“Being asleep by 10 pm is a superpower.” That’s what I tell coaches and athletes during my sleep presentations. It’s not just motivational talk—it’s a truth backed by science. Sleep impacts every physiological function in your body, from mental clarity to physical recovery. Without it, no amount of grit can keep you performing at your peak.

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Ken Campbell, a senior running back at Washington University (WashU), knows this firsthand. His senior season was a breakout year, averaging 7.8 yards per carry, scoring 7 touchdowns, and breaking off the longest run of his career—an 80-yard burst against Illinois Wesleyan. But the secret to his success? A shift in habits, accountability, and awareness.

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The Challenge Athletes Face: Hiding the Truth

Ken explains that most athletes don’t openly share key factors like sleep quality or soreness. Why? They fear being labeled as uncommitted or risking a trip to the training room. It’s a cultural challenge that coaches and casual observers don’t always understand. Athletes push through pain, often to their detriment, while coaches unknowingly make practice plans without insight into their players’ physical and mental readiness.

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Ken saw it all too often:

“It’s really sad to see my teammates try and push through pain to meet standards. They needed better ways to communicate how they felt without fearing repercussions.”

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XA Score’s Impact: Turning Transparency into Strength

WashU introduced XA Score before Ken’s senior season. The app allows athletes to report critical readiness factors like sleep and soreness through quick daily check-ins. For Ken, this simple habit became a game-changer:

“Tracking my sleep and soreness gave me the intel I needed to build better habits. I stretched more, improved my sleep by an hour each night, and saw major improvements on the field.”

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Coaches began adapting practice plans based on player feedback, implementing extra stretching sessions and lighter drill intensity for athletes dealing with soreness. This wasn’t about coddling athletes—it was about optimizing performance and recovery in a data-aware way.

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The Superpower of Sleep

Ken’s experience aligns perfectly with the research I’ve presented to coaches: Sleep is the foundation of performance, mental health, and physical recovery. Studies from Dr. Matt Walker and Dr. Andrew Huberman reinforce that consistent, high-quality sleep accelerates recovery, reduces injury risk, and enhances focus.

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Coaches looking to develop their team’s sleep culture can see the impact in action—just like Ken did. Our article, Winning Sleep Habits in Athletics: Develop and Grow Your Program’s Sleep Culture, dives deeper into how teams can implement better sleep habits to gain a competitive edge.

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Ken echoes these insights:

“Sleep is the most important thing anyone needs, no matter your profession. It determines your energy levels and overall health.”

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By improving his sleep habits through XA Score, Ken not only performed better but felt more in control of his preparation and recovery.

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Building a Culture of Accountability

For Ken, XA Score’s benefits extended beyond the field. The daily check-ins fostered discipline and time management, skills that will serve him for life:

“Responsibility was the most impactful skill I gained. It changed me for the better, on and off the field.”

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His advice to younger athletes is clear:

“Use this tool to the best of its ability. It will improve your sleep, build responsibility, and benefit your personal life.”

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The ripple effect reached his teammates, too. At the start of the season, many players embraced the check-ins, leading to more energized practices and improved sleep routines across the team. Ken believes that player-led cultures thrive on tools like XA Score because they create accountability and foster trust between athletes and coaches.

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Coach’s Perspective

Few coaches have navigated the challenges of college football as successfully as Aaron Keen. With a 30-12 record leading the WashU Bears and a 77-41 career record as a head coach, he has built winning programs at every level of the game. Now at the helm of one of the nation’s top academic institutions, Keen understands the balance required for student-athletes to excel both on and off the field.

“As a program that has chosen to practice and run workouts in the morning, sleep and player readiness are huge issues. XA score has helped our players to be aware of their own habits and how their sleep can affect their readiness. As we continue to use the XA score app with our program in the off-season our players’ good habits have continued to get better. The positive impact of XA Score on our program and our players has been amazing.” 

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Conclusion: A Powerful Tool for Coaches and Athletes

Ken Campbell’s story is a reminder that effective coaching starts with understanding how your athletes really feel. Tools like XA Score bridge the communication gap, empowering athletes to be honest about their readiness and giving coaches the data they need to make informed adjustments.

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When commitment meets accountability, transformation follows. As Ken put it, “XA Score builds and strengthens your character as a human being. It can change lives for the better.”

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This is what “Do The Next Thing Right” truly means: rising to each moment, fully prepared to meet the challenge right in front of you..

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