Achilles Tendonitis - Causes and Treatment

It's fall, which means XC and running are in the air and many of our young athletes are excited for longer, cooler runs. With extra mileage, however, comes additional potential for overuse injuries if athletes don't listen to their bodies.

Calf and Achilles tightness is something we often see in young athletes - oftentimes it's a brief phase that we can leave behind with some targeted stretching and rest, but if ignored it can develop into worse problems. Below is a basic introduction (originally shared by our awesome sponsor Reagan ChiroSport) to some of the causes and treatments for the condition - it will also give some insight into why we instruct our athletes in the run form that we do!

"How to Beat Achilles Tendonitis"

 Remember - if your child ever talks to you about calf tightness/soreness, pain in the back of the ankle, or heel pain, always make sure to discuss it with their coach. The longer an athlete waits to address the situation, the longer recovery will likely take.

Have a great first day of October!

Coach Morgan

"Better Athletes, Better People" and Why We Love the Positive Coaching Alliance

Parents, we try a lot of different techniques to teach our young athletes how to be process-oriented, team-focused, happy, long-term athletes. Much of what we do comes from or is inspired by resources from the Positive Coaching Alliance. This is a non-profit dedicated to developing "Better Athletes, Better People." Awesome, right?

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the importance of understanding your own motivation for having your child in youth sport, and I think PCA has the right idea about sport's greatest value for young athletes.

I encourage you to check out their resources for parents and athletes, and gain a better understanding of our goals for our young triathletes!

Positive Coaching Alliance

Have a great Monday!

Coach Morgan

What is Fascia and Why is it Important?

Time for a science lesson! Chances are you've probably heard of an athlete having some form of faciitis (plantar faciitis is one of the most common forms), or maybe heard coaches or doctors talk about foam rolling as a way to release fascial adhesions. In general when we talk about potential problem areas for young athletes, we tend to look towards tendons, muscles, ligaments and bones. The truth, however, is usually more complicated, and one often over-looked area that can potentially cause problems in all of the above is fascia.

So what is fascia, and why is it important to young athletes? Read the following article to learn more about this important tissue and how your athlete can keep it functioning properly!

"Fascia - What the Heck is it?"

Interested in some good ways to perform fascial release? Reagan ChiroSport, our team partner, has doctors certified in Active Release Therapy, and they work with young athletes on a regular basis. I recommend you check out their website for more information, or to make an appointment if your athlete ever experiences pain that could potentially be related to their sports activity. We also sell TriggerPoint products at all our Playtri Stores, which can be great additions to fascial treatment and maintenance routines.

Happy Wednesday, and remember to keep your fascia feeling good!

Coach Morgan

Why I Want Your Kid in Altras

A lot of parents have heard recently that we are bringing a big run of Altra shoes into the Playtri McKinney Store (they are here, by the way!) including a run of youth sizes.

It is extremely rare that I get behind a specific brand for any product in the endurance industry. In general, I find that all the brands have pros and cons, and some are better than others for individual athletes. When parents in the past have asked me what kind of running shoes they should get for their child, without fail I had said to get something "neutral with moderate cushioning." Recently, though, I've started saying "Altras."

Here's why.

The Altra brings together two HUGE advantages for young and developing athletes - a "no drop" heel and a wide toe box. You can see their description of these two features here.

Why do these features matter? In short, the no drop heel allows the calf and achilles tendon to develop and lengthen the way they are intended, instead of being shortened by heel lift, which constantly prevents them from stretching to their full length during exercise. The wide toe box, instead of cramping toes together and affecting proper foot development allow the toes to spread naturally. The result of both these features is that the athlete's foot is allowed to develop and strengthen naturally.  The other thing that makes the Altras unique is that, while oftentimes both of these features can be found in "minimalist" shoes with little to no cushioning (which isn't always ideal for athletes running on paved surfaces), the Altras incorporate a range of cushioning options so that young feet don't get quite so beat down during road runs.

Essentially, these shoes bring together every feature that I look for in a quality run shoe, along with fun colors and designs that will get the kid in all of us excited.

Want to learn more? Visit the Altra Website for a wealth of further information on the design behind the shoe, or come in and try a pair on the next time you're at the Playtri Store!

Happy running,

Coach Morgan

ITU Junior World Championships - September 17th!

Parents,

Don't miss the opportunity to follow the top junior triathletes in the world TOMORROW, Thursday, September 17th at the 2015 ITU Junior World Championships. The USA has multiple athletes in contention for podium spots, particularly Tamara Gorman and Taylor Knibb in the women's race.

Meet the Athletes - learn about the top contenders, view start lists, and get event details.

Follow USAT Juniors on Twitter - receive real-time race updates from USAT's High Performance Team manager, Steve Kelley.

View the World Championships Promo Video

I encourage parents to share these resources with their young triathletes, and engage them in what the top juniors in their sport are doing! This promises to be an exciting race for the podium, and I hope it will inspire our young men and women to continue challenging themselves in the sport.

Happy Wednesday!

Coach Morgan

"Training with Data" - High School and Beyond

As athletes age past the Initiation Stage (ages 10 and under) and into the Athletic Formation and Specialization Stages (up through age 19), the goal generally becomes to create a more periodized training program for the individual or group. Periodization is the art of dividing training load into manageable segments in order to be more effective with the time the athlete is investing. This sounds like a nice, clean concept, and it is - however, like most things, it can get very messy in real life. Athletes get sick, have parties and dances, have to study for big tests, miss practices, don't recover as quickly as expected, and generally have interruptions throughout the course of their training.

