From all of us at Versus, Happy Women’s History Month!

Mental health has been in the spotlight for many years now. Particularly amongst teens, discussion of a ‘mental health crisis’ is common, referring to skyrocketing rates of mental health problems in youth and adolescents.While mental health considerations in athletes do overlap with those of the general public, there are some factors specifically related to sports that need attention. Research indicates that depression in college aged athletes occurs at about the same rate as in non-athlete peers—approximately 25%.

The best way to improve ball control in soccer is to spend more time with the ball. Put simply, the more time you put into intentionally practicing ball control—the better you will become.

For a defender to be successful, they must have exceptional defensive footwork. Kelley O'Hara teaches you how to train to become a better defender on the pitch.

To be successful, every soccer player must learn how to keep the ball while outmaneuvering their opponents in a 1v1 situation. Learn form David Copeland-Smith on how to master your 1v1 soccer drills.

Footwork is the glue that holds all of a goalkeeper’s skills together. Learn from Ashlyn Harris on how to dial in your footwork to stop the ball as a goalkeeper and put yourself in a position to be an elite goalkeeper with her footwork drills.

The importance of team building in influencing positive outcomes for sports teams is a vital component. When it comes to team building, though, one of the primary variables that are believed to be critical to success is the perception of the team's overall cohesiveness.

Improve your decision-making in sports--on the field and off. The one skill that is often overlooked is the coaches' and athletes' ability to make correct decisions under intense pressure and time constraints.

While the obstacles and adversity faced by each athlete are different—developing a winning mindset is a common trait among everyone. Learn how to develop a winning mindset from Ali Krieger.

Your body is the most important piece of equipment you bring to the field each day. And for best results, you must ensure that it’s operating at peak capacity.‍ But in a sport with such varying physical demands as softball—that's easier said than done.

Every athlete you look up to has developed a mindset of greatness. And it’s this mindset that enables them to do the work, every day, to stay in their ideal performance zone.

Knowing where to focus your energy as a softball coach is hard. Tim Walton gives you solid advice on defensive strategy on the softball field.

Great leaders are instantly recognizable because they are different, in a good way.‍If you want to become a great leader, you’ll need to be ready to forge your own path. But that doesn’t mean you have to go it alone.

In any sport, the value of teammates goes well beyond just having a group of people to play. Learning how to utilize the value of great teammates can change the trajectory of an athlete’s entire career and in turn their whole life.

In soccer, there is perhaps no position whose success is more closely tied to quick reflexes than the goalkeeper. Ashlyn Harris breaks down three soccer goalie drills you can do to improve your reaction time and reflexes.

Diving is an essential type of save that every goalkeeper in soccer must master. Ashlyn Harris teaches you the proper soccer goalie diving drills that will help you become a stopper in the net.

Defenders are the unsung heroes on every successful soccer team. Ali Krieger walks you through her drills to improve your right back and center back positional skills.

From around 15 years old and under, children require a specific type of external motivation, guidance, and encouragement that just isn’t needed for older teens and young adults.‍ Coaches and parents of this age group will be familiar with the frustration of trying to get the balance “just right” to keep kids engaged in sports.

The players who perform best early on tend to secure spots in the starting line-up. So if you aren’t ready to show up on game one, you could miss your chance to make an impact as the season unfolds.

When your personal brand is focused on your core values and what is important to you, it can help to develop the sense of meaning, purpose, and direction that are essential to achieving big goals, and finding fulfillment in sports and life.

Self-development or self-improvement is the single most effective and practical strategy coaches can take advantage of to ensure they get the most out of themselves.

A veteran head coach shares the secrets to effective in-game management.

Learn soccer passing drills from Ali Krieger and improve your passing range on the pitch. Distribution, or passing the ball, is one of the most important skills for players of every position in soccer.

Grit. Tenacity. Competitiveness. A growth mindset. Resilience. Self-belief. These are all essential mindset skills that every athlete should work on. But if you want them to move the needle in your baseball career—you must learn them properly.

