity Training

By Deb Iovoli, MS, RD, CSSD, CDN

If you have athlete's who are competitive runners you probably try to help them get the most out of their runs. They run frequently, do speed work, tempo and long runs, and may even do some weight training for strength. These are all the things that make someone a faster, stronger runner ... so they say.

Fancy Footwork

By Vern Gambetta

The feet don't work independent of the rest of the body! 'What a brilliant statement,' you say. 'I already knew that.' If we already know that, why do so many people talk about "quick feet" and "foot speed" as if the feet were independent of the rest of the body?

Sticking Up For Youth Safety

By R.J. Anderson

In September, as part of an initiative to combine existing medical literature with "common-sense solutions" in conjunction with a renewed focus on "youth player development, team play, sportsmanship, and safety," US Lacrosse implemented new age-appropriate playing rules for both boys' and girls' youth lacrosse leagues. The new rules were accompanied by the release of a position paper from the US Lacrosse Sports Science and Safety Committee. We at T&C hope it's a sign of things to come from other youth sports organizations.

Weighing In On the Pros

Charles Bush-Joseph, MD, Head Team Physician for the Chicago White Sox, member of the medical advisory board for the MLB, and Associate Team Physician for the Chicago Bulls, has some interesting medical opinions about the recent labor agreement developments with the MLB and the NBA.

New Research on ACL Injuries

By Kristin Maki

The bad news is that ACL injuries in young athletes continue to rise. The good news is that new research is shedding light on prevention and treatment of this devastating injury. We've rounded up some of the latest findings.

Baseball Fatalities Spotlighted

By Kristin Maki

Although baseball is normally seen as a low-risk sport, a handful of tragedies over the past few months have shone a spotlight on safety on the diamond. Here is a review of some of those accidents, along with news of a family that has won a lawsuit, years after their son's death.

Big Questions, Short Answer

By Vern Gambetta

How big of a performance factor is strength, and how do you develop the type of strength that yields optimal performance in a particular sport? I have been struggling with this issue for 42 years of coaching, and before that, 10 more years as an athlete. At various times I have over-emphasized it, and at other times I shortchanged it. So what's the answer?

A Primary Focus

By Rich Jacobs, MS, SCCC, CSCS

A common trend for strength and conditioning coaches in college athletics is specializing in a particular sport and working primarily with one team. As competition continues to become fiercer, coaches are always looking for an edge to win, and one of their first requests is to have their own strength coach to help push their team to the next level. This trend is great for creating new jobs and helps solidify the importance of having a strength coach. But what are the trade-offs when a strength coach spends most of their time with one team?

Breaking New Ground

By Mike Phelps

In 2007, Sue Falsone, ATC, SCS, CSCS, became the first female physical therapist in Major League Baseball when she was hired by the Los Angeles Dodgers. On Oct. 31, the team promoted Falsone to Head Athletic Trainer/Physical Therapist, making her the first female head athletic trainer in major professional sports. Here, Falsone talks about her historic climb.

All Eyes on Field Hockey

By Patrick Bohn

When it comes to student-athlete safety, one of the most challenging things to balance is making sure equipment protects players without being intrusive. A new eye protection rule in high school field hockey is the most recent to struggle with the problem.

Next Generation

By Abigail Funk

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted that in the 10-year period from 2008 to 2018, athletic training job opportunities will grow almost 37 percent. In response, universities are looking to provide more accredited athletic training education programs for students.

Finishing Strong

By Jason Benguche, MS, CSCS, PES

With a very successful first half of the season behind them and a tough remaining schedule ahead, the Georgia Tech football team is intent on keeping its focus and confidence. Here's a look at how the player development staff is doing just that.

Traveling Abroad For Treatment

By Mike Phelps

Recently, two prominent NFL players--Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and free agent wide receiver Terrell Owens--reportedly flew overseas to receive stem cell treatments for their respective injuries. The news garnered significant interest stateside, where stem cell procedures are not yet approved.

Concussion Updates

By Mike Phelps

A new study indicates that performing preseason baseline cognitive tests in groups is less accurate than doing the tests individually for each athlete. The research, performed by Summer Ott of the Methodist Hospital Concussion Center in Houston and her colleagues, was just one piece of concussion news in the headlines recently.

Through the Generations

By Jeff Stone

The October issue of T&C included an article written by veteran athletic trainer and former NATA District One Director Jeff Stone, MEd, LAT, ATC, Head Athletic Trainer at Suffolk University about working on regional and national committees. Here, he shares more of his thoughts on how both the younger and older generations are giving back to the profession together.

Reacting to Emergency Response

By Mike Phelps

One month into the high school football season, a number of schools have been in the headlines for issues related to emergency response to injuries. From delayed response times to not having an ambulance on hand, Training & Conditioning looks at the latest news.

Protecting Pitchers

By Patrick Bohn

In previous baseball seasons, pitchers looking to wear protective headgear could only design their own. Easton-Bell has now introduced a prototype for a new pitcher's helmet it hopes to have ready for sale before the 2012 spring campaign begins.

Opening Doors Online

By Ryan Johnson

At Wayzata (Minn.) High School, a mandate to update all Web sites got this strength coach thinking about the many uses of online communication. It also led to a new motivational tool for his athletes.

Making Moves

By Rich Jacobs, MS, SCCC, CSCS

Unlike at major corporate companies where the opportunity to be promoted is usually internal, as strength and conditioning coaches, we often need to move to a new university for better pay and larger responsibilities. Recently, I left a great university for a job offering at a higher level of competition and on a larger stage, where I am excited to test my abilities as a strength and conditioning coach.

A Yellow Jacket's First Summer

By Jason Benguche, MS, CSCS, PES

An athlete's arrival to campus can simultaneously be the most exciting and terrifying time of their life. As their strength coach, we add to this stress but with the hopes of developing and assisting them through their career in college athletics. Here is how we welcome our incoming freshmen to Georgia Tech football.

Wheying in on Protein

By R.J. Anderson

A new study indicates that whey protein may have an advantage over casein for muscle development. The research also shows that loading up with a single, larger dose immediately after exercise may be preferable to spacing out several small doses over a period of time post-workout.

Heads Up: Concussion News & Notes

By R.J. Anderson

States across the country are making concussion prevention and assessment standards a top priority, with enhanced focused on establishing mandatory return-to-play guidelines. We examine a few of these new laws and bills and update you on some new technology that may help athletic trainers in their quest to improve concussion management.

Strength Coaches in the News

By Dennis Read

While strength and conditioning coaches largely stay behind the scenes, every now and then the media takes a peek in the weightroom to see what's going on. At the University of Michigan and the University of Texas, reporters were eager to talk with new strength coaches, while a Calgary writer checked in with a globe-trotting strength coach for the Calgary Flames. Meanwhile, some recent hirings have also garnered attention as we take a look at strength coaches in the news.

The Power of Food

By R.J. Anderson

From healing spices to the impact of improved diet on professional athletes, T&C.com takes a look at recent nutrition studies and headlines affecting athletics.

Heat Leads to Tragedies

By R.J. Anderson

Preseason is the most dangerous time of year for football players. The games haven't started yet, but day after day, high school and college players encounter the hardest-hitting opponent they'll face all season: the blazing sun. Already, there have been multiple deaths at the high school and college level that can be attributed to working out and practicing in unsafe conditions. The sad part is that in many cases, heat illness casualties could have been prevented.

Surviving the Summer of Sweat

By Jason Benguche, MS, CSCS, PES

Georgia Tech's Assistant Director of Player Development for Football shares how he and the other strength coaches in his department work to keep athletes safe from heat illness during the sizzling temperatures that accompany summer workouts and preseason practices.

Living With Functional Flaws

By Vern Gambetta

When examining mechanical flaws in an athlete's movement skills, it's important to also identify their signature movements and recognize what it is that gives them their athletic identity. When weighing how to improve their efficiency and performance, the question becomes: What should you coach and what should you leave alone?

Research Recap

By Mike Phelps

Approximately 1,300 athletic trainers, sports medicine specialists, physical therapists, and physicians convened in San Diego, Calif., July 7-10 for the annual meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. Here, Training & Conditioning recaps the highlights of the presentations.

Athletic Trainers in the News

By Patrick Bohn

As summer heats up, we take a look at some of the recent noteworthy accomplishments by athletic trainers, including one working on the international stage and others who have received national awards.

Barefoot Running: What's the Big Deal?

By Vern Gambetta

No doubt on certain topics I am a bit of a cynic and a confirmed curmudgeon--this holds true for barefoot running. Barefoot running has been in my toolbox since I was athlete. I did not know about forefoot, rear foot, varus or valgus back in the day but I figured out quickly that if an athlete ran barefoot they ran quietly and quiet running was more efficient.

Sports Dietitians Honored

The first-ever national recognition awards for service, perseverance and pioneering were presented in May 2011 by the Collegiate & Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA) to three Sports RDs whose specialization in "performance nutrition" is only beginning to be acknowledged by sports industry leaders.

GT Summer Internship Running Diary

By Jason Benguche, MS, CSCS, PES

This summer, we have a new crop of students taking part in our new comprehensive strength and conditioning summer internship program here at Georgia Tech. Here's an inside, week-by-week breakdown of what we've been doing with our interns.

Highlights from NATA

T&C Managing Editor Abigail Funk just returned from the NATA 62nd Annual Meeting in New Orleans. The following are some of her observations from the exhibit hall and convention floor.

2011 NATA Live Blog

T&C Managing Editor Abigail Funk will be live-blogging from the NATA 62nd Annual Meeting in New Orleans this week. Check back regularly to hear her thoughts on some of the educational sessions and panel discussions, as well as her observations from the exhibit hall and convention floor.

A Round of Applause

By Abigail Funk

Next week at the NATA Annual Meeting in New Orleans, nine athletic trainers will be inducted into the NATA Hall of Fame. In joining this exclusive group, the honorees--which include a number with ties to T&C--are being recognized for their work advancing the profession, including research, clinical advancements, and leadership. From all of us here at T&C, congratulations!

GT Summer Internship Insider

By Jason Benguche, MS, CSCS, PES

This summer marks the beginning of a new era in education at Georgia Tech. We have a new crop of students taking part in our new comprehensive strength and conditioning summer internship program. Here's an inside look at the endeavor.
Editor's Note: This is the first in a multi-part series.

That Time of Year

By Patrick Bohn

With the arrival of summer, association conventions and annual meetings are in full swing for the sports medicine, performance training, and nutrition industries. T&C recaps some of the highlights from a recently completed meeting and previews several upcoming conventions with a look at keynote speakers as well as symposium and lecture topics.

Strong Neck, Safer Head

By Mike Phelps

According to some experts, a simple way to help prevent concussions involves focusing on what some believe to be a lost art in strength training: the neck.

When the Prevention is the Cause

By Vern Gambetta

I find it ironic that as our knowledge of training has grown, injuries have actually increased, not decreased. There has been an increased emphasis on sports science, and I see more time devoted to "injury prevention" routines, sometimes to exclusion of actual training. Some of these programs are quite elaborate and "sciencey" in their appearance and rationale. So where is the disconnect occurring?

Helmet Rating System Debuts

By Abigail Funk

As we learn more and more about concussions and develop improved prevention techniques, researchers at Virginia Tech have answered the call for an assessment tool that consumers can refer to when purchasing football helmets. Last week, the school revealed a rating system for adult helmets, awarding those that best protected against concussions the highest scores and those that were the worst protectors the lowest scores.

Teacher Becomes the Student

By Ryan Johnson

The author recently took time out of his busy schedule working with high school athletes to to explain to a group at a senior center how many of the fitness training principles he uses with athletes could help them. He also ended up learning a thing or two himself.

Supplemental Knowledge

By Patrick Bohn

According to recent reports, the nutritional supplement industry continues to grow at a rapid rate. But are athletes using them wisely?

Marquette's Golden Eagle Healer

By Mike Phelps

This past March, the Marquette University men's basketball team was one of the darlings of the NCAA Tournament, as the 11th-seeded Golden Eagles scored a pair of upsets en route to an appearance in the Sweet 16. While the players were getting the job done on the court, behind the scenes, Athletic Trainer Ernest Eugene, MS, ATC, NASM-PES, CES, was working just as hard to keep them healthy. In this interview, Eugene discusses his career path, the differences between a pro and college setting, and working with coaches.

