Wesleyan Game Newsletter
This was a very difficult 10-9 loss for us. We played with intensity pretty much the entire game. We made our share of mistakes on both sides of the ball. Wesleyan also played very well and obviously made a few less critical errors than we did. Their QB threw for 365 yards against us which helped them control the ball. They only put up 10 points, but that is all they needed. We moved the ball offensively at times again but we struggled when we got near the end zone.
After two games we know this: We will play hard.
We have quite a few injuries and are in the process of teaching some people to play both ways. Due to the lack of numbers on our roster we believe we have to take this action. We considered it in the off season but felt two way players would limit us as far as being multiple on either side of the ball. Injuries had to be kept at a minimum for us to be a two platoon team like the rest of the league. Unfortunately the reverse has transpired, so we have acted immediately. We have told the team we are playing to win THIS WEEK, not next week or next year. This week happens to be Trinity which has been a powerhouse for years now. Quite frankly the opponent doesn’t matter to me right now. We have to put our BEST PLAYERS on the field and running this program like a NESCAC college football team with a full 75 man roster is not going to work. Today we are dressing about 49 players for practice.( This set of circumstances has nothing to do with the administration, which is very supportive of us.) Last year we were lucky in that we suffered very few injuries where players had to sit out games. This year has already taken a toll on us.
We are moving forward with a sense of urgency that I believe most of you would appreciate in your own business. I know sometimes that a step like this can initially look like a step backward. I also know that sometimes a move like the one we are making ends up being the catalyst for better results. We are looking to create a “spark.” We are closer to more of the NESCAC teams than we were a year ago, but this is not horseshoes. We are playing to be the best we can be. I firmly believe this move will enhance our chances today, tomorrow, this weekend and beyond.
I will keep you posted.
Steve Stetson
PS
Our team was thrilled to have members from the 1967 team here last weekend. My wife, Sue, and I were invited to their dinner celebration. It was a great night. The team members were unanimous in their words of praise about what a great experience Hamilton College Football had been and still continues to be in the realm of friendship and bonding. Although the current team had just lost, this was a night of celebrating and sharing of genuine affection for one another that is rarely seen in any setting today. I walked away very proud of my association with Hamilton College Football.
Steve Stetson Head Football Coach Hamilton College 315.859.4757
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Mount Everest Mind Camp
FEEDBACK, ideas, and suggestions are most welcome!!!Thanks in advance!Click Here: Check out "Welcome to Mt. Everest Mind Camp"StephanieStephanie S. GrahamMobile: #405-761-5616StephSGraham@aol.comStephanieG@MtEverestMindCamp.comwww.MtEverestMindCamp.comwww.active.com/donate/alcf/shareyourmind
25 Years and Mistakes of a Pro Strength Coach
25 Years, 25 Mistakes
Michael Boyle
Originally Published: Saturday, 14 April 2007 at www.t-nation.com
This year I'll enter my twenty-fifth year as a strength and conditioning coach. Last month I watched Barbara Walters celebrate her thirtieth year with a special called "30 Mistakes in 30 Years." I'm going to celebrate my twenty-fifth anniversary by telling you my top twenty-five mistakes. Hopefully I'll save you some time, pain, and injury. Experience is a wonderful but impatient teacher. And unfortunately, our experiences in strength and conditioning sometimes hurt people besides us.
Mistake #1: Knowing it all I love Oscar Wilde's quote, "I'm much too old to know everything." Omniscience is reserved for the young. As the old saying goes, you have one mouth and two ears for a reason. I'd take it a step further and say the ratio is four to one: two eyes, two ears, and one mouth.
To continue down the cliché road, how about this one: "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." When I was young I had many answers and few questions. I knew the best way to do everything. Now that I'm older I'm not sure if I even know a good way to do anything.
Mistake #2: Not taking interns sooner
I was so smart that no one was smart enough to help me. (See mistake number one.) My productivity increased drastically when I began to take interns.
Note: Interns aren't janitors, laundry workers, or slaves. They're generally young people who look up to you and expect to learn. Take your responsibility seriously. Remember the golden rule.
Mistake #3: Not visiting other coaches
God, it seems everything goes back to number one! I was too busy running the perfect program to attempt to go learn from someone else. Plus, when you know it all, how much can you learn?
Find the good coaches or trainers in your area (or in any area you visit) and arrange to meet them or just watch them work. I often will just sit with a notebook and try to see what they do better than I do.
I can remember current San Francisco 49'ers strength and conditioning coach Johnny Parker allowing us to visit when he was with the New England Patriots and then asking us questions about what we saw and what we thought he could do better. Coach Parker is a humble man who always provided a great example of the type of coach and person I wanted to be.
Mistake #4: Putting square pegs in round holes
The bottom line is that not everyone is made to squat or to clean. I rarely squatted with my basketball players as many found squatting uncomfortable for their backs and knees.
It killed me to stop because the squat is a lift I fundamentally believed in, but athletes with long femurs will be poor squatters. It's physics. It took me a while to realize that a good lift isn't good for everybody.
Mistake #5: Not attending the United States Weightlifting Championships sooner
My only visit as a spectator to an Olympic lifting meet made me realize that Olympic lifts produced great athletes. I know this will piss off the powerlifters, but those Olympic lifters looked so much more athletic.
I remember being at the Senior's when they were held in Massachusetts in the early eighties and walking away thinking, "This is what I want my athletes to look like." Understand, at that time I was a competitive powerlifter and my programs reflected that.
Mistake #6: Being a strength coach
How can that be a mistake? Let's look at the evolution of the job. When I started, I was often referred to as the "weight coach." As the profession evolved, we became strength coaches, then strength and conditioning coaches, and today many refer to themselves as "performance enhancement specialists."