Success in any sport depends on the ability to repeatedly perform at a high level of competition. To achieve this, athletes must pay meticulous attention to every aspect of training, recovery, and game preparation.

To improve aerial control, the player must know how to read the depth and speed of an incoming ball. Then be able to move into the right position to receive it. Learn soccer ball control drills from Ali Krieger on VS.

Nothing is more important than handling skills for a soccer goalkeeper. Learn from Ashlyn Harris how to master your goalkeeper handling techniques and drills to improve your game.

A winning mindset is a common denominator in what separates the ordinary from the extraordinary. But many times, naturally-gifted athletes rely solely on their natural ability. And unfortunately, these athletes will never reach their full potential.

A goalkeeper with great distribution skills can step up and become the 11th field player, giving their team a distinct competitive advantage.

Learning to be an adaptable player can take your game to the next level. Kelley O'Hara teaches you how to succeed both on and off the field.

Learn soccer footwork drills with Ali Krieger. If you want to improve your soccer footwork then you will want to read how Ali Krieger goes about her training on the field.

If you set small, manageable goals and increase them week by week, you will see progression in your skills. Push yourself. Repetition and consistency are critical to becoming great.

MLB legend Adam Wainwright breaks down his bullpen routine—plus he covers grips and throwing tips for his 5 top pitches. Learn the curveball, cutter, changeup, 4-seam & 2-seam fastballs.

Learn 3 techniques to develop mental toughness in yourself and your players. These techniques work both on and off the field. Plus will work for you in any avenue in life, not just sports.

Lessons from a master to take your game to the next level

Think about it. There's hardly a rider that hasn't fallen off a bike, a golfer that hasn't missed a put, or a basketball player that hasn't missed a free throw. A mistake on the track, the field or the court is just a sporting mistake - you failed, but you are not a failure. Goal setting is an effective strategy to enhance performance. It helps to focus attention and maintain motivation.You have to accept your limitations. That doesn't mean you can't participate and improve.If you love your sport and you want to excel at it, accept that it won't be easy.

You would be hard pressed to find a professional athlete or high-level coach that doesn’t recognize the importance of mentality in sports. Michael Jordan,Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal all credit mindset coaching for some oftheir biggest successes.

Learn how visualization can help improve athletic performance by relieving stress, preparing for events, and improving outcomes. Athletes use visualization techniques to see themselves winning, crossing the finish line first, or making that perfect shot. But did you know that visualizing can also help relieve stress and improve relaxation?

the ability to know how to respond to your opponent in the moment comes down to your ability to make cognitive decisions that your body has to follow.We usually hear the term “critical thinking skills” in the context of work and education. But critical thinking skills can help us in every aspect of our life.Every athlete knows that sport is not a purely physical activity. The mental components of sport range from resilience, motivation, and passion, to strategy, discipline, and wit.Like any athletic skill, critical thinking requires practice.

Two MLB veterans share their secrets to growing after injury

Lots of people know that meditation is a technique that trains your brain to be more skillful, focused, and less reactive. So how does meditation help with athletic performance? Researchers believe that it increases focus and attention while also decreasing anxiety and stress.So if you’re looking for an edge on your competition, consider adding meditation to your training regimen. It just might give you the boost you need to take your game to the next level.While more studies need to be done to confirm the effects of meditation on athletic performance, there is certainly potential for this ancient practice to help modern athletes reach new levels of success.

Jennie Finch teaches you how to throw a changeup and drop ball in softball, which every softball pitcher must learn how to throw.

Every professional soccer player has something in common, they can all juggle for a very long time. And why juggling may not be a skill directly used on the pitch, during soccer competition, it will help develop the key skills used in controlling the ball.

Passing and receiving are fundamental in the game of soccer. In order to play the game, you must be able to pass and receive the ball. A team that is able to pass and receive is able to maintain possession, reduce pressure, create time and space ultimately will score goals.

Jenny Finch teaches you how to defy gravity, with the hardest pitch to throw, and hit, in softball--the riseball. Learn the proper softball pitching mechanics and cues to throw an effective riseball.

If you’re looking for extra ammunition to take down big hitters, these two breaking pitches are a great place to start.

