tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35734844015959684302024-02-07T22:11:45.667-08:00Forever FitDeveloping future champions on the field of play and in the game of life.Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-63709293386864541882021-04-07T11:47:00.000-07:002021-04-07T11:47:55.895-07:00After The Big Three...<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After the Big Three…</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At some point seemingly soon... Tennis’ “Big Three” of Federer,
Nadal, and Djokovic will have to pass the baton to the next generation of men’s
tennis players. Who will fill the void? Will any of them have the skill,
athleticism, competitive drive, and fitness/health to ever approach the
accomplishments of the Big Three?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was easy to dismiss the 2021 Miami Open because a) it
conflicted with the NCAA Final 4 b) it conflicted with the opening weekend of
MLB and c) the Big Three all pulled out of the tournament.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The relative ‘“void” created by the absence of the Big Three
created opportunity for younger players to seize the spotlight and 4 players in
particular caught my attention and they all share a few qualities that may
serve them well as they attempt to ascend the </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.atptour.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">ATP </span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">rankings and compete for
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Slam_(tennis)"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Major/Slam
</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">titles.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sebastian Korda made the quarter finals in Miami where he lost to
eventual semi-finalist Andrey Rublev (I’ll get to Andrey next). Korda is the
rare American born player (also speaks Czech) that looks like an imminent
contender. At 20 years old (6’5) Korda is being “slow-cooked” by his coaches.
In other words, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/30022799/sebastian-korda-forging-own-path-success-2020-french-open"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">DEVELOPMENT
</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">is taking precedence over chasing tournament
success. The plan is to develop a complete tennis game and not burn him
out/bang his body up before he’s ready. At this stage in his development the
focus is on building a foundation on fitness/athleticism, nutrition, recovery. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/news/deuce-us-open-2010-sampras"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Pete
Sampras</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> took a similar approach
during his junior career and it worked out pretty well for him.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Korda’s father Petr is a former ATP Pro (at one point was the #2
player in the World) and mom, a former WTA Pro, his two sisters play on the
LPGA women’s golf tour. Petr and his wife encouraged their children to
experiment with </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/30022799/sebastian-korda-forging-own-path-success-2020-french-open"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">multiple
sports,</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> so they would find what
best suited them, and to understand the different skills required by each of
them. The kids dutifully tried skiing, skating, taekwondo, hockey and ballet.
Across the board at the highest level of sports a vast majority of the best
athletes in the World participated in multiple sports as kids and/or come from
extremely athletic/active families.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Two former American tennis greats </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://www.insidetennis.com/2021/03/seb-sational-can-seb-korda-lead-american-mens-tennis-to-the-promised-land/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Jim
Courier and Andy Roddick </span></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(in reality the last
relevant American men’s tennis player on the ATP tour) are all in on Korda!
They see something that American Men’s tennis has lacked for nearly 20 years…
Hope! </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I love watching tennis for its athleticism and the movement. Korda
is an athlete that plays tennis and with that comes a high ceiling!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Andrey Rublev is the 8th ranked player in the World and made the
semis in Miami. Rublev is 23 years old and stands 6’2. His dad was a former
boxer, mom and sister are tennis coaches. As a kid Rublev </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/players/andrey-rublev/re44/bio"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">boxed,
played basketball, and speaks three languages</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">! I love watching Rublev play, he’s extremely aggressive and hits
absolute lasers with his forehand (the hip/torso rotational speed is crazy!).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Jannik Sinner is ranked 23rd in the World and made the Finals in
Miami. Sinner is 19 years old and stands 6’2. Sinner was a champion skier in
Italy from ages 8 to 12. Sinner eventually chose tennis over skiing at age 13.
He also played soccer as a kid and continues to play the sport now! He also
speaks three languages!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hubert Hurkacz won the Miami Open and rose to #16 in the current
ATP rankings. Hubert is 24 years old and stands 6’5. Hurkacz’s mom, dad, sister
and uncles all played tennis (mom was a junior champion in Poland). His
grandfather was an international level volleyball player. His parents were also
on the same swim team in college (it’s how they meet). Hubert participated in </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/players/hubert-hurkacz/hb71/bio"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">gymnastics,
basketball, and soccer as a kid.</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In quick summary these young men have a few traits in common. They
come from athletic/active minded families, they played multiple sports as kids
(did not specialize in tennis from a young age) all are at minimum bilingual
and at least 6’2. If you aspire to be a great tennis player it would be wise to
follow their lead as the only one of these traits that is not modifiable is
your height. I guess you can blame your parents for that one and potentially
not leading by example without their own fitness and sport participation. For
parents no one spends more time than you with their kids particularly during
their formative years. Show them the way!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">You may have noticed that I made a big deal about speaking
multiple languages… Why is that important? Basically it </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-benefits-of-bilingualism.html?_r=0"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">boosts
your ability to process information faster</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> (amongst several other benefits), pretty important in a sport
like tennis!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Keep your eye out for the next generation of men’s tennis players.
The four mentioned above are extremely intriguing prospects from my perspective
and I am excited to see how they progress.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-22489710335439462022020-09-17T11:17:00.000-07:002020-09-17T11:17:24.561-07:00The Best Way to Develop a Major League Baseball PlayerWhat is the best way to develop a Major League Baseball player?<br />
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Major League organizations have been trying to tame this beast for decades and none of them have hit on a winning formula consistently. Sure, they have stretches but if we're being honest by the time athletes make it to MLB their athletic foundation has largely been set and they are just cherry-picking the best talent. By and large the pros are working with pretty good material. That said, what sets the best organizations apart is their ability to take very good athletes and mold them into elite baseball performers. But that's starting at the end. <br />
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So much happens before an athlete gets to professional baseball that can literally make or break a potential career in the sport. Parents and amateur coaches are responsible for guiding young athletes through these very sensitive years. The baseball industry foists quite a heavy burden on many of these folks whom often work day jobs among a vast array of other responsibilities.<br />
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But what if there was a way to make that pre-professional process more manageable? What if the amateur level supplied even better raw material for the professionals to take "advantage"of?<br />
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To help shed some light on these questions let's turn to Dr. Greg Rose. Rose is the founder of <a href="http://www.onbaseu.com/certification/instructors/grose">OnBase University</a> and is one of the leading sports science/bio-mechanics experts in the World with a particular expertise in how the body functions during athletic movements.<br />
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Dr. Rose has a very important message that parents and amateur coaches need to hear if they want to optimize the long term development of their young athlete(s):<br />
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<i>If your goal as a coach is to create a Major League Baseball player and you get to choose between two boys at the age of 12 (you can only choose one of these kids to coach for the rest of their career) would you choose the best twelve year old athlete in America (whom has never played baseball before) or the #1 twelve year old baseball player in the country? </i><br />
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According to Dr. Rose if you choose the baseball player the data tells you <b>96% </b>of the time you would be wrong!<br />
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The goal when developing young athletes should always be to build a well-rounded athlete. In order to be a great baseball player you first must be a great athlete. Most of the top MLB players have some type of <a href="http://nowforeverfit.blogspot.com/2020/06/playing-multiple-sports-chicken-or-egg.html">multi-sport background</a> which is a pretty good indication of how athletic they really are. The very few, like Cody Bellinger, that don't appear<b> </b>to have a multi-sport background are still off the charts athletic. Teammate Max Muncy calls Bellinger's athleticism "freakish."<br />
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Playing multiple sports and exposing young athletes to diverse activities from early ages is the absolute best way to develop athleticism. I understand some kids may not want to play other sports but they would also skip math class and eat mac&cheese all day if left to their own devices...<br />
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That said, the amateur coaching community and the folks that support them (parents) really should include and insist upon overall athletic development in their programs. If kids aren't getting it elsewhere you have to give it to them where they are at. In other words, the kids may go to "baseball" practice but in reality you have to create a "multi-sport" environment for them.<br />
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As Dr. Rose says-<br />
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<i>It's easy to play 1 sport... You're just being lazy! The best in the World did all this other stuff...</i><br />
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A foundation of overall athleticism provides kids with a higher ceiling! If you give the best coaches in the World a great athlete it makes their job so much easier. That should be the role of amateur baseball, create environments that allow kids to explore and develop the athleticism they'll need so that when they do ascend to the college/professional level they have the necessary tools to compete. If all you've given them are baseball skills it will not be enough to compete with the best in the World.<br />
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If your goal for them is to be the best 12 year old baseball player in town then focusing on baseball may, may get them there. That said, I don't know many kids that dream like that. They dream much BIGGER than that. We need to give them the tools they'll need to have a shot at making their dream a reality.<br />
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<br />Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-87061756658517181852020-07-01T13:44:00.001-07:002021-03-22T14:06:20.528-07:00This May Be the Key for Winning the Pitching WAR...WAR is an acronym for Wins Above Replacement. <a href="http://m.mlb.com/glossary/advanced-stats/wins-above-replacement">WAR</a> measures a baseball player's value in all facets of the game by deciphering how many more wins he's worth than a replacement-level player at his same position (e.g., a Minor League replacement or a readily available fill-in free agent).<br />
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Nine out of the top Ten (American Born) in Pitching WAR over the last decade have multi-sport backgrounds/in addition to playing baseball:<br />
<ol>
<li>Justin Verlander- Basketball</li>
<li>Zach Greinke- Tennis, Golf, Basketball, also switch hit as a kid</li>
<li>Clayton Kershaw- Football</li>
<li>Cole Hamels- the only one I could not find without a multi-sport background</li>
<li>Max Sherzer- Football, Basketball</li>
<li>Chris Sale- Basketball</li>
<li>Jon Lester- Basketball, also played a great Centerfield</li>
<li>David Price- Basketball</li>
<li>Adam Wainwright- Football (Wide receiver and Kicker) </li>
<li>Jacob DeGrom- Basketball. Also bats Left. Was not a full-time pitcher until his junior year in College.</li>
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The two foreign born pitchers in the top ten are Felix Hernandez who played basketball in High School and the legendary Bartolo Colon. Colon was likely too busy to play another sport because he worked full-time from ages 9-14, harvesting coffee beans and fruit. Colon credited his childhood job for developing his considerable strength.</div>
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Not only did these pitchers play other sports but they excelled at them. For example, Greinke routinely won tennis tournaments as a junior (in the tennis hotbed of Florida). He also excelled as a junior golfer but stopped playing after he was "skipped" ahead 3 levels and could no longer play with his friends. He switch hit in Little League and was primarily a hard-hitting short stop on his high-school baseball team. Greinke lead all Major Leagues pitchers in 2019 with 3 home-runs. Not to mention he's the best fielding pitcher in the sport, winning 6 consecutive Gold Glove awards.</div>
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The other take away from this list, these pitchers have all been remarkably durable. They have all pitched a very long time and have done so at an extremely high level.</div>
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A broad base of athleticism is essential to becoming an "elite" baseball player. And playing multiple sports is a great way to develop that athleticism. </div>
Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-66801859619384111032020-06-20T10:03:00.001-07:002020-07-14T14:59:12.016-07:00Playing Multiple Sports: The Chicken or the Egg?The best baseball players in the World also happen to be tremendous athletes.<br />
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Did they develop this athleticism because they played multiple sports as kids... Or, did they play multiple sports as kids because they were terrific all-around athletes?<br />
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There are two broad schools of thought on this topic.<br />
<br />There is the idea that when kids are young they should be exposed to and sample as many different activities/sports as possible. The theory is that with this broad exposure they will develop a wide and diverse base of movement skills. With this broad foundation in place it can now support more specific and highly specialized skills. If you were to start with a specific skill, say pitching, you would ultimately be capped because you're foundation is to narrow to optimize the development of that skill. This would be a kin to trying to fire a canon from a canoe in the middle of a lake... Abandon ship!<br />
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On the flip side if you first develop a foundation under that canon with building blocks such as coordination, speed, strength, power, bracing, and spatial awareness now when you go to fire the foundation is strong enough for the canon to display it's full potential.<br />
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The other element of early sampling/multi-sport participation is actually finding a sport you like and usually that's one you're really good at. If all you did was play baseball and never tried anything else you may miss out on being the next great TEAM USA soccer goal keeper or the next great American male tennis star (America hasn't had one of the latter since Andy Roddick!?!).<br />
<br />Then there is the school of thought that you're just born with IT! Out of the womb you are destined to be the next Mike Trout blessed with both elite athleticism and baseball skills to boot. Great athletes play multiple sports simply because they are great athletes and those opportunities present themselves. Maybe that's true but do you really want to take the risk of finding out for yourself? Because here's the thing if you guess wrong you can't go back and make up for it!<br />
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What's the reality?<br />
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The reality is that in order to be a great baseball player you first need to be a great athlete! The canon analogy from above is extremely important to understand. A broad base of athleticism gives you a higher ceiling. And the way the game is trending a high ceiling is an absolute prerequisite to compete at the highest level.<br />
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So do you have to play multiple sports as a kid to develop that athleticism?<br />
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In my opinion it is the BEST strategy for a few reasons.<br /><br />
<ol>
<li>It's the best way to ensure you are developing the athletic foundation and fundamental movement skills you'll need to develop a higher ceiling. The chances that you join a very progressive baseball organization that offers a complete athletic development experience is rare. In over 3 decades of athletic experiences as a player and coach I have never witnessed such an organization. If you find such an organization congratulations you have found the lost city of gold!</li>
<li>It's protective! This builds off point one from above. By playing sports seasonally (more on this soon) and trying many different sports you are less likely to develop "poor" motor (movement patterns) skills. I've had conversations with Division 1 coaches and when they ask me what I do they tell me- "what you do is WAY more important than what we do!" They say this because once they get an athlete in their program at 18/19 years of age if that athletic foundation is not in place it makes their job very difficult to squeeze improvement from that player. You are way better off developing athleticism and playing off of that than being plugged into a "system" and learning a style. Hitting, throwing, catching a baseball and running the bases are all propped up by athleticism. The best coaches in the World are at the Collegiate and Professional level and yet they get these athletes after the foundation has been set. It's very hard to break bad habits... Best not to develop them in the first place.</li>
<li>There is nothing like playing in a packed football stadium or basketball court on Friday nights! If you want to learn to be a "clutch" performer you need to put yourself in environments like that. It won't happen in Fall Ball or even the most competitive Travel tournament. </li>
</ol>
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Are playing multiple sports ever detrimental?</div>
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It can be IF you don't take seasonal breaks! Play baseball in the Spring/Summer stop in the Fall and play soccer or tennis. In the Winter play basketball or hockey don't just add these on top of your baseball skill work. You need an off-season from baseball to ultimately deepen your skill acquisition pool. If you absolutely don't want to play another sport or it's not an option dedicate time to upgrade your athletic capacities such as flexibility, strength, speed, power, mindset...</div>
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I could leave you with a hoard of examples of the baseball players in the World that played multiple-sports as kids but better to give you the one Elite player that did not... At least I couldn't find any evidence that he did. </div>
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Cody Bellinger is the lone great baseball player that I could not find with a multi-sport background. That said, all you have to do is watch this guy play the game and you'll quickly come to understand he is clearly one of the best athletes in the sport. So maybe Cody can get away with it but <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBne61yHmUq/?igshid=1t8aqateuwjon">unless you move like Cody</a> I wouldn't recommend it!</div>
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<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>What the two coaches who meet in the 2019 College World Series have to say about multi-sport athletes:</div><div><br /></div><div>Tim Corbin, Vandebilt - </div><div>"Our mission as a staff is to find multi-sport athletes that play other things besides baseball... I'm dead set against it (early specialization)."</div><div><br /></div><div>Erik Bakich, University of Michigan - </div><div>"It is, in my opinion, 100% the best decision a parent of a young player can do."</div>