All these names reflect the changes in our job. For too many years, I was a strength coach. Eventually I realized that I knew more about conditioning than the sport coaches did, so we took on that responsibility. Later, I realized that I often knew more about movement than the sport coaches too, so we began to teach movement skills. This process took close to eighteen of my twenty-five years. I wish it had been faster.
Mistake #7: Adding without subtracting
Over the years we've continued to add more and more CNS intensive training techniques to our arsenal. Squatting, Olympic lifting, sprinting, pulling sleds, and jumping all are (or can be) CNS intensive.
I think I do too much CNS intensive work, and intend to change that. My thanks go out to Jason Ferrugia for pointing out this one.
Mistake #8: Listening to track coaches
Please don't get me wrong. Some of the people who were most influential in my professional development were track coaches. I learned volumes from guys like Don Chu, Vern Gambetta, Charlie Francis, and Brent McFarland.
However, it took me too long to realize that they coached people who ran upright almost all the time and never had to stop or to change direction. The old joke in track coaching is that it really comes down to "run fast and lean left."
Mistake #9: Not meeting Mark Verstegen sooner
Mark may be the most misunderstood guy in our field. He's a great coach and a better friend. About ten years ago a friend brought me a magazine article about Mark Verstegen. The article demonstrated some interesting drills that I'd never seen. I decided my next vacation would be to Florida 's Gulf Coast as Mark was then in Bradenton , Florida .
I was lucky enough to know Darryl Eto, a genius in his own right, who was a co-worker of Mark's. In the small world category, Darryl's college coach was the legendary Don Chu.
Darryl arranged for me to observe some training sessions in Bradenton . I sat fascinated for hours as I watched great young coaches work. Mark was one of the first to break out of the track mold we were all stuck in and teach lateral and multi-directional movement with the same skill that the track coaches taught linear movement. This process was a quantum leap for me and became a quantum leap for my athletes.
This was my step from strength and conditioning coach to performance enhancement specialist (although I never refer to myself as the latter). The key to this process was accepting the fact that Mark and his co-workers were far ahead of me in this critical area.
Mistake #10: Copying plyometric programs
This goes back to the track coach thing. I believe I injured a few athletes in my career by simply taking what I was told and attempting to do it with my athletes. I've since learned to filter information better, but the way I learned was through trial and error... and the error probably resulted in sore knees or sore backs for my athletes.
Track jumpers are unique and clearly are involved in track and field because they're suited for it. What's good for a long jumper is probably not good for a football lineman. It took me too long to realize this.
Mistake #11: Copying any programs
Luckily for me, I rarely copied strength programs when training my athletes. This mistake might be beyond the statute of limitations as it was more than twenty-five years ago.
I think copying the training programs of great powerlifters like George Frenn and Roger Estep left me with the sore back and bad shoulders I've carried around for the last twenty-five years. What works for the genetically gifted probably won't work for the genetically average.
Mistake #12: Not teaching my athletes to snatch sooner
We've done snatches for probably the last seven or eight years. The snatch is a great lift that's easier to learn than the clean and has greater athletic carryover. Take the time to try it and study it. You'll thank me.
Mistake #13: Starting to teach snatches with a snatch grip
When I realized that snatches would be a great lift for my athletes I began to implement them into my programs. Within a week some athletes complained of shoulder pain. In two weeks, so many complained that I took snatches out of the program. It wasn't until I revisited the snatch with a clean grip that I truly began to see the benefits.
Just remember, the only reason Olympic lifters use a wide snatch grip is so that they can reduce the distance the bar travels and as a result lift more weight. Close-grip snatches markedly decrease the external rotation component and also increase the distance traveled. The result is a better lift, but less weight.
Mistake #14: Confusing disagree with dislike
I think it's great to disagree. The field would be boring if we all agreed. What I realize now is that I've met very few people in this field I don't like and many I disagree with. I probably enjoy life more now that I don't feel compelled to ignore those who don't agree with me.
Mistake #15: Confusing reading with believing
This concept came to me by way of strength coach Martin Rooney. It's great to read. We just need to remember that in spite of the best efforts of editors, what we read may not always be true.
If the book is more than two years old, there's a good chance even the author no longer agrees with all the information in it. Read often, but read analytically.
Mistake #16: Listening to paid experts
Early on, many of us were duped by the people from companies like Cybex or Nautilus. Their experts proclaimed their systems to be the future, but now the cam and isokinetics are the past. Just as in any other field, people will say things for money.
Mistake #17: Not attending one seminar per year just as a participant
I speak approximately twenty times a year. Most times I stay and listen to the other speakers. If you don't do continuing education, start. If you work in the continuing education field, go to at least one seminar given by an expert in your field as a participant.
(Note: Mistakes 18-25 are more personal than professional, but keep reading!)
Mistake #18: Not taking enough vacation time
When I first worked at Boston University we were allowed two weeks paid vacation. For the first ten years I never took more than one.
Usually I took off the week between Christmas and New Years. This is an expensive week to vacation, but it meant that I'd miss the least number of workouts since most of my athletes were home at this time. I think the first time I took a week off in the summer was about four years ago. My rationale? Summer is peak training time. Can't miss one of those weeks.
I think there's a thin line between dedication and stupidity, and I often crossed it. I think in my early years I was more disappointed that the whole program hadn't collapsed during any of my brief absences. I felt less valuable when I returned from a seminar and realized that everything had gone great.
Stephen Covey refers to it as "sharpening the saw." Take the time to vacation. You'll be better for it.
Mistake #19: Neglecting your own health
This is an embarrassing story, but this article is all about helping others to not repeat my errors. Every year in February I'd find myself in the doctor's office with a different complaint: gastro-intestinal problems, headaches, flu-type illnesses, etc. I had a wonderful general practitioner who took a great interest in his patients. His response year after year was the same: slow down. You can't work 60-80 hours a week and be healthy.
