Search
Close this search box.
Search
Close this search box.
Facebook Youtube Instagram Linkedin Pinterest
Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Linkedin Pinterest

11 Ways Athletes Can Prioritize Safety in Sport

Athletes

Prioritizing personal safety while training has been making headlines in recent months. How can athletes stay safe when training solo, especially if they’re running alone at night or in unfamiliar areas? How can athletes stay healthy in a sport culture where the demands have never been higher? For student-athletes, sometimes these situations are hard to avoid. But putting your health and well-being first, even if that means standing up for yourself to your coach, calling for help when you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, or asking for a second opinion from another doctor are signs of strength, not weakness.

 

Advocate for Yourself and Your Health

If you’re a young athlete suffering from something like chronic fatigue, gut distress, or any type of recurring condition that doesn’t allow you to perform at your best, there may be something going on in your body. But it may not be as simple as contacting your physician. You may need to push your doctor to order extra tests or ask for a second opinion or referral to a specialist. Be clear about the problems you’re having, and make sure that you’re heard. If you’re not sure what you need to ask for, bring a caregiver or even a friend along with you to the appointment to help you advocate for yourself.

 

Train as Safely as Possible

Male athlete double amputee standing on track.One of the best things you can do for yourself is to become aware of how you can prioritize your safety while training. This doesn’t just mean hydrating and fueling your workouts properly—though that’s important too! It means paying attention to your surroundings and making your training environment as safe as possible. This advice isn’t meant to scare you, but rather to alert you to the realities of training environments. Don’t be scared to go for your biggest goals but be smart and advocate for your right to train safely and healthily.

 

1. Let someone know your plan

Doing a solo training run or hike? Let your parent, guardian, or teammate know where you’re going and when you expect to return. Ideally, you should have your location shared with one or two trusted people so that they can check where you are if you’re running late.

 

2. Look for well-traveled routes

If you’re unsure where to run or train in your area, ask at a local running or bike store for recommendations, or even go to your local police station and ask if there are areas that are safer (or less safe) for runners, hikers, and cyclists. Apps can also show you routes that are often used in your area, which can give you a sense of where most runners are congregating.

 

3. Pay attention to road layouts

When running, you should be facing traffic, meaning you should be able to make eye contact with drivers. Look for roads that have sidewalks or designated lanes for pedestrians and try to avoid roads that don’t have a wide shoulder or sidewalk. If there isn’t a sidewalk, keep your head up and look at oncoming traffic: Unfortunately, you never know when a driver will swerve unexpectedly. As you cross the street at a stop sign or traffic light, try to make eye contact with drivers before you run in front of them to make sure that they’ve seen you.

 

4. Train during daylight hours

The easiest way to stay visible to drivers is to train during daylight hours. And during daylight hours, trails and running routes are more likely to be populated with other runners, making them generally safer.

 

5. Be seen on any route

If you do need to train in the dark, make sure that drivers are able to see you. Invest in reflective gear like a vest, as well as a headlamp that allows you to navigate tricky terrain. Even sidewalks can be dangerous in the dark!

 

6. Unplug when training alone

While it’s tempting to zone out to a podcast or a playlist while you’re out for your solo training run, it’s important to always be aware of your surroundings—and that means taking the headphones out and paying attention to what’s happening around you. You should also take your phone with you so that if you do need help, you’re able to call.

 

7. Carry emergency supplies

Especially if you’re doing a training run or ride that will take you away from easy access to help, think about what you may need to have in case of an emergency. Your cell phone is obvious, but for longer sessions, a bottle of water and some kind of snack should be tucked in a vest, handheld, or waistband. Depending on your location, you may even need to carry bear spray.

 

8. Bring a friend

The best way to stay safe in isolated areas is to bring a friend along. You can also look for running or training groups in your area, especially if you don’t need to do specific speedwork or hit certain paces. If you don’t have another runner who can keep up with you, ask a sibling or parent to ride their bike alongside you while you run, or have a friend go for a walk around a short, looped course so that you’ll pass each other throughout your workout.

 

9. Trust your gut

Have you ever been on a training run and passed a person who just made you feel like something was ‘off’? Trust your gut in those situations and get to a more populated area as quickly as possible, even if that means cutting your run short or pausing to go into a store to remove yourself from the situation. It’s better to be overly cautious and listen to that intuitive voice in your head.

 

10. Talk to your coach

If it’s impossible for you to do the training that your coach is asking you to do outside of practice due to safety concerns, speak up. Often, there’s a solution that you and your coach can work towards that will make you feel safe, whether it’s the team covering the cost of a gym membership so you can run on the treadmill or getting a group of teammates together to hit the track after school a couple of days every week.

 

11. Be extra-aware when traveling

As an athlete, you may end up traveling to far-flung locations in order to compete and may need to get outside in unknown cities so you can stick to your training plan. If you are in a new area, these tips are even more important to follow.

 

Add these travel specific precautions:

  • Make sure that your phone works in the country that you’re in.
  • Download the local maps on your navigation app so that if your cellular data isn’t working, you can still find your way around.
  • Ask about the safest running routes in the area and consult apps to see where people are training.
  • Consider running shorter loops so that you’re never far from your home base.
  • Wear a waistbelt so that your phone isn’t in your hand as you run.
  • The best way to see a new area is with a teammate.

____________________

Takeaway

When training outside of team practice, athletes need to be aware of basic safety protocols. This includes planning your training routes on safe roads, sticking to populated areas, and ideally training during daylight hours. Always let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back, and whenever possible, bring a friend.

Related Content

Loading...
1 2 … 7

Join Us

Subscribe
Shop TrueSport
Host TrueSport

TrueSport logo without icon in white.

© 2025 TrueSport | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Sitemap

Goal-Setting Lesson Video Transcript

Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, Paralympian, and TrueSport Athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshman at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time, I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.

So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.

By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.

Body Image Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and TrueSport Athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about body image, and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So, I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.

A Good Sport Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. There are three things I’d like you to know. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character.

I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.

I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.

What Kind of Coach Do You Want to Be? Video Transcript

Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.

You have the ability to affect even deeper change, to take what’s in your hands and do something even more extraordinary. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most. There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both.

I’m Edwin Moses, and the lessons I’ve learned through sport have challenged me, guided me, and shaped my life forever. What kind of coach do you want to be?

THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.

At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.

When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.