ATCs in the News: Spring Happenings

By R.J. Anderson

From the launch of new programs to fresh faces in new positions and recent honorees, this installment of Athletic Trainers in the News has a little bit of everything. Check out what your colleagues are up to this spring with these headlines we found from across the country.

Practice Playbook for Injured Athletes

By Jason Benguche, MS, CSCS, PES

Injuries are an unfortunate part of any sport. Regardless of how focused our training strategies are on injury prevention, sometimes they are simply unavoidable. This is a brief description of our strategy for training injured and limited athletes during their competition period.

Jason Benguche, MS, CSCS, PES, is Assistant Director of Player Development for Football at Georgia Tech.

Cardiac Concerns

By Patrick Bohn

A recent study of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) conducted on NCAA athletes found that young athletes are more at risk than once thought. The most at risk population? Division I men's basketball players.

Majoring in General Studies

By Vern Gambetta

We certainly live in an age of specialization in all fields of endeavor. I would argue that as a strength and conditioning coach, specialization is a negative, not a positive trend.

Best Foot Forward

By Patrick Bohn

This winter, Rick Court, MS, SCCC, left the University of Toledo to take over as Strength and Conditioning Coach for the San Diego State University football team. In this interview, Court discusses the best way to make a smooth transition from one program to another as well as the challenges of adjusting to a different academic calendar and the benefits of encouraging competition in the weightroom.

Spring Fever With The Yellow Jackets

By Jason Benguche, MS, CSCS, PES

Whether you call them Mat Drills, 4 Quarters, or Morning Runs, the drills leading up to the beginning of spring practices in college football are a crucial component of any off-season program. Across the country many schools are completing some variation of these training sessions with a few important goals in mind. Here is an outline of the goals and structure of spring drills at Georgia Tech.

Tournament Time Nutrition

By Jonathan Tanguay, MS, RD, CSSD, LD

March Madness has arrived. For a sports dietitian, that means figuring out how to give your athletes a nutritional advantage over the competition in tournament play. Here's how we are doing it at Texas A&M University, where our women's team is seeded second in the Dallas Regional and our men's team is seeded seventh in the Southwest Regional.

On Their Own

By Dr. Brandon Marcello

While much time in the weightroom is spent with athletes concentrating on mobilization, stabilization, and strengthening, little time is spent talking about what they should be doing once they leave the room to carry on their daily tasks. So for our work with Stanford University men's water polo team, we created a self-care portion of our program.

Tale of the Toe

By R.J. Anderson

Check out this video from Duke University for a behind-the-scenes look at men's basketball phenom Kyrie Irving's rehab from a tricky toe injury.

Your Month, Your Stories

March is National Athletic Training Month, and T&C would like to honor those athletic trainers who go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of athletes they work with and the communities they serve. From saving lives to inspiring others, we dedicate this month to you and your stories.

A Guide to In-Season Training

By Vern Gambetta

Perhaps one of the biggest mysteries in performance development is how to approach in-season training--especially for athletes in team sports. How much should you do? What should you do? When should you do it? Here are a few of my thoughts on the subject.

Strong Values

By Jason Benguche, MS, CSCS, PES

Coaches at every level in today's society are performance driven. Wins and losses are the ultimate gauge of success in our profession. With this in mind, we must remember that unlike the playbooks and systems of our head coaches although similar, the physical and mental development of an athlete takes time. Here are a few concrete values that help guide us with the football program at Georgia Tech.

Developing Clean Technique

By Jason Dudley, MS, CSCS, USAW-1

The clean can be utilized to enhance overall athletic performance by developing total body power. It can be used as part of a training program to improve rate of force development, total body strength and power, triple extension, mobility and stability, kinesthetic awareness, and body control under an eccentric load. Here is written and visual demonstration of how to correctly perform the clean.

Ramping Up For Lax

By Geoff Loomis

Looking to develop a training program for high school lacrosse players with limited time constraints? Check out this two-week preseason plan that uses interval training to build endurance and game conditioning.

Baseball Headed For More Protection?

By Dennis Read

Despite the introduction of new bat standards in college baseball, the debate over the relative safety of non-wood and wood bats shows little sign of letting up. Meanwhile, some coaches are looking beyond the type of bats used and focusing on other ways to keep batted balls from injuring players. The big question is: Should pitchers, or even all infielders, wear some type of protective gear? The next question is equally important: What would this equipment look like?

Overworked at Iowa?

By R.J. Anderson

When 13 University of Iowa football players were hospitalized with exertional rhabdomyolysis last week, it triggered a concerned buzz among strength coaches and athletic trainers across the country. With the athletes in stable condition and responding well to treatment, the Iowa Board of Regents has launched an investigation into the incident. We examine some of the reports out of Des Moines, and the questions that remain.

Strength Coaching Carousel Revolves

By R.J. Anderson

It's been a busy couple of months for a number of college strength and conditioning coaches. See who's in--and who's out--at the country's top programs.

Mount Union Mourns Athletic Trainer

By Patrick Bohn

The University of Mount Union was rocked by tragedy Tuesday night when the school's Director of Athletic Training, Dan Gorman, MS, LAT, ATC was killed in a bus crash.

We've Got Next

By Ryan Johnson

Over winter break, I was able to meet with a couple of former veterans of the Wayzata program and talk about summer work and internships. We have had a terrific run of sending athletes to the collegiate level over the years, and though it doesn't receive as much attention, we've had paralleled success with former Wayzata students becoming interns and strength coaches in the college ranks.

Tough Questions About New Tools

By Vern Gambetta

That drill really looks cool. That piece of equipment is really high tech--it has lots of lights, dials, and printouts. I saw so and so do that type of exercise and they are winning. Are these really good enough reasons for you to turn to a new training tool? There are some questions you need to ask when considering new training tools or evaluating what you are currently using. Let's examine them.

All In a Week's Work

By Rich Jacobs, MS, SCCC, CSCS

Ever wonder how a strength and conditioning coach approaches in-season work for a big-time college basketball team? Rich Jacobs, Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at Xavier University, provides a glimpse into a week with the school's top-10 women's basketball team. During this stretch, the Lady Musketeers beat a then top-20 Mississippi State University team 61-36 on Dec. 17, and lost by a point to the then-second-ranked Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Dec. 21.

From Life Savers to Laid Off

By Kenny Berkowitz

No one can ever accuse athletic training of being an uneventful profession. In this installment of Athletic Trainers in the News, we look at stories about athletic trainers who saved a life and got laid off a week later, a girls' basketball team that donned pink uniforms in support of its athletic trainer who is fighting breast cancer, and the athletic trainers from the Philadelphia Eagles, who won the The Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society Athletic Training Staff of the Year for 2010.

A Guide to the Dumbbell Clean

By Peter Melanson, MS, CSCS,*D

The dumbbell clean is a variation of the traditional clean and can be performed unilaterally, allowing the athlete to develop greater balance and control, kinesthetic awareness, and increased recruitment of stabilizing muscles, which enhances joint stability. The dumbbell clean is a safe alternative, especially for an injured athlete who cannot perform the exercise with a barbell. Here is how it's done.

New Findings A Bitter Pill For Some

By R.J. Anderson

A new report that says Americans are getting more than enough vitamin D and calcium has nutritionists and dietitians scratching their heads, dietary supplement manufacturers reeling, and athletes and sports medicine professionals hearing very mixed messages. The findings from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) fly in the face of recent studies that indicated most people have very large vitamin D deficits.

Hockey Faces Concussion Questions

By Patrick Bohn

Concern over head injuries in hockey is quickly gaining a share of the concussion spotlight and some sweeping changes to the game--from youth leagues to the NHL--could be on the way.

NATA: Report Card Time

On Tuesday, Dec. 7, the NATA will host its second Youth Sports Safety Summit and Media Briefing in Washington, D.C., at the Cannon House Office Building. The event will follow up on last year's event and spotlight the latest in research, prevention, and treatment of hot-button topics like helmet hitting in football, the risk of chronic or catastrophic injury from concussion, sudden cardiac arrest, sickle cell trait and heat illness, and the need for immediate and improved healthcare on the playing field.

A New Voice in Sports Nutrition

Intent on improving athletic performance through better nutrition while steering athletes clear of performance-enhancing substances, a new voice has arrived to speak on behalf of sports dietitians: The Collegiate & Professional Sports Dietitians Association (CPSDA).

Fundamental Disconnect

By Vern Gambetta

In many sport development programs, there is a fundamental disconnect from the inception of training. Development programs for youth, junior and emerging athletes cannot rely on content and practice of senior and elite athletes. That is the goal--it is not where you start.

A Fresh Look at Circuit Training

The NSCA Education Team helps you unlock the power of circuit training and its potential for building strength, speed, and power.

When It's Okay to Lose

By Dr. Karen Reznik Dolins

For those athletes looking to lose weight, a plan should be developed that enhances health and minimizes the negative effects of reducing energy intake on athletic performance.

Getting a Lift

By Patrick Bohn

Shoulder replacement surgery is now common and its rehab is fairly straightforward. But how do you rehab a national record-holding power lifter who goes through the procedure?

Breathing Easy

By Patrick Bohn

When Carlos Valenzuela, Head Football Coach at Yerba Buena High School in San Jose, Calif., took part in a yoga session as part of a school-wide freshman physical education program last year, he figured it would be a waste of time. He was wrong. Now, his team is using it--and feeling all right.

Nutrition Advice? We Wrote the Book

Training & Conditioning is proud to announce the release of our newest publication, "The Nutrition Edge." In this book, we present a compilation of the very best of our articles on sports nutrition published in the magazine. From pregame meals to losing weight to recovery nutrition, each chapter details information that is relevant and specific to today's competitive athlete.

Danger Lurks Beyond Symptoms

By Mike Phelps

It's no secret that suffering a concussion can have long-term effects on an athlete's brain. But can that damage occur even if no concussion symptoms are present? A new study says yes.

Genetics and ACL Tears

By Kenny Berkowitz

What role do genetics play in ACL injuries? Tim Hewett, PhD, Director of the Sports Medicine Biodynamics Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, is working hard to find the answer.

Strong Alternatives

By Rich Jacobs, MS, SCCC, CSCS

Though Olympic lifts are great in many ways, like any training tool, they have limitations such as environment, training goals, or sport coach's expectations. These days, there are many alternatives the strength and conditioning coach can use to build a comprehensive program that will increase power while mimicking the movement and results of Olympic lifts.

Tales of the Tapers

By R.J. Anderson

We searched near and far for headlines spotlighting the athletic training profession. Check out what your peers at colleges and high schools across the country are up to this fall.

Finding Strength in Numbers

By Vern Gambetta

You have max heart rate, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability. You have total distance moved in a practice and blood lactate calculations for in- and post-workout activity. You have spreadsheets filled with so many numbers that the question becomes, "How do you translate all these numbers into useful information?"

Tracking High School Injuries

A new project will track injuries, treatment, and outcomes of high school athletes.

Nutrition and Football

Lisa Headshot_bw.jpg By Lisa Dorfman

Like a race car needs fuel to run, a football player needs the right foods to play his best each and every week. Are your athletes getting the best nutritional information from their pit crews?

Players, Parents, and Training Priorities

By Ryan Johnson

Sometimes parents do more harm than good when helping their kids pursue dreams in athletics. When this happens, Wayzata (Minn.) High School Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Ryan Johnson says it's important to speak up and remind everyone of what's important.

Exertional Rhabdomyolysis Breakdown

By Patrick Bohn

Exertional rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition categorized by a breakdown in muscle tissue after intense workouts by poorly conditioned athletes, is believed to be what sent two dozen high school athletes in Oregon to the hospital last week.

Concussions and ALS

By Patrick Bohn

As research continues to link repeated head trauma to major health issues in the long-term, a new study shows head trauma may lead to a much deadlier consequence.

What is Overtrained Athlete Syndrome?

