Another reason I love Chicago. Local, organic restaurants abound. I’m so proud to call Chicago my hometown (except for the dreaded winters).

We had a recruit in Oxford today and it got me on the road to Chicago a little later than anticipated. I decided to stay out near the airport to save the budget (I didn’t stay with family as they retired to the south and we can only bother friends to stay with them so many times) and looked up new local and organic restaurants in the area. I found on Yelp a place about 20 minutes away. I typically wouldn’t rave about a restaurant, especially on my volleyball blog, but it’s Chicago and this place to eat was perfect. Continue Reading

I have always believed and tried to instill in all my players (men and women) that weight is just a number. Body fat is a muchbetter indicator of overall fitness. Muscle weigh more than fat. Those in shape look better and weigh more.

Continue Reading

Caught April Ross’ weekly food calendar on her Twitter post that was a link to her Instagram post. Can’t have enough social media platforms to keep up with. Click on the image to make it larger.

Information provided by the USA Olympic website: http://www.olympic.org/hbi Official Website of the Olympic Movement

When girls and women practice sport, they can profit from many health benefits. While these positive attributes far outweigh the risks involved in sports participation, there is scientific evidence that, under certain circumstances, the healthy body image of some female athletes can suffer through sport. In particular, the female athlete triad can have a significant impact on the lives of the girls and women concerned. Continue Reading

This pic came through my feed and became my little picture of the day.

My father was diagnosed with adult onset diabetes in his mid-forties. It is my belief that he came across the disease because of poor diet and lack of exercise. It’s what got me into my nutrition and exercise kick. Continue Reading

The weather is starting to change and the cold season will fall upon our teams.  I sent out the following to my team after some research online and modified it to fit our athletes.

Follow these 10 tips NOW to feel and perform at your best.

#1 Wash Your Hands

It seems pretty obvious, especially immediately after practice and use of the weight room. The common cold is mostly spread by direct contact. So, someone sneezes onto their hand, and then touches something, which is then picked up by the next person, who touches that object. Washing your hands and using hand sanitizer often can significantly reduce your chance of picking up nasty germs. Continue Reading

“I just want to open a dialogue…where we can define our own beauty and approve of ourselves. We have to approve of ourselves before anyone else will.” –Iman Continue Reading

How to Fuel for Your Workout

By Nancy Clark, MS RD CSSD

Athletes of all sports and abilities commonly ask what they should eat before, during and after a competitive event:

When should I eat the pre-game meal: 2, 3 or 4 hours beforehand?

How many gels should I take during a tournament? Continue Reading

How should I eat on game day?

Game day is when it counts. You must be ready physically, mentally, and nutritionally for top performance. It is important to prepare by eating properly daily, but your game day eating can make or break your performance.

The goals of your pre-competition meal:

Provide adequate energy (carbohydrates are especially important)
Help avoid fatigue
Allow the stomach to feel relatively light at the start of the game, but avoid hunger pains
Minimize gastrointestinal distress

The timing of your pre-game meal should be based on the time of your game. If your game is in the: Continue Reading

Do you let your kids smoke?  Then why do you let them eat french fries?

Maybe I’m somewhat of a food nazi, but I believe proper nutrition is essential to the development of volleyball players.  Equally as important is eating right during long tournament weekends.  Unfortunately, food choices at convention centers are usually terrible and even “healthy” fast foods (subs, burritos, etc.) are often laced with unhealthy Continue Reading

Aaron Brock MS, ATC, PES
Director of Sports Medicine and Performance to the U.S. National Teams
USA Men’s Olympic Volleyball Team
E-Mail: aaron.brock@usav.org

If you haven’t given nutrition much thought, you may want to start… now!

Research clearly demonstrates the beneficial effects of optimal nutrition on athletic performance. While many factors need to be considered when discussing an athlete’s performance – nutrition is among the most important variables.

As the Head Athletic Trainer (ATC) for the Men’s Olympic Volleyball Team, I oversee the nutrition of elite athletes on a daily basis, and now I am passing along my knowledge onto you: Continue Reading

If you are new to my website, my purpose is to provide the collection of volleyball information that I have collected over the years to coaches and players.  Here is a great article about volleyball nutrition.  I hope it helps you and your team.

By Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, LMHC; Sports Nutritionist; University of Miami Athletic Department; Adjunct Professor–Department of Exercise Science

Volleyball 101
Volleyball is an explosive, quick power driven sport. What propels the ball over the net is energy, primarily anaerobic muscle energy, for serving, spiking, blocking, digging, and rolling. Long rallies and training Continue Reading

I often get into a rut of healthy foods to eat.   The following was emailed to me by Earth Fare Market.  Hope this spurs some ideas for you too.

(Click on the image for full size) Continue Reading

If Chuck Norris can have the Total Gym, an AVP star should at least get an ab machine!?!? Maybe I am biased, but beach volleyball players are the best conditioned athletes in the world. Try walking around in sand all day and tell me how you feel, nevermind running and jumping in it. I’m surprised an AVP star hasn’t hooked up with a workout video company or new ab machine.

My father was diagnosed with adult onset diabetes (Type II) when he was in his 40s. I believe his father also had Type II Diabetes, but during his generation it wasn’t understood or diagnosed as often. Because of my father’s diagnoses, it forced me to think about my eating habits, which is why I try to live a healthy lifestyle. I hope through my example, I influence the players I coach. Continue Reading