Basketball is one of the most demanding sports on an athlete’s body and not just because of how much running, cutting, and jumping it requires. The real test happens every time an athlete lands. Think about it: a typical basketball player can jump and land hundreds of times in a single practice or game. Each of those landings produces ground reaction forces up to 4–6 times body weight (McNitt-Gray, 1993; Devita & Skelly, 1992). For a 150-pound athlete, that’s 600–900 pounds

Train Like an Athlete Series | Earn the Edge Performance, Pittsburgh PA Every parent wants their child healthy, confident, and performing their best. But “injury prevention” isn’t a magical stretch or a single exercise, it’s the result of smart, structured, and balanced training that supports recovery, resilience, and movement adaptability. And right now, one of the biggest threats to our young athletes isn’t lack of effort or quality coaches it’s being overscheduled. 🚨 The

Train Like an Athlete Series | Earn the Edge Performance When most athletes say they want to “get stronger,” they’re usually thinking about lifting more weight. And that’s not wrong, strength is a foundational quality for performance. But at Earn the Edge, we take it one step further. Because lifting heavy in the gym doesn’t automatically make you a better athlete. The key is learning how to transfer that strength, to turn it into movement, speed, control, and resilience on

(Train Like an Athlete Series — Earn the Edge Performance) If you’ve been following along in our “Train Like an Athlete” series, Week 1 was all about movement quality — building efficient, athletic patterns before adding speed or power. This week, we’re digging into something that’s often misunderstood but absolutely crucial to performance and injury prevention: mobility and stability . You’ve probably heard the terms flexibility and mobility used interchangeably, but they’

Why “Perfect Form Every Time” Isn’t Actually the Goal While safe movement is essential: especially in loaded or weightlifting activities, the idea of repeating a single, “perfect” version of a movement over and over doesn’t reflect what really happens in sports. On the field, your athlete’s environment is constantly changing: different opponents, field conditions, fatigue levels, lighting, and reaction demands. No two plays, jumps, or cuts are ever the same. So why would we

Traditional strength training, especially what you might see in a general gym, often focuses on building muscle size (hypertrophy) or...

Youth sports are one of the best investments in a child’s future teaching discipline, teamwork, and resilience. But as competition ramps...

When you watch a volleyball player explode off the floor for a block or a basketball player rise for a rebound, it’s easy to think that...

Between practices, games, homework, and everyday family responsibilities, life as a parent of a young athlete can feel like a constant...

Every parent wants to see their child succeed in sports—whether that means scoring the winning goal, making the travel team, or...

Sports often focus on physical skills—speed, strength, agility—but what truly separates good athletes from great ones? Their mental game:...

If your child plays basketball, volleyball, soccer, football, or track & field, chances are they’ve complained of knee pain just below...

When adults complain of back pain, we often chalk it up to long workdays or aging. But when a 12- or 15-year-old athlete complains of...

“But they never complained of knee pain…” “She looked fine the day before…” “He just landed wrong once—and that was it.” We hear these...

What every parent needs to know during the critical years of growth and development. ❗ The Alarming Rise of ACL Injuries in Young...

As a sports medicine and performance professional, one of the most critical—and often overlooked—windows in athletic development is...

Athlete adding weighted plates to a barbell for strength training As a parent, you want to support your child’s athletic goals—and that...

The “10,000 Hour Rule” has become a well-known benchmark in the pursuit of excellence. Popularized by Malcolm Gladwell, it suggests that...

At Earn the Edge Performance , one of the most common questions we get from parents is: "Is weight lifting safe for my young athlete?"...

The 1ST Earn the Edge Performance Combine is officially in the books—and what an incredible two days it was. From the energy and effort...