By Kenny Berkowitz

Looking for a way to explain testing positive for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG), Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing has blamed a condition called Overtrained Athlete Syndrome, claiming doctors are supporting the diagnosis.

That's a Wrap: 2010 NATA Convention Review

Couldn't make every session at the 2010 NATA Annual Convention in Philadelphia? Don't sweat it, T&C has you covered. Check out our convention breakdown, highlighting the show's biggest hits.

Exercise, Rinse, and Repeat

By Patrick Bohn

While there's already research showing that taking in carbohydrates are an important part of improving athletic performance, a new study published in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care shows that even rinsing your mouth with a carbohydrate solution during exercise can have the same effect.

Back on Track With Chocolate Milk

By Abigail Funk

A little bit of chocolate never hurt, right? Actually, it turns out that when mixed with milk, chocolate might help athletes a great deal. Four new studies published this spring on the effects of consuming chocolate milk post-exercise added to the mounting body of evidence that it can be a great recovery beverage option for athletes--including endurance athletes.

Knee Studies Headline AOSSM

By Patrick Bohn

At the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Annual Meeting last week, studies were presented showing that early ACL surgery decreases chances of meniscal and cartilage tears and that tissue transplant surgery for athletes with knee damage can provide a return to sports.

The Edge

By Vern Gambetta

I know many of you are seeking the edge in training. For many years, I was doing the same. I was searching for secrets, the latest and the greatest, something special, that one or two percent that would make the difference.

Early Warning Wakeup Call

By Patrick Bohn

Awareness of the dangers of concussions and their long-term health impact is at an all-time high. And the death of 26-year old NFL wide receiver Chris Henry, who was later found to have the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (C.T.E), has served as a high-profile warning sign that damage can occur early in a career.

Tackling a Tough Talk

By Ryan Johnson

We have all seen the kid who works his or her tail off training, but just doesn't have enough natural talent to be a major contributor to the team when the game is on the line. Sometimes their odds of making it are made worse by a line of talented athletes playing in front of them. This is especially complicated when that athlete's whole life revolves around training to improve as a player. It can be painful to watch them work so hard, knowing their chances of getting in the game are minimal.

Steroid Scandal Rocks College Team

By Abigail Funk

In April, three members of the University of Waterloo football team were arrested for possession of steroids and stolen goods. In the fallout, nine players tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, two of the team's coaches were placed on administrative leave, and the program was suspended.

NATA 2010: What You May Have Missed

T&C Managing Editor Greg Scholand blogged from the NATA Annual Meeting last week. You don't want to miss Greg's take on the educational sessions and panel discussions he attends, as well as his observations from the convention floor.

The 2010 NATA Live Blog

T&C Managing Editor Greg Scholand will be live blogging from the NATA Annual Meeting next week. It's his third year in a row trekking to the meeting, and you don't want to miss Greg's take on the educational sessions and panel discussions he attends, as well as his observations from the convention floor.

Focus On Philly

With the 61st Annual Meeting of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) in Philadelphia right around the corner, T&C is pleased to provide you with this convention preview. From discussion primers and tips for getting the most out of your NATA show experience to booth listings and vendor coupons, this newsletter has you covered.

ATCs in the News: No Ordinary Summer

By R.J. Anderson

From world travelers to proud mentors and recent honorees, this installment of Athletic Trainers in the News has a little bit of everything. Check out what your colleagues are up to this summer with these headlines we found from across the country.

Fueling for Football

As your athletes perform summer workouts to prepare for a new season on the gridiron, their nutrition choices may determine the success or failure of their training programs.

NATA Honors Top Athletic Trainers

By Mike Phelps

The NATA has announced its 2010 Head Athletic Trainers of the Year, who will be honored at the NATA show in Philadelphia in June. Training & Conditioning would like to congratulate the honorees from NCAA Division I, III, III, the NAIA, and the junior college/community college ranks. And the winners are ...

Back to Life, and the Court

By R.J. Anderson

Last September, former University of Tennessee men's basketball player Emmanuel Negedu had a close brush with death when his heart suddenly stopped beating during a preseason workout at the school. In the aftermath, Tennessee determined that the risks were too high for Negedu to return to the court, ending his Volunteer career. Since then, Negedu has transferred to the University of New Mexico, which raised eyebrows by clearing the forward to play basketball again.

Concussions in Congress

By Mike Phelps

Concussions are again making headlines across the country. Just this past week, a congressional hearing in Washington, D.C. is exploring the impact concussions have on high school student-athletes, while a new report found problems with the way the injuries are reported at the high school level.

HGH Proves Potent

By Kyle Garratt

A new study shows that Human Growth Hormone (HGH) likely does what most think it does--improve athletic performance. Long suspected of giving athletes an unfair advantage, HGH has been banned by many athletic organizations, including the NCAA and IOC. But it had not been shown to enhance athletic performance in any clinical study, until now.

The Four C's of Winning

By Max Appleby, CSCS

In performance training, and in life, resilience in dealing with adversity can form a strong foundation for success. In this article, I will explain psychologist Salvator Maddi's Three C's of hardy attitudes, how they contribute to resilience, and their application to athletics. I will also describe my take on a fourth and essential C: consistency.

Recovery Nutrition Keys

By Michelle Rockwell

For an athlete's nutritional replenishment, no time is more critical than immediately after a workout. We examine "The Recovery Window" in the T&C April issue. Click below to download a handout containing specific advice and recommendations on recovery nutrition that the author distributes to athletes.

Counting On CATS

By Scott Anderson

Recently, Scott Anderson, ATC, Head Athletic Trainer at the University of Oklahoma, was named President of the College Athletic Trainers' Society (CATS). Here, he shares how CATS is working to improve safety for college athletes and making sure today's athletic trainers receive the support and recognition they deserve.

A Proactive Approach

By R.J. Anderson

By now, you've read countless articles about kinetic chain assessments and movement screening. But how many times have you seen these exams in action? Click the arrow at the bottom of this page to watch a video of Northeastern University Sports Performance's proactive approach to injury management and performance improvement.

New Drug Sounding Alarms

By Kyle Garratt

A new, mostly legal drug that imitates marijuana has been raising concern for some time in the general public, and that attention has now spread to the athletic community. Most commonly referred to as K2, the substance also goes by names such as "Spice" and "Spice Gold." While K2 produces a high similar to marijuana, it is not known what the health effects are and officials are worried about how it might alter athletes' performance and well being.

Strong Finish to a Memorable Season

By Rich Jacobs, MS, SCCC, CSCS

This past season, the Xavier women's basketball team captured its fourth straight regular season conference championship, a conference tournament championship, and made a run to the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament Elite Eight round, where they lost to Stanford University in heartbreaking fashion. Here, Team Strength and Conditioning Coach Rich Jacobs evaluates how his strength training program contributed to the Musketeer's stellar run.

Why Do It If We Know Better?

By Vern Gambetta

Why is everyone so infatuated with the ham/glute raise and the Russian/Nordic hamstring curls? These are both exercises that I threw out of my toolbox years ago because I found that they were ineffective and predisposed the athletes to injury.

Validation for Reconstruction

By Abigail Funk

Recent research shows a rise in long-term satisfaction in patients recovering from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (Tommy John) surgeries. The studies were among the highlights of the 2010 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) annual meeting held in New Orleans.

Progress for Concussion Legislation

By Abigail Funk

In February, the House Judiciary Committee held a forum to discuss the handling of brain injuries on the collegiate and high school levels. At the meeting, college conferences were criticized for not adopting tougher return-to-play guidelines than what the NCAA recommends. Here is a roundup of the pending legislative efforts around the country.

Back to Basics

By Nick Pinkelman

The author explores some of the benefits of explosive-ballistic training and recommends making it part of your strength training tool box.

More With Peter Friesen

By R.J. Anderson

When we interviewed Peter Friesen, Head Athletic Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Carolina Hurricanes, in the March issue of the magazine, we came away with enough material to fill two Q&As--literally. In this installment, Friesen talks about working with NHL players of all ages and nationalities, and shares his thoughts on off-season conditioning and keeping players in shape over the Olympic break.

T&C's Believe It or Not!

By Chelsea Dutton and Elizabeth Gomez

This week, we bring you head-scratching tales of home remedies from around the world credited with healing sports medicine injuries. From horse placenta fluid to cheese curd, a number of bizarre treatments have raised eyebrows and questions about whether or not they simply acted as placebos. However, one fact remains: In each instance, the athlete seemed to benefit.

A Look at the New NCAA Injury Data

By Dennis Read

The first set of college athletic injury data compiled by the Datalys Center has just been released and it's already making an impact on student-athlete welfare.

Bare Essentials

By Kyle Garratt

Running barefoot is like a form of time travel. It takes people back to how they ran as children, before heavily padded running shoes corrupted their form. Whether inspired by new research or the practices of a secluded Mexican tribe, more runners are going barefoot or employing minimal footwear. A longtime advocate of this mantra and creator of his own running technique details the benefits of this new, and old, approach to running.

Athletic Trainers in the News

by Kenny Berkowitz

With the Olympics going full-tilt, winter sports are in the headlines--and so are athletic trainers. Whether they're commenting on the potential health benefits of soft cheese, dispensing advice to television viewers at home, collaborating with sports medicine professionals on competing teams, or working for a living, athletic trainers are an essential part of the Olympic story.

Asthma In Season

By Abigail Funk

A disproportionate number of winter sport athletes are diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma every year. Studies have estimated that up to half of elite cross country skiers, ice skaters, and ice hockey players have the condition--which begs the question, what does the cold weather have to do with it?

Gold Medal Coverage

By Kyle Garratt

Like their peers in more traditional sports, winter athletes who take to the snow and ice for the X Games and Winter Olympics are backed by a strong network of athletic trainers working behind the scenes to keep them safe. Here is a look at who and what is keeping these cold-weather athletes healthy as they enter their competitive seasons.

Functional Path Manifesto

By Vern Gambetta
Gambetta Sports Training Systems

Athletic development is about optimizing training to enhance performance. The basic concepts are quite simple. My experience has shown that simplicity yields complexity--you don't have to make it complicated. That's why being a generalist is so important. It allows me to make relationships that specialist, with their narrower vision, will not see.

Creating Value in Your Workplace

By Rich Jacobs, MS, SCCC, CSCS

Working in an industry where supply is much greater than demand, those who have a job as a strength coach are extremely fortunate. Here are my observations on what it takes to succeed and keep a strength coaching job in this tough and competitive economic environment.

NATA Youth Sports Safety Summit

By Brendon P. McDermott, PhD, ATC

There have been 115 sport-related youth deaths since January 2008 in America. To address this growing problem, the NATA recently organized the Alliance to Address the Youth Sports Safety Crisis in America and held a summit on Jan. 12. The purpose of the Alliance, comprised of 30 healthcare and sports organizations, is to raise awareness, advance legislation, and improve medical care for young athletes across the country. A major goal in this endeavor is to help put an end to what has been labeled a crisis.

Supplemental Living

By Kyle Garratt

According to the Nutrition Business Journal, the nutritional supplement industry produced $25 billion in revenue in 2008. Athletes represent the largest group of consumers of these supplements. Be it through protein powder, flaxseed oil, or nitric oxide, many athletes competing at a high level try to give themselves an advantage. But are all these supplements effective or, more seriously, safe?

Speed Training Specifics

By Vern Gambetta

Preparing for competition means understanding sport demands and learning to train in ways that mimic game conditions. Develop your speed training philosophy based on those specific needs.

Building Physical Confidence

By Peter Twist

As physically active individuals, we all take mobility for granted when every day our mind commands our muscles and they easily comply with just the right type of movement and appropriate force production. At Twist Sport Conditioning, we call this Smart Muscle®. With each repeated action, our mind to muscle communication pathways strengthen and like building muscle, each successful action that our mind commands, our physical confidence grows.

Elements of Motivation

By Ryan Johnson

Though the weather outside is frightful, at Wayzata (Minn.) High School, the winter strength and conditioning program is in full swing, and the results have been quite delightful. We've simplified our training approach, actively recruited new participants, and have cultivated program-wide pride among all of our teams.