9 powerful strategies to keep batters guessing and get more outs. Success as a pitcher is as much about strategy as it is about making good pitches.

A head coach with over 1000 career wins explains one of the most important roles on the field. In baseball and softball—the third base coach can win or lose games.

Find out how pitchers can level up their skills and stand out from the crowd.

Coach Tim Walton shares what he’s learned about leadership and adapting over 24 years in coaching.

Adam Wainwright explains how paying attention to the little things can win the big games.

Use this framework to set your team up for sustainable success.

A lesson in the fundamentals of hitting from one of the greatest players in baseball history, Albert Pujols.

Jenny Finch gives away the secrets to her famous fastball.

Tim Walton teaches you the keys to building your swing in softball and the fundamental drills to help you improve.

“The Queen of Consistency” herself, Jennie Finch, explains how habits and routines lead to greatness.

How to use the whole body to generate real power and precision at bat.

We all have goals in life, no matter how big or small. While it might look like an athlete became famous “overnight,” their success probably took years of dedication and training.It’s important to remember that there are two different types of goals: outcome goals and process goals.There’s nothing wrong with wanting an outcome goal, whether you hope to one day participate in the Olympics or make a certain amount of money as an athlete.We know that some of the most internationally-known athletes focus on their goals to ensure they have the best career possible.

One of the benefits of playing sports is that you can build leadership skills, especially on a team. Learning how to communicate is another one of the biggest benefits of sports for anyone.When someone learns how to play a sport, they may have to overcome adversity.One of the benefits of sports in child development has to do with school.The better you or your child does in school now is nice, but participating in sports may help to prepare for college. Even after college, you may still enjoy the many benefits of sports for students.Of course, one of the benefits of team sports is that you get to meet other people.

How routines can improve sports performance and 5 tips to develop your own.

What is your routine to get ready to pitch? Learn how to warmup properly to pitch with Adam Wainwright.

Jennie Finch teaches you how to get the most out of your body when pitching—by maximizing efficiency and safety.

Every day you play catch is an opportunity to get better. Learn how to play catch with a purpose and improve your throwing mechanics as a pitcher.

Albert “The Machine” Pujols, runs through how to use the soft toss to prepare for batting practice.

Controlling attention is a superpower every athlete should master—here’s how to do it. At Versus, we like to go deep on mindset.

If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there. For many, it's often a pipe dream to excel into the higher ranks—and that dream often dissipates without the effort, drive, and goals required to continue on competitively. In sports, commitment is absolutely key.Much like working to be better than someone else, goals help you take steps in improving your game.When you set your own goals, no one else is to blame when you don’t hit them.If it matters, measure it.Without a goal, you are essentially working without a target.Having high expectations for yourself is normal.Without goals, it may be difficult to stay motivated.

Know where you want to take your game. Learn how to set your goals for success for both in-season and off-season.

Guidelines from a master coach that can be applied to any sport.

Albert Pujols explains how having a team focus promotes individual success.

5 tactics from an Olympic softball veteran to combat negativity and self-doubt.

3 tips for coaches and parents to implement a powerful shift in perspective.

Timing is essential to becoming a great hitter. Learn from Amanda on how to develop and practice your timing as a hitter.

In every sport, game strategy is crucial to success—especially for athletes wanting to consistently perform well.

How intentional practice with a tee can help perfect your swing to become a better hitter

What every aspiring big hitter MUST know. When it comes to hitting, every player in softball and baseball needs to be able to create and direct power.‍

Quality over quantity is what matters when developing your routine

Incorporate this simple, yet effective, tee work routine from Albert “The Machine” Pujols into your practice routine.

No matter the activity or setting—there’s always going to be conflict in sports. It’s simply impossible to throw together the mix of coaching staff, trainers, athletes, administrators, and parents that make up a modern-day sports team and expect there not to be some fireworks. When not managed properly, ongoing conflict can destroy an athletic team from the inside out. Unresolved conflict can negatively impact performance, stop individuals and teams from reaching their goals, and drain any fun and enjoyment out of the game.