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<br />Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-46048918201221398782020-06-09T17:27:00.007-07:002020-06-19T12:57:53.235-07:00Is this the end of Baseball as we know it?Today is the Major League Baseball draft. Due to the state of the world the Draft has been reduced from the usual 40 rounds down to 5. It’s also likely that the 2021 Draft will be reduced as well with the number 20 being speculated. Bottom line: 20-30 less pro opportunities per team or roughly 600-900 total (not all MLB draft picks go to pro ball as many opt for college ball instead).<br />
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Before all this hit MLB was looking to reduce the size and scope of their Minor League operations. As of the 2020 season there are 160 Minor League Baseball affiliates. I’m hearing 40 teams will be eliminated. Bottom line: 40 less teams, estimating 25 players per roster= 1000 less pro opportunities. Though my guess is unassigned players within an organization will stay in extended Spring Training as a developmental squad. But it’s inevitable that there will be a whole lot less jobs in pro ball.<br />
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College Baseball is on tenuous ground at best… Few teams actually make money, most are a financial drain on institutions. Furman eliminated it’s D1 baseball program in the aftermath of Covid-19 and Bowling Green did as well though the school later reversed course and restored the program. Top college coaches from around the country have taken notice of the “writing on the wall”… Led by UM Erik Bakich a panel made up of Power 5 coaches have rolled out what they call “ The New College Baseball Model” to ensure the long-term viability of the sport as we currently recognize it at the Division 1 level.<br />
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Division 1 programs have 11.7 scholarships to distribute among a max of 27 players. Each scholarship player receives a minimum of 25%. It should be noted that 11.7 is the upper limit. Some schools offer less than that because they are not fully funded. College Football and Basketball are big revenue sports and with the cancellation of the NCAA Hoops tournament and College Football likely playing in front of very small or no crowds at all a big revenue stream has been cut off. Even if it’s only temporary it’s likely to have reverberations that are felt for years due to the slim operating budgets at many universities.<br />
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NYU Marketing Professor Scott Galloway said the following:<br />
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“There are hundreds, if not thousands, of universities with a sodium pentathol cocktail of big tuition and small endowments that will begin their death march this fall.”<br />
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“Universities should be doing what every other organization whose business model has been threatened by Covid-19 is doing: cutting costs.”<br />
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This leaves College Baseball especially vulnerable.<br />
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Division 2 (9 max per team) and NAIA ( up to 12 per team) do offer baseball scholarships and may be viable alternatives. Their funding is also less likely to be impacted and may even improve as some families may not be able to justify paying a big tuition bill/student loan to attend a “Division 1” school. Professor Galloway also brings up another salient point in that you’re likely “going to have value propositions that have been rendered untenable overnight.” In other words the Big Prestigious school is not going to be offering the value you have come to expect from it’s reputation. Zoom anyone? No campus life or college football? Exactly what am I paying for?<br />
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Circling back to baseball… There is no doubt that the landscape is changing very quickly and will likely never be the same again. With fewer athletes being taken in the draft (and capped signing bonuses for undrafted players) many college juniors will return for their senior season and push incoming freshmen and rising freshmen down the depth chart. This is likely to be the case in 2021 and 2022 because of the reduction in draft picks and altered Minor League landscape.<br />
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Independent Minor League’s like the United Shore Professional Baseball League may take up some of the “slack” from the affiliated minor leagues teams that are cut and provide those players with opportunities. So I would expect a few more Independent organizations to sprout up seeing an opportunity. Also likely is that many of the athletes in the Independent leagues will be “squeezed out” in favor of affiliated players with higher profiles and quite frankly more talent.<br />
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The bottom line is baseball is changing and it’s never going back to the way it was. Add in the absolutely distasteful back and forth between the MLB owners and Players Association regarding return to play and baseball is taking a BIG hit. The game will survive and the best players, the most talented players will still find their way to the top. But for the rank and file it just got a lot more competitive. Fewer spots, less playing time… Development is going to be at a premium and the organizations that do that well at any level (MLB, MILB, D1, D2, NAIA, High School, Club/Travel) will continue to be successful.<br />
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Parents/athletes when your athlete is young you get one real chance to do this “baseball” thing right and it starts by educating yourself and surrounding your athlete with folks that understand how to truly develop talent. It’s not what you think because you likely haven’t experienced it yet. Especially if you’ve been involved in the current youth sports model. Out of less comes better… If you know what path to follow.<br />
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Scott Galloway’s thought provoking <a href="https://www.profgalloway.com/post-corona-higher-ed-part-deux">article on higher education post Covid-19<br />
</a><div>
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Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-67208066378219986232017-04-02T15:02:00.001-07:002017-04-02T15:02:57.247-07:00Train to Reign: Spring Training tips from MLB<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b> </b>Spring training, particularly before the exhibition games start is my favorite part of the baseball season. The media focuses more on what players did in the off-season to improve. As a preparation coach this is what I love to hear about!</div>
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This is my annual Spring Training breakdown of stories that contain plenty of helpful lessons and tips for young athletes. Admittedly, this is their job, they are full grown men and they don't have academic commitments to worry about but there are still plenty of core principles that will serve you no matter what level you currently compete at. </div>
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<b>Be a Good Teammate</b></div>
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Leadership comes in many forms and one of the most effective ways to build a strong team is to be a good teammate. In a sport with such a high failure rate it's tough to maintain your confidence with all of the inevitable ups and downs over the course of a long season.<br />
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If you're a veteran leader or "star player" you have a tremendous opportunity and the platform to make a difference in someone's life. <a href="http://m.mlb.com/news/article/217727074/cards-ryan-sherriff-gets-car-from-wainwright/">Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals </a>is a champion on the field of play and in the game of life and he goes out of his way to pick up his teammates. It's not surprising with leaders like Wainwright why the Cardinals have sustained a high level of success for well over a decade.</div>
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<b>The Power of Sleep</b></div>
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In the world of sport performance sleep is low hanging fruit! This is not a "talent" or a physical ability but it does require some effort. If you implement a solid sleep routine and make it a habit the payoff is huge!</div>
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<a href="http://m.redsox.mlb.com/news/article/217231296/red-sox-to-upgrade-players-sleep-room/">The Boston Red Sox have recognized this as a potential advantage for their organization and they are looking to implement personalized sleep systems for their athletes.</a></div>
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"We consider sleep to be one of the most important activities we do as human beings. It is while we sleep that peak physical and mental recovery occurs. While this is important to us all, it is imperative in a sport such as baseball, where the players are required to play each and every day."</div>
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<i>Brad Pearson, Head Trainer Boston Red Sox</i></div>
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<b>Nutrition-Key Driver of Performance</b></div>
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Speaking of low-hanging fruit... Nutrition like sleep doesn't require any special skill but you will need to put forth a little effort to make sure it's an asset and not a detractor of performance. You may have to learn a few basic meal prep strategies but it's relatively small investment when compared to the large payoff. </div>
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In the past Major League teams invested little in making sure their athletes had access to food options that fueled optimal performance. But when you consider the man power lost to time on the disabled list the effort to provide quality nutrition is a drop in the bucket relative to all of the salary they pay guys to rehabilitate. I don't think it's a leap to say that a lot of that injury time could have been prevented had guys recovered optimally and nutrition and sleep, are key elements of that.</div>
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<a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2017/02/26/plenty-banter-earnest-work-behind-scenes-tigertown/98450628/">That's why it's such a big deal that now meals are all prepared by a chef big-league teams are now required to hire as part of December’s new owners-players contract.</a></div>
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Players realize the advantage is more than a matter of convenience: You are what you eat. And the better a player fuels his body, especially when his work hours can be so upside-down, the better he'll likely perform.</div>
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<b>Verlander Invests in the Future</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/jeff-seidel/2017/02/25/detroit-tigers-justin-verlander-teaching-michael-fulmer-matthew-boyd-daniel-norris/98327140/">At age 34 Justin Verlander is still on the top of his game and he's taking the things he's learned over the course of his career and he's investing in the young trio of Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd.</a></div>
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Some of the things that standout:</div>
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Don't dwell on mistakes! Learn from the mistake and then move on, if you allow it to linger it will eat you alive.</div>
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Think long term! In order to sustain your skill over the course of long season and career you'll need to take care of business off the field. That means learn/develop a solid arm/body care program that works for you.</div>
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All pitchers have unique mind sets, pitches, strengths and weaknesses but there is one thing they should all have in common:</div>
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<i>“Most of all, I see the drive to want to be great, which is one of the most important things."</i></div>
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<i>Justin Verlander</i></div>
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<b>Verlander Seeks Improvement</b></div>
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One of the key traits that sets athletes apart from their peers is the desire to constantly search for areas to improve. Last season Justin Verlander nearly won and maybe should have won the CY Young award in the American League. While he could have been content he wasn't. <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2017/02/25/verlander-hopes-training-regimen-ignites-faster-start/98418568/">Verlander looked back over his season and he tweaked things in an attempt to get of to a better start in April and May.</a></div>
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This is very important lesson to learn for all athletes. You can always improve your level of skill. It does require grit and determination not to mention a plan that makes sense. This plan should consider where you are at currently in your stage of development.</div>
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During the off-season Verlander talked to trainers, physical therapists, orthopedic surgeons, shoulder specialists, as well as doing his own exhaustive research.<br />
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Verlander takes bits and pieces of information from all of these professionals and then incorporates what works best for him. At this point in his career Verlander has developed a deep awareness of his unique needs. This is a critical lesson for athletes to learn! Only you know how certain exercises, practice routines, food, and sleep patterns affect you. My advice, develop a performance team to help you gather quality information. Then it's up to you to develop your own self-awareness. Keeping a journal can help, use a small notebook or your phone to take notes on everything! When you review those notes you'll start to notice certain patterns.</div>
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<b>Train to Improve and to Maintain What You Have</b></div>
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Detroit Tiger short-stop Jose Iglesias had a reputation for not being a good teammate, and as a defensive player he was known for <i>lots of sizzle but no steak.</i></div>
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Iglesias improved his defense in 2016, at least in analytic measurements, significantly. His went from minus-3 to plus-3 in defensive runs saved. According to FanGraphs, his zone rating went from 2.3 to 11.6.</div>
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Iglesias took measures this off-season to build off that improvement. </div>
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“Absolutely, agility and quickness are part of my game and I’ve got to keep that,” Iglesias said. “But also, I am working on trying to avoid injury, to be injury-free — that was the goal of my off-season training."</div>
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Strength and conditioning for baseball should be multi-faceted.</div>
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Iglesias incorporated agility, strength and conditioning training, neuromuscular training, rotational power training and a nutrition program. He also monitored his sleep patterns.</div>
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<a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2017/02/25/iglesias-taking-measures-maintain-shortstops-body/98406288/">“It doesn’t matter how old you are, you’ve got to be careful about what you put into your body. And how hard you train." </a><br />
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<b>Best Spring Training 2017 Quote:</b></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><i>“Without struggle, there is no progress. Without failure there is no progress.”</i></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Los Angeles Dodgers LHP, Rich Hill</span></div>
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<b>PLAY BALL!</b></div>
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There is a resounding theme with all of these Spring Training stories. All of the elements discussed are related to behaviors that are well within your control. They don't require any special physical talent or skill. That said they are all essential for maximizing your performance on the field of play and in the game of life.</div>
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There are so many thing in the game of baseball that are not within your direct control likes statistics, wins and losses, even playing time. But it should be noticed that all of the results and outcomes tend to take care of themselves if you focus on executing the behaviors that you are able to control.<br />
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Happy Baseball 2017!<br />
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Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-60197280097837995252017-01-29T07:43:00.003-08:002017-01-29T07:43:30.927-08:00Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning JournalFor the second issue in a row I was offered the opportunity to write an article for the Professional Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society.<br />
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My latest article is all about the importance of strength and conditioning for the modern baseball athlete. You can read the full article by clicking the link below.<br />
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<a href="http://baseballstrength.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/PCBSV16N2.pdf">Why Strength and Conditioning is Essential for the Modern American Baseball Player</a><br />
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<br />Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-49219658590548593142016-12-11T07:42:00.001-08:002016-12-11T07:42:42.700-08:00Gift ideas for baseball athletes If you are looking for last minute gift ideas for your young baseball or softball athletes here are a few moderate to low cost training tools that provide awesome value!<br />
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<a href="http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-7869765-12155281-1430857535000?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.performbetter.com%2Fwebapp%2Fwcs%2Fstores%2Fservlet%2FProduct2_10151_10751_1004842_-1_1000352_1000281_1000281_ProductDisplayErrorView&cjsku=7742">Functional Training Bands</a><br />
These fit easily into an equipment bag and can be attached to a fence or post. Great option for core/shoulder stability strength.<br />
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I would go with the extra light (purple) or light (magenta) versions. In this case you're using these bands to help develop movement control and not maximum strength. Ideal for teenage athletes.<br />
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This week on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ploomis1167/"> Instagram</a> I will be sharing videos of my favorite exercises using these bands.<br />
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<a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-7869765-12155281-1430857535000?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.performbetter.com%2Fwebapp%2Fwcs%2Fstores%2Fservlet%2FProduct2_10151_10751_2259054_-1_1000166_1000165_1000165_ProductDisplayErrorView&cjsku=5095">Medicine Balls</a><br />
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Outstanding tool for developing rotational power required for hitting, throwing, pitching and even running the bases (turn and go!). I suggest 4 pounds for middle school athletes and 6 pounds for high school athletes. You don't want to go to heavy here. The emphasis is on efficiency and speed of execution. If the ball is to big/heavy it tends to lead to compensation and poor mechanics.<br />
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These are ideal for throwing in to brick walls or up against the fence. Check my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ploomis1167/">Instagram</a> out the 2nd week of January for exercises using med balls. Why January? This is when you'll want to start incorporating these into your offseason training program.<br />
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<a href="http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-7869765-12155281-1430857535000?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.performbetter.com%2Fwebapp%2Fwcs%2Fstores%2Fservlet%2FProduct2_10151_10751_1003893_-1_1000327_1000281_1000281_ProductDisplayErrorView&cjsku=6955">Mini Bands</a><br />
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These are small but pack a powerful training punch. They easily fit into your baseball bag. These bands can be an outstanding tool for conditioning the hips. Hip rotation is an often overlooked quality when it comes to conditioning for baseball. You can use mini bands to help prepare your hips for the rotational demands of playing baseball. I would go with all 4 resistance options (Light-X Heavy).<br />
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I will be posting mini band hip conditioning exercises on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ploomis1167/">Instagram</a> the 3rd week of January. I will give you a few pointers on how to effectively use mini bands.<br />
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I just checked and the mini bands and the functional training bands are on sale this week. Just follow the link.<br />
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If you haven't started thinking about your off season conditioning plan now would be a good time to start. The three training tools that I listed here are all easy to implement options that will help you perform better on the field and help ensure your durable enough to stay there!<br />
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<br />Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-78437276087101333722016-11-20T10:16:00.002-08:002016-11-20T10:16:13.891-08:00Is Cross-Fit a good workout for Baseball players?
