The NCAA and high schools recommend registering during the junior year. Even if DI or DII athletics are just possibilities, still register. There is no downside.

Here are some helpful steps for the athlete during the registration process:

1)   Go to the NCAA website (http://www.ncaa.org/) and click on the “register” option at the top right of the site.

2)   Follow the instructions.

3)   At the end, you will be assigned an official NCAA Registration number.

4)   Go to the guidance department at your high school and let the person assigned to the task of NCAA coordination know you have registered with the NCAA and have an official NCAA number. The guidance rep will be responsible for sending official transcripts to the NCAA for compliance.

5)   You will need to complete a transcript release form to allow the guidance department to send the official transcripts. If you are under 18 years of age, you will need to have a parent or guardian also sign the transcript release form. Even though transcripts are sent to the NCAA at the end of junior and senior years, you only need to sign this release once.

The NCAA website is full of great information. If you can’t find what you are looking for, don’t hesitate to phone one of the many qualified reps (under the contact tab). Ahhh, so great to check another thing off the list.

2 tsp canola oil
½ cup chopped red onion
½ cup diced bell pepper
½ jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional)
½ tsp kosher salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb ground turkey breast
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chili powder
Hot sauce to taste (Cholula brand recommended)
1 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
½ cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup canned black beans (rinsed and drained)
½ cup corn kernels
2 cups baby spinach or chopped Swiss chard
2 Tbsp chopped scallions
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
8 cups chopped lettuce
¼ cup shredded lowfat cheddar cheese
¼ cup light sour cream
16 tortilla chips, crushed
Lime wedges

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and peppers, season with salt and sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic and turkey cook until turkey meat is browned. Add cumin and chili powder – mix to combine. Stir in hot sauce, ketchup, barbecue and hoisin sauces. Sprinkle turkey mixture with flour and mix well to incorporate. Allow flour to cook for 1-2 minutes and then add chicken broth. Continue to stir and cook for 2-3 minutes as sauce thickens (if mixture appears too dry, add more broth). Stir in black beans, corn and spinach; cook for an additional 2 minutes until heated through and spinach is wilted. Turn off heat, add scallions and cilantro. Serve over lettuce topped with cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips and freshly squeezed lime juice.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
365 calories; 8g fat; 1.5g saturated fat; 37g protein; 34g carbohydrate; 77mg cholesterol; 650mg sodium; 6g fiber

There are a lot of multivitamins out there- and since these supplements are not regulated by any government agency, buyers must beware! Follow these simple rules when choosing and taking a multivitamin.

• Look for a product WITHOUT herbs or other mysterious ingredients- stick to vitamins and minerals only

• Pass on products with vitamin and mineral MEGA doses — 100-200% of the daily value is all you need

• Always take your multivitamin with a meal – this will help avoid stomach upset and nutrients will be absorbed more efficiently

How to help your teen de-stress through the stressful times? Pre-game, Post-game, win, lose, tie, the stress can build no matter what their measure of success is. Athletes often put immeasurable pressure on themselves and can receive pressure from parents, peers and coaches. There are ways to help your teen find some relief.

How to help? What to say to your teen when they may not want to listen to your advice on how to maintain balance?

Give this a try: Get them to listen to themselves.

Help to create a space where they can find some peace and quiet so they can hear themselves breathe; where they can hear their own thoughts and really relax. Where? Maybe dedicate a room in the house as a peace zone. Try adding plants, soft light, peaceful pictures, and calming music to help. Perhaps just take a walk, to take in the beauty that surrounds us. It helps to gain a broader perspective of this beautiful world!

Teach your athlete how to breathe.

Here’s a great tool that works for all ages. 
 Come to a comfortable seated position. Use pillows or blankets for support. Sit tall and close your eyes. Turn your attention inward. Settle.

Focus on your breath. Elongate your spine and let your sit bones root into the earth. Breathe.

If you find that your mind is busy, just focus on one thing: Your breath. (Pause).

Soften your skin. (Pause).

Count your inhale and your exhale. (Pause).

Do this again. (Pause). Take your time. (Pause).

Notice which one you favor and try to balance them out. (Long pause).

Observe the thoughts that come up in your mind with no judgment. (Pause).

Listen to the sounds around you. (Pause).

Notice if you get uncomfortable or frustrated and take a deep breath. This isn’t easy. Breathe. (Try to sit for at least four minutes).

Slowly open your eyes and notice if the room looks different.

This dedication to breathing decreases stress and helps the athlete stay focused. It takes only a few minutes to make a small shift and possibly make a huge difference.

Practice. Something athletes know alot about.

It might just make you feel better!

What is a Stress Fracture?
Tiny cracks in a bone that typically result from repetitive forces (often jumping or running) are classified as “stress fractures.” Unlike a broken bone that usually occurs from an isolated event, stress fractures develop over time — making their onset and diagnosis more complicated.

Signs and Symptoms
The most common sites for stress fractures are bones in the lower leg and foot. Common symptoms include increased pain in a specific area that may or may not be accompanied by swelling. The specific location is typically painful to the touch; pain often increases with activity and gets worse over time. Since these tiny breaks often can’t be seen on an x-ray, athletes need to pay close attention to their symptoms. Bone scans can usually identify them but are not always ordered by the doctor.

Risk Factors & Treatment
Runners and track athletes often suffer stress fractures but the injury can also affect other types of athletes, especially ones with low bone density, flat feet or high arches. Intense and unbalanced workout regimens can also contribute to these overuse type injuries, so proper training is a must! Click here for a comprehensive list of risk factors.