Mouthguards Enhancing Performance

By Mike Phelps

Once upon a time, mouthguards were used only by athletes playing contact sports who wanted to protect their precious pearly whites. While that's still a popular reason today, athletes are also beginning to use mouthguards as a performance-enhancing device.

Strength Training in Paradise

By Rich Jacobs, MS, SCCC, CSCS

This past Thanksgiving, while most people went home to their families, the Xavier University women's basketball team traveled to the Bahamas for the annual Junkanoo Jam Tournament. Though traveling to an exotic location for work may sound like the fulfillment of a strength coach's fantasy, being on the road presents all sorts of challenges--specifically keeping the team healthy while maintaining the optimal strength and conditioning levels cultivated in the off-season and preseason.

Specialization Still Rising

By Abigail Funk

Many athletes still view sport specialization as the only way to keep up with their competitors, and many parents still think it's the only way for their kids to land a college athletic scholarship--despite numerous studies and expert advice that declare otherwise.

Q&A with Aaron Nelson

By Mike Phelps

The Phoenix Suns are off to quick start this NBA season and Head Athletic Trainer Aaron Nelson has been an integral part of the team's success--and many around the country are starting to take notice. Nelson, MS, ATC-L, PES, CES, CSCS, in his 16th season with the organization, was recently named by the NBA Athletic Trainers Association as the Joe O'Toole NBA Athletic Trainer of the Year for the 2008-09 season. Here, Nelson discusses the honor, life in the NBA, and corrective exercise strategy.

Cutting Through the Haze

By Abigail Funk

Due to close relationships with athletes, athletic trainers and strength coaches sometimes see and hear more of what's going on in the locker room than sport coaches. That's why it's important that they keep their eyes and ears open when it comes to hazing issues. Preventative measures begin with defining and identifying what hazing is.

The Workout: A Means to an End

By Vern Gambetta

Developing an optimal training plan takes more than a desire to make an athlete work so hard that they throw up. It means knowing your athletes, understanding their goals, and taking the time to carefully evaluate how you can help get them where they want to be athletically.

The Core of Four

By Ryan Johnson

Wayzata (Minn.) High School Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Ryan Johnson, shares an innovative, systematic approach to performing the Olympic lifts using a 13-pound, five-foot-long steel rod. Called the "Core of Four," Johnson uses the bar to progress less experienced athletes through primary lift movements. For more experienced lifters, the Core of Four serves as a dynamic warmup.

Recycling a Myth

By Todd Brown, CCS

The speed development world appears to be going green. Here's a baseless training philosophy that has been recycled as fact: Pull your toe up to your shin! Dorsiflex!

Mandate Sickle Cell Trait Testing?

By Greg Scholand

The March 2008 death of University of Central Florida football player Ereck Plancher, who collapsed after a supervised workout and was pronounced dead at a hospital hours later, was the most recent wake-up call for the athletics world about the dangers of sickle cell trait. The trait, which Plancher had, increases the likelihood of exertional rhabdomyolysis and other health problems during hard workouts, especially in hot weather.

Motivating and Building Champions

By Rich Jacobs, MS, SCCC, CSCS

An inside look at the strength and conditioning program that has driven the Xavier University women's basketball team to three consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference championships.

All-In-One Facility

By Abigail Funk

The University of Iowa's homecoming weekend earlier this month also marked the opening of its brand new sports medicine center. The Institute for Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation is a one-stop shop on Iowa's campus for patients of all ages--and a sign that the trend of housing multiple medical amenities in one building is quickly becoming mainstream.

False Step Acceleration: Friend or Foe?

By Todd Brown, CCS

Using data-driven analysis, the author breaks down the effectiveness of using a "false," or backward, first step as an acceleration tool. His findings may surprise you.

USC Accident Raises Awareness

By Mike Phelps

Through four games this season, University of Southern California running back Stafon Johnson had rushed 32 times for 157 yards and five touchdowns. But before the senior had a chance to add to those stats, his season came to a screeching halt after a weightroom accident left Johnson with a crushed neck and larynx that required seven hours of surgery to repair. The accident has shined a spotlight on weightroom safety and serves as a cautionary tale to athletes and coaches across the country.

Inside Concussion Headlines

By Abigail Funk

When University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was diagnosed with a concussion after being knocked out during a game in late September, head injuries were again a source of much conversation in the sports medicine community and among the general public. Here, T&C rounds up the latest buzz, including concussion injuries in the news, two recent studies of interest, and what some groups are doing to raise concussion safety awareness.

Shifting Gears: Game Ready

By Peter Twist

In today's performance training landscape, improved speed is a common goal. However, to get the most out of their speed, athletes must also learn how to stop. Here, the author explains teaching athletes to put on the BRAKES.

Speed Development in Baseball

By Todd Brown, CCS

With college baseball teams around the country engaged in off-season strength and conditioning work, now is a good time to evaluate speed training methods. So what's your philosophy and what drills are you using? Todd Brown recommends taking a scientific approach to examining the sport's speed and agility requirements.

Tackling Swine Flu

By Kyle Garratt

The "traditional" flu season is on its way, although it feels as if flu season started in April and hasn't quit. And in the year of the pandemic H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu, it's more like flu season on steroids. As always, college and high school students face increased risk for the flu thanks to close quarters and increased interaction. Student-athletes are even more susceptible for the same reasons, so here is a look at how different athletic programs are handling the swine flu situation.

Soccer Preseason to In-Season

By Rich Jacobs, MS, SCCC, CSCS

With only three weeks of organized preseason strength training, time is of the essence for the Xavier University men's soccer team. That's why Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach Rich Jacobs's training plan includes orderly progressions that build to the first competition while accounting for the inevitable soreness that accompanies preseason workouts.

H.S. Heat Illness By The Numbers

By Dawn Comstock, PhD

Researchers from The Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio share their analysis of heat illness and hydration for high school athletes.

Fighting Irish Stepping It Up

By Kyle Garratt

Every athletic department wants improved sports performance. The University of Notre Dame has taken it a step further by establishing a new division dedicated to providing individual athletes with every possible advantage.

When Functional Becomes Dysfunctional

By Todd Brown, CCS

Approximately one month ago in a health club, I witnessed a trainer working with a stay-at-home mother of two. The trainer was explaining the concept of "functional training," its benefits for injury prevention, and how specific functional movements would enhance her ability to perform daily activities. But I wonder, did the exercise address her function?

Battling Concussions Head-On

By Mike Phelps

As preseason football camps swing into gear across the country, concussion prevention and awareness has once again crept its way into the news. Here, Training & Conditioning takes a look at the latest concussion news, on the gridiron and beyond.

A Proud Look Back

By Ryan Johnson

With the Wayzata (Minn.) High School summer Trojan Power Program all wrapped up, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Ryan Johnson shares his highlights from a busy "off-season," which include his players rubbing elbows with NFL greats, a fresh approach to training younger athletes, and off-the-charts female participation numbers.

Feeling The Heat

by Kenny Berkowitz

Earlier this year, the NATA released new guidelines for heat acclimatization, with major recommendations for the number, duration, and types of practices that should be held during the first two weeks of preseason training. But across the country, many schools are ignoring those suggestions and continuing to put their student-athletes at risk for muscle cramps, heat stroke, and even death.

All Aboard

By Rich Jacobs, MS, SCCC, CSCS

The summer is fast coming to an end, and as small packs of athletes who worked out on campus over the summer evolve into larger groups, expectations for the upcoming season are growing. Depending on one's organizational style, this can be an exciting time of year or a stressful one. The transition from summer to fall can be productive and smooth if the strength and conditioning coach has a plan--one that includes getting on the same page with sport coaches and athletic trainers.

A Conversation with Jim Booher

By Kyle Garratt

When Jim Booher was hired as Head Athletic Trainer at South Dakota State University in 1967, he was the sole member of the athletic training staff and hydration was a perk rather than a necessity. After 42 years with the Jackrabbits, Booher, an NATA Hall-Of-Famer, retired earlier this summer. We recently caught up with Booher, who discusses his career and shares some of his favorite memories.

Beyond Face Value

By Todd Brown, CCS

Strength and conditioning specialists are constantly presented with new studies that they use to shape their training philosophies. But when considering new information, it's important to consider the source and the biases and mitigating factors that surround and contribute to any research project.

Certified for Surveillance

By Kyle Garratt

As the Datalys Center for Injury Research and Prevention continues to prepare to take over day-to-day operations of the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program, it has certified the first commercial vendor for injury data transmission--the first step in the transition, especially for athletic trainers who already use Electronic Medical Records (EMR).

Summer Sessions

By Rich Jacobs, MS, SCCC, CSCS

After the grind of grueling workouts, practices, and school comes to an end, student-athletes need a break to recover mentally and physically. For the Xavier University strength and conditioning program, summertime is more laid back than the school year, but the standards of progression and intensity remain the same. For athletes working out in the summer, we design goals that empower them and provide more variety in their routines while also increasing strength and speed and preparing for the upcoming season.

Snooze to Improve

By Kyle Garratt

Athletes are constantly tinkering with their nutrition and training plans to gain an edge. But a study performed by Stanford University researchers suggests that good old fashioned sleep, and plenty of it, may help an athlete's performance as much as anything.

Life Savers

By Ryan Johnson

Last month at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minn., a football player went into cardiac arrest during summer workouts. But thanks to quick action by members of the Wayzata staff, including Ryan Johnson, CSCS, Strength and Conditioning Coach and Coach Practitioner--and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED)--the student-athlete survived the heart attack. Here, Johnson takes us through the harrowing experience.

Youth Is Served

By Ryan Johnson

A summer strength program that incorporates middle school athletes ... an exchange agreement with a local speed-training guru ... there's a lot going on in the Wayzata (Minn.) High School summer conditioning program.

On With The Show ...

For the second year in a row, T&C Managing Editor Greg Scholand blogged at the NATA Annual Meeting. Check out Greg's take on the educational sessions and panel discussions he attended, as well as other observations he had from the convention floor.

Positive Peer Pressure

While high school state associations continue to debate the merits of testing athletes for steroids, a program that takes a different approach to reducing their use is gaining ground. ATLAS and ATHENA, which have been 20 years in the making, are peer-led programs that educate athletes about the dangers of performance-enhancing substances--and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle--in a proactive way.

NATA Hall Of Fame Roundtable

By Abigail Funk

This month, the NATA will hold a ceremony at its annual convention to induct this year's Hall of Fame class and Training & Conditioning would like to congratulate the newest batch of inductees. To spotlight the important contributions made by NATA hall of famers, we talked to seven of the most respected voices in athletic training about their careers and the evolution of the profession.

Increasing Workout IQ

By Peter Twist

Executing whole body movement relies on excellent proprioception and coordination derived from rehearsed mind-to-muscle communication pathways. Strategic training for this outcome will create bigger, faster, stronger and smarter muscles.

Study Examines Genetics and Concussions

By Kyle Garratt

Researchers from the University of Toronto recently looked at whether certain people might be genetically predisposed to sustaining a concussion. Though the findings were inconclusive, scientists believe more such studies are on the way.

Prepared For The Worst

By Ryan Johnson

Do you have an emergency response plan for when a crisis occurs at your facilities? Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minn., does. Recently, that plan was put to the test when an athlete had a seizure. Ryan Johnson, CSCS, Strength and Conditioning Coach and Coach Practitioner at the school, was first on the scene and blogs about the lessons he learned from the incident.

High School ACL Injury Rates

By Dawn Comstock, PhD

On average, athletes are eight times more likely to suffer anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in competition than practice and girls are eight times more likely to suffer ACL injuries than boys when playing similar sports. These findings are among those reported by researchers from The Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Here, they share their analysis of knee injury rates for high school athletes as they relate to sport and gender.

Lighting A Fire

By Rich Jacobs, MS, SCCC, CSCS

It's one thing to design a great strength and conditioning program. But unless you can get your athletes to buy in completely, that program won't be worth the paper it's printed on. Xavier University Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Rich Jacobs shares his keys for keeping the Musketeers men's soccer team hungry and motivated during their workouts.

