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difficult
November 19, 2020

Iron Sharpens Iron: Calloused Hands, Bloody Knuckles & a Fire in your Heart

As with most of you, I’ve derived a lot of the motivation for my life from family members. In my family, the main source of inspiration was my grandfather, Gabriel. Stern, stubborn, and strong as an ox in many ways, he was a card-carrying advocate ...


November 1, 2020

Freemotion launches the 22 SERIES powered by iFit®, the ultimate cardio experience for athletes and gym-goers

{Sponsored} Freemotion Fitness has launched its new iFit®-powered 22 SERIES – a revolutionary cardio range providing the first truly interactive, connected fitness experience for athletic fitness centers and commercial facilities. The 22 SERIE...


difficult
October 14, 2020

Iron Sharpens Iron: Love, Trust, & Respect

Love, Trust, and Respect — This segment is being written on June 21st, Father’s Day. A day rightfully reserved for honor and gratitude to dad, and those who fill the void when needed — mentors, teachers, other family members, and anyone who cho...


relationship
September 28, 2020

ADs and ATCs: 4 Ways The Relationship Helps Bolster the Health of Student-Athletes

The role of certified athletic trainers (ATC) in high schools has steadily evolved. An awareness of legal liabilities for schools, the inherent risks of sport-participation, and a growing body of knowledge on student-athlete safety has created a thre...


difficult
August 20, 2020

Iron Sharpens Iron: Earned, Never Given

It was a cold, blustery Thanksgiving eve back in the late ‘80’s. At the time, I was the head strength coach for the University of Toledo. I was driving on I-80 East with my family from Toledo to Steubenville, Ohio for the holidays. My wife, ...


running
August 18, 2020

What! No Distance Running?

This summer is different because of the coronavirus, so I’m offering some advice to football strength coaches as they resume activities.  Most athletes have had a long layoff from structured, organized training. As schools are allowed to return...


June 19, 2020

Powerline: Dangerous Dog Days for Student-Athletes

As I’m writing this column for the June publication, no one is sure when training athletes will resume at colleges and high schools. When schools take the locks off weight rooms and training does resume, strength coaches need to be especially caref...


heat-related
June 19, 2020

Climate Control: Handling Heat Acclimation in Athletes

The entire sports world hopes and prays for a return to normalcy by the Autumn of 2020 following a spring and summer rife with cancellations and disappointments. A return to the former status quo would mean that fall athletes will be gearing up for t...


stimulants
June 18, 2020

Brain Game: Using Data To Prevent Concussions in Athletes

There was a time in the early to mid-2000s where ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports, hosted a weekly segment on its Sunday NFL Countdown program under the title ‘Jacked Up!’. The premise for ‘Jacked Up!’ was fairly simple: compile the week�...


June 16, 2020

Six Ways Coaches Can Promote Long-Term Athletic Development

Research shows that kids begin sports earlier and specialize in sports sooner than they did in the past. The trend toward earlier specialization may improve sports skills in the short-term, but it is not leading to better long-term athletic developme...