Like a fool I yessed him to death and went back to my schedule. After about the fifth year of this process my doctor said, "I need to refer you to a specialist who can help you with this problem" and he handed me a card. I was expecting an allergist or perhaps some type of holistic stress expert. Instead I found myself holding a card for a psychiatrist.
My doctor's response was simple. I can't help you. You need to figure out why you continue to do this to yourself year in and year out. I went outside and called my wife. I told her it was a "good news-bad news" scenario. I wasn't seriously ill, but I might be crazy. Unfortunately, she already knew this.
Mistake #20: Not recognizing stress
Again I remember talking to a nurse who was treating me for a gastrointestinal problem. I seemed to have chronic heartburn. Her first question was, "Are you under any stress?" My response was the usual. Me? Stress? I have the greatest job in the world. I love going to work every day!
Do you know what her response was? She said, "Remember, stress isn't always negative." It was the first time I'd really thought about that. My job was stressful. Long days, weekend travel, too many late nights celebrating victories or drowning sorrows. A part-time job to make extra money meant working at a bar on Friday and Saturday until 2 AM, and that was often followed by drinks until 4 AM.
Sounds like fun, but it added up to stress. The lesson: stress doesn't have to be negative. Stress can just be from volume.
Mistake #21: Not having kids sooner
As a typical type-A asshole know-it-all, I was way too busy to be bothered with kids. They would simply be little people who got in the way of my plans to change the world of strength and conditioning. I regret that I probably won't live to 100. If I did I'd get to spend another 53 years with my kids.
Mistake #22: Neglecting my wife
See above. It wasn't until I had children that I truly realized how my obsession with work caused me to neglect my wife. I have often apologized to her, but probably not often enough.
Mistake #23: Not taking naps
Do you see the pattern here? Whether we're personal trainers or strength and conditioning coaches, the badge of honor is often lack of sleep. How often have you heard someone say, "I only need five hours a night!"
In the last few years I've tried to take a nap every day I'm able. As we age we sleep less at night and get up earlier. I'm not sure if this is a good thing. I know when I'm well-rested I'm a better husband and father than when I'm exhausted at the end of a day that might have begun at 4:45 AM.
There's no shame in sleep, although I think many would try to make us believe there is.
Mistake #24: Not giving enough to charity
Most of us are lucky. Try to think of those who have less than you. I'm not a religious person, but I've been blessed with a great life. I try every day to "pay it forward." If you haven't seen the movie, rent it. The more you give, the more you get.
Mistake #25: Reading an article like this and thinking it doesn't apply to you
Trust me, denial is our biggest problem.
About the Author
Michael Boyle is one of the foremost experts in the fields of Strength and Conditioning, Performance Enhancement and general fitness. He currently spends his time lecturing, teaching, training, and writing. For more info, visit his site: www.michaelboyle.biz Last Updated ( Saturday, 14 April 2007 ) Close Window
BJ Baker, MS, ATC, CSCSTRAIN Boston 34 Washington StWellesley , MA 02481 W: 781-263-9993Fax: 781-263-9996Cell: 978-549-8111www.trainboston.com
Classic Sport Psych Book - New Version
www.HumanKinetics.com - this is one of the classics, by one of the most accomplished performance enhancement coaches of all time,Terry Orlick.
New Release :
Reach your potential! Whether you are an athlete, a coach, or a promising high achiever in another walk of life, In Pursuit of Excellence provides the expert advice and proven techniques to help you fulfill your aspirations.
Author Terry Orlick, an internationally acclaimed sport psychologist, has helped hundreds of Olympic and professional athletes maximize their performances and achieve their goals. In this fourth edition, Orlick provides new insights and a powerful step-by-step plan for you to develop your own personal path to excellence.
You'll learn to focus for excellence and high-quality living. You'll gain a more positive outlook, a more focused commitment, better ways of dealing with distractions, and strategies for overcoming obstacles. You'll also achieve greater personal and professional satisfaction and discover better ways to work with teammates, respond more effectively to coaching, and become more self-directed in your thoughts and actions.
Both practical and inspirational, In Pursuit of Excellence is a guide to daily living and motivation as well as a road map to long-term achievement. Read it, use it, and win with it-on and off the field. Read more.
New Release :
Reach your potential! Whether you are an athlete, a coach, or a promising high achiever in another walk of life, In Pursuit of Excellence provides the expert advice and proven techniques to help you fulfill your aspirations.
Author Terry Orlick, an internationally acclaimed sport psychologist, has helped hundreds of Olympic and professional athletes maximize their performances and achieve their goals. In this fourth edition, Orlick provides new insights and a powerful step-by-step plan for you to develop your own personal path to excellence.
You'll learn to focus for excellence and high-quality living. You'll gain a more positive outlook, a more focused commitment, better ways of dealing with distractions, and strategies for overcoming obstacles. You'll also achieve greater personal and professional satisfaction and discover better ways to work with teammates, respond more effectively to coaching, and become more self-directed in your thoughts and actions.
Both practical and inspirational, In Pursuit of Excellence is a guide to daily living and motivation as well as a road map to long-term achievement. Read it, use it, and win with it-on and off the field. Read more.
Aimees Soapbox June 2007
Aimee's June Soapbox
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June 2007: Soapbox Smackdown Winners!
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Greetings Groovy Soapbox Readers!
Hey Groovy Readers! Feels great to be back! I was recently out of work for 3 weeks following some heavy- duty surgery on my noggin. But all is good now, and I am back running and back Soapboxing!
So without further ado, I wanted to introduce you to the two winners of the Soapbox Smackdown. (Even though we had four categories, I only had entrants in two of them.)
The first winner, in the Race Goal Category, is Dan East. Dan is a member of the Valley Forge Striders running club, a former officer of that club, and an all- around nice guy. He has been putting in some dedicated and determined training for some time now. He has competed at a variety of distances and has even competed in multisport events.