Q&A With Chris Hirth

By Kyle Garratt

In his first season as men's basketball Head Athletic Trainer for the University of North Carolina, Chris Hirth, ATC, PT, PES, inherited national title expectations and the pressure of filling the shoes of a man who held the position for over 30 years. Hirth helped the team withstand injuries to key student-athletes early and late, including star guard Ty Lawson, who played through a painful turf toe injury during the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.

Coaching Your Coaches

By Ryan Johnson

As a strength and conditioning coach, one of the most important parts of your job is educating and gaining the confidence of the sport coaches you work with. Ryan Johnson, CSCS, Coach Practitioner and Strength and Conditioning Coach at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minn., shares his thoughts on teaching coaches about the value of strength training, especially as it pertains to multi-sport athletes.

Help On The Way?

By Kyle Garratt

From bills that would increase testing for concussions in Texas and steroids in Illinois, to proposals aimed at improving high school athlete safety in North Carolina and Kentucky, sports medicine legislation is making news across the country. Here's a look at where these and other bills stand.

Severe Injury Trends For Prep Sports

By Dawn Comstock

Injuries can run the gamut from a contused leg that results in no playing time loss at all to a season-ending complete knee ligament sprain. We recently used data from the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study to examine rates and patterns of severe injury in nine high school sports: football, boys' and girls' soccer, volleyball, boys' and girls' basketball, wrestling, baseball, and softball.

Twist On Dynamic Warmup

By Peter Twist

Having athletes go through a dynamic warmup is a good first step toward injury prevention and performance optimization. Here, Peter Twist, MS, BPE, CSCS, President of Twist Conditioning, describes the importance of a dynamic warmup and provides sample exercises to achieve pre-game and pre-practice neuromuscular activation.

Hip To Be Smooth

By R.J. Anderson

Nearly a year and a half after undergoing Birmingham Hip Resurfacing surgery, elite endurance athlete Robyn Benincasa is back at the top of her game. The procedure has helped Benincasa overcome a painful battle with osteoarthritis, and she is again conquering adventure racing courses all over the world.

Net Gains

By Rich Jacobs, MS, SCCC, CSCS

As defending Atlantic 10 Conference champions, the Xavier University men's tennis team entered the 2009 season with a large target on its collective back. Repeating would be difficult and Head Coach Eric Toth knew that doing so would require that his athletes get in better shape than ever before. That's why he asked me to design a program that would improve the team's strength and conditioning during the off-season and maintain those gains throughout a long, grueling season.

A Safe Place

By Abigail Funk

Is your athletic training room a place where athletes feel safe from homophobia? The majority of high school athletic trainers have witnessed homophobic behavior in their athletic training rooms, according to a study presented at the Sport, Sexuality, & Culture Conference last week.

All Eyes On Concussions

By Dawn Comstock

Because of the high incidence and serious nature of concussions, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) designates every March as brain injury awareness month. This year, the BIAA is dedicating their efforts to concussions in youth sports. Dawn Comstock examines this important issue and provides guideline analysis and communication tips for treating and educating high school athletes.

What's On Your Resume?

By Mark Brennan MS, SCCC, CSCS

Wondering what it takes break into the strength and conditioning coaching ranks at the NCAA Division I level? A recent study queried head strength and conditioning coaches across all levels of Division I to find out what they look for in a candidate.

Study Supports Accelerated ACL Rehab

By Abigail Funk

As the debate over how long an athlete should wait before returning to play after undergoing ACL reconstruction surgery continues, evidence has surfaced supporting an accelerated rehab approach. Two physicians from the Shelbourne Knee Center at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, IN, presented their findings at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) in Las Vegas this past week.

Blood Therapy

By Abigail Funk

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy made headlines following the Super Bowl, when it was revealed that Pittsburgh Steelers Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu had undergone PRP injections in the days leading up to the game. But what is PRP therapy? And how could it improve the treatment of chronic injuries like tennis elbow and knee tendonitis?

Something In The Water

By Mike Phelps

Vitaminwater and its parent company, Coca-Cola, made headlines recently after a report surfaced alleging that six of the brand's flavors could result in a positive banned-substances test under NCAA rules. As an NCAA corporate sponsor, the allegations against Vitaminwater were particularly troubling for both the company and the NCAA and caught the attention of college athletic departments across the country. After that initial report, however, the NCAA quickly issued a correction. But confusion remains for many.

More Than Meets The Ice

By Dawn Comstock

The Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus shares its analysis of injury rates for hockey players high school-age and younger based on injury type and gender.

Heart Screens Studied at Texas H.S.

By Mike Phelps

In 2007, the Texas state legislature allocated $1 million for a statewide study to determine whether or not electrocardiograms (EKGs) and echocardiograms should be mandatory for all students in Texas. Children's Medical Center in Dallas was selected to conduct the study, along with researchers in Austin and Houston. Those researchers then chose students from Garland (Texas) Independent School District to participate in the study. Here's the latest on heart screenings at high schools nationwide.

Q&A with Mark O'Neal

By Kenny Berkowitz

Chicago Cubs Head Athletic Trainer Mark O'Neal, LAT, ATC, and his colleagues were named the 2008 Major League Baseball Athletic Training Staff of the Year. In this interview, O'Neal talks about winning the award, the daily challenges of working in the Major Leagues, and preparing for spring training.

Football's Concussion Crisis

By Kyle Garratt

Leading medical experts announced several discoveries this week linking concussions and degenerative brain disease. Included in this data is the case of a now-deceased 18-year-old whose football-related head trauma may have contributed to a rare brain disease.

Coming In From The Cold

By Ryan Johnson

The holidays are over, winter sports are in full swing, and athletes preparing for spring sports are chomping at the bit to begin preseason practices. Ryan Johnson, CSCS, Coach Practitioner and Strength and Conditioning Coach at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minn., checks in with T&C and brings us up to speed on what's going in his program this winter.

Breaks in the Action

By Dawn Comstock

The Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Cincinnati shares its analysis of fracture rates for high school athletes as they relate to sport and gender.

The Balance Challenge

By Peter Twist

Consider a high-speed collision-oriented athlete relying on movement mechanics, whose weight is supported only by a thin skate blade while navigating a slippery surface. Visualize a pro golfer driving a ball over 350 yards, a downhill skier blasting over icy terrain, a mountain biker riding over rocks and roots, or a Major League Baseball player making a spectacular diving catch. One of the movement skills that each of these athletes relies on for optimum performance is balance, which leads to one question: Why hasn't every level of athlete development embraced structured balance training?

The Profession In Print

By R.J. Anderson

Though athletic trainers usually operate behind the scenes providing services that largely go unnoticed by the general public, occasionally their efforts are recognized in the mainstream news. From time to time, Training-Conditioning.com will present a collection of links to newspaper articles from around the country featuring high school and college athletic trainers in action, as well as other news from the field.

Gene Testing

By R.J. Anderson

As you look around your locker room or playing field, the evidence of genetic advantages is everywhere. From size and body mass tendencies to speed and coordination, it seems many athletes are born with a predisposition for success in sports--many call it God-given ability. Now, a new genetic test claims to have the ability to identify at a young age whether someone has more potential as a power athlete or as an endurance athlete. However, many people are debating whether or not this type of science does young athletes and our sports culture as a whole any favors.

A Growing Weight Problem

By Greg Scholand

You don't have to be an athletic trainer to see that football players, especially linemen, are a lot bigger than they used to be. Two decades ago, the average NFL lineman weighed 281 pounds--today, he weighs more than 315 pounds. And new research shows this trend hasn't been limited to the professional ranks. High school and youth players are bulking up more than ever, and the results aren't all positive.

The Bigger They Are...

By Dawn Comstock

The Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Cincinnati shares its analysis of injury patterns of high school athletes as they relate to those athletes' body mass index.

Legends of the Fall

By Ryan Johnson

State championships in hand, Ryan Johnson, CSCS, Coach Practitioner and Strength and Conditioning Coach at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minn., shares the strength and conditioning secrets behind his athletic program's successes.

Prepping for the Pros

By Steven Plisk

With the end of the college football season squarely in our sights, many of college football's elite upperclassmen are looking ahead to their next challenge: preparing for the NFL Scouting Combine. In this feature, Steven Plisk, MS, Director of Excelsior Sports, a coaching and consulting service specializing in professional development and athlete preparation, provides an inside look at the nuts and bolts of this all-important job interview.

New in Nutrition

By Susan Kundrat

In November, the 2008 American Dietetic Association's (ADA) Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo was held in Chicago. Susan Kundrat, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, a sports dietitian for athletes at the University of Illinois and Bradley University, was there, and she shares with us what she learned.

A Twist on Rotational Training

By Peter Twist

Peter Twist, MS, BPE, CSCS, President of Twist Conditioning, describes his approach to core development and shares a sample progression.

Been There, Done That

By Dawn Comstock

The only thing worse than an injury is a re-injury. Here, the Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Cincinnati shares its analysis of recurrent injury rates and trends for high school athletes.

News From The Field

By R.J. Anderson

Spending most of their time working behind the scenes, athletic trainers rarely receive the kind of recognition their work deserves. When they do make headlines, we like to spread the word with a selection of links to articles profiling athletic trainers and sports medicine education programs.

H.S. Athlete Death Rate Rises

By Abigail Funk

Are more high school athletes playing through pain or ignoring the signs and symptoms of a possible concussion? Or are they just plain playing "harder" than in the past? Whatever the reasons, there is no avoiding the fact that more high school student-athletes have died from and suffered catastrophic injuries already this school year than in the past several years combined.

Dr. Andrews Partners with West Florida

By Kyle Garratt

James Andrews, MD, is possibly the world's foremost orthopedic physician. His reputation transcends the medical world, and his name is known by coaches, doctors, and millions of sports fans. So when the University of West Florida partnered with the Andrews Institute to help enhance the school's Department of Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science, it was very big news.

H.S. Shoulder Injury Analysis

By Dawn Comstock

The Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Cincinnati shares its analysis of high school shoulder injury data it gathered during the 2005 to 2007 school years.

Game of Emotions

By Ryan Johnson

Being a strength and conditioning coach in today's athletic landscape requires more than just a knowledge of how to shape athletes' bodies. In this Blog, Ryan Johnson, CSCS, Coach Practitioner and Strength and Conditioning Coach at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minn., writes about helping his players through the diverse emotional and psychological challenges they face on and off the field.

Analyzing ACLs Beyond Gender

By Mike Phelps

It is widely accepted that females are more prone to ACL tears than males, but the specific reasons behind the increased risk are not yet fully understood. A recent consensus statement from the NATA says the association hopes to help future researchers answer these questions, while also stating a need for fewer gender studies, which look simply at sex differences.

Back in Rhythm

By Mike Phelps

With school back in session, there is no shortage of headlines about automated external defibrillators (AEDs). This month T&C examines AED news from around the country.

Athletes Donating Brains To Science

By Mario Nishihara

Former New England Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson, along with 15 other athletes from the NFL, NHL, and past Olympic swimming and soccer teams, has agreed to—upon his death—donate his brain to research at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, a joint venture between the Boston University School of Medicine and Sports Legacy Institute. Johnson and the other donors hope to contribute to productive research on the long-term effects concussions have on the human brain.

Athletic Trainers in the News

By R.J. Anderson

Spending most of their time working behind the scenes, athletic trainers rarely receive the kind of recognition their work deserves. When they do make headlines, we like to spread the word with a selection of links to articles featuring athletic trainers in action.

Lightning Safety

By Dennis Read

While spring may be the time of the year most often associated with thunderstorms, there’s plenty of action—and danger—in the skies during the fall. Numerous college football games were delayed by lightning last weekend while some high school games have ended early for the same reason. So now is as good a time as any to review the basics of lightning safety and some of the new technology that can help keep your athletes safe.

High School Heat Tips

By Dawn Comstock

The Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati examines simple tactics high schools can use to prevent dehydration and heat illness during the fall season's very warm early-season practices.

Back From Beijing

By Kyle Garratt

David Andrews, ATC, Athletic Trainer at Gig Harbor (Wash.) High School and Northwest Sports Physical Therapy, is back in Washington after spending the summer in Beijing as the Head Athletic Trainer for the U.S. men's Olympic soccer team. In this interview, Andrews talks about preparing for the Olympics, making tough choices, and the difference between working with high school and Olympic athletes.

