The loss of required thoracic spine ranges of motion for sport movements can be problematic for the elite athlete, as well as the weekend warrior. The purpose of this article is to explore biomechanical causes for thoracic mobility restriction as well as provide easily applicable techniques to restore mobility.

Elite sport often gets more attention, but youth training gives strength and conditioning coaches an earlier chance to build athletes’ competence and confidence. Kelli Brightwell specializes in youth development and brings more than a decade of sports training experience, including four years at Michael Johnson Performance. Brightwell defines peak height velocity as the period during which height increases fastest. She then explains why its timing can differ among teammates of the same age. So what should strength coaches test, and what do the results mean? The answer changes with each athlete’s maturity and training experience. Brightwell addresses the growth-spurt “awkward phase,” when familiar movement patterns can break down as an athlete adjusts to a changing body. She also considers how sport sampling can expand children’s range of physical skills and help them discover what they enjoy. Learn how maturation can affect movement, testing, and programming — and why young athletes need foundations before specialization.

The purpose of this article is to strongly suggest and offer a pragmatic and stepwise approach that takes into account the ideas and concepts of shared decision making that allows for the “best practices,” pre-participation screenings, evaluations, and stratification flow charts for safe and effective return to play for athletes.

The purpose of this article is to discuss the different opinions regarding the validity of early sport specialization as opposed to diversification, specifically the effect these two methods have on injuries, motor development, skill acquisition, and social and psychological aspects.

This article discusses utilizing long term athletic development (LTAD) as a framework for accountability and explores the benefits personal trainers can use to measure success.

This article discusses baseball-specific strength and conditioning techniques, focusing on lower extremity training and improving shoulder mechanics.

The purpose of this article is to present and discuss the phases of the pull that precede the power position, as well as present some suggestions for how to coach these positions.

This article contains a non-exhaustive list of items that should be included in a strength and conditioning department policies and procedures manual.

The purpose of this article is to present the reader with the prescription of a daily specific stretching routine that can help athletes avoid the onset of injuries and chronic pain in muscle-tendon structures of the lower extremities.

This article covers commonly used terminology from United States of America Weightlifting (USAW), plus it contains illustrations of the basic positions for weightlifting exercises.