Dan wrote to me that he wanted to enter the Race Goal category because he had just run the New Jersey Marathon at the end of April. Now, Dan is one of those that will set specific goals, avail himself of new technology, and run with a support group of other running buddies. In short, he focuses and does all the things you should do when setting out to achieve something new.
So it's no surprise that he set and achieved his goal of a marathon PR. In the first 18 miles of the race, Dan established a consistent and do-able pace with the help of his Garmin 305. But then, as happens to so many of us at mile 21, the wheels fell off, to use Dan's own words.
Fear not, though, Groovy Readers! Our story does not end there! (And Dan wouldn't have won this contest if it did.) No, Dan did not quit, throw in the towel, or make excuses. At mile 24 he realized he could still achieve his goal, and so he dug down deep, ran the last 2+ miles, and got his PR by a very fulfilling 41 seconds. And so Dan is awarded our Race Goal prize for fighting the good fight and successfully running a 3:56:22 marathon.
Our second winner, who actually entered the Race Goal Category as well, is Jennie Byrd. Jennie's story, though, was enough for me to invent a new category just for her: the Perseverance Category.
Jennie had set her sights on chopping 15 minutes off of her half marathon time. A lofty goal, indeed! But the intrepid Jenny threw herself into her training program with vigor, adding weights, Pilates, and extra miles to her routine. Unfortunately for her, though, she did not realize that her chosen race, the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon, was a pretty hilly one. Sigh...
So, while Jennie did indeed PR at the Lehigh Valley race by 10 minutes, she did not achieve her stated goal. At this, our heroine felt despondent. She emailed me to tell me that she had "failed." All seemed lost.
But again, fear not, Groovy Readers!!! Like Dan, our Jennie also rallied and went on to learn great lessons, to race again, and to achieve PRs in other distances! Rumor has it, she is even training for the Chicago Marathon this fall. Yay, Jennie!
I am very happy to highlight these two runners because they both show that dedication, focus, and perseverance can win the day. Once again, we see that running is a metaphor for life. Thanks for your stories, Dan and Jennie! (By the way, your prizes will be at the stores.)
Previous Soapboxes
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email: info2@happyrunning.com
web: http://www.HappyRunning.com
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June 2007: Soapbox Smackdown Winners!
-- -
Greetings Groovy Soapbox Readers!
Hey Groovy Readers! Feels great to be back! I was recently out of work for 3 weeks following some heavy- duty surgery on my noggin. But all is good now, and I am back running and back Soapboxing!
So without further ado, I wanted to introduce you to the two winners of the Soapbox Smackdown. (Even though we had four categories, I only had entrants in two of them.)
The first winner, in the Race Goal Category, is Dan East. Dan is a member of the Valley Forge Striders running club, a former officer of that club, and an all- around nice guy. He has been putting in some dedicated and determined training for some time now. He has competed at a variety of distances and has even competed in multisport events.
Dan wrote to me that he wanted to enter the Race Goal category because he had just run the New Jersey Marathon at the end of April. Now, Dan is one of those that will set specific goals, avail himself of new technology, and run with a support group of other running buddies. In short, he focuses and does all the things you should do when setting out to achieve something new.
So it's no surprise that he set and achieved his goal of a marathon PR. In the first 18 miles of the race, Dan established a consistent and do-able pace with the help of his Garmin 305. But then, as happens to so many of us at mile 21, the wheels fell off, to use Dan's own words.
Fear not, though, Groovy Readers! Our story does not end there! (And Dan wouldn't have won this contest if it did.) No, Dan did not quit, throw in the towel, or make excuses. At mile 24 he realized he could still achieve his goal, and so he dug down deep, ran the last 2+ miles, and got his PR by a very fulfilling 41 seconds. And so Dan is awarded our Race Goal prize for fighting the good fight and successfully running a 3:56:22 marathon.
Our second winner, who actually entered the Race Goal Category as well, is Jennie Byrd. Jennie's story, though, was enough for me to invent a new category just for her: the Perseverance Category.
Jennie had set her sights on chopping 15 minutes off of her half marathon time. A lofty goal, indeed! But the intrepid Jenny threw herself into her training program with vigor, adding weights, Pilates, and extra miles to her routine. Unfortunately for her, though, she did not realize that her chosen race, the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon, was a pretty hilly one. Sigh...
So, while Jennie did indeed PR at the Lehigh Valley race by 10 minutes, she did not achieve her stated goal. At this, our heroine felt despondent. She emailed me to tell me that she had "failed." All seemed lost.
But again, fear not, Groovy Readers!!! Like Dan, our Jennie also rallied and went on to learn great lessons, to race again, and to achieve PRs in other distances! Rumor has it, she is even training for the Chicago Marathon this fall. Yay, Jennie!
I am very happy to highlight these two runners because they both show that dedication, focus, and perseverance can win the day. Once again, we see that running is a metaphor for life. Thanks for your stories, Dan and Jennie! (By the way, your prizes will be at the stores.)
Previous Soapboxes
-
email: info2@happyrunning.com
web: http://www.HappyRunning.com
Aimees Soapbox July 2007
Aimee's July Soapbox
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July 2007: Assessment without Judgement
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Greetings Groovy Soapbox Readers!
When I was younger, both of my parents were Health & PE teachers and both of them coached. So I pretty much came into this world with no choice but to play sports. The backyard of our house had a volleyball net, croquet wickets, and a jumble of Frisbees, whiffle balls, and soccer balls in it year-round. My dad taught me how to shoot a bow-n-arrow. And I was even the mascot for my mom's field hockey team when I was eight.
Now, my parents didn't just teach me the fundamentals and skills needed to play a variety of sports. They also taught me sportsmanship and the importance of discipline and dedication. And most importantly, they showed me how sports is a metaphor for life and how to use it for proper self- improvement.