Happy New Year!

By Ryan Johnson

Refreshed and recharged by a strong summer, Ryan Johnson, CSCS, Coach Practitioner and Strength and Conditioning Coach at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minn., is amped up about the upcoming school year. With much anticipation surrounding the kickoff of high school and college sports seasons across the country, the buzz is electric.

Spanning the Sports Medicine Globe

By Dave Ellis

From preventing anemia to MRSA to sleep deficit effects, a number of hot-button stories and recent studies caught the eye of contributor Dave Ellis, RD, CSCS, a sports nutrition and recovery professional who works with a variety of professional and collegiate athletic teams.

International Support

By Mike Phelps

There won't be any athletic trainers on the medal stand during the Beijing Olympics, but odds are they'll play a significant role in helping the athletes who do get there. A handful of athletic trainers from high schools and colleges across the country will be working in Beijing, while a pharmacist from Washington is also making the trip.

Sickle Cell Precautions

By Kenny Berkowitz

At an off-season football workout earlier this year, sickle cell trait proved fatal for University of Central Florida wide receiver Ereck Plancher. But with proper precautions, the sickle cell doesn't have to be a barrier to safe athletic participation.

Heat Illness Study Roundup

By Abigail Funk

As we head toward preseason practices for football and other fall sports, heat illness is on every athletic trainer's mind. Here is some of the most recently published heat illness-related research.

Athletic Trainers Making News

By Kenny Berkowitz

Spending most of their time working behind the scenes, athletic trainers rarely receive the kind of recognition their work deserves. When they do make headlines, we like to spread the word with a selection of links to articles featuring athletic trainers in action.

Jumping for Joy

By Ryan Johnson

At Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minn., Jordan Helgren, a two-time Minnesota girls’ state champion triple jumper, dislocated her patella three weeks before the 2008 state meet. Ryan Johnson, CSCS, Coach Practitioner and Strength and Conditioning Coach at Wayzata, blogs about the team effort that got Helgren back on track and able to successfully defend her title.

Rugby Injury Breakdown

By R. Dawn Comstock

Dawn Comstock, PhD, Principle Investigator at The Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, analyzes injury rates and trends for rugby while sharing the results from two new studies.

Q&A with Dave "DC" Colt

By Abigail Funk

T&C would like to congratulate Dave "DC" Colt, MSEd, LAT, ATC, Head Athletic Trainer at Northwest Missouri State University (NWMSU), on his induction into the NATA Hall of Fame last month! In this interview, Colt shares his thoughts on his most recent honor and how the profession has changed during his 27 years in and on the field.

Supplement and Nutrition Notes

By Dave Ellis

Contributor Dave Ellis, RD, CSCS, a sports nutrition and recovery professional, provides a list of recent links to important health and nutrition news and studies from across the country.

Views From the Floor

T&C Assistant Editor Greg Scholand blogged from the 59th annual NATA Meeting and Clinical Symposia in St. Louis. Read his take on convention happenings as well as interesting tidbits he saw on the floor, during seminars, and while attending different events.

Sweet Taste of Recovery

By Ryan Johnson

Ryan Johnson, CSCS, Coach Practitioner and Strength and Conditioning Coach at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minn., has been seeing great results with a low-cost post-workout recovery drink that is readily available at his school's cafeteria. Chocolate milk is now an essential part of his strength development program.

Can Turf Fields Pose Health Risks?

By Dennis Read

Athletic trainers are used to watching contests that are played on their teams' fields. Now some are seeing battles being fought over those fields. Recent reports of high lead levels in a few synthetic turf fields have roused critics with concerns about the technology's safety. However, industry leaders strongly stand behind the safety of their products, countering that there is no evidence linking synthetic turf to illness or environmental damage.

Injury Rates for Practice Vs. Competition

By Dawn Comstock

Contributor Dawn Comstock, PhD, Principle Investigator at The Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, compares rates and trends for injuries sustained during competition versus those that occur at practice.

Skipping Specialization

By Nate Dougherty

In many places, the three-sport high school athlete is an endangered species. Whether it's fall baseball, indoor soccer in the winter, or summer volleyball leagues, more young athletes are being pressured into choosing one sport to play year round. This becomes especially important when college scholarships are on the line and student-athletes are more or less forced to pick one sport just to keep up with competitors.

Strong Days of Summer

By Ryan Johnson

Ryan Johnson, CSCS, Coach Practitioner and Strength and Conditioning Coach at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minn., shares his thoughts on running an eight-week summer strength training program for his student-athletes.

Banishing Blisters

By Stan Reents

Blisters occur commonly and they can occur anywhere. Here, contributor Stan Reents shares tips for blister treatment and prevention.

Serving Up Support

By Abigail Funk

Last April, the the Brigham Young University women's volleyball team found out that its long-time Athletic Trainer and BYU's Director of Sports Medicine, Gaye Merrill, MS, ATC, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. They wanted to show their support and came up with the idea to wear pink bracelets, signifying breast cancer awareness.

Nutrition Case Study

By Michelle Rockwell

Contributor Michelle Rockwell shares the case study of a track and field athlete who used creatine to make lean muscle gains and performance improvements.

Q&A with Jenny Moshak

By Abigail Funk

It isn't every day a college athletic trainer is heralded in a front-page story on ESPN.com or in USA Today. But Jenny Moshak, MS, LAT, ATC, CSCS, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine at the University of Tennessee, recently found herself in the media spotlight as she helped to rehab All-American forward Candace Parker in the midst of the Lady Volunteers' run to its eighth NCAA national championship last month. Here, Moshak recounts Parker's injury, what went into her extremely fast rehab in the days before the team's Final Four game, and how Moshak dealt with the sudden onslaught of interview requests and media exposure.

Youth Lacrosse Injury Breakdown

By Dawn Comstock

Contributor Dawn Comstock, PhD, Principle Investigator at The Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, takes a look at injury rates and trends for youth lacrosse players.

World Wide Workouts

By Ryan Johnson

Contributor Ryan Johnson, CSCS, is Coach Practitioner and Strength and Conditioning Coach at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minn. This week, Johnson shares his experience with developing a strength and conditioning-specific Web page on his school's site.

Athletic Trainers In The News

By Abigail Funk

Though they operate behind the scenes and do work that goes largely unnoticed by the general public, occasionally athletic trainers have their efforts recognized in the mainstream news. When these key contributors do make headlines, we want to share them with you. So from time to time, T&C will present a collection of links to newspaper articles from around the country featuring high school and college athletic trainers in action.

"Runner's High" Gains Traction

By R.J. Anderson

New scientific data supports the endorphin-releasing process that has long been hypothesized to follow intense bouts of exercise. The term "runner's high" was once considered folklore by some scientists, but an article published in the March issue of the journal Cerebral Cortex may prompt non-believers to adjust their thinking.

Baseball and Softball Injury Analysis

By Dawn Comstock

Contributor Dawn Comstock, PhD, from The Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital again gives T&C readers an inside look at her recent studies of high school athletics injuries. In this blog, Comstock takes a look at injury rates and trends for high school baseball and softball players.

Living the Dream

By Ryan Johnson

New contributor Ryan Johnson, CSCS, is a Coach Practitioner and Strength and Conditioning Coach at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minn. From time to time, Johnson will share his take on the challenges facing high school strength and conditioning professionals. In this blog, Johnson introduces himself and describes his role at Wayzata High School.

Cause for Celebration

Kelli Brewer Sabiston, MA, ATC, LAT, Owner/Consultant at Atlantic Athletic Training Services in Shallotte, N.C., shares what National Athletic Training Month means to her and the importance the profession plays in today's athletic culture.

Sharing the Functional Path

Vern Gambetta, a frequent contributor to T&C, recently announced a special educational opportunity called the Gambetta Athletic Improvement Network (GAIN) Apprentorship. The program was developed based on Gambetta's career experiences following and leading the functional training path.

A Sharp Facility

By Nate Dougherty

Herb Rhea, ATC, Head Athletic Trainer at Jenks (Okla.) High School, talks about the health and fitness center that was recently constructed at his high school. The facility, which contains an underwater treadmill, also houses a physical therapy clinic run by a local hospital.

Ex-QB Develops New Football Helmet

By R.J. Anderson

Being a good quarterback is as much mental as it is physical. So it makes sense that former Harvard University signal-caller Vin Ferrara, MD, is helping to make sure quarterbacks--and all other players--can keep using their heads after violent collisions by developing a new type of helmet.

Knees to Know

By Dr. Dawn Comstock

Each month, The Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital provides T&C with an inside look at their studies of high school athletics injuries. In this installment, Dawn Comstock, PhD, takes a look at knee injuries, examining gender-specific trends and breaking down each sport's most common mechanisms of injury.

Performance Enhancement Awareness

By Dave Ellis, RD, CSCS

We caught up with contributor Dave Ellis on his way to Major League Baseball Spring Training to get his thoughts on the recent headlines involving performance-enhancing drugs (PED).

NATA Suing APTA

By Kenny Berkowitz

T&C examines the recent lawsuit filed by the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) against the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

Analyzing Intervals

By Stan Reents

Contributor Stan Reents analyzes recent interval training studies conducted by Canadian researchers.

Stimulating Discussion

By Danielle Catalano

Recently, the State University of New York at Buffalo and the National Football League partnered to study the effectiveness of electrical stimulation in the acute care management of orthopedic injuries and edema formation. Here are some of the findings.

Grappling with Wrestling Injuries

By Dr. Dawn Comstock

Each month, The Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital provides T&C with an inside look at their studies of high school athletics injuries. In this blog, Dawn Comstock, PhD, takes a look at injury rates and trends for wrestlers.

Practice What You Preach

By Gregory White

Gregory "Graig" White, Strength & Conditioning Specialist at Rutgers University-Camden, shares his philosophy for working with sport coaches. This final installment in our two-part series examines how he shares his vision with the coaches he works with.

Working it Out

By Gregory White

Gregory "Graig" White, Strength & Conditioning Specialist at Rutgers University-Camden, shares his philosophy for working with sport coaches. This is the first installment in a two-part series.

Peer Publicity

By R.J. Anderson

Though they operate behind the scenes and do work that goes largely unnoticed by the general public, occasionally athletic trainers have their efforts recognized in the mainstream news. When these key contributors do make headlines, we want to share them with you. So from time to time, Training-Conditioning.com will present a collection of links to newspaper articles from around the country featuring high school and college athletic trainers in action.

Where it Hurts in Hoops

By Dawn Comstock, PhD

Each month, The Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital provides T&C with an inside look at their studies of high school athletics injuries. In this blog, Dawn Comstock, PhD takes a look at injury rates and trends for both boys and girls basketball players.

Bridging the Gap

By Dr. James Onate

Contributor James Onate, PhD, ATC, Assistant Professor and Director of the Sports Medicine Research Laboratory at Old Dominion University, discusses the need to improve the understanding of applying clinical practice into research and the importance of applying those studies in clinical practice.

Back On Track in '08

By Christopher Holder

Christopher Holder, MS, RKC, CSCS, Director of Strength and Conditioning at San Jose State University, shares lessons he learned from a trying football season that saw the team finish 5-7. After plenty of reflection and self-evaluation, Holder talks about how he and his staff have regrouped and are preparing to attack 2008.

Cyber Structure

By Chad Kinart, MS, ATC

Chad Kinart, MS, ATC, Athletic Trainer for ESPN Sports Medicine in Omaha, Neb., provides his perspective on progressing toward a Web-based injury tracking application within a collegiate athletic training room setting. Kinart served as an Assistant Athletic Trainer at the University of Nebraska-Omaha from 2000 to 2006.

Analyzing Easy Energy

By Stan Reents, PharmD

In the beginning, athletes had sports drinks like Gatorade. Then, energy bars such as PowerBar were what serious endurance athletes used. Several years ago, energy gels arrived on the scene. Today, athletes who want a burst of energy during exercise have an even wider variety of sports nutrition products to choose from. In this article, frequent contributor Stan Reents reviews carbohydrate-containing gels and chewable products.

