Sunday, January 17, 2016

Just because Mike Trout does it doesn't mean you should...


The top two position player talents in Major League Baseball recently displayed what can best be described as "stunts" during their off-season physical preparation. Unfortunately the images went viral on social media for easily influenced young athletes to witness.

When young men possess unique physical abilities they like to show them off. The two athletes in question can get away with this stuff (though I'm not certain why they were allowed to do so by their coach/trainer?)  because they posses unique gifts that 99.99% of young athletes do not. In short, they can afford to waste valuable time on stunts because they're so talented it covers up a lot of foolishness.

My fear, is that young athletes see this and think if All-Star X and Y are doing that then I should too...

Not so fast my friends!

These athletes aren't great because of their ability to pull off stunts!

These acts are nothing more than social media opportunities and if they spend more than 1% of their physical preparation on this stuff I would be extremely surprised. 

I was blessed early in my career to have the opportunity to work with veteran MLB athletes. They did not waste valuable physical preparation time on stunts. They did focus on the basics/fundamentals and they executed them savagely well. Experience had shown these veteran athletes that the weight room is a tool to improve durability and performance.

Their goals were not to be weight room legends. In fact these athletes humbled themselves in the physical preparation space. They admitted they needed guidance, "this is what I need to be successful on the field and I need your help to accomplish this." The relationship between a physical preparation coach and an athlete is built entirely upon trust and it's a special responsibility for the coach. They can't be swayed by the latest fad or get caught up in using the opportunity to work with a high profile athlete as a social media marketing opportunity.

Youth and talent can cover up a lot of mistakes and poor decision making... But their is no place in the training space for stunt seekers. The rookies eventually catch on and start to learn from the veterans.

Chances are the young athletes that we are guiding aren't in that top 1% of the talent tier. They will be served far better by teaching them to focus on the basics, and to practice them until they can be executed savagely well. That is the road map to developing champion.

Recruiting and Athletic Testing

I want to bring to your attention to a couple of really valuable events that Michigan College Connect is offering for young athletes and their parents. Most of the baseball athletes that I work with aspire to play at a higher level… Having goals and dreams is extremely important for maximizing your potential but wanting is one thing knowing what it takes is vital to ensure you are doing the things you need to do accomplish your goals.

Recruiting and Exposure Presentation!

Michigan College Connect has connected with Danny Lopaze, former Michigan State Assistant Coach and University of Pittsburgh Associate Head Coach to bring members some great information about getting to the next level.  This is FREE for all members of the Michigan Red Sox.  You MUST secure your space by registering below.

Sunday, January 31, 2016 - 1pm


College Coaches Running Camps!

At this camp, players will be tested and evaluated in several areas including:  height, weight, grip strength, flexibility, leg power, agility/shuttle run, bat speed, home-1st, and throwing velocity.  Players will also be evaluated in their skilled position and hitting.

Monday, January 18, 2016
Martin Luther King Day
1:00pm - 4:00pm

Both events will be held at:

Michigan Red Sox
Training Center
2225 Elizabeth Lake Road
Waterford, MI 48328

Register for each event here:

Or call

(248) 930-0388


With all this talk of recruiting and combine like performance testing I have linked to a couple of articles that will hopefully help you and your young athletes keep this process in the proper perspective.

Athletic Testing: Sometimes the numbers do lie!

Scouting/Recruiting: What talent evaluators are really looking for...





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