so it begins..

End of summer, school, and sports all collide. Now what?

• Breathe.

• Establish Routine that includes the following that supports health and peace of mind:

  • Sleep

    Age Group (Elite Athletes) Recommended Sleep

    • Elite youth athletes aged 10–18 need 8–12 hours of quality sleep, ideally leaning toward the upper end of the range.

    • Yet many achieve <7 hours, often due to late training, irregular schedules, school demands, and poor sleep hygiene.

    • Insufficient sleep consistently leads to heightened injury risk (~1.7×), cognitive slowing, poorer performance, and higher illness risk.

  • Diet/Nutrition:

    • Nutrition

  • Feed the Heart and Mind:

    • Psychological and physical recovery: Recovery isn’t just physical—proper rest and quiet time are essential to help the nervous system reset from training and stress. Recovery planning must address not just sleep but also psychological stress, allowing fatigue to dissipate and preventing overtraining or burnout Reddit+1.

    • Regular rest days: Elite athletes generally perform better when they include at least one rest day per week. These days typically lead to improved sleep quality (longer duration, better efficiency), reduced wake after sleep onset, and better overall regeneration PMC.

    • Meditation and Mindfulness

      • Stress resilience: A study of elite football players in Australia found that dispositional mindfulness was strongly associated with lower psychological distress—even measured at two separate points during a competitive season Reddit.

      • Enhanced attention and executive control: Meditation training in school-age children (from age 13 and up) has been shown to improve sustained alertness and conflict resolution—skills valuable in both academics and sports performance time.com+11en.wikipedia.org+11Reddit+11.

      • Performance potential in sports: A systematic review of randomized trials found initial evidence that meditation may support athletic performance—though it noted the need for stronger study design

    GSA players are priority. Your health and wellbeing is critical to a positive experience and the ability to compete at your highest level.

    If you have questions or concerns, please communicate with your coaches or GSA leadership.

    For the players and families,

    GSA Leadership