Now that I am older and have done my own training and coached others, I can see that not everyone got this same memo. I think a lot of folks were taught some excellent skills, but a lot of people missed out on that "proper self-improvement" speech.
When I say Proper Self-Improvement, what I really mean is Self-Analysis without Judgment. (Side Note: I don't think that this phenomenon is limited to athletes and sports, but those are the parameters of this Soapbox, so there you go.)
In my 28 years of playing sports, competing, and coaching, I have noticed far too many people who will obsess over their times or weekly mileage or their stats for the sole purpose of running themselves down. Ummm, not cool. In fact, this is the least Groovy Behavior in all the Wide World of Sports.
I mean, think about it. If you are trying to IMPROVE your performance, how does it help to beat yourself up over missing a day of exercise or missing your PR by twenty seconds? Does this make you run faster or farther? Does comparing yourself to another runner suddenly make you as fast as that runner? And even if you did suddenly become as fast as that other runner, would anything really, truly be different?
Good athletes do not judge themselves as human beings based on a time or a score. One person is not better than another because he ran a faster 5K or lifted more weight or threw a ball farther. And bad- mouthing yourself and running yourself down because of perceived flaws in your training journals only makes you a Small and Sorry Lump without contributing to real improvement. So cut it out, OK?
Just go run and be groovy! Hike and be groovy! Swim and be groovy! Do what you do and remember always to be groovy. You don't want to be the Small and Sorry Lump. . . .
Previous Soapboxes
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email: info2@happyrunning.com
web: http://www.HappyRunning.com
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July 2007: Assessment without Judgement
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Greetings Groovy Soapbox Readers!
When I was younger, both of my parents were Health & PE teachers and both of them coached. So I pretty much came into this world with no choice but to play sports. The backyard of our house had a volleyball net, croquet wickets, and a jumble of Frisbees, whiffle balls, and soccer balls in it year-round. My dad taught me how to shoot a bow-n-arrow. And I was even the mascot for my mom's field hockey team when I was eight.
Now, my parents didn't just teach me the fundamentals and skills needed to play a variety of sports. They also taught me sportsmanship and the importance of discipline and dedication. And most importantly, they showed me how sports is a metaphor for life and how to use it for proper self- improvement.
Now that I am older and have done my own training and coached others, I can see that not everyone got this same memo. I think a lot of folks were taught some excellent skills, but a lot of people missed out on that "proper self-improvement" speech.
When I say Proper Self-Improvement, what I really mean is Self-Analysis without Judgment. (Side Note: I don't think that this phenomenon is limited to athletes and sports, but those are the parameters of this Soapbox, so there you go.)
In my 28 years of playing sports, competing, and coaching, I have noticed far too many people who will obsess over their times or weekly mileage or their stats for the sole purpose of running themselves down. Ummm, not cool. In fact, this is the least Groovy Behavior in all the Wide World of Sports.
I mean, think about it. If you are trying to IMPROVE your performance, how does it help to beat yourself up over missing a day of exercise or missing your PR by twenty seconds? Does this make you run faster or farther? Does comparing yourself to another runner suddenly make you as fast as that runner? And even if you did suddenly become as fast as that other runner, would anything really, truly be different?
Good athletes do not judge themselves as human beings based on a time or a score. One person is not better than another because he ran a faster 5K or lifted more weight or threw a ball farther. And bad- mouthing yourself and running yourself down because of perceived flaws in your training journals only makes you a Small and Sorry Lump without contributing to real improvement. So cut it out, OK?
Just go run and be groovy! Hike and be groovy! Swim and be groovy! Do what you do and remember always to be groovy. You don't want to be the Small and Sorry Lump. . . .
Previous Soapboxes
-
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email: info2@happyrunning.com
web: http://www.HappyRunning.com
Aimees Soapbox August 2007
Aimee's August Soapbox
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August 2007: Assessment, Part II
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Greetings Groovy Soapbox Readers!
(This column is a continuation of last month's theme. Yes, I am sure you realized that when you saw the "Part II" in the title, smarty pants. The point is that you might want to read-or read again-that column to get you ready for this one.)
If you read last month's column (this is now your second reminder to do so, so you may want to do that before reading on. . . . go ahead, I'll wait. . . . ) you know that both of my parents have been coaches. And some of you might now that I have been a coach. In fact, I am still coaching; in this case, I am an assistant coach on my own dragon boat team.
One thing that I have noticed this season with some of my teammates is a lack of enthusiasm. Now, this is not meant as a criticism of my teammates; it is strictly an observation of the General Team Atmosphere. My observation is based on a few things: we have done far fewer races this year than in years past, attendance has been down at some practices, and there are a few folks who have simply taken the year off.
Have you ever had a year like that, my Groovy Runners? When your heart is just not into it? When you need a break from racing? Or when you just aren't getting out there like you used to?
First, let me reassure you that this kind of thing is perfectly natural and normal. Running and dragon boating--just like life--go in cycles. There is no such thing as The Straight Line to Fitness Land. Some years you will have injuries, some years you will kick butt, some years will kick you in the butt, some years you will feel burned out and need to take time off, and some years you will rally to kick butt again. It's all a big ole circle that goes around and around and does not stay static, or even build upward in a straight line.
So, no matter which cycle you are in, you can always assess yourself to gain some perspective. Here are a few good questions to ask yourself:
ASSESSMENT
1. How is my mental "fitness" level? Do I need to work on mental toughness? Do I let self- doubt creep in during testing and racing? Do I let myself slack off during practice? Do I feel burned out because I am too hard on myself mentally and never let myself have normal ups-n-downs?
2. How is my strength? Is my strength balanced in all areas of my body? Do I have areas where I compensate, thus setting myself up for future injury?