Q&A with Steve McCauley

Steve McCauley, LAT, ATC, CSCS, is Head of Health Services for Wynn Las Vegas. He currently provides athletic training services for the 85-member cast of the popular acrobatic show, Le Rève. In this interview, McCauley shares his thoughts on working in the entertainment industry and talks about what it's like to provide coverage for world-class performers.

More Than MRSA

By Dawn Comstock

Recent media attention has athletes, coaches, and parents on edge about methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, more commonly known as MRSA. However, despite a growing awareness of this potentially life-threatening condition, many student-athletes and parents may be unaware that MRSA is just the tip of the iceberg.

Helping Hands Make Headlines

By R.J. Anderson

Though they operate behind the scenes and do work that goes largely unnoticed by the general public, occasionally athletic trainers have their efforts recognized in the mainstream news. When these key contributors do make headlines, we want to share them with you. So from time to time, T&C will present a collection of links to newspaper articles from around the country featuring high school and college athletic trainers in action.

Handling Hamstring Injuries

By James A. Onate, PhD, ATC; Zahra Ismaeli, MS, ATC; and Bonnie Van Lunen, PhD, ATC

Muscle strains are one of the most common injuries in sports, and one of the most frequent strains occurs in the hamstring group. Incidence of hamstring injuries ranges from 6 percent to 36 percent of all injuries in sport activities. Hamstring injuries often result in prolonged convalescence and time away from activity. Especially frustrating for athletes and the clinicians treating them is the high rate of recurrence. One-third of athletes who sustain an initial hamstring injury will reinjure their hamstring within a year of returning to play. This high prevalence has challenged clinicians and researchers to recognize and identify factors to prevent initial injury and recognizing those susceptible for reinjury.

High Tops and Helping Hands

By Kenny Berkowitz

As a member of the Rainier Beach (Wash.) High School Vikings boys' basketball team that won the state title in 1998, Jamal Crawford vowed that if he ever succeeded, he'd give back to his school. Since then, as a shooting guard on the New York Knicks, he's underwritten a $100,000 project to renovate the school gymnasium and created a hometown basketball camp for kids from six to 16 years old. Now, with a benefit called "High Tops and Helping Hands," he's championed a new cause: trying to provide a full-time certified athletic trainer for each of Seattle's 10 public high schools.

Analyzing Sports Creams

By Stan Reents

Stan Reents, PharmD, is a former healthcare professional. He holds Personal Trainer and Lifestyle Counselor certifications from the American Council on Exercise and has been certified as a tennis coach by the United States Tennis Association. He is the author of Sport and Exercise Pharmacology, published by Human Kinetics. A collection of Reents's articles is available at www.AthleteInMe.com and he can be reached at: Editor@athleteinme.com.

On April 3, 2007, Arielle Newman, a 17-year-old track and cross-country standout for Notre Dame Academy on Staten Island, NY, died in her sleep.

Following a two-month investigation by the New York City medical examiner, a spokeswoman for that office stated that Newman died of salicylate toxicity. It was determined that, for relief from the typical aches and pains that result from a grueling training regimen, she applied large amounts of sports creams to her legs. She died from an accidental overdose of methyl salicylate, the wintergreen-scented ingredient found in topical products like BenGay, Icy Hot, and Tiger Balm because her body absorbed a toxic amount.

How could this happen? After all, Newman was a healthy high school athlete.

Examining Soccer Injuries

By Dawn Comstock

Dawn Comstock, PhD, is a principal investigator at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital. She is also an assistant professor at Ohio State University in the College of Medicine and the College of Public Health. Her research interests include the epidemiology of sports, recreation, and leisure activity-related injuries among children and adolescents as well as the life-long health benefits associated with an active childhood. She can be reached at Dawn.Comstock@NationwideChildrens.org.

Every fall, hundreds of millions of fans worldwide tune in to watch their countries battle in soccer's World Cup. Although soccer has not always been as popular in the United States as it is in many other countries, this tide is quickly changing. In the past 30 years, U.S. high school soccer participation has increased almost five-fold among boys and almost 50-fold among girls. Soccer is a great sport to help keep children in shape while teaching important life lessons such as teamwork and goal setting. However, soccer players can be injured. Understanding how and why soccer injuries occur can help coaches and athletic trainers work with athletes to prevent injuries from occurring.

Albohm Elected NATA President

By R.J. Anderson

On Oct. 5, the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) general membership elected Marjorie Albohm, MS, ATC, LAT, to be its next president. After being sworn in at the NATA Annual Meeting held June 2008 in St. Louis, Albohm will lead the association's 30,000-plus members for a four-year term.

Females Face Concussion Risks

By Nate Dougherty

Concussions among high school athletes are generally thought by most to be a boy's injury, suffered by football players crashing into one another at top speed or hockey players slamming into the boards. Girls, whose sports often have rules against hitting, aren't always at the front of people's minds when thinking about head injuries. But a new study shows it's female athletes who may actually be at a higher risk for concussions.

Conquering Cramping

By Dave Ellis, RD, CSCS

Sports dietitian and strength coach Dave Ellis, RD, CSCS, has been refining and field testing his three-step Fueling Tactics sports nutrition system for over 26 years. He recently released his nutrition system on DVD at his Web site: www.fuelingtactics.com. Dave has experience at all levels of sport, which has made him a valuable asset for some of the most demanding sport coaches and a valuable sounding board for our readers. Recently Dave's work at the Olympic level was recognized when he was named a finalist for the 2007 USOC "Doc" Counsilman Science Award.

There are a lot of ways to cramp, so you can bet the information on this topic is going to be confusing. The debate over the best way to prevent or resolve Exercise Associated Muscle Cramps (EAMCs) has historically sparked lively discussions in scientific settings like annual American College of Sports Medicine meetings.

Building a Fantastic Facility

By Abigail Funk

Dale Mildenberger, MS, ATC, Head Athletic Trainer at Utah State University, says prior to the August opening of USU's new sports medicine facility, the school had the worst physical housing of sports medicine in all of college football--at any division. Spanning a paltry 900 square feet and housing one office with three desks for 14 athletic training staff members, three treatment tables, and five taping stations, Mildenberger no longer wants to remember how difficult it was to administer care for the university's 300 student-athletes.

Concussion Calculations

By Dawn Comstock

Dawn Comstock, PhD, is a principle investigator at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Columbus Children's Research Institute, Columbus Children's Hospital. She is also an assistant professor at The Ohio State University in the College of Medicine and the College of Public Health. Her research interests include the epidemiology of sports, recreation, and leisure activity-related injuries among children and adolescents as well as the life-long health benefits associated with an active childhood. She can be reached at ComstocD@ccri.net.

Concussions, although often downplayed through the use of terms such as "having your bell rung," "seeing stars," or being "dinged," are serious and relatively common injuries. Sustaining repeated concussions throughout an athletic career can result in lasting physical and mental impairment. In extreme situations, receiving multiple concussions in a short period of time can even lead to second impact syndrome, a serious and potentially fatal condition. In recent years, concussions have been brought to the national spotlight by former NFL stars such as Mike Webster and Larry Morris suffering from post concussion syndrome and dementia.

A Cool Breakthrough

By Abigail Funk

As Buffalo Bills backup tight end and special teamer Kevin Everett lay on the turf after colliding with a Denver Broncos kick returner last weekend in Buffalo, a worried silence went over the crowd. Everett lay motionless, while spectators, TV viewers, coaches, and players held their collective breath hoping to see any sort of movement.

And, as it turns out, the worst of nearly everyone's fears was realized: Everett had suffered a severe spinal cord injury and was fighting for his life. However, thanks to a groundbreaking experimental medical procedure, there is hope that he will regain use of his extremities and may even walk out of the hospital. The following is a description of the innovative approach that has given Everett and his family hope for recovery. It's a method that athletic trainers across the country may need to familiarize themselves with in the near future.

Sizing Up Hamstring Injuries

By Vern Gambetta

Vern Gambetta, MA, is President of Gambetta Sports Training Systems in Sarasota, Fla. The former Director of Conditioning for the Chicago White Sox, he has also worked extensively with basketball, soccer, and track and field athletes. He is a frequent contributor to Training & Conditioning. Vern also maintains his own blog at www.functionalpathtraining.blogspot.com

I am amazed and astounded at the number of hamstring pulls and oblique pulls in Major League Baseball. I also find it appalling and alarming that players miss months with a hamstring pull. I do not have any first hand knowledge of specific injury situations, but I base my opinions on the many years I spent immersed in the training culture of the sport.

Heart of the Issue

By Greg Scholand

This week's tragic death of 22-year-old Spanish soccer player Antonio Puerta, who collapsed during a match and died in a hospital three days later, provides the latest grim reminder of athletes' susceptibility to heart failure. As fall high school and college sports get underway and the NFL, NHL, and NBA seasons are just around the corner, it's something sports medicine professionals at all levels should be thinking about.

Q&A with Jeremy Goates

Jeremy Goates, LAT, ATC, is beginning his first year as Head Athletic Trainer at Lawrence (Kans.) High School. Also an athletic trainer at the Kansas Center for Athletic Medicine, Goates is assuming his third full-time head athletic training position at a high school since graduating from the University of Kansas in 2002 and receiving his ATC in 2003. As many athletic trainers across the country begin the school year at a new school, Goates offers some advice on taking advantage of a fresh start.

One More Year

By Abigail Funk

At age 59, most strength coaches are training student-athletes and just trying to keep their physical conditioning at a functional level. Not Mike Flynt, a former strength and conditioning coach at the Universities of Nebraska and Oregon and Texas A&M Univeristy, who recently made the roster of an NCAA Division III football team.

Shaping a Philosophy

By Chris Carlisle

Chris Carlisle, BSE, MA, CSCC, is beginning his seventh season as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Southern California. Questions for Carlisle can be directed to USCRipsIt.com Online Media Director Ben Malcolmson at: Ben@USCRipsIt.com.

I've been coaching for 23 years. During that time I've coached at the high school level, the junior college level, and the NCAA Division I level. I've been fortunate to be associated with teams that have won 14 national championships in seven different sports. I've worked with Olympic gold medalists, Heisman trophy winners, and numerous All-Americans. Yet, after all of this time I have found that I am just scratching the surface of finding the best way to train young men and women to be at the top of their athletic ability.

Ice Baths Get Chilly Review

By Nate Dougherty

On the surface, it sounds like medieval torture. Filling up a tub with ice and jumping in following a workout can bring moments of incredible pain to an athlete, but those who dare to take the dip say the feeling afterward makes the discomfort well worth it. But as the steamy summer days continue and outdoor practices and competitions pick up, new research shows that athletic trainers may want to think twice about having athletes submerge into ice water to relieve cramping muscles.

Medicine Ball For All

By Dr. Avery D. Faigenbaum and Patrick Mediate

Avery Faigenbaum, EdD, CSCS, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at The College of New Jersey. He recently served as Vice President of the National Strength & Conditioning Association. Faigenbaum has published over 100 articles on fitness and conditioning and is the author of five books, including "Progressive Plyometrics for Kids" and "Strength and Power for Young Adults." Patrick Mediate, CSCS, is a former member of the NSCA Board of Directors and Regional Coordinator and State Director of the NSCA. He currently teaches physical education, coordinates the strength and conditioning program, and coaches track and field at Greenwich (Conn.) High School. Mediate and Faigenbaum co-authored the training handbooks, "Medicine Ball for All" and "Medicine Ball for All Kids."

Due to the poor performance of Greenwich High School students on standardized physical fitness testing, we developed a progressive, challenging, and inexpensive physical activity intervention. Our goal was to develop a physical activity program that would enhance physical fitness abilities and provide school-age students with a meaningful learning experience consistent with their developmental needs. We call our program "Medicine Ball for All" because it utilizes medicine balls and is appropriate for all school-age children regardless of body size or fitness level.

Q&A with Elaine Winslow-Redmond

Elaine Winslow-Redmond, MS, ATC, performed with the Radio City Rockettes for 11 years. As an athletic trainer, she has created a wellness program for the Rockettes and now is Head Athletic Trainer and Athletic Training Program Director for the troupe. She also serves as an athletic training consultant for the Blue Man Group, the New York Knicks City Dancers, Tap Kids, and the New York City Dance Alliance as well as Norwegian Cruise Lines and the Broadway Theater Dance Workshop.

Winslow-Redmond is a member of the NATA and the association's Council on Employment. She has a BFA in dance from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and an MS in applied physiology and nutrition from Columbia University. Here, she talks about what drew her to the athletic training profession and explains the challenges and rewards of working with world-class performers.

Debate on Young Arms Continues

By Nate Dougherty

This season, Little League Baseball instituted pitch counts that limit young players to a certain number of pitches per game based on their age, and also required set rest periods between appearances depending on the pitch count of the previous outing. The changes, which have been well-received, are part of an effort to curb overuse injuries to young pitching arms in hopes of avoiding surgery down the road. However, there is also new research from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) that says not all young pitchers who log a large number of innings are headed for the surgeon's table.

A Strong Showing

By Jeffrey A. Segal

Jeffrey A. Segal, CPTS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, CPR/AED, is President of Balanced Personal Training, Inc., based in Boca Raton, Fla. He filed this report after attending the 2007 National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) National Conference and Exhibition.

The 2007 National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) National Conference and Exhibition was a true success and firmly supported the organization's mission statement. As the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning, we support and disseminate research-based knowledge and its practical application to improve athletic performance and fitness. One of many important topics covered at the conference was youth fitness. Some of the most highly regarded minds in the field, such as Juan Carlos Santana, Avery Faigenbaum, Patrick Mediate, N. Travis Triplett, and Clive Brewer gave great lectures on this topic with evidence and literature that backed up their claims.

Other interesting presentations focused on injury prevention, Olympic lifting movements, and power specificity. There were also a number of different lectures on undulating periodization, which provided the audience with a variety of perspectives on a much-discussed topic. The last lecture, Speed, Power and Agility Training for Athletic Performance by John Graham, may have been one of the best. Many of the speakers referred to research studies conducted by well-known attendees, including Steven Fleck and William Kraemer.

R.I.P. Periodization?

By Vern Gambetta

Vern Gambetta, MA, is President of Gambetta Sports Training Systems in Sarasota, Fla. The former Director of Conditioning for the Chicago White Sox, he has also worked extensively with basketball, soccer, and track and field athletes. He is a frequent contributor to Training & Conditioning. Vern also maintains his own blog at www.functionalpathtraining.blogspot.com

Is Periodization Dead?

This was one of the questions asked at a presentation I did for athletics and swim coaches at the University of Queensland during my recent trip to Australia. It is an important question, and one that certainly should not be taken lightly. That said, periodization as it has been commonly taught by Bompa et al. is dead! To me, that neat, defined world of general preparation, special preparation, competition, and transition does not exist anymore.

NCAA's Word on the Street

By Laura Ulrich

Colleges and universities are doing a fine job of monitoring their athletes for recreational drug use, and the NCAA doesn't need to get involved in the effort. That was the decision made by an NCAA committee in June, when it shot down a proposal that would have had the association begin testing athletes for street drugs, including marijuana and cocaine.

NFL Holds Concussion Discussion

By R.J. Anderson

On Tuesday, June 19, many of the country's foremost experts on concussions gathered in Rosemont, Ill., for a breakthrough symposium on an injury that is of growing concern in the athletics community. Prompted largely by the attention surrounding published studies, along with the deaths of four former players in recent years, the NFL Concussion Summit brought league officials and former players together with team physicians, team athletic trainers, and noted neurologists and concussion researchers to discuss prevention techniques and better understand the long-term effects of mild traumatic brain injuries.

The Beta on Asthma Meds

By Stan Reents

Stan Reents, PharmD, is a former healthcare professional. He holds Personal Trainer and Lifestyle Counselor certifications from the American Council on Exercise. He has also been certified as a tennis coach by the United States Tennis Association. He can be reached at: Editor@athleteinme.com

Asthma makes training and competing difficult... but not impossible. Athletes with asthma can, and do, achieve a high level of cardiorespiratory fitness (Freeman W. 1990). Elite athletes such as heptathlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee and swimmers Tom Dolan and Amy Van Dyken have won Olympic medals despite having asthma.

Is Experience the Same as Wisdom?

By John Platero

John Platero is the Director of Education for the National Council for Certified Personal Trainers. His work has been published in a variety of books and magazines.

When I'm at conferences and workshops, or conversing with and observing other strength and conditioning professionals, I often hear them say "I've been training people for 20 years" or "I've got 20 years of experience." When I ask them questions or observe them during training, it seems obvious to me that they don't have a clue as to what they're doing. In fact, they probably have one year of experience and repeated that same year 20 times.

A Look at Sickle Cell Disease

By Abigail Funk

In 2001, Florida State University football player Devaughn Darling collapsed and died shortly after an off-season workout during which he complained of dizziness and chest pains. In an eerily similar situation in 2005, University of Missouri football player Aaron O'Neal died suddenly after a preseason practice. There was no definitive cause of death in Darling's case, and O'Neal's death was caused by viral meningitis. But during autopsies, both players were found to have had the sickle cell trait, which many medical officials say was a contributing factor in the players' deaths.

Speakers with T&C Ties at NATA

By R.J. Anderson

From June 26-30, certified athletic trainers will descend upon Anaheim, Calif., for the 58th NATA Annual Meeting & Clinical Symposia. The event will feature many great presenters, including three with close ties to Training & Conditioning. Below is a list of speakers who have either appeared in T&C, or who serve on the magazine's Editorial Board. Their presentations promise to be chock full of cutting-edge information, so if you're at the meeting, make a note to stop by and check them out.

Hokies Regroup in Wake of Shootings

By Michael W. Goforth

Michael W. Goforth MS, ATC, is Director of Athletic Training for Virginia Tech Athletics

On April 16, the institution I call home was attacked by one of its own. At 7:15 a.m., a student killed two of his fellow students in West Ambler Johnston Residence Hall. At 9:01 a.m., he mailed a package of writings and videos outlining his actions to NBC News. Two hours after the first shooting, that student chained the entrance to Norris Hall and proceeded to go on a nine-minute, 170-round killing spree that ended with him taking his own life. When he was done, 33 were dead, 25 were wounded, and an entire community was left devastated by another senseless act of violence.

There's no doubt the events of that day will change our university and its students, alumni, and staff forever. As a school that values its athletic programs and our role in the overall student and community environment, we in the athletic department were all left with a desire to contribute in some way to the healing process and help the community get back on its feet.

Setting Summer's Stage

By Christopher Holder, MS, RKC, CSCS

Any football strength coach who has been in the profession longer than a week knows that the programs you have your team on in the winter, during spring ball, and in the weeks prior to school letting out for the summer, are as important as the summer itself. We prove our worth in the summer, but the three or four months leading up to it set the stage for dramatic improvements that take place during June and July.

NCAA Injuries Breakdown

By Randall W. Dick, MS, FACSM

The NCAA was created more than 100 years ago over safety concerns associated with the new sport of football and its dangerous formation, the "flying wedge." Consistent with its health and safety foundation, the NCAA created the Injury Surveillance System (ISS) in 1982 to identify "flying wedges" (injury risks) in a variety of college sports. Certified athletic trainers at participating institutions provided injury information that allowed appropriate NCAA committees to develop health and safety policies and rules applicable to student-athlete welfare.

This 25-year collaboration between the NCAA and the NATA has created the largest ongoing collegiate sport injury database in the world. In a special spring issue of the Journal of Athletic Training, the quarterly scientific publication of the NATA, a group of lead authors summarize 16 years (1988-89 through 2003-04) of critical NCAA ISS information from 15 college sports.

Probing Pregnancy Participation Policies

By Laura Ulrich

Throughout the 2006-07 season, Fantasia Goodwin started every game for the Syracuse University women's basketball team. However, during the team's final game on Feb. 25, the six-foot guard watched from the bench. The reason: The night before, Goodwin had told Head Coach Quentin Hillsman that she was pregnant--and that she had been playing that way for many months. Goodwin sat out the last game, gave birth to a daughter eight weeks later, and then announced she intends to return to classes and to the team this fall.

Gone in a New York Minute

By R.J. Anderson

It used to be that when the New York Yankees had a losing streak, Owner George Steinbrenner's first instinct was to fire his manager, and then eventually fire that manager's replacement. But in a sign that these aren't your father's Yankees, after this season's 14-16 record in the month of April, and an unusually high number of hamstring injuries, Steinbrenner and General Manager Brian Cashman reached way down the Yankee corporate ladder, axing the team's recently hired Director of Performance Enhancement. It was the second time in less than six months that the Yankees had fired their top strength coach.

HGH Hogging the Headlines

By Dave Ellis, RD, CSCS

Articles about the prevalence of steroids and Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in sports are breaking with the regularity of game scores and player transactions. The latest story--one that has Major League Baseball on edge--involves a former New York Mets clubhouse attendant who has informed authorities that he dealt steroids and HGH for years.

Weighing in on the NFL Combine

By Kenny Berkowitz

Earlier this year, veteran athletic trainer Rex Sharp, MS, ATC, Director of Sports Medicine at the University of Missouri and member of the NATA's District 5 College and University Athletic Trainers Committee, had the chance to attend and observe the National Football League Scouting Combine. A week before the 2007 NFL draft, Sharp talked to T&C about what he took away from the combine, lessons that included the importance of compiling accurate medical records and properly preparing student-athletes for the event.

Cooler Heads Will Prevail

By R.J. Anderson

With the warmer temperatures of summer just around the corner, it's never too early to start thinking about strategies to avoid heat illness and dehydration. It's also a good time to re-examine heat illness and hydration policies, and the data that help you form those policies.

Nutrition Takes the Field

By Abigail Funk

You may have noticed a few new initials after some nutritionists' names lately--specifically CSSD. Offered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), the credentialing agency for the American Dietetic Association, CSSD recognizes a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics.

Striking Out Conventional Theories

By R.J. Anderson

When Daisuke Matsuzaka joined the Boston Red Sox this spring, the Japanese pitcher brought with him eight different pitches and a training regimen the likes of which many American baseball coaches had never seen. With little regard for in-game pitch counts and post-game icing, Matsuzaka also has a much more aggressive between-start throwing routine than his American counterparts. These training tactics seemingly fly in the face of traditional western philosophies that call for bringing a young pitcher along slowly and limiting how much and how often they throw. Critics, however, wonder just how long the 26-year-old Matsuzaka can keep up his prolific workload before he eventually breaks down.

Counting Calorie Costs

By Dave Ellis

The NCAA Division I rulebook seems to expand annually, and each year some of those changes involve training table or nutrition supplementation issues for student-athletes. In 2004, I asked a compliance officer at a major university to summarize all the food and nutritional supplement topics covered in the NCAA rule book. That synopsis turned into a 39 page report!

Everything from how much, when, what, and how often student-athletes can be fed or supplemented is tightly regulated. And yet something as fundamental as what constitutes a "meal" is very poorly defined.

From Neutral to Drive

By Vern Gambetta

In the fall of 1992, when Training & Conditioning was a new publication, finding its niche and its voice, we hooked up with Vern Gambetta, then the Director of Conditioning for the Chicago White Sox. He wrote an article for T&C titled "A Tailored Program." Then, he wrote another article for us. And another. And another ... He has since penned dozens of articles for the magazine, on everything from training pitchers to periodization. Now 15 years later, we are pleased to offer a different side of Vern Gambetta--as a blogger. Here, he offers thoughts on a current buzz question: How important is a neutral spine?

'Roids Roundup

By R.J. Anderson

Performance enhancing substances continue to gather more and more negative publicity at every level of athletics. With news of new steroid investigations and indictments virtually every week, states and academic institutions across the country are stepping forward to find solutions to what some view as an epidemic. As a result, in the coming months, many high school student-athletes, as well as student-athletes at NCAA Division III schools, may find themselves having to prove that they're competing drug-free.

Preventing MRSA

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