The only effective treatment is rest and immobilization – you can’t walk off this injury. Crutches or a boot may be necessary while ice and pain relievers will help with pain and swelling.

How to Avoid Them
Be proactive. Cross-train, wear proper footwear and keep bones strong by getting plenty of calcium.

Parents are right when they say stress was part of their own high school experience.  But it wasn’t until I heard Dr. Roca speak that I understood why our kids are MORE stressed out that we were. “Your teenagers face the same predictable stress associated with adolescence, plus a whole new category of “modern” stress. “

Cyber bullying

Over scheduling

Excessive Extra-Curricular Activities

Excessive Homework

Unrealistic Expectations: physically & socially

Video Generation

Texting

“I’m not happy unless I have a perfect practice.  A good day is when the coach says something positive to me. I do worry that the other teammates may get mad, but I have to think about myself.  Here’s my life: I train every day, go to school 5 days a week, worry about the grades I need to get into the best college, hope my friends don’t say anything mean about me, try to do some community service and hope my parents are proud of me.”  Sarah

This “state of mind” sounds like the new normal of adolescence.  I am guilty of accepting this life style as normal, too.

The purpose of Dr. Roca speaking to parents of high school students was to educate us on stress during adolescence and provide us with some suggestions to help relieve the stress.

My number one take away – the stress reducing suggestions I often recommend, keep the body and mind stimulated.  Some (old) suggestions – high-energy music, TV, video games, exercise, and reading – just distract you from the stress.

What do stressed bodies and minds need?

We need activities that calm and relax us. Teaching our athletes to recognize when they are stressed and giving them techniques that work to relieve the stress are crucial to raising a stronger, smarter, safer high school athlete.

Coming up this week: Activities to Quiet the Body & Mind

We’re talking about stress this week and what better way to relax than with some comfort foods? These delicious dishes don’t have to be unhealthy – check out these recipes!

Pancakes
Meatloaf
Mac & Cheese
Spaghetti & Meatballs

Fast forward to the fast paced times of parents of high school athletes.

When we need answers, we ask our friends first and then check out their answer online to see if they were right J. Here is one of those classic cases. Sitting at Paneras, with 3 other Varsity Parents, munching on a yummy sandwich, the question of where to find a knee brace came up. Just like that.  “Teen” is a high school athlete, teen got injured, teen had surgery,  teen going back to active play on the team.  “Teen” was told he needs a knee brace.

“Is there such thing? Where do I buy one?”

Or, “My chiropractor insists my athlete wears orthotics to avoid future knee problems. Do you think I really need them? Where did you get yours?”

Or, “I was told my athlete should not wear flip flops because they don’t have support and cause foot and ankle problems.  What footwear has the best support?”

Or, etc., etc. ,etc.

When those questions come up we ask the Varsity Parent who has the most experience or (sadly) the most visits to the Emergency Room. We trust our experienced friends to share their well – earned knowledge.  But what if the friends don’t have an answer? Where to go?

Athletic trainers, physical therapists, sports medicine doctors, podiatrists and orthopedic specialists should be able to answer the questions too. Sports medicine docs are experts at diagnosing and treating problems related to athletics. If you are lucky enough to live in a community where you have access to doctors with this specialty, lean on them for help.

When it comes to purchasing medical supplies, it’s always a good idea to:

1 -  check with your insurance company to find out which suppliers they cover,

2-   find out if you need a prescription to get insurance reimbursement  and

3-  what  dollar amount your insurance company reimburses you.

Now, YOU are the “go-to” VP with all the info!

Iron is vital to a healthy body. It helps create red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body.

Good dietary sources include:

• Red meat
• Poultry
• Fish
• Beans
• Dried fruits
• Nuts
• Egg yolk
• Whole grain breads and cereals (check labels to see which have the most)
• Dark leafy vegetables (such as spinach and kale)

Eat iron-rich foods along with foods high in vitamin C (oranges, bell peppers and broccoli, for example) they’ll be absorbed better.

Iron rich foods should be a part of a healthy diet, but iron supplements can be toxic – only take them if your doctor recommends it.

Does your child play in a contact or non-contact sport?  Non-contact sports do not require mouth guards.

Don’t rely on the high schools to define this for you. For example, basketball, soccer, and girls lacrosse are considered non-contact sports. Have you seen how “non-contact” these sports are today? Bottom line: if your child engages in a sport where the face gets in contact with a ball, elbow, knee, arm, stick or another head – consider it a contact sport.

If your child plays in a contact sport, he/she should wear a mouth guard. This is a standard recommendation from dental professionals. Why? A properly fitted mouthguard decreases the chances for serious facial and mouth injuries.

An athlete is 60 times more likely to injure teeth by NOT wearing a mouthguard. Cost/Benefit. There is no comparison. Dental bills for damaged teeth can break the family’s medical fund bank. The cost of a decent mouth guard : $30 – $100. Custom fitted mouth guards are great and can be purchased through your dental professional’s office.

Another important finding. If you use boil & bite mouth guards; fit them with the  lower jaw pushed forward (check out their cool video). This way, when there is a blow to the jaw, the mouthguard can serve as a shock absorber keeping the lower jaw from being jammed backwards into the skull.

You can lead a horse to water…so I am convinced of the benefits of properly fitted mouth guards. Is it too late to convince our teens? Suggestions Welcome.