3. How is my endurance? Can I improve my cardiovascular base over the winter? Do I feel winded at practice, even during short pieces? Can I add some cardio cross training into my routine?
4. How is the balance in my life? Do I take things too seriously? Not seriously enough? Am I overtraining in any one area of my fitness? Am I including time for myself and my family in my overall schedule?
Take a few moments to answer these questions for yourself. Find out where you need to focus, or to let up. In this way, you can devise a more well-rounded plan for yourself so that you can become a stronger, healthier, more balanced athlete in the months and years ahead. So go assess yourself, and remember to think in cycles!
Previous Soapboxes
-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: info2@happyrunning.com
web: http://www.HappyRunning.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
August 2007: Assessment, Part II
-- -
Greetings Groovy Soapbox Readers!
(This column is a continuation of last month's theme. Yes, I am sure you realized that when you saw the "Part II" in the title, smarty pants. The point is that you might want to read-or read again-that column to get you ready for this one.)
If you read last month's column (this is now your second reminder to do so, so you may want to do that before reading on. . . . go ahead, I'll wait. . . . ) you know that both of my parents have been coaches. And some of you might now that I have been a coach. In fact, I am still coaching; in this case, I am an assistant coach on my own dragon boat team.
One thing that I have noticed this season with some of my teammates is a lack of enthusiasm. Now, this is not meant as a criticism of my teammates; it is strictly an observation of the General Team Atmosphere. My observation is based on a few things: we have done far fewer races this year than in years past, attendance has been down at some practices, and there are a few folks who have simply taken the year off.
Have you ever had a year like that, my Groovy Runners? When your heart is just not into it? When you need a break from racing? Or when you just aren't getting out there like you used to?
First, let me reassure you that this kind of thing is perfectly natural and normal. Running and dragon boating--just like life--go in cycles. There is no such thing as The Straight Line to Fitness Land. Some years you will have injuries, some years you will kick butt, some years will kick you in the butt, some years you will feel burned out and need to take time off, and some years you will rally to kick butt again. It's all a big ole circle that goes around and around and does not stay static, or even build upward in a straight line.
So, no matter which cycle you are in, you can always assess yourself to gain some perspective. Here are a few good questions to ask yourself:
ASSESSMENT
1. How is my mental "fitness" level? Do I need to work on mental toughness? Do I let self- doubt creep in during testing and racing? Do I let myself slack off during practice? Do I feel burned out because I am too hard on myself mentally and never let myself have normal ups-n-downs?
2. How is my strength? Is my strength balanced in all areas of my body? Do I have areas where I compensate, thus setting myself up for future injury?
3. How is my endurance? Can I improve my cardiovascular base over the winter? Do I feel winded at practice, even during short pieces? Can I add some cardio cross training into my routine?
4. How is the balance in my life? Do I take things too seriously? Not seriously enough? Am I overtraining in any one area of my fitness? Am I including time for myself and my family in my overall schedule?
Take a few moments to answer these questions for yourself. Find out where you need to focus, or to let up. In this way, you can devise a more well-rounded plan for yourself so that you can become a stronger, healthier, more balanced athlete in the months and years ahead. So go assess yourself, and remember to think in cycles!
Previous Soapboxes
-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: info2@happyrunning.com
web: http://www.HappyRunning.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aimees Soapbox October
Aimee's October Soapbox
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 2007: Stretching, or How Not to Feel Like an Old Lady at 40
-- -
Greetings Groovy Soapbox Readers!
So I'm lying on the floor, trying to stretch my hamstrings. I've got my stretching band around my foot, and I am attempting to lift my leg straight up in the air. I fight back the tears as a bead of sweat drips down my forehead and onto the carpet. My leg shakes, and I curse the heavens and take the flexibility god's name in vain.
Now, at this point some of you might be wondering why I am having such a difficult time with stretching, especially when I have been preaching and pontificating on the Virtue of Flexibility in this column for the past four years. Hmmm, a wee bit hypocritical, you say?
Let me explain myself and provide some exposition. First, I had just finished up my own racing season, and this was my first workout back after having taken a full week off. So, in the course of the taper, competition, and recovery week, I had not done much of anything in terms of real working out except the actual races. Second, I had, only a few days earlier, been on an airplane for about twenty hours straight. Now, I know that I am smaller than the average bear, but even my 5' 2" self got a bit cramped after that long of a flight.
Of course, I could have and should have been continuing to stretch all throughout that recovery week. But I will admit to being a lazy dog and doing absolutely nothing on those off days. Pardon my self- back-patting, but I felt that after a challenging training and racing season, I had earned a coupla days of couch surfing.
So back to the floor and my attempt to stretch my sneering hamstrings. . . . Well, Groovy Readers, let me tell you that it was something of an Epiphany for me. For one thing, it cemented my belief that stretching is indeed a key component of fitness. When you remember that fitness can be defined as "quality of life," you have to realize that not being able to bend over to tie your shoes or not being able to put lotion on your own back is a definite limitation on one's life quality. And for another thing, it made me realize that, just like exercise, it is easy to get out of flexibility shape and tough to get back in. Geez, after less than two weeks of no stretching, I was unable to touch my toes or do a simple yoga Sun Salutation. Sigh. . . .
What's an almost-forty-year-old to do then? Go back to the basics, of course. For me, that is Active Isolated Stretching, kinesiologist Aaron Mattes' technique of flexibility exercises. (For more on this technique, please read the October 2004 Soapbox, or go to www.stretchingusa.com.) The "back to basics," then, means the following:
1. MAKE TIME TO STRETCH EVERY DAY. Mattes suggests daily stretching, since our muscles can shorten or stiffen from work, training, posture, or stress. So my temporary break from stretching and working out, while doing wonders for my mental state, really did nothing to help me stay loose and relaxed physically.