Data would be less important if we could guarantee that athletes would be able to do every workout exactly as assigned every time. Unfortunately, this is not the case. So the real art of coaching isn't providing the perfect workout, but constantly evaluating athlete performance and adjusting the plan.

The following article is a nice introduction to the use of data and metrics beginning at the high school level, and how and why coaches are using these tools with younger athletes:

Training with Data at the High School, College, and Professional Level

Do you see this being enjoyable for your athlete as he or she ages? We can see again why it is so important to "love the process," since providing this information every day could get tedious otherwise! However, it is essential to success for athletes wishing to be competitive beyond a local level. When athletes provide data, it allows me as a coach to understand how they are progressing, and whether or not we need to adjust our training approach.

Without data, every race is a surprise, and at a certain level athletes want to KNOW what they are capable of. How can you help your athlete track and provide data to help ensure his or her progress in the sport?

Hoping everyone has a wonderful Tuesday.

Coach Morgan

What is the Purpose of Youth Sports? ...And Other Questions to Ponder

As we near the triathlon off-season and get out of the whirlwind of racing and travel, it's a good time to look back on the past year, and ask questions about sport participation and why we do what we do in youth sport. In the thick of the season, it's easy to get wrapped up in the competition, but we still have to take time to think about the "why."

I think one of the most important questions parents and athletes have to ask is whether the program they are with is helping them meet their goals for their child in the sport, and if that program has the capacity to continue to meet those goals long-term. However, to answer that question, families really have to take a step back and reflect a bit on deeper motivational questions about WHY they are involved in youth sports to begin with, and what kind of program best suits their young athlete.

I stumbled upon this piece written by Kirk Hanson and Matt Savage of Santa Clara University recently, and it asks some thought-provoking questions that I think youth sport families should be regularly re-evaluating for themselves. I hope this can act as a conversation starter for youth triathlon families as they consider their seasons, and the coming year.

Ethics in Youth Sports - Hanson, Savage

Have a great Monday.

Coach Morgan

Do You Know the Rules?

At the end of a pre-race "intro-to-tri" clinic for a large local kids triathlon yesterday, I had a mom ask me "So what do people do if they haven't come to this clinic? How do they know the rules? I had NO IDEA about any of these!"

This is indicative of a larger problem we have in this sport that comes from youth races being open to any and all athletes regardless of experience, coaching, or team affiliation. Please, do NOT think I am saying we should make the sport less inclusive - actually, I wish we would make the sport MORE inclusive. When I say more inclusive, I mean that if we are going to open USAT sanctioned events up to all athletes, I think we need to take responsibility for properly educating them and their families on the rules of the sport to ensure a safe and fair experience for ALL athletes racing.

For those reading, take a moment to review the USAT rules, particularly those for youth athletes - even experienced tri families might learn something new!

USA Triathlon Rulebook

Remember, it is our job to ensure our athletes know the rules, and understand why it is important to follow them, because we honor our sport. Have a wonderful Sunday.

Coach Morgan

What's it Like Inside an ITU World Triathlon Series Race?

For those who don't know, I'm a big Eric Lagerstrom fan - if for no other reason that that his efforts in video and data sharing give regular mortals and aspiring elites the opportunity to get "inside" elite races, and develop a better understanding of the efforts and strategies being enacted.

Share this with your aspiring young triathlete so they can have an inside glimpse of the "big show!"

Eric Lagerstrom - Stockholm WTS 2015

Happy Labor Day!

Coach Morgan

"The Power of Presence" - Keeping Our Kids Present

Parents,

I think we all know that feeling when we're watching a kid play sports and it is clear that they don't have a thought or worry in the world other than pursuing the competition out of sheer enjoyment. A lot of us probably wish we still experienced sport that way - and hopefully some of us still do. It's something I try to actively pursue in my own training.

What is happening during that journey from childhood to adulthood that is causing us to lose that joy, that "power of presence" in our competition? As a coach, I see more and more pressure being placed on youth athletes as they age - to place better, get a scholarship, etc. (I maintain that most of this pressure is unintentional, and can come from a wide range of sources, not just parents).

The problem is that the success they find has to be from a focus on the process, not on the outcome. This is a key tenet of sports psychology. A focus only on the outcome will eventually lead to one thing - burnout. For this reason, I spend a lot of time, especially with teenage athletes, brainstorming ways to keep that presence in their training and racing.

I encourage all of our parents to read the following article, and think about how we can help our athletes maintain their joy of sport, and therefore their presence, especially in competition.

The Power of Presence - Jasper Blake, Training Peaks

Wishing you a wonderful Sunday,

Coach Morgan

Welcome to the Team Playtri Coach's Blog!

Parents and athletes,

I've added this new page to our website as a means of sharing tips, articles and other resources for parent/athlete education with you as we find and develop them. The posts will not be long (though the articles may be!), and the goal is to keep everyone engaged in the positive culture of our programs!

Check out our first suggested read:

Six Tips for Swim Parents About Letting Our Kids Take Ownership

Have a great Friday!