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Baseball is as competitive as ever and young athletes are
always looking for an edge on their competition. One of the ways they seek to
do this is with off field strength and conditioning. </div>
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This can be a powerful addition to a baseball athlete’s
sport performance plan. That said the type of off-field training you choose is
very important.</div>
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If you choose what’s “trending” in the fitness industry you
are not optimizing the potential off-field training has to improve your
on-field performance.</div>
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For example I frequently get asked what I think about
Cross-Fit for young athletes and baseball players. </div>
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First, I respect the culture that Cross-Fit creates for it’s
members. They do a great job of creating camaraderie and an environment that
motivates folks (who might otherwise despise exercise) and encourages them to
test their limits. From a programming perspective for the most part they focus
on full body movements and not isolationism like bodybuilding, so that’s a plus.</div>
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However, there are several things that concern me when
applying Cross-Fit type programming to developing young athletes and more
specifically baseball players.</div>
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Most young athletes lack foundational strength.</div>
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Kids that can barely hold themselves up in a basic push-up
or lunge are being tasked with highly technical lifts and explosive movements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Young athletes with poor posture,
limited joint mobility/core stability are being subjected to high volume (lots
of sets and reps) training programs that overload their already weak and under conditioned
bodies.</div>
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Just like with throwing or hitting, it’s important to do
things RIGHT before even considering doing them A LOT.</div>
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The movements place a lot of stress on the wrists, elbows
and shoulders. For that reason alone it’s not a good fit. </div>
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And it’s not just the stuff that is included in these
workouts that can be problematic it’s the stuff they are leaving out.</div>
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A rotational sport like baseball requires a lot of dedicated
work to address the small hinges that swing big doors. Qualities like thoracic
spine mobility, hip mobility, rotator cuff strength and function, anti-rotation
core strength and opposite side rotation are essential for enhancing on-field
performance and more importantly ensuring the athletes can play consistently
and not sitting out due to nagging injuries.</div>
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I would go so far as to say programs like Cross-Fit are not
workouts at all. They are practices. They make you better at Cross-Fit. It’s a
competition!</div>
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Just like baseball is a competition and you use
batting/fielding/pitching practice to improve your skills so that you can
improve your on-field performance.</div>
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I’m all in favor of athletes trying different sport/competitions
but for competitive baseball players Cross-Fit type workouts just aren’t a good
fit.</div>
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Instead of enhancing performance most popular fitness trends
will push athletes closer to the brink of injury, while reinforcing poor
movement quality and joint mechanics especially in the case of one-side
dominant, single sport, rotational athletes (baseball, tennis, quarterback).</div>
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I see baseball players being exposed to programs that are
inappropriate due to lack of specificity (Cross-Fit, Football programs). Or
training modalities that actually hinder athleticism (body-building, long slow
distance running) or workouts that amount to little more than a glorified
warm-up routine that doesn’t meet the complete needs of what should be
explosive/powerful athletes (band programs).</div>
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The answer is finding a conditioning program that meets the
unique needs of the modern baseball athlete. They don’t need to be pampered but
they also should not be hammered. A training program, should boost athletic
performance and not teach a kid merely how to survive a workout…</div>
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I developed my program Forever Fit over 15 years ago to meet
then needs of all developing young athletes. To give them what they are missing
out on due to lack of free play. </div>
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In the last 5 years I have been working hard on developing
Baseball Fit because this generation of baseball athlete needs what it
provides. Modern baseball athletes need something that counteracts the unique
demands of their sport while also providing them with the crucial athletic growth
they need to realize their full potential on the field of play and in the game
of life.</div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-37514611401014404772016-10-02T08:24:00.002-07:002016-10-02T08:26:15.252-07:00Reign of Errors: Why Birthdate Is So Influential In Baseball<br />
Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers described the relative age effect in sports; athletes born in the month(s) immediately following the age-cutoff date are disproportionately overrepresented in the sport.<br />
<br />
For example, data kept from 1950-2005* shows that most American Major League Baseball players were born in the month of August (503). Further, every month after August of a particular birth year until July 31 of the following year, (313) there was a steady decline in the likelihood that an American child would become a major leaguer.<br />
<br />
What is so magical about August? For more than 55 years (beginning in 1950 when organized Little League baseball got its start), July 31 had been the age-cutoff date used by virtually all non-school affiliated baseball leagues in the U.S.<br />
<br />
The Baseball Info Solutions (BIS) database contains birth information about all major and upper-level minor league players active since 2002. According to the data, 18.6 major league players were born per day in August, compared to just 12.5 players per day in July. The BIS data also shows a 26.6% spike in August while July comes in at 15.4% below average.<br />
<br />
The result:<br />
<br />
In almost every American youth league, the oldest players had been the ones born in August, and the youngest were those with July birthdays.<br />
<br />
For example, someone born on July 31, 2000, would almost certainly have been the youngest player on his youth team in 2011, his first year playing in the 11-and-12-year-olds league, and of average age in 2012, his second year in the same league. Someone born on Aug. 1, 1999, by contrast, would have been of average age in 2011, his first year playing in the 11-and-12-year-olds division, and would almost certainly be the oldest player in the league in 2012.<br />
<br />
Twelve full months of development makes a huge difference for an 11- or 12-year-old. The player who is 12 months older will, on average, be bigger, stronger, and more coordinated than his younger counterpart, not to mention more experienced. And those bigger, better players are the ones given opportunities for further advancement. Other players, who are just as skilled for their age, are less likely to be given those same opportunities simply because of when they were born. Bryce Harper would've been a star no matter his birth month, but a player like Dustin Pedroia (8/17/83) who has less natural aptitude for the sport, might have gotten a small leg up over similarly skilled players because he's an August baby. It's clear by the numbers that this small advantage can have an impact that lasts a lifetime.<br />
<br />
<br />
In 2006, USA Baseball changed the domestic age determination date to April 30 of the current year. The age of a baseball player as of April 30 is that player's "league age" for the season.<br />
<br />
According to USA Baseball:<br />
<br />
<i>The primary reason to change the domestic determination age is so most players on a team will spend the majority of the regular season at the same chronological age as their league age. Currently, more than 95 percent of all local Little League programs start their seasons before May 1.</i><br />
<br />
Most youth baseball organization members under the jurisdiction of USA Baseball have adopted the April 30 age determination date.<br />
<br />
<br />
With the new rule it will take a while to shake out how this affects rosters at the Major League level but I think we should definitely be aware of the historical data. Those who fail to acknowledge history could lose out on a significant pool of talent if we don’t think this thing through a little more critically.<br />
<br />
For example, does moving the cutoff date from July 31 to April 30 really matter? It doesn’t’ appear that this will actually fix anything over the long-term. All that will likely happen is that kids born in the month of May will now have a big advantage. After all, players born immediately after the age determination date have been shown to have a decided advantage over players born in the months just before it because they are more physically mature and able to dominate their competition at the youth level.<br />
<br />
Allan Simpson in the February 2005 edition of Baseball America wrote-<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Research has shown that a majority of players on youth league all-star teams of all age groups are born in the four months immediately after July 31. That advantage carried forward to the major league level, as more 2004 big leaguers were born in August (123) than any other month, and the fewest were born in July (89).</i><br />
<br />
If we chose to we could acknowledge that cutoff dates matter. We could set up different tracks of development, one for the early developers and one for the potential late bloomers. Keep those late bloomers involved during their developmental years and continue to provide them with quality coaching and instruction. The results should be significant. In 2 or 3 years, you would have a much larger talent pool to choose from.<br />
<br />
According to Bill James online:<br />
<br />
<i>If organized baseball could manage to develop these overlooked ballplayers as well as it develops August-born (now May) talent, there would be 25% more MLB-caliber players. The league could expand to 7 or 8 additional markets without a drop in quality, leading to more revenues for the league, owners, players, and individual cities.</i><br />
<br />
The solution won’t be easy but even a small group of committed individuals can make a big difference. By placing an emphasis on athlete development rather than arbitrarily rewarding those with the happy fortune of being born in August… or now May we can start to create the necessary social proof that will be vital for getting the attention of the entire baseball community.<br />
<br />
The organization that decides and acts to serve in the best interest of their young athletes will undoubtedly become an Outlier, an organization with humble intentions that will become the beacon for others to follow.<br />
<br />
*In 2006, the age cutoff date moved from July 31 to April 30.<br />
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<br />Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-63232281431519374592016-09-13T13:38:00.001-07:002016-09-13T13:38:14.479-07:00What Happened To Those Little League Heroes?