2. STRETCH PROPERLY. While there are several stretching methods out there (ballistic, passive, static, PNF), I think that Active Isolated Stretching is the grooviest out there. Mattes put his years of education and experience to good use in formulating the AIS technique. It works WITH the body's physiology and is a safe, effective method. And it identifies and isolates the specific muscle to be stretched in order to achieve the best result. (Again, see his website or one of his books for the exact directions on how to perform the stretches.)
3. VALUE FLEXIBILITY AS A KEY COMPONENT OF WELLNESS. As illustrated above, NOT stretching really has a detrimental effect on overall fitness or quality of life. So instead of thinking of it as just something to do after my run, I really need to think of it as something I do for my overall health- mind, body, and spirit.
Convinced yet, dear Groovy Readers? Trust me, that moment on the floor was embarrassing and humbling enough to convince me. And I already believed. Now, off you go. . . drop and give me twenty trunk rotations.
Previous Soapboxes
-
Hey Ladies! Come to our Paoli shop for Girlz Nite on Monday, October 22 at 6:30pm!
Enjoy a night out with your fellow women runners & walkers, and learn about training, nutrition, and more. Presenters include a Bobbi Kisebach (massage therapy), Nancy Whelan (Champion Sports Bra representative), and Keith Straw (nationally-ranked ultramarathoner). All attendees receive a free goodie bag!
RSVP to 610-296-2868, hope to see you there!
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: info2@happyrunning.com
web: http://www.HappyRunning.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 2007: Stretching, or How Not to Feel Like an Old Lady at 40
-- -
Greetings Groovy Soapbox Readers!
So I'm lying on the floor, trying to stretch my hamstrings. I've got my stretching band around my foot, and I am attempting to lift my leg straight up in the air. I fight back the tears as a bead of sweat drips down my forehead and onto the carpet. My leg shakes, and I curse the heavens and take the flexibility god's name in vain.
Now, at this point some of you might be wondering why I am having such a difficult time with stretching, especially when I have been preaching and pontificating on the Virtue of Flexibility in this column for the past four years. Hmmm, a wee bit hypocritical, you say?
Let me explain myself and provide some exposition. First, I had just finished up my own racing season, and this was my first workout back after having taken a full week off. So, in the course of the taper, competition, and recovery week, I had not done much of anything in terms of real working out except the actual races. Second, I had, only a few days earlier, been on an airplane for about twenty hours straight. Now, I know that I am smaller than the average bear, but even my 5' 2" self got a bit cramped after that long of a flight.
Of course, I could have and should have been continuing to stretch all throughout that recovery week. But I will admit to being a lazy dog and doing absolutely nothing on those off days. Pardon my self- back-patting, but I felt that after a challenging training and racing season, I had earned a coupla days of couch surfing.
So back to the floor and my attempt to stretch my sneering hamstrings. . . . Well, Groovy Readers, let me tell you that it was something of an Epiphany for me. For one thing, it cemented my belief that stretching is indeed a key component of fitness. When you remember that fitness can be defined as "quality of life," you have to realize that not being able to bend over to tie your shoes or not being able to put lotion on your own back is a definite limitation on one's life quality. And for another thing, it made me realize that, just like exercise, it is easy to get out of flexibility shape and tough to get back in. Geez, after less than two weeks of no stretching, I was unable to touch my toes or do a simple yoga Sun Salutation. Sigh. . . .
What's an almost-forty-year-old to do then? Go back to the basics, of course. For me, that is Active Isolated Stretching, kinesiologist Aaron Mattes' technique of flexibility exercises. (For more on this technique, please read the October 2004 Soapbox, or go to www.stretchingusa.com.) The "back to basics," then, means the following:
1. MAKE TIME TO STRETCH EVERY DAY. Mattes suggests daily stretching, since our muscles can shorten or stiffen from work, training, posture, or stress. So my temporary break from stretching and working out, while doing wonders for my mental state, really did nothing to help me stay loose and relaxed physically.
2. STRETCH PROPERLY. While there are several stretching methods out there (ballistic, passive, static, PNF), I think that Active Isolated Stretching is the grooviest out there. Mattes put his years of education and experience to good use in formulating the AIS technique. It works WITH the body's physiology and is a safe, effective method. And it identifies and isolates the specific muscle to be stretched in order to achieve the best result. (Again, see his website or one of his books for the exact directions on how to perform the stretches.)
3. VALUE FLEXIBILITY AS A KEY COMPONENT OF WELLNESS. As illustrated above, NOT stretching really has a detrimental effect on overall fitness or quality of life. So instead of thinking of it as just something to do after my run, I really need to think of it as something I do for my overall health- mind, body, and spirit.
Convinced yet, dear Groovy Readers? Trust me, that moment on the floor was embarrassing and humbling enough to convince me. And I already believed. Now, off you go. . . drop and give me twenty trunk rotations.
Previous Soapboxes
-
Hey Ladies! Come to our Paoli shop for Girlz Nite on Monday, October 22 at 6:30pm!
Enjoy a night out with your fellow women runners & walkers, and learn about training, nutrition, and more. Presenters include a Bobbi Kisebach (massage therapy), Nancy Whelan (Champion Sports Bra representative), and Keith Straw (nationally-ranked ultramarathoner). All attendees receive a free goodie bag!
RSVP to 610-296-2868, hope to see you there!
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: info2@happyrunning.com
web: http://www.HappyRunning.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aimee's Soapbox
Aimee's November Soapbox
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 2007: Perspective
-- -
Greetings Groovy Soapbox Readers!
When I am in charge of the world, all citizens will have a required one-year period of "Customer Service" service to the nation. It could be in retail, restaurants, whatever. Every person just has to spend one year working in some kind of service industry that includes working with the public
Why such a requirement? Well, in my little utopian society, every person will have to learn the lesson about walking a mile in the other guy's shoes, and that sometimes the other guy is wearing really tight stilettos with four-inch heels and pointy toes.
Now, I am not saying that each person will have to start wearing their own stilettos, or even like them. But I am saying that everyone will have to learn Perspective.
What's so big about perspective? Well, if perspective is reality, as they say, then perspective is pretty much everything. I mean, if your perspective is that life is crap and everything sucks, then you will only see the glass half empty, you will only pay attention to the things that reinforce your perspective, and you will go home and kick the dog, yell at the kids, and push away your spouse. And that becomes your reality. (You just better hope your dog, kids, and spouse are "half full" folks so that they have some compassion for you.)
Anyway, here are my three reasons why Perspective is the Key to it All:
1. Perspective Teaches Personal Responsibility. It is my opinion that too many people play the victim (because it is easier) and are under-responsible for their lives. For example, it is much easier to blame supersized fast food for our obesity problem than it is to take responsibility for the fact that we are a sedentary nation that would rather play video games and download internet porn than go out for a walk.
When I was in college, one of my religion professors had arranged for our class to visit the home of an Amish family. We toured the farm and had dinner with them. If you've ever eaten German or Pennsylvania Dutch food, you know that "low calorie" and "light and airy" are not in the cookbook. Think meat and potatoes. But have you ever seen an obese Amish person? No. So don't just blame the carbs or the fats.
I think if we are willing to look at the big picture, we can become more personally responsible for our actions, and therefore more empowered. I know that there will always be some people who take the easy way out by being the victim, but they truly are giving up their personal power to others when they do that. And that's just silly.
2. Perspective Teaches you to Think Outside of Yourself. So in my aforementioned utopia with the mandatory service, every person will have to learn how to wait on others, help others, and provide service to others. Now, if you have already worked in these industries, you know that "others" can sometimes be a bit prickly. If you have not already worked in these industries, you should know that sometimes you can be a bit prickly.
I always cringe when I see someone in a restaurant giving the wait staff a hard time. Or when I see someone treating a sales clerk in a patronizing or condescending manner. (And yes, I know this goes both ways.)
Maybe that waiter just broke up with his girlfriend. Or maybe the sales clerk just learned his dad has cancer. Or maybe, they have just worked a double shift and they still have to go home to a sick kid. If that were you, wouldn't you want someone to see things from your perspective?
3. Perspective Teaches Compassion and Humility. The other day, I was watching a decorating show on one of the cable channels. It highlighted the Top 25 Biggest Decorating Mistakes. (I was anxious to learn if my throw pillows were trendy or tacky.)
Anyway, about 15 minutes into the show, my husband says, "Gee, I bet this show's a big hit in Darfur."
OK, so that made me laugh, but kind of in a rueful sort of way. I mean, here I sit, on my comfy couch and in a position to even HAVE throw pillows to judge, and on the other side of the world, someone else is wondering how long he has till he starves to death and maybe even wishing it would hurry up. Yep, that gave me a sense of humility real fast.
I guess what I am saying here is that we could all use a little reality check now and then, or at least a reminder to think about the big picture and the fact that our own version of things is not the only version. It's a tough and humbling path to take.So, maybe it's good I am not in charge of the world, enforcing my mandatory service on all the unsuspecting citizens. Or maybe it's not. Depends on your perspective.
Previous Soapboxes
-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Cooler temperatures are finally here! We've got all the right gear for winter training at Runaway Success!
You don't need to flee to the gym or the treadmill as soon as the thermostat dips below 60 degrees! Cooler weather can be some of the most fantastic running weather if you just dress appropriately. Our knowledgeable staff will be glad to help you pick a few key items to make winter training enjoyable!
P.S. Winter can also mean running in the dark - we've got a full selection of reflective items to help you stay safe when visibility is less than optimal!
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: info2@happyrunning.com
web: http://www.HappyRunning.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 2007: Perspective
-- -
Greetings Groovy Soapbox Readers!
When I am in charge of the world, all citizens will have a required one-year period of "Customer Service" service to the nation. It could be in retail, restaurants, whatever. Every person just has to spend one year working in some kind of service industry that includes working with the public
Why such a requirement? Well, in my little utopian society, every person will have to learn the lesson about walking a mile in the other guy's shoes, and that sometimes the other guy is wearing really tight stilettos with four-inch heels and pointy toes.
Now, I am not saying that each person will have to start wearing their own stilettos, or even like them. But I am saying that everyone will have to learn Perspective.
What's so big about perspective? Well, if perspective is reality, as they say, then perspective is pretty much everything. I mean, if your perspective is that life is crap and everything sucks, then you will only see the glass half empty, you will only pay attention to the things that reinforce your perspective, and you will go home and kick the dog, yell at the kids, and push away your spouse. And that becomes your reality. (You just better hope your dog, kids, and spouse are "half full" folks so that they have some compassion for you.)
Anyway, here are my three reasons why Perspective is the Key to it All:
1. Perspective Teaches Personal Responsibility. It is my opinion that too many people play the victim (because it is easier) and are under-responsible for their lives. For example, it is much easier to blame supersized fast food for our obesity problem than it is to take responsibility for the fact that we are a sedentary nation that would rather play video games and download internet porn than go out for a walk.
When I was in college, one of my religion professors had arranged for our class to visit the home of an Amish family. We toured the farm and had dinner with them. If you've ever eaten German or Pennsylvania Dutch food, you know that "low calorie" and "light and airy" are not in the cookbook. Think meat and potatoes. But have you ever seen an obese Amish person? No. So don't just blame the carbs or the fats.
I think if we are willing to look at the big picture, we can become more personally responsible for our actions, and therefore more empowered. I know that there will always be some people who take the easy way out by being the victim, but they truly are giving up their personal power to others when they do that. And that's just silly.
2. Perspective Teaches you to Think Outside of Yourself. So in my aforementioