ABSTRACT
The transition from high school to college football brings a multitude of challenges that a young athlete needs to overcome within the timeframe of a single summer. This chapter emphasizes the magnitude of the physical demands that come with making this transition. It addresses the neural mechanisms of the cognitive processes that take place when a new quarterback is taught how to analyze defensive formations to make play decisions. A player's progress through the learning stages can be tracked by monitoring distinct changes in the brain that occur in each stage. Brain activity is commonly measured using two methods: Electroencephalography and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. If monitoring the brain during training doesn't seem feasible, perhaps the best way to maximize memory efficiency is to ensure that each athlete gets a full eight hours of sleep, because one of the best ways to disrupt memory consolidation and performance is sleep deprivation.
