I have always been passionate about sports and helping young people achieve their dreams. For the past 20+ years, I have been involved in youth sports as a coach, trainer, club administrator, leader, mentor, and educator. I have worked with athletes of different ages, levels, backgrounds, and disciplines. I have witnessed their struggles and successes, their challenges, setbacks and achievements and the highs and lows associated with every player’s journey.Through my experience, I have learned a lot about the challenges and opportunities that youth athletes face in today’s world. I have also learned a lot about myself and what it takes to be an effective and compassionate coach and leader. I have realized that coaching is not only about teaching skills and tactics, but also about developing character and mindset. Coaching is not only about winning games and trophies, but also about creating positive and lasting impacts.As a consumer of industry leading programs, myself, I have developed my own personal routines and rituals that help me in every area of my life. Add professional leadership and training from some of the world’s leading software and technology companies as part of my day job, I have continued to see the correlation between many of these practices and the challenges that are faced by many of the athletes that I coach and have coached. I have also helped athletes handle adversity in college, as a mentor. My own son is still on his journey which has given me tremendous insight into the types of challenges that young men and women face as they get to college and beyond.That is why I decided to pursue further education and certification in sports psychology and mental training. I wanted to deepen my knowledge and skills in helping youth athletes overcome mental barriers, enhance performance, and enjoy sports. I wanted to learn from the best experts and practitioners in the field and apply their insights and strategies to my own coaching practice.Through my studies, I discovered the power of self-care as a key factor for personal development and athletic success. I learned that self-care is not a selfish or indulgent act, but a necessary and beneficial one. I learned that self-care is not a one-size-fits-all formula, but a personalized and flexible approach. I learned that self-care is not a luxury or an afterthought, but a priority and a habit.I also realized that self-care is not something that youth athletes can do on their own. They need guidance, support, and encouragement from their coaches, parents, teachers, peers, and role models. They need to be taught how to take care of themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally. They need to be shown how to prioritize rest and recovery, make healthier food choices, drink more water, use positive self-talk, develop game day routines, practice mindfulness, and more.That is how I came up with the idea of designing a program to help youth athletes implement some of these practices. The Secret Sauce outlines many of the practices and how they apply to youth sports. The Secret Sauce also includes a practical program called “The Battle Plan.” The Battle Plan for Youth Athletes provides Goal Management and Journaling to lead and guide an athlete through their journey.The Secret Sauce with the Battle Plan is program that is based on scientific research and proven by successful athletes. A program that is practical, fun, and engaging. A program that is tailored to the needs and goals of each individual athlete. A program that is delivered through various channels such as books, e-platforms, personal coaching/training, seminars/workshops.The program has been designed to provide tools and techniques to help youth athletes achieve their full potential and unleash their inner champion. The purpose of this program is to help youth athletes spice up their athletic journey and make it more enjoyable and rewarding, and as a result, provide an enriching athletic journey that positively impacts youth athletes lives for the better.This book is part of this program. In this book, I will share with you the secrets of self-care for youth athletes. I will also share with you my personal stories and experiences as a coach and leader. I hope that this book will inspire you to join me in this journey of self-care and self-improvement and help you approach your goals and dreams with purpose. My sincere hope is that some of these tactics become part of your routines that provide a competitive advantage and reach your ultimate potential.Are you ready? Let’s go!Read more about this authorRead less about this author