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
A team from Endwell, New York recently won the Little League
World Series. And it got me thinking how many kids that have played in the
Little League World Series have gone on to play Major League Baseball?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here's an eye-opening statistic for many parents and
coaches...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the 69 years of the Little League World Series, a total
of <a href="http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/13475684/from-little-league-major-leagues">45 players</a> have made both the Little League World Series and MLB, including 13
current players who first made their names on the fields of Williamsport, Pa. How
can this be?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aren't we watching the greatest 11 and 12-year-old players,
in the world? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What is happening to these players between the ages of 12
and 18? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here's what happens... </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We're really not seeing the most talented 11 and 12-year-old
players in the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we
really see is the most physically developed 11 and 12-year-old players in the
game.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we see a 5'10”, 170lbs. 12 year old, that is a player
that is just bigger and stronger than other kids his age. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NOT more talented. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here's where it goes wrong...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Other kids his age start to develop physically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4 years later that physical development
levels out and often the physically dominant player has relied on that physical
dominance and has neglected the skills of the game and have not developed the
essential work ethic. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I get emails all the time from Dads of players who are just
realizing this and they are now scrambling to play catch up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes it's too late.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, if you're not one of those early developers, hang in
there, work hard, things tend to balance out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you get cut don’t give up. 12 years old is far to early
to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">retire</i> from the sport if you truly
love it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you are one of those early developers, stop relying on
that to succeed. Start layering this early advantage with the skills of the
game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-62933259343901368622016-08-30T08:02:00.003-07:002016-09-03T10:08:43.595-07:00How To Get The Most Out Of Your Baseball Off-Season (Part 2)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How to get the most out of
your baseball offseason<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In part 1 of this 2-part article on how to get the most out
of your baseball offseason I offered the first two of my four recommendations. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Taking time off from baseball skills work should be priority
number one closely followed by mastering behaviors that are well within your
control (sleep, hydration, nutrition, and academics). For a more thorough
vetting of these topics please check out <a href="http://nowforeverfit.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-get-most-out-of-your-baseball.html">part 1</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Without further adieu here are my final 2 recommendations
for getting the most out of your baseball offseason.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Get a check-up/Get a clean
up</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The offseason is the perfect time to clear up any lingering
issues that may have plagued you during the season.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Did your hips or hamstrings stiffen up?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Did you shoulder feel weak?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you feel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">flat</i>
and fatigued or run down?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Are you hurt? Do you have any aches or pains?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now is the time to get those things taken care of! And the
best thing you can do is to meet with a qualified professional and get yourself
assessed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I assess all of my athletes prior to starting an offseason
program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look at joint range of
motion, movement quality, tissue quality and posture. I also do a mind-set
check. I ask the athlete to reevaluate their goals and ask them how they felt
the season went and what they would like to improve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t know where you are (assessment) and you aren’t
sure where you want to go (reevaluate) it’s very tough to develop a strategy
because there’s no direction.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the assessment and reevaluation process we will
develop the initial program that restores and rebuilds the athlete using
exercises that are targeted toward improving flexibility, body control and
awareness. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically we are giving
them back what they most likely have lost after the long season.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Studies of pro baseball players reveal:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>
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</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>They lose shoulder internal
rotation (this is what happens on the follow through)</li>
<li>They gain shoulder external
rotation (this is the lay-back, cocking position, a case where more is not
always better)</li>
<li>They lose elbow extension (the
ability to straighten your arm)</li>
<li>They lose shoulder and scapular
strength</li>
<li>You will lose overall body
strength and power</li>
<li>Your posture and alignment will
change</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
Take the time to restore, regenerate, and rebalance (the 3
R’s) your body and mind before you…<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Build and maximize
your athletic qualities<o:p></o:p></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the fun stuff right? After you take care of the 3
R’s it’s time to hit the weight room and the training floor to improve your
endurance, strength, speed and power. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In calendar form assuming you stop-playing ball after
September and have try-outs in early March your offseason should look likes
this:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<o:p><b>October</b>- No baseball skill work. Get to work on cleaning up your nutrition, sleep, and hydration habits. Also hit the books hard while you one less obligation. Attach these things as if they are part of your baseball preparation because they are. </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<b>October/November</b>- get assessed and
get cleaned up! Your body and mind took a lot of abuse this past season you
need to take time to restore, regenerate, and rebalance your baseball/athletic
portfolio.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<b>November/December</b>- Work on your
movement efficiency. This is the stuff you learned from your assessment. Move
well before you move heavy stuff or run fast.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<b>December/January</b>- Develop your
work capacity/Endurance and your foundational strength with an emphasis on
optimal lifting technique.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<b>January/February</b>-The training will
skew more toward general speed and power development.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<b>February/March</b>- it’s almost go time
so now we turn our attention toward more specific speed and power development. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you follow this sequence of events and do this right you
have the formula to have an outstanding in-season performance. And you’ll have
made huge strides toward meeting your goals on the field of play and in the
game of life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’d like to learn more about our formula I’d love to
share it with you. Complete Baseball Performance was developed with the end
user in mind; young athletes that want to maximize their potential in the sport
that they love. <a href="http://nowforeverfit.blogspot.com/2016/08/complete-baseball-performance.html">Click here</a> to learn how we will help you maximize your potential as a baseball player.</div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-14704682199445208142016-08-30T07:40:00.001-07:002016-08-30T08:00:37.950-07:00How To Get The Most Out Of Your Baseball Off-season<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How to get the most out of
your baseball off-season<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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It’s been a long summer of baseball and it is time to start
thinking about your offseason!</div>
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In an ideal world you would play another sport. This would
be a great opportunity to give your body (and mind) a break from the baseball
specific patterns that you’ve locked in for the past 6 months.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The athletic diversity you acquire from playing different
sports will enhance your athleticism and durability both of which will help you
maximize your baseball specific potential.</div>
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On the other end of the spectrum are the athletes that play
fall ball and continue unimpeded with hitting and pitching lessons throughout the
off-season. Definitely not the routes you want to be on if you plan on playing
the sport at a high level (HS Varsity, Select Travel, College).</div>
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And then there is the middle ground that really gets you
nowhere and that’s just “chillin” until try-outs come around in March.</div>
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Offseason training programs can provide a golden opportunity
that many players do not take advantage of at the start of the offseason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think of it as setting the foundation
to prepare your body to get the most out of your offseason training.</div>
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Here are the first 2 of my 4 recommendations to get the most
out of the start of your baseball offseason training.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Take Time Off From
Skill Work<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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One of the most important aspects to the start of the
baseball offseason is to take a step back and get away from baseball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this may seem counterintuitive, I
do believe it is critical to your long-term success.</div>
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Between traveling teams, tournaments, showcases, and
grinding away at practice, the summer is almost as busy as the pro
players!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually joke with some
of my high school baseball athletes that they can’t wait to go back to school
to take a vacation from their summer baseball travel schedule!</div>
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But there are important physical benefits of taking time off
as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throwing a baseball is
hard on your body and creates cumulative stress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore, several studies have been published showing
that the more your pitch, the greater your chances of injury:</div>
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Pitching for greater than 8 months out of the year results
in 5x as many injuries (Olsen AJSM 06)</div>
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Pitching greater than 100 innings in one year results in 3x
as many injuries (Fleisig AJSM 2011)</div>
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Pitching in showcases and travel leagues significantly
correlated to increased injuries (Register-Mahlick JAT 12, Olsen AJSM 06)</div>
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I have found that my younger athletes that play a sport like
soccer in the fall tend to look better to me over time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, that is purely anecdotal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But specializing in a very unilateral
sport may actually limit some of your athletic potential, especially when you
are in the certain age ranges where athletic development occurs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything is baseball tends to be to
one side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Righties always rotate
to the left when throwing and swinging, heck everyone even runs to the left
around the bases!</div>
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Not only are these movements occurring at a high frequency
to the same side over and over they also happen insanely fast!</div>
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Biomechanical analysis of a baseball swing reveals maximum
pelvis rotational velocities of up to 714 degrees per second (Welch JOSPT 1995)</div>
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There is plenty of time to get ready for next spring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take some time off in the fall and let
your body heal up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You aren’t
going to forget how to hit, pitch or lose your release point or feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll come back stronger next season.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Focus on Small Hinges
That Swing Big Doors<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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You were likely on the road all summer living out of a mini-van
or cheap hotels all the while slamming quick but empty sources of nutrition
like candy bars, Gatorade and Subway/McDonald’s.</div>
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It’s time to let replenish your body with plenty of the
essentials:</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Water<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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Carry a water bottle with you at all times and start and
finish the day with a full glass.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">High quality sleep</i></b> </div>
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Aim for at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Shut off the
technology 30 minutes before bed and keep your room cool and super dark.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nutrition<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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The focus here is on eating real food as often as possible.
Stuff in a box or a pouch is not real food! Start every meal with something
that is an animal (chicken, beef, pork) or comes from an animal (eggs, cottage
cheese, Greek yogurt). Then eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables with every
meal. Add whole grains like oats, brown rice, quinoa and sweet potatoes
especially if you are trying to add muscle mass. Snack on things like nuts,
fruit, and beef jerky. Use protein bars and powders only when you don’t have
any other options. They are better than fast/snack food but real food provides
the building blocks to strong/athletic bodies!</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Academics<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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Take advantage of the time with no/light baseball activity
by hitting the books as hard as you hit or throw the baseball. D1 college
baseball has only 12.6 scholarships to offer. Full rides are rare but you can
always find academic dollars to help make up the difference. More importantly
baseball may help you get into a school you may not otherwise be able to attend.
Learn how to study now so if you do get a “special” opportunity to attend a
great university you’re prepared to handle the academic rigors.</div>
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The top two recommendations (take time of from baseball and
take care of the basics) are well within your control and you can start right
now! This won’t be easy but consider it part of the mind-set training you will
absolutely need to achieve success on the field of play and in the game of
life.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will get the
rest of my off-season recommendations to you later this week. Until then do the
simple things savagely well!</div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-21143241385623615712016-08-07T07:06:00.001-07:002016-08-07T07:06:16.661-07:00Complete Baseball Performance
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;">Complete Baseball Performance</span></b><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
A <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">total</b> performance enhancement program
for the developing baseball player</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Baseball is a metaphor for my life and serves as my tool for
leading young people and helping them maximize their potential on the field of
play and in the game of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you are an athlete interested in improving your baseball performance through
cutting edge physical, mental and nutritional training join me at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Co</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">mplete Baseball Performance</span></b>. The course
begins September 8 and runs through March 1.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Complete
Baseball Performance Program Highlights<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Performance
Preparation </b>- Learn to mentally and physically prepare yourself to play
consistently at a high level.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sports Nutrition and
Recovery </b>- Understand health and nutrition strategies to optimize your
performance and recovery.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Speed/Agility </b>-
Explore techniques to enhance your acceleration on the bases and range in the
field. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rotational Power </b>-
Improve your ability to generate power from the ground up to boost throwing
velocity and bat speed.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Functional Movement
Strength </b>- Enhance your athletic strength and your ability to transfer it
to the field.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Core strength </b>-
Boost your core strength -- a solid foundation starts up the middle. You can’t
transmit force without it.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Shoulder and Hip PREhab
</b>- Optimize your range of motion and strength that are essential for
durability and performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
joints transfer power and are involved in all baseball movements at high speed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Flexibility/Mobility/Functional
Assessment </b>- Boost your flexibility and mobility to prevent muscle
imbalances and overuse injury in this one side-dominant sport.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Character and mental
skill development </b>- Develop mental skills and strategies to keep all of the
ups and downs in perspective. Baseball is a game of failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learn an approach that allows <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">you</b> to thrive.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Complete
Baseball Performance Specializes In Baseball Players<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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I played Division 1 College Baseball and have experienced
first hand the impact appropriate strength and conditioning and the competitive
edge that it can provide.</div>
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I coached my first baseball athlete in 2004 and have spent
the past 12 plus years in the trenches with baseball players developing
intimate knowledge of their unique needs.</div>
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I have dedicated the past 12 years of my career learning
from elite baseball professionals. I have picked their brains to find out what
is truly important for the developing young baseball athlete in our modern
sport culture. My curriculum is based on what I have learned from leaders in:</div>
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Major League Baseball</div>
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USA Baseball</div>
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College Baseball</div>
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High School Baseball</div>
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Club/Travel Baseball</div>
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My direct involvement with professionals extends to learning
from experts in the following domains:</div>
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Sports Medicine</div>
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Sport Performance Training</div>
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Sports Nutrition</div>
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Sports Psychology</div>
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Three other factors make <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Complete Baseball Performance</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span>unique and relevant. </div>
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1. I played college ball and I watch baseball – I am truly a
student of the game. </div>
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2. I spend time on the field watching young ball players.</div>
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3. I understand the unique physical characteristics and
demands of baseball players. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Complete Baseball Performance Begins
With Love For The Game<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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This sport is in my blood! I never worry about growing old
because there will always be baseball and that will always provide the “juice”
that I need to live my life with passion and energy. Your team will win and
lose (mostly they will lose) but the game gives you so much more than tangible
rewards. I played the game in college and I know how it feels to play and what
this game can mean to a young man. As an adult, I learned things that would have
helped me immeasurably but no one ever told me when it would have mattered.
This is why I am driven to share my experience with young men. The movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Field</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">of Dreams</i> captures what the games means to me. The entire movie
speaks to my soul, but the scene where Ray has<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“a catch” with his father captures my “why” perfectly. This
“game” unties people and its bond is as strong as anything we’ve ever
experienced. That’s why I created <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Complete Baseball Performance</span></b>!</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can learn
more about <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Complete Baseball Performance</b> <a href="http://redsoxpride.leagueapps.com/events/111480-complete-baseball-performance-program">Here</a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-2176169174874427642016-08-07T06:51:00.000-07:002016-08-30T07:33:27.213-07:00Why Strength and Conditioning is Essential for the Modern American Baseball Player...<br />
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Here in the Midwest we are about to hit the fall sport season and high school football is about to "kick-off" and basketball/hockey seasons are just a few months away. It would seem that baseball would be the furthest thing from a young athletes mind right now.</div>
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Welcome to 2016 the era of sport specialization! Mother Nature used to limit our ability to play baseball during the late fall/winter but that’s not the case anymore. There is no shortage of facilities that cater to the needs of the baseball athlete. If an athlete wants to hit, throw or pitch during the winter they can do so under the expert tutelage of area hitting and pitching instructors.</div>
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I can opine until the cows come home that kids should take a break from year round sport participation but we can’t ignore the facts. Youth baseball is as competitive as ever and everyone is doing all they can to give themselves an edge.</div>
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I am not here to debate whether year round baseball is good or bad for developing young athletes… But if you truly have aspirations to be the best baseball player you can be you can’t ignore what happens as a result of this year round commitment to the sport.</div>
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I will circle back to the why but first allow me to introduce the what. Off-field strength and conditioning or Complete Baseball Performance (CBP) is essential for the modern baseball athlete!</div>
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As noted earlier everyone has access to expert baseball skill development through private/group pitching and hitting instruction. But there is a huge opportunity to set yourself apart with CBP. That’s because baseball players are an incredibly neglected population with respect to strength and conditioning.</div>
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Most training programs for young athletes are based off bodybuilding, football strength and conditioning or Cross-Fit. None of which are ideal, in fact they may do more harm than good.</div>
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A good baseball strength and conditioning program must address the unique demands of the sport. Baseball is a rotational sport with significant overhead activity with high velocity repetitive movements.</div>
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In fact throwing a baseball is the single fast motion in all of sport!</div>
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Humeral (upper arm bone) internal rotation velocity during throwing may reach 7500 to 7700 degrees per second.</div>
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And swinging a bat is not exactly a slow motion either…</div>
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During the baseball swing maximal hip rotational velocity reaches up to 714 degrees per second, where the pelvis rotates over a relatively fixed femur (thigh bone).</div>
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While qualities such as strength, speed and power are just as important in baseball as they are in other sports, it’s how you go about obtaining them that makes all the difference.</div>
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Now let’s get back to the why behind CBP. First from a performance perspective two key qualities must be enhanced through training:</div>
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Durability- this allows you to stay on the field, where you’ll have the continuity to develop your skills. If you’re always hurt or experiencing pain you won’t be able to stay on the field.</div>
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Athleticism- the better athlete you are the better things tend to “stick.” In other words the more fertile your athletic soil is the better the seeds your coaches’ plant will grow into something special!</div>
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There are also two other factors that necessitate CBP for the modern baseball player.</div>
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Sport Specialization- not only do you need CBP to counteract the demands of the sport, you’ll also need it to provide the diverse athletic stimulus that you’re missing out on by not playing other sports. This keeps your body fresh and increases your ability to adapt and develop elite level skill.</div>
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Athleticism is the foundation for sport specific skill; the more diverse and “deep” that foundation the better chances you’ll have to support high-level sport specific skill. If your foundation is to narrow it’s like trying to shoot a canon from a canoe! You’ll likely “sink” before you reach your potential.</div>
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Posture- due to modern technology kids are slouched and hunched over all day long leading to poor joint alignment and when you add on top of that extremely fast/one-sided/highly repetitive motions it can lead to significant muscle imbalances.</div>
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Start paying attention to how you stand at rest. Additionally, look around and notice how others stand at rest. I bet it looks a lot like the picture below (weight shifted into the right hip/low right shoulder/nipple, lower right hand, just to name the most obvious). This is something I see on extreme levels in some of our right-handed throwing athletes; they’re right handed people, in a unilateral sport, in a right-handed world!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFLcj70C6eU_NiPi3TLCXyVxd0gG2iROndvU3YdQvnoaUdCjLCPIOuXhhcwQINYvqQ5QKVbBiWC8x7RkoMPqbwVMFSOHGGEUn4VH-0FLpO0bAGSnrUXt1SOVjjb7Dqhi9YxxnhK9i7gU6/s1600/adductedrighthip-122x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFLcj70C6eU_NiPi3TLCXyVxd0gG2iROndvU3YdQvnoaUdCjLCPIOuXhhcwQINYvqQ5QKVbBiWC8x7RkoMPqbwVMFSOHGGEUn4VH-0FLpO0bAGSnrUXt1SOVjjb7Dqhi9YxxnhK9i7gU6/s400/adductedrighthip-122x300.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="162" /></a></div>
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Think of the poor alignment/posture as the athlete’s starting position. Their bodies have to work so hard just to play “catch up” (get the joints in position to execute the skill) it will likely lead to excessive stress on muscles, tendons, and ligaments in addition to the wear and tear on joint surfaces.</div>
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At least this will lead to poor timing and rhythm of hitting and pitching mechanics at worse it can lead to significant injuries to the shoulder, elbow, low back or hips.</div>
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Simply restoring alignment as close to neutral as possible could unlock significant gains in potential bat and running speed as well as throwing velocity.</div>
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Most strength and conditioning programs ignore this unique demand imposed upon the baseball athlete.</div>
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Baseball is an extremely fast sport and the one-sided nature and rotational demands require specific programming variables that simply aren’t addressed with Cross-Fit, Football based programs nor Stack.com.</div>
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The off-season is the ideal time to develop the body armor you’ll need to stay on the field and the athleticism that is necessary to develop elite level baseball skill.</div>
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Final Thought</div>
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Last week I spoke with my old friend Carlo Alvarez, Sport Performance Coordinator for MLB's Pittsburgh Pirates. There are two things from this conversation that I wanted to highlight.</div>
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First, Carlo told me that of the 40 athletes that the Pirates drafted this past June 39 had to be regressed from his basic conditioning program. He said they were a "mess" and lacked fundamental movement and general athleticism; they were not physically prepared for professional baseball. So essentially he had to take 39 kids that were skilled enough to be drafted and take them back to the basics (running, jumping, skipping, crawling...).</div>
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Secondly, the best athletes in America aren't playing baseball. 50% of the athletes in professional baseball were born outside of the U.S. Take a glance at the rosters of the 30 MLB teams and look at the starting shortstops... This is arguably the most athletically demanding position on the field and there are few American born athletes (7 out of 30 or 23%) playing that position at the MLB level.</div>
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What does all this mean? It tells me that there is a tremendous opportunity for those that make the commitment to improve their performance preparation and overall athleticism. If our best athletes don't play baseball then the kids that do choose the sport can make a huge leap by focusing on improving athleticism outside of baseball skill development. Further, skilled baseball players that are good enough to be drafted are grossly under-prepared for the demands of high-level baseball. This means athletes aren't doing the right things away from the field and they will likely stall out before reaching their potential.</div>
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The modern American baseball player spends plenty of time on skill development (possibly to much) and they are just as likely devoting time to speed and agility training and weight training that is not addressing their unique needs. It's pretty clear (by the numbers) that the current formula is flawed, it's simply not working! If we keep running into the wall maybe it's time to find another way to get around it...</div>
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Learn why and how Complete Baseball Performance will allow you to maximize your full potential <a href="http://nowforeverfit.blogspot.com/2016/08/complete-baseball-performance.html">click here</a></div>
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Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-53929414928505830692016-08-02T09:28:00.004-07:002016-08-02T09:39:15.029-07:00What people are saying about the Complete Performance Program<br />
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<i>Daniel led the team in just about every offensive stat! I had several, several parents comment on Daniel's speed improvement this spring (eye ball test "he looks faster") and I have a feeling Daniel will have some company heading to the training facility this fall and winter to work with you!</i><br />
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-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Chris, father of JV Baseball player<br />
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<i>My girls’ soccer team worked with Coach Loomis last winter. His focus was on building a strong core for our female athletes. Injury prevention and proper technique were taught to our athletes. This past spring our team suffered very little, if any injuries. I believe that our lack of injury this season can be attributed to our girls participating in Phil Loomis’ off-season program.</i><br />
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-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Todd, Troy Athens Varsity Soccer<br />
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<i>Congratulations on your being named one of the International Youth Conditioning Associations Coaches of Distinction… USAH appreciates the time and effort our volunteer coaches, like you, put forward for the kids.</i><br />
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-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Bob, USA Hockey’s American Development Model Regional Manager<br />
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<i>Freddy really enjoyed your training program and we could really see the difference in both his body and his attitude. </i><br />
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-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Jim, father of 4 year Varsity infielder<br />
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<i>Phil takes my development personally. My goals are his goals. He is committed to pushing me to reach those goals so he constantly adapts my training to fit my needs as an athlete. Phil deeply cares about me as a person as well as an athlete.</i><br />
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-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Matthew, joining U16 New York Red Bulls Youth Soccer Academy, Fall 2016<br />
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<i>Our son thinks your approach to core training, plyometrics and neuromuscular training is the best!</i><br />
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-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Bruce, father of Division 1 Scholarship Big Ten Football Athlete<br />
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<i>We love the influence you have in Damian’s life. Lucky mom!</i><br />
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-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Jinny, mother of 2 times Division 1 High School State Tennis Champion<br />
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<i>Beth and I sincerely appreciate your work with Daniel this winter, and the note that you sent out to the players that did not make baseball teams this spring was right on the money. Today, he hit what I would call a routine grounder to short and I am still amazed that he beat it out. I don't think he would have made it last year and while some of it is that extra edge I think not making the team last year has given him, I also know it was your work with him this winter.</i><br />
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<i>Thanks for your coaching and your belief in my son.</i><br />
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-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Chris and Beth, parents of JV Baseball player<br />
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<i>You are very much a main part of Michael’s life right now. You may not realize the effect you have had on him over the past few years. His maturity and strength-of-self have exponentially grown over the course of his high school years</i><br />
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-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Kyra, mother of 3 boys<br />
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<i>Thanks for all the time an effort you have put in to Drew’s training. Drew definitely enjoys training with you and trusts and respects you very much and for that I appreciate all you do.</i><br />
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-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Dan, father of High School varsity Baseball player<br />
<br />Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-43772446765842501462016-06-23T06:28:00.000-07:002016-06-23T06:28:04.823-07:00To Be Great Do I Have To Leave My State?<br />
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I have been working with a young athlete the past two years whom has really developed himself into an excellent soccer goalkeeper.<br />
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He was recently invited to spend a week with the US National Team in Bradenton, Florida. You would expect that this athlete has been specializing in soccer most of his life (16 years) and more specifically has been groomed to be a goalkeeper.<br />
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That is not the case. He only recently (within the last two years) converted to goalie after have been a field player throughout most of his soccer experience.<br />
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The evaluation from the folks with the National Team was that he just needed more “reps.” This makes sense considering his relative lack of experience at the position. I think it’s very important to note that he wasn’t told that he needed to get more athletic (stronger, faster, more agile/powerful). <br />
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This young athletes’ athletic development was as close to ideal as can be expected in the modern youth sport culture in America. He played multiple sports growing up and when he decided to stick with one sport (in mid teens) he learned how to play the entire game. Now he takes that diverse athleticism and knowledge of the overall game of soccer and applies it to his development as a goalkeeper.<br />
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To often these days not only do kids specialize way too early they also specialize within the sport and this is highly restrictive to optimal athletic development. Think of specialization as Saran Wrap on your potential and intra-sport specialization as a manhole cover!<br />
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This young athlete just needs more reps this will require great attention to detail and a commitment to put in the essential work. At 16 years of age with highly supportive parents this is well within his capabilities. However if he were told he wasn’t athletic enough that would have been a HUGE issue. At 16 in most cases that critical window of general athletic development is nearly closed and further improvements would be very slow to occur and would likely not evolve to the level required for advanced sport competition.<br />
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At the age of 16 he is at the prime developmental age to turn his training focus toward intra-sport specialization because… The foundation has been set! His overall athletic ability is firmly entrenched. Because of this foundation he has given himself the opportunity to maximize his sport specific skills.<br />
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If the movement foundation is built upon sport specific skills (often due to early sport specialization) it intentionally restricts athletic diversity, adaptability and movement exploration, and therefore, limits the ability to develop highly technical skills and athletic instincts (unrehearsed or spontaneous movement, those plays that make your jaw drop and force broadcasters to say “you just can’t teach that!”).<br />
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Physical Therapist and Athletic Development coach Bill Hartman summarizes this process expertly:<br />
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<i>These limitations in athletic learning result in novel experiences on the field of play being perceived as threats and the nervous system will limit human system variability to perceived demands of the sporting activity as a means of protection. </i><br />
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<i>Limitations in human system variability (including movement) limit ultimate sports performance.</i><br />
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<i>Early specialization is in direct conflict with the optimal long-term development of young athletes.</i><br />
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In other words limited athletic/movement experience (sport specialization) is like riding the brakes. It will dumb down a process that should be highly refined and instinctive and makes it robotic and slow.<br />
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Another key element that must be acknowledged in the athletic development process is the quality of coaching.<br />
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In America our most skilled and experienced coaches apply their trade to the most elite of athletes at the Division 1 Collegiate, Professional and Olympic levels.<br />
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Meanwhile, volunteers who also have to manage the demands of a full-time job often coach young athletes. This is not a recipe for developing expert coaching skills. Skilled coaches are necessary for helping athletes develop highly technical sports specific skills.<br />
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I will use the example of the young goalkeeper. He has developed to the point where now he needs very technical coaching to take his skill to the next level. He simply can’t get the coaching he needs here at home. He must travel to Chicago to work with an elite goalkeeper coach and at best this happens one maybe two times per month. This is likely not enough to get the “reps” required to meet his goal.<br />
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So the family has to explore life-changing options such as moving to an area that has an elite athlete development infrastructure in place.<br />
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Am I saying that if you really want to become an elite athlete your family has to leave the great state of Michigan?<br />
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No! I am saying however that in Michigan we do not have an established elite athletic development infrastructure in place, yet…<br />
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Some folks are working on it but it will take some time. As always follow the money trail. Elite coaches deserve and should expect to earn elite salaries. Only D1 Sports and the Professional Leagues have the backing to support those types of salaries.<br />
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In time hopefully we evolve to the point where as a society we deeply value the role teachers and coaches play in the lives of our kids and compensate them accordingly. Truly they are responsible for the long-term health and prosperity of our nation.<br />
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What to do in the interim?<br />
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The best strategy is to expose kids to a variety of activities and sports from a young age. We need to encourage multi-sport participation through the 10th grade. In the late high school year’s specialization can take place though it is not essential and it must have guidelines such as off-field training to counteract the sport specific demands while also encouraging diversity/playing multiple positions within their sport of choice. Additionally accountability, commitment and being a good teammate are best established at this point and we should be well equipped to serve as role models in this area of life.<br />
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If we don’t have elite coaches at the youth level we need to let kids play and discover what they are good at. We should give them general guidelines and teach them the basics and fundamentals of sport. We need to put our bias aside and realize there is no such thing as perfect form/technique and even if there is we probably aren’t skilled enough to know neither what it is nor how to teach it.<br />
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The young goalkeeper has not played the position long enough to establish poor habits/mechanics that need to be corrected. He is like a clean slate. As a result when he gets the elite coaching he learns better because he doesn’t have any barriers to breakdown before he can move forward.<br />
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I have spent a great deal of time over my 13 years as an athletic development coach interviewing elite coaches and time and again they tell me that they want athletes! “If you give us a great overall athlete we can teach them the sports specific skills they need to excel.”<br />
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Swinging a bat, throwing a football or blocking a soccer ball is an act of athleticism. We need to give our kids the opportunity to develop a huge general base of athleticism so that when it is time to specialize they have the tools necessary to receive the elite coaching and transfer it to the field of play.<br />
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<b>Closing thought</b><br />
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If you coach young athletes or are the parent of a young athlete now is the time to invest in athletic/movement diversity. It will keep their bodies fresh and shield them against injury while also giving them the best chance at excelling on the field of play and in the game of life.<br />
<br />
Author John Maxwell’s Law of Diminishing Intent says, “The longer you wait to do something you should do now, the greater the odds that you will actually never do it.”<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-36982956608815074202016-05-19T06:54:00.003-07:002016-05-19T06:54:51.250-07:00Best Hitter in Big Ten Nearly Fell Through the Cracks
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amazingly
enough the college baseball regular season will wrap up this weekend with
conference tournaments getting started next week. As of now Baseball America
projects both Michigan and Michigan State to make the field of 64 for the NCAA
Baseball tournament. That said the Big Ten is very competitive at the top with
6 teams fighting for what will likely be 4 bids so the Spartans and Wolverines
have to finish strong to get in the dance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of Michigan State’s best players Jordan Zimmerman leads
the conference in hitting at .394 and is third in both on base and slugging
percentage and has walked more than he has struck out. Zimmerman’s journey to
MSU was indirect to say the least.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the surface it would appear Zimmerman was a highly
coveted recruit but that is not the case. Young ball players can learn quite a
bit from the path Zimmerman traveled to East Lansing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Zimmerman grew up in Mesa, Arizona a hot bed for
professional and Division 1 baseball prospects. It just so happened that
Zimmerman played shortstop the same position as 4 other top players in the
area. Three of the prospects were drafted in MLB in rounds 2,3 and 5 out of
high school and the fourth ended up at Arizona State. Zimmerman was
overshadowed by these other players and wasn’t heavily recruited and ended up
at Mesa Community College. The knock on Zimmerman at 5’11 and 170 pounds was
that he was only a “singles” hitter (he hit .400 all 4 years on the high school
varsity).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was at Mesa CC that he was “discovered” by an MSU
assistant coach who happened to be scouting another player but ended up
offering Zimmerman a scholarship on the spot. Zimmerman credited off-field
performance training for helping him improve his athleticism and strength
(filling out his now 6’1 frame at 190 pounds) but all along he continued to do
what he’d always done… Hit!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Zimmerman was simply overlooked through no fault of his own.
Often the recruiting process is out of an athlete’s control. I wrote in the
past how elite MLB athletes <a href="http://nowforeverfit.blogspot.com/2016/03/getting-cut-stinks-but-it-just-might-be.html">Paul Goldschmidt and Kevin Kiermaier</a> were
overlooked for years before they were finally “discovered.” The simple truth is
recruiters and talent evaluators are human beings. They can only watch so many
baseball games in person and sometimes they flat out miss guys!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Zimmerman never let up! He continued to hit the ball hard
and it only took one pair of eyes to see the potential. You have to mentally
prepare as if each playing opportunity is your time to be “discovered.” Because
you never know who is watching and more importantly you don’t know what type of
player they may be looking for.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s very possible scouts missed Zimmerman because he didn’t
fit their mold of what a good hitter should be. Everyone covets power and he
didn’t show that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 298
Division 1 baseball programs and they all missed this guy. He had to settle for
playing at a CC but he never allowed that to deter him from developing his
skills. There is always a spot for someone that can flat out hit the ball with
authority even if it doesn’t travel over the fence. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may not have fit Zimmerman’s timeline but he kept working
until someone had to take notice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I am a great believer
in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thomas Jefferson<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will wrap up with a tip I once received from famed
baseball mental skills coach Harvey Dorfman.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I don’t care where you
come from and it matters very little what you’ve done in the past. What matters
to me is the person you bring here.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tough and uncertain times don’t last and statistics are just
numbers on paper what endures forever is the strength of your character. Allow
that to be your driving force and you will ultimately become successful
wherever you end up.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-1142661364201058172016-03-31T05:41:00.002-07:002017-03-28T09:20:52.137-07:00Getting Cut Stinks! But it just might be the best thing that ever happened to you...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"> In Southeast Michigan high school
baseball evaluations took place over the last week or so. While plenty of young
athletes are brimming with confidence having earned a spot on the team there
are more kids that didn’t make the cut.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">This is a tough spot to be in particularly for
those that have never experienced the disappointment of being cut from a
team. Most of the boys I have queried in recent days want to blame the
coaches for not giving them a “fair look,” and that they are a much better
player than <i>Jimmy Ballgame</i> who did make the team because he knew the coach
from middle school…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">I sympathize with these young athletes because when
something is taken away you tend to react emotionally and want to lash out at
those whom you deem responsible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">These athletes need to look at being cut as an
opportunity. You have to use the disappointing result of being cut to learn
what you could have done better. If you dwell on the disappointment and allow
the negative result to fester it will eat you up and you will bury yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Even in the unlikely circumstance that the coach
doesn’t like you, is playing favorites or is just a “dummy” that’s out of your
control. Don’t waste time and energy blaming other people; this negative
response will not help you. In life and sport you will have bosses, coaches,
teammates and co-workers whom you don’t get along with at a personal level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">You have to choose you!</span></b><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Pick you, by committing to developing an approach
that will get you where you want to be. Get help to develop an approach or game
plan that is appropriate for you taking into account your athletic ability and
skill set. Once your game plan is in place you have to execute that
consistently. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">As a young athlete I was fortunate to learn a
mental strategy that was vital for helping me navigate the up and down nature
of baseball. The late Dr. Harvey Dorfman was a renowned baseball mental skills
coach and he taught me the following formula:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Approach-Result-Response</span></b><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">You can control the two on the outside. You can’t
control the one in the middle.</span></i><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">As an example...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">If I know as a hitter that I can’t
handle the high fastball on the inner half of the plate, my approach to each at-bat is "I am
only going to swing at pitches middle away." If I follow my plan and hit a line drive that’s caught by the right fielder, I made an out. However, to me I should
consider it a successful at-bat because I stuck with my approach in spite of
the negative result. In this situation I could not control the result, which
was an out, but I can control my response to that result. And if my response is
a positive one then I was successful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">However, if I get frustrated because it was caught
and abandon my approach then the at-bat was not successful because I did not
control my response. I allowed the result to dictate my success, likely leading
me down the road of a long and painful slump.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">If you want to excel at sports and baseball
specifically you MUST learn how to deal with failure, it is ESSENTIAL to
maximizing your abilities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Consider the following Major League Baseball players that experienced a
negative result and used it to fuel them on their path to success.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Paul Goldschmidt is fast becoming a household name
in MLB. In fact, he has finished second in the NL MVP voting twice. Paul was never the best player on his little league team, travel
team (he batted 9</span><sup><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.0pt;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"> and played second base on his 8</span><sup><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.0pt;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"> grade
travel team), high school team nor was he the best player on his college team.
The one quality that sustained Goldschmidt throughout his journey was his work
ethic and his refusal to give up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Paul Goldscmidt's story is also a cautionary tale that too
often players are prejudged at a young age without acknowledging just how much
they can improve over time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">At each step along the developmental path Goldschmidt
realized he was not as good as his teammates or the best players on the
opposition. But he did believe he could get better if he focused each and every
day on doing so.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Goldschmidt said...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<i><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">In college, I didn't get to go to one of the top
schools in the state or the country, but I got to compete against those guys
and just figured if I could just keep getting better, who knows what could
happen.</span></i><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Paul Goldschmidt made himself into a Major League
star and his best tool wasn’t his speed, power, or arm. It was his work ethic.
Goldschmidt’s hard work and dedication gave him a chance. Far too often young
athletes have unrealistic expectations and in my opinion the limiting factor
isn’t their size or lack of baseball tools…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Kevin Kiermaier is the starting center-fielder for
the Tampa Bay Rays. According to the statistic Wins Above Replacement (WAR) he
was the 7</span><sup><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.0pt;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"> most valuable position player in
MLB in 2015, despite hitting .263 with a mere 10 home runs. What made Kiermaier
so valuable in light of his relatively pedestrian offensive production?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">He used his elite speed and athleticism to save 42
defensive runs the highest number since that stat was created in 2003.
Kiermaier is a human highlight film on defense not only with wall climbing and
gap diving catches but with a rocket arm that accounted for 15 assists, the most
by a center-fielder in 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Talent evaluators and scouts overlooked Kiermaier
every step of the way. As a freshman in high school he stood at 5’6" and
while one of the best players on the team in high school, he was “unspectacular
overall.” Only junior colleges and NAIA schools were interested. He ended up at
a Division II Junior College. Kiermaier ultimately lead that team to a Junior
College World Series title his freshman year and was named MVP of the
tournament.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Tampa Bay Rays scout Tom Couston started showing up at
Kiermaier’s college practices to watch one of his teammates. The scout
knew right way, that Kiermaier was a prospect, and that “he’s
still bewildered no one else saw what he did." Couston had many scouts come up to him and say, ‘Good job. I just missed him’.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">When his former high school coach heard Kiermaier
had a chance to be drafted, he joked, “Into what? The Army?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Kieramier was undrafted but did sign with the Rays
and the rest is history. Kiermaier, like Goldschmidt, had to prove himself every
step of the way. He believed when no one else did. Kiermaier picked himself! *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">When you are trying out for a team it comes down to
getting attention.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Not everyone is going to understand you as a
player. Everyone will not see your potential.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">This means you have to make a choice…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Don't worry about those that don't see your
potential. Show up and play your heart out for those that might!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">- 5 Teams rejected Derek Jeter before the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Yankees picked him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">- There were 1329 players selected before Hall of
Fame catcher Mike Piazza<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">- All 30 teams said NO to Albert Pujols 12 TIMES!!!
The Cardinals picked him in the 13</span><sup><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 13.0pt;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"> round.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Pujols got 401 Nos and only 1 yes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">That's all it takes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">It's all about getting a look then it’s up to you.
Have you done everything you can to prepare for that opportunity? Have you put
the work in and have you developed a game plan that will allow you to succeed?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">In any of the multiple roles we play (student,
athlete, friend), we’re inevitably going to face trials and periods in life
when we simply don’t know how everything is going to work out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">But we must realize that just because we’re going
through a difficulty doesn’t mean we’ve failed in some way or we should shrink
back from doing what we love to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Perseverance is the key to overcoming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">The testing of your self-belief produces
perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and
complete, not lacking anything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Make the choice today to proactively develop and
maintain the mental muscle of endurance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">In doing so, you will be able to fulfill your
potential.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><b>Closing thought</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"> I wanted to highlight one of the young men that committed to our off-season program this past Winter. DG realized a tremendous return on the investment of his time and effort. We started our program back in November and we just wrapped up the first week of March. DG attended well over 95% of the available sessions, by far the strongest commitment of the boys that attended. We learned last week that DG made the Varsity baseball team after being cut as a freshman and sophomore. That rarely happens! First of all most kids give up on the sport. If they don't give up they still haven't been in the program the previous two years so they really have to stand out to get noticed.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;">DG's baseball tools don't jump out at you but he has the essential skill that is vital to maximizing your ability. He never gave up, he invested in himself and he sought help to achieve his goal. Determination and passion are just as important as running speed, hitting power, or pitching velocity. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">If you need proven program that will get you on the right track to playing your best <a href="http://nowforeverfit.blogspot.com/2016/08/complete-baseball-performance.html">click here</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Reference: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">*Apstein, Stephanie. "Glove and War."
Sports Illustrated 21 Mar. 2016: 81-83. Web.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"> Additional Reading</span></b><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mental-Game-Baseball-Guide-Performance-ebook/dp/B009R6GJDA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458824302&sr=1-1&keywords=harvey+dorfman"><span style="color: #0000fb; font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">The Mental ABC's of Baseball</span></a><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: 16.0pt;">This was a great book that I read near the end of
my playing career. I wish I would have known about it in high school! Easy read
for young athletes with plenty of proven mental skill strategies for baseball.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-12145586805011498482016-03-15T07:34:00.001-07:002016-03-15T09:34:37.693-07:00Spring Training: Secrets to success revealed<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I love Spring Training!
There are many reasons for this not the least of which is that it's a sign that
the long winter is behind us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I also love Spring Training because <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(especially
the early stages before games are played)</i></b> there is a laid back atmosphere and players have more time to muse about what
they did to prepare for the upcoming season. We also get a glimpse from team leadership on the
philosophical direction their organizations are heading.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;">Have you followed the first few weeks of Spring Training? I have and it is amazing how many interesting
stories that have been discussed for baseball players, parents, and coaches.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;">Let’s take a little tour of Major League Baseball Spring training….<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Teams are investing heavily in science and
analytics. Specifically<b>,</b> they want to better understand how
training, nutrition and fatigue can play a role in player performance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The St. Louis Cardinals understand that their
athletes need a little push to address this aspect of strength and conditioning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This portion of the training rarely garners much
attention but is essential for maximizing performance and reducing the risk of
injury – more specifically, core and flexibility training.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12pt;">Cardinal infielder Greg Garcia states….<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://m.cardinals.mlb.com/news/article/166201204/cardinals-turn-to-pilates-for-training"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0000fb; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none;">Baseball players are always like, 'we have to go hit. We
have to go throw. We have to go run.' We don't take that time to stretch like
we should. So to have an organized class where</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0000fb; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none;">someone is telling you
what to do is, I think, going to be beneficial to us, because sometimes we
don't even know what to stretch. </span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0000fb; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">From a physical preparation standpoint<b>,</b> young
men love to squat, bench, dead lift and do curls – get
big, look good. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why we can't expect our athletes
to do the non-sexy stuff (stretching & conditioning) on their own. We have
to implement it into our practice and team workout routines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">It's
that important!<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tim Notke
was a high school basketball coach who said …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work
hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Arizona Diamondbacks 27 year old rookie
outfielder from Venezuela David Peralta epitomizes that statement!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(</span><a href="http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/just-a-bit-outside/story/david-peralta-chris-carminucci-scout-arizona-diamondbacks-independent-league-082114"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/just-a-bit-outside/story/david-peralta-chris-carminucci-scout-arizona-diamondbacks-independent-league-082114</span></a><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rick Riccobonno of USA Baseball told me that good
things always seem to happen for guys that are humble and put
the essential work in. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peralta's
journey to success in the Major Leagues speaks to the power of perseverance and
never giving up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px;">Bryan Holaday is in a precarious position as the
Tigers third catcher but he's not accepting that label
without a fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Victor Martinez
said…</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2016/03/05/holaday-stays-hot-two-homers-tigers-loss/81369472/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0000fb; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none;">The guy has been
working hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is one of the few
guys I see when I come early in the morning (5:30 a.m.). He works his butt off.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always say, when you work, there
is always room to keep developing.</span></i></b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tiger starting catcher
James McCann is also one of the early risers. McCann is often
mentioned as being the future "leader" of the Tigers. Successful
teams normally have players that demand high
standards of each other. But players can lead only when they demand more of
themselves than anybody else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>McCann
is doing all he can to set the tone for his teammates to follow including
paying attention to the details like the food he put's in his body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">McCann studied the habits of athletes that have
sustained peak performance for well over a decade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>McCann<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>said …. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0000fb; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What do they do differently from other guys?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They take care of their bodies.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nutrition is low-hanging fruit when it comes to
performance enhancement. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is one
of the few variables that lie within an athletes control and the vast majority
(particularly young athletes) grossly neglects it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As coaches and parents we need to make this easier for kids
by providing better options. It won't be easy but achieving your peak
performance is going to entail a little bit of sacrifice in the early stages of
habit formation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px;">The only time your body can get strong is when you
allow it to recover. If you're always "in the fire" training,
throwing, sprinting you will eventually melt from the cumulative heat/stress
imposed upon your body. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>St. Louis
Cardinal ace Adam Wainwright learned this the hard way:</span></div>
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<a href="http://m.cardinals.mlb.com/news/article/166095924/cardinals-wainwright-poised-to-lead-cards"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0000fb; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none;">It's hard to admit that some time off helped me, because
you want to be out there competing, you want to be out there helping your
team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I have to look at
the positives. [With] the time away, my arm hasn't felt as fresh as it does now
at any time since 2013. That was the last time my arm has felt anywhere close
to this. </span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Wainwright is an extreme example in that his team
always makes the play-offs and usually makes a deep run. But the cumulative
wear and tear from those extended seasons gradually weakened his body until it
finally "blew up" on him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">With the forced time off Wainwright had time to
build the strength back in his body and arm to get back to doing the things he
is capable of doing on the mound.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A fatigued body is an injury prone one as well!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When it comes to physical preparation for baseball
Anibal Sanchez was another guy that had to learn the hard way after losing time
to an injury. Sanchez always focused on shoulder/arm strengthening exercises to
prepare for pitching. But he neglected the foundation that is essential for
maximizing pitching performance and durability. That foundation is the hips,
core and legs. Sanchez credits his new workouts for his renewed vigor for
the upcoming season.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16px;">Major League teams are leaving no stone unturned
when it comes to finding a way to gain a competitive edge. The Chicago Cubs
lead by their innovative leadership team of Theo Epstein and Joe Maddon have implemented a mental skill development
element to their organization. The organization has shared their mantra – “C.U.B."</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Courage to do things the right way.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Urgency to do it right now.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Belief that we're going to get it done.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Under the leadership of new General Manager Al
Avila the Tigers have taken steps to implement the "Tiger
Way." Avila said this approach is more of an "internal
process" and not one meant for media consumption. In other words, we
will let you know on a need to know basis and the media doesn't need to know
this. Avila generally summarized this new organizational approach by stating
that it's an attempt to get all levels of the organization speaking the same
language. As an example the strength and conditioning staff will implement
fundamentals of training and evaluation that will be prioritized throughout the
system from rookie ball all the way up the Major League team.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I will wrap up with a great quote I ran across from
former Boston Red Sox and current Chicago Cub GM Theo Epstein describing how
the 2004 Red Sox overcame a 3-0 deficit in a best of 7 to overtake the Yankees
and win their first World Series title in over
86 years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The biggest thing, I thought, in '04 was we came
back because the guys in our clubhouse cared more about the other 24 guys than
their own interest.</span></i><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the end all of our young athletes want to excel
personally. But being part of something bigger than yourself is so powerful and
the bonds and friendships you develop will outlast any trophies or statistics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Along with “my team” of coaches and instructors, we
are very excited about the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: red;">Select Baseball Prep Program</span></u></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will provide us an avenue to give
back to the game we love and in a way we could never accomplish by ourselves.
And it encompasses many of the things I observed from Major League Spring
Training:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: large;">1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A shared message and philosophy that permeates the program from the pitching coach to the strength and conditioning professional.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: large;">2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Nutrition as an essential element of performance, health and recovery.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: large;">3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mental skills training and team building.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: large;">4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Smarter training that prioritizes safe and effective performance enhancement.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: large;">5.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Opportunities to learn from the best and brightest in the sport of baseball</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This program is much more than just developing
champions on the field of play. It's just as important, and even more for us to
develop the next generation of champions in the game of life as well.</span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-7222677581839973852016-02-23T08:41:00.001-08:002016-06-23T06:28:38.884-07:00The #1 Reason for Inconsistent Pitching Velocity<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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As anyone who reads my posts regularly surely knows, I've
devoted a significant portion of my life to figuring out how to help young
athletes become faster, stronger, more durable and how to make guys throw
baseballs faster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, having a
great change-up and a filthy curveball is nice, but let's be honest: throwing
gas is what gets scouts' attention and earns you fame, fortune, scholarships,
and, of course, intimidation on the mound.</div>
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However, my interest in velocity isn't just limited to how
to get to "X" miles per hour; it also extends to understanding how to
stay (or improve upon) "X" miles per hour over the course of a single
appearance, season, or career while staying healthy and developing the rest of
one's pitching arsenal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Erratic
radar gun readings are as much a problem as "insufficient" radar gun
readings.</div>
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My foremost observation on this front has been that velocity
is much more erratic in high-level teenagers than any other population. I've
had loads of high school guys top the 85mph mark over the years, so we've built
up a good sample size to consider.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While some of these guys are quite consistent, I find that they tend to
have more 4-6 mph drop-offs here and there than any other population with which
I've worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A guy that is 84-87
on one day might come back at 75-81 five days later - seemingly out of the
blue.</div>
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However, I don't think it's just a random occurrence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, in my experience, EVERY single
time it happens, it's because he has let his body weight drop - usually due to
being on the road for games and not packing enough food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see it all the time in kids who
throw great up in Michigan, but then head down South for tournaments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of a sudden, they are living out of
hotels and eating out of restaurants multiple times per day - which certainly
isn't going to be as conducive to maintaining body weight as
"grazing" around the house and chowing down on Mom's home-cooking
multiple times per day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To make
matters worse, a lot of kids lose their appetites when they get out in the heat
- and not many people from across the country are prepared for the weather in
Georgia or South Carolina in July.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, insufficient caloric intake becomes completely inadequate caloric
intake - and that's not exactly a recipe for throwing the baseball faster.</div>
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Beyond just the body weight factor, though, you also have to
look at the fact that the advanced teenage pitchers are generally also the best
athletes - so their coaches almost always have them out in the outfield or at
SS/3B when they aren't pitching. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Playing a position interferes with a solid throwing program
and just doesn't give a kid a chance to rest. There are more calories burned,
too!</div>
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What's interesting, though, is that kids who don't throw as
hard - say, 70-79 - never have variability in their velocity readings; they are
super consistent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why? Well, for
one, they usually aren't quite good enough to get on travel teams and in
competitive scenarios that would require them to have to consciously consider
how to maintain their weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Rather, its Mom's home-cooking all the time - so it's easier to maintain
their weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, they may not be
talented enough to be able to play other positions when they aren't pitching.</div>
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This difference is really interesting because both
populations - independent of strength and conditioning - are at ages where
their bodies are changing and (presumably) getting heavier naturally as they go
through puberty and gain muscle mass.</div>
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This rarely applies to anyone who has pitched in the
professional ranks for more than a year or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You never see a professional pitcher go out and throw 5-7mph
slower than normal unless he is hurt or coming back on very short rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These guys have found their "set
points," and have learned over the years how to get in enough calories
when on the road (out on their own means cooking for themselves, plus eating
whatever their clubhouse dues gets them at the park).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, they aren't playing the field.</div>
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All that said, regardless of your age, experience level, and
current velocity, don't skimp on calories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you look at every bit of research on the pitching motion,
body weight predicts pitching velocity. If you're on the road, make sure you
pack some shakes, trail mix, bars, fruit, nuts, jerky, or whatever other
convenience food helps you to get in the calories you need to light up the
radar gun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In summary if you are looking to maximize your throwing
velocity specifically or more generally improve overall sport performance
quality nutrition is low-hanging fruit for all athletes. If you are putting in
a lot of effort and time into developing your body and sport specific skills it
would be a shame if you consistently put yourself behind the 8-Ball by
neglecting how to feed your body. In sport, especially baseball there is
plenty that lies outside of your control. Nutrition is without a doubt one of
the few variables you can control and those that figure it our early will
provide themselves with A HUGE competitive advantage.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is just one of the many “details” that separates Physical
Preparation for Baseball from other performance programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn't just help you develop your athleticism
and sport specific skills; it helps you with strategies to make getting in
enough quality calories conveniently when you may be pinched for time or
kitchen access.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stay tuned for updates on our Select Preparation for
Baseball program, the complete solution for the baseball athlete.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-74814560037615944122016-02-11T06:32:00.003-08:002017-03-07T09:36:57.388-08:00"Most youth baseball players are broken!"- USA Baseball, Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I recently had the opportunity to meet with several
high-level folks within the baseball community. I wanted to share the
information that came out of these talks, as they are extremely relevant to the
developing baseball athlete.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Carlo Alvarez- Sport Performance Coordinator
of the Pittsburgh Pirates<br />
Chris Walter and his Strength and Conditioning Staff
with the Detroit Tigers<br />
Rick Riccobono- Chief Development Officer for USA
Baseball</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From these conversations, I have the following random thoughts and comments with more explanation in the weeks ahead. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Carlo Alvarez-
Pittsburgh Pirates<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve known Carlo for many years and his insight is so
valuable because he has worked at he Major and Minor League level in addition
to leading the athletic development program for prep football powerhouse St.
Xavier in Ohio for nearly a decade.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Early specialization is a HUGE
problem affecting Major Leaguer’s! They are so beat up when Carlo gets them he
has to spend an inordinate amount of time just cleaning them up.</li>
<li>For first year pro’s the emphasis is
on re-sets/regressions because of muscle imbalances/asymmetries.</li>
<li>Focus on developing QUALITY
strength, master body weight first.</li>
<li>First 6 months with the
Pirates workouts are nothing more than 1 hour long warm-ups, teaching athletes
to become efficient movers with emphasis on Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS)
like crawling, jumping, skipping, carrying, hanging…</li>
<li>You don’t win championships
freshman year or in rookie ball. What you should do is establish your culture
and environment. Athletes need to understand your methods and terminology.</li>
<li>Establish progressions and
regressions for each athlete with the team context. Don’t lump everyone
together! Chronological and Developmental age don’t match up.</li>
<li>Early specialization is a
DISORDER as in you missed the order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
<li>Early and single sport specialization leads to movement inefficiency, asymmetries and muscle imbalances,
stress fractures, over-use injury. </li>
<li>Athletes are getting "chewed-up" due to lack of
progression and individualization. </li>
<li>Still maturing young athletes are thrown into advanced/high intensity programs and their bodies
can’t hold up.</li>
<li>Of the 40 athletes the Pirates
drafted in June 2015, 75% came BROKEN!</li>
<li>The Pirates have 3 phases to their
training program. All but one of the draftees had to be regressed below Phase 1,
not Phase 1 but below it.</li>
<li>These aren’t novices; they are
the most talented and skilled athletes in the country.</li>
<li>Problem can be fixed</li>
<li>It starts with EDUCATION- parents,
coaches, athletes</li>
<li>Build a community to support and
invest in an honest, ethical process that’s long-term, scientific, analytical and experientially based.</li>
<li>This problem is bigger than all of
us and it’s affecting everybody. All stakeholders must come together for the
long term good of the game.</li>
<li>Best athletes in this country
aren’t playing baseball</li>
<li>Expenses, urban areas, boring?
(Carlo’s son chose lacrosse over baseball, kids get to run and be aggressive)</li>
<li>Have to figure something out, Most
teams not even thinking this way. They have no developmental/rookie program</li>
<li>Huge competitive opportunity for
those willing to invest in a Long Term Athletic Development Model (LTAD) </li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This leads me to…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rick Riccobono- USA
Baseball<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
USA Baseball is thinking about the need for “grassroots”
development. In fact they are developing a comprehensive document that outlines
a Long-Term Athletic Development Model specifically for baseball.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>The plan will highlight what the
developmental cycle or career arch of player should look like within the sport
if they want to compete at an elite level.</li>
<li>Baseball is an early introduction
not early specialization sport; this is an extremely important concept to
understand.</li>
<li>Not only the “elite” athlete,
everyone that loves the game has a role.</li>
<li>Baseball for life; staying
connected to the sport for health, fun and to grow and connect others to the
game. Paying it forward through coaching, volunteering…</li>
<li>People need to understand LTAD.</li>
<li>USA Baseball overhauling talent
acquisition and strength and conditioning processes.</li>
<li>Two main reasons for above; keep
the athletes they have healthy and ensure they are attracting the highest
quality athletes possible.</li>
<li>Current youth baseball culture in
America “me-centric.”</li>
<li>Parents paying for high end
experience, shapes expectations, “what’s in it for me”…</li>
<li>The players that make it the ones
they want are humble and blue collar.</li>
<li>Good things happen for kids like
that!</li>
<li>Multi-sport athletes are more
durable, competitive, and mentally resilient and they aren’t “used up.”</li>
<li>Intangibles, are established in a
LTAD model.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chris Walter- Detroit
Tigers Strength and Conditioning Director<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I recently had the pleasure to spend an afternoon with Chris
and two members of his staff at Comerica Park. Chris is in his second full
season as the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the Tigers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>The Tigers best players take care
of the “fundamentals”</li>
<li>The Fundamentals-</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Core training (not sit-ups and
crunches)</li>
<li>Self Myofascial release- Foam
rolling, lacrosse balls, massage sticks</li>
<li>Mobility-combo of flexibility and
body control/awareness (not just stretching, this is important to distinguish)</li>
<li>Deceleration- can you control your
body and put yourself into a position to re-accelerate. Best athletes have
tremendous brakes!</li>
<li>Coordination-the ability to move
fluidly with rhythm and timing</li>
<li>Recovery- getting
quality sleep? Do you eat performance-promoting foods? Not supplements here
but REAL food!</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>The Tigers best overall athletes
also happen to be their best players</li>
<li>Fundamental movements skills (FMS)
and uncompensated range of motion is the foundation that must underlie sport
specific skill. FMS are essential if you want that sport specific skill to be optimized
and sustainable/durable.</li>
<li>Performance testing is not a large
priority always-think safety first.</li>
<li>They don’t spend much time on
speed and agility, just don’t have the time and it’s best optimized during
adolescence. This is why all of the agility/foot work training with Nick Casetellanos
doesn’t “stick.” He was a one-sport kid growing up. His window of adaptation
has closed! Another strike against early specialization.</li>
<li>Strength can always be addressed
later when their bodies mature. Once that coordination and speed window closes
though it’s closed forever, can’t get that missed time back.</li>
<li>Coordination/FMS and
Speed/Agility/Quickness must be emphasis during developmental years</li>
<li>Most people would be surprised how
basic (not easy) the Tigers training programs are. You won’t see them flipping
tires or jumping on 50-60 inch boxes. Too risky and doesn’t help anyway.</li>
<li>Exercises/programming can’t be to
easy, guys will get bored</li>
<li>Exercises/programming can’t be to
hard/complex because guys won’t do it. They are baseball players not Cross-Fit
wannabes or body-builders. They train to enhance on field performance and to
stay healthy.</li>
<li>Manual shoulder work- bands can be
tricky especially with young athletes who lack good shoulder/cuff/scapular
strength. Manual resistance provided by an experienced coach is an awesome arm
care strategy.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What’s Next?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the case of Carlo Alvarez of the Pirates and the Tigers Strength and
Conditioning staff I also presented to them what I am doing with my Complete Baseball Performance program (CBP). I wanted their honest assessment of the
program.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I fell strongly that in order to expand and grow as
professionals we need to challenge our comfort zones. While I am very confident
in my education/experience it’ still a little intimidating to have folks who
are at the pinnacle of their industry audit what you’re doing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was very reassured with their assessment that CBP is
indeed a solid if not essential piece for the developing baseball athlete.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am extremely excited about the opportunity to team up with
the Michigan Red Sox organization and Bloomfield High baseball as these are two
groups that share my interest in a long term athletic development strategy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some of the most successful Major League Baseball
organizations achieved lasting success due to their player development
emphasis. In developmental baseball you have to work with what you’re given and the improvement from within is an essential strategy for success. Viewing our
athletes not in the context of whom or where they are now but rather who they
can become with progressive and nurturing coaching strategies should be the
resounding agenda for any youth baseball organization.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This an exciting time to be associated with the Red Sox and CBP as we are working on some fairly ambitious projects. We are doing the
essential work to position ourselves as leaders in the baseball industry with
respect to education and talent development/projection/evaluation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stay tuned in the weeks as we start to unpack our agenda for
the Baseball community in Southeastern Michigan.<br />
<br />
Details on Complete Baseball Performance can be found <a href="http://nowforeverfit.blogspot.com/2016/08/complete-baseball-performance.html">here.</a> </div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<!--EndFragment--><br />Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-52876555499574384932016-01-17T06:15:00.001-08:002016-01-17T06:15:29.410-08:00Just because Mike Trout does it doesn't mean you should...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My fear, is that young athletes see this and think if All-Star X and Y are doing that then I should too...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not so fast my friends!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These athletes aren't great because of their ability to pull off stunts!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Recruiting and Athletic Testing</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Recruiting and
Exposure Presentation!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is FREE for all
members of the Michigan Red Sox.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You MUST secure your space by registering below.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday, January 31, 2016 - 1pm</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">College Coaches
Running Camps!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At this camp, players will be tested and evaluated in
several areas including:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>height,
weight, grip strength, flexibility, leg power, agility/shuttle run, bat speed,
home-1st, and throwing velocity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Players will also be evaluated in their skilled position and hitting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Monday, January 18, 2016</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Martin Luther King Day</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1:00pm - 4:00pm</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Both events will be held at:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Michigan Red Sox <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Training Center<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2225 Elizabeth Lake
Road<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Waterford, MI 48328<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Register for each event here:</div>
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1BauIIyEtAFhe6aj-tIjC2YkXcKqWzhlT59k66HBoVy8/viewform"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1BauIIyEtAFhe6aj-tIjC2YkXcKqWzhlT59k66HBoVy8/viewform</b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Or call</div>
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<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001sF9N94GNJ0GpnO4h6xGY971IGHUDqCQKtd8qs2WHQZaeAtLpX0QRsjOn0UBE_QA5Ev_YZTpK0mMTa4p2-AUaQ4R3coF2tlLkGuce5hlWR1jdqgpiOkeeUNrhRa6c89HV2U8EDXx-wqDaRs5EZLTAB92AUVEArRmxM1IZgu9-zdI=&c=gDRUK8OXCTa0q-RvxosWXMtTYm5tdLl2cdjeueG6IujJPrKDd"><b><span style="color: #f50000; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Michigan </span></b><b><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">College</span></b><b><span style="color: #f50000; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> Connect</span></b></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(248) 930-0388</span></div>
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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.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://nowforeverfit.blogspot.com/2014/03/sometimes-numbers-do-lie-ask-tom-brady.html">Athletic Testing: Sometimes the numbers do lie!</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://nowforeverfit.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-journey-to-athletic-success-starts.html">Scouting/Recruiting: What talent evaluators are really looking for...</a><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1374789034"></span><span id="goog_1374789035"></span><br /></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-45817970390848908672015-12-22T10:34:00.002-08:002015-12-22T10:34:18.705-08:00Young Athletes Beware of the "Idiot Box"...
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I wanted to wrap up 2015 with a few random thoughts on
Sports Performance Training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over
the past few months a couple of high profile professional athletes were
“caught” on video <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">seemingly </b>displaying
tremendous feats of athleticism. But as long-time strength and conditioning
professional Mike Boyle points out in the excerpt below this should be a lesson
in what not to do!</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Box Jump Idiocy<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The top box in the
plyo box stack is either a 36 or 42-inch plyo box.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If you have one,
please put it away. In fact, unless you are training some great athletes, put
your 30-inch box away too. I have dubbed the big plyo boxes “Idiot Boxes”.
Idiot boxes are jumped on by young men (it is always young men) looking to show
off.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I have begun to refer
to them as “skin donors”. I can tell you something for sure. If CSI showed up
and dusted the high plyo boxes for DNA most of these boxes would test positive.
There was a time when my athletes and I were foolish just like everyone else
and did these foolish exercises. After coaching a few “skin donors” I realized
that what mattered was the movement of the center of mass, not the height of
the box. I no longer own a 36” box but own lots of 18’s, 24’s and a few 30’s.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Our rule is simple;
jump and land from the same position. This means that take off and landing
should look identical. If you jump from a ½ squat, land in a half squat.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I could post a few
videos but, don’t want to get sued. Just Youtube “box jumps” if you want to see
foolishness in action.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And please, don’t
stack up a bunch of stuff to jump on. That’s even dumber. I just saw an article
with a multi-million dollar athlete jumping on a collection of boxes and
plates. Try to explain that during your deposition.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Remember, jump and
land from the same position.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mike Boyle</b>- The
God Father of modern sport performance training, has coached at the Olympic and
Division 1 college level in addition to working with professional athletes and
amateur athletes for nearly 3 decades. In short, no one has a better frame of
reference than Boyle.</div>
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I can’t help but toss in my own two cents on this topic. The
first thing I noticed in the most recent video (a certain Washington Nationals
outfielder) was the location of his “act.” Needless to say once I understood
where this took place I was not surprised in the least. There is a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">gigantic </b>difference between and
“trainer” and strength and conditioning professional SCP).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An SCP would never have allowed their
athlete to waste time on a useless exercise like a maximum effort box jump.</div>
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Our time with athletes is extremely valuable wasting it on
fruitless circus acts is irresponsible at best!</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Gold Medalist calls
it a career and calls out current youth sport culture in America<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Abby Wambach is a 2-time Olympic Gold medalist and FIFA
World Cup Champion (2015). Wambach is a six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer
Athlete of the Year award. As a forward, she currently stands as the highest
all-time goal scorer for the national team and holds the world record for
international goals for both female and male soccer players with 184 goals. In
2012, Wambach was awarded the 2012 FIFA World Player of the Year. </div>
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Wambach was an elite athlete so her insight on her
development and the current your sport culture in America is extremely valuable
to all athletes/parents who dream of becoming an elite level athlete. I have
preached on this topic for over a decade now but it always seems to be
delivered with more impact when someone like Abby takes up the conversation.</div>
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While the whole interview is very good, pay special
attention starting at the 56:00 make and the final 5:30 of the episode. <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bill-simmons-podcast/id1043699613?mt=2#episodeGuid=tag%3Asoundcloud%2C2010%3Atracks%2F237711928">Listen to episode #40.</a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2015 Male Golf Player
of The Year is a tremendous role model for all athletes<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I recently read a few end of year recaps in which Jordan
Speith was honored with Player of the Year recognition. A few insights from
expert analysts and competitors really stood out and should serve as extremely
important lessons that all young athletes should work very hard at developing
if they truly want to achieve great things in sport and in the game of life.</div>
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“What I admire most about him are the intangibles: the
grind, the heart, the ability to get the ball in the whole no matter what.” </div>
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Zach Johnson- 2015 Open Champion</div>
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That statement from Johnson highlights the essential
variable that must be present for any young athlete to maximize their
potential. Without these intangibles you have no chance!</div>
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<o:p> </o:p>I don’t want to dive to deeply into the intricacies of golf
in this space but this next line is about Speith describing
deficiencies/weaknesses in his game:</div>
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“It’s frustrating not to execute but at the same time I like
having that weakness exposed, because it gives me direction in what I need to
work on.”</div>
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Fellow competitor Paul Casey had this to say about Speith:</div>
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“I love that passion and drive and desire and that honesty.
Ultimately, I think it’s that honesty that will keep Speith on top of our game
for a very long time. You’ve got to have supreme confidence in your abilities,
but at the same time you can’t be blind. That’s what Tiger was great at. He was
never satisfied. Jordan is exactly the same way”</div>
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For young athletes that mind-set is golden. Speith is 22
years old and has proven it time and again. His fellow competitors acknowledge
that he’s special. But notice they don’t mention qualities like his power or
strength…</div>
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It’s the little things, the details that allow Speith to
achieve the results on the Golf course. </div>
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Hard work and dedication are prerequisites but from there
you have to be honest with yourself. You have to have a plan! All great
competitors are open to a better way of doing things and they recognize that
they don’t have all the answers.</div>
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I have talked recently about why strength and conditioning
is a must for the modern athlete and it has little to do with advanced training
concepts or “butt-kicking” workouts. In my world I see way to often athletes
with good intentions wasting a lot of time in the gym. They don’t have plan.
Sorry to say but Stack.com is not a plan! You can find exercises on line that
look cool and are touted to enhance speed, power and strength but what’s often
missed is context.</div>
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You need to be honest with yourself… do your goals and
current training align? If you need help don’t be afraid to ask for it. Honesty
and humility will serve you well in your athletic development. </div>
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Mike Boyle called out young men for their egos driving
stupid acts in training. Young guys do dumb stuff in the gym, realize it’s a
tool to help improve performance and it’s not where you should be doing a
performance. All young athletes need a reality check. And I hear this all the
time from young men but the truth is you “don’t got this!”</div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3573484401595968430.post-43626441249203096332015-12-20T07:29:00.000-08:002015-12-20T07:40:39.565-08:00Be a good cookie this Holiday Season and don't be afraid to have one either!<br />
<div style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">My wife and I have been busy with the usual chores: decorating the tree, sending Christmas cards, rounding out our year end charitable donations, and...</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">...delivering delicious cookies.</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">But before you ask me where to find our "healthy" cookies, I have</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">a confession:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">We're not delivering some low-fat, gluten-free, protein-packed,</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">artificially sweetened, possibly-hiding-beets, "healthy" version</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">of a cookie.</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Nope, we're delivering the REAL THING, the kind of cookie that</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">contains butter, sugar, and flour, the kind of cookie most "nutrition experts" will</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">tell you to avoid completely this year:</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Anyway, when people learn that my family and I sometimes make</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">treats like cookies...or go out for ice cream...or don't eat 100%</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">protein and vegetables all the time...they get a little confused.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">"But isn't a Life Time trainer all about eating good foods and</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">avoiding bad foods?"</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The answer, I'm proud to say, is no.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Optimal nutrition is NOT all about eating "good" foods and</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">avoiding "bad" foods. (I don't even like those labels.)</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In a minute, I'll share what optimal nutrition is really about.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">But first I'm going to encourage you to enjoy some sort of</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">cookie, cake, or cocktail this holiday season, too.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In addition to songs, and friendship, and holiday cheer.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Here's why.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">When men and women come into fitness, they carry their own ideas</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">about what food is...even if they've never really thought about</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">it before.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">For them, food can be...</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">* fuel</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">* reward</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">* punishment</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">* escape</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">* shame</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">* freedom</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">* and more...</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">But for me, food is</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">information. It's a story that shapes your daily life, your</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">health, and your function.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">When food is information, there is no "good" food or "bad" food.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">There are only choices. And that's it.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">But</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> <i>the choice</i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> IS the thing.</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">You see, every time you choose to eat one thing over another,</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">you're voting for what's really important to you right now.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Of course, you may not realize you're doing that.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">But every decision IS a calculation of what really matters to you, in that moment.</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">So, with the holidays here for most of us, what DOES matter to</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">you right now?</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Is it...</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Feeling good? Connecting with loved ones? Truly nourishing your</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">body? Feeding your soul? Remembering your heritage or family</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">traditions?</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">No judgment here. YOU get to decide your priorities. And </span></i><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">sometimes other things SHOULD win out over "nutrition".</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">So I'm not here to tell you what to do, think, or feel. Nor do I write this to make</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">you feel guilty, ashamed, anxious, or deprived.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Instead, I'm here to help you think through the question. To help</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">you choose more consciously, with awareness and intention.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">And the Life Time team is here to</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> <i>guide</i> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">you along the </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">path YOU choose.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Plus, we DO like to keep it real.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Because shortbread and latkes taste great when made with love and</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">shared with friends and family.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">They just do.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">And, while some people in fitness have a hard time with this</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">notion, I think that feeling good is part of enjoying life and</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">being healthy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Of course, if you struggle with this part of your "food story",</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">and would like to rewrite it to include joy, freedom, and</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">deliciousness - all the while working toward a better body -</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Life Time can help.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Funny enough, here's my first prescription:</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Enjoy a real cookie or two this holiday season! Or some other</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">thing you enjoy but think is "off limits".</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Just do it consciously, mindfully, and - as we teach in our</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">coaching programs - slowly.</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Instead of scarfing it down and waiting for the guilt, taste what</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">you enjoy, with intention. Then move on.</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Because, with the right approach, you can work toward more</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">enjoyment and connection PLUS improved health and fitness.</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">All at the same time.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">But even if you're not ready to embrace this mindset yet because</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">restricting is your only way to feel in control...</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Because you can't believe that enjoying certain foods guilt-free</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">is possible...</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Because you're stuck in the middle of a nasty cycle of restrict,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">collapse, guilt, repeat...</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">My family and I will still share some laughs, shed some tears,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">and nosh a few cookies this holiday season.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">We might even raise a glass of egg nog in your honor.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Because, around here, we know that connection, love, and</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">enjoyment CAN exist while working toward better health together.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">And we're hoping that somewhere along the way you'll discover the same thing.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Besides, we'll probably burn up all those cookies climbing the</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">local sledding hills anyway ;-)</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">In case your looking for a last minute gift idea or love giving to terrific causes this will be sure to bring a smile to the recipients face while also warming your soul. <a href="http://www.cookiesforkidscancer.org/Site/Index">You'll understand why after you read more about these cookies.</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">And after the Holidays if you feel you need to get back on track while still giving yourself a treat try <a href="http://dalesrawfoods.com/#oid=1138_1">these for a snack option</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Happy holidays to you and yours!</span></div>
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Phil Loomishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10399916276732193278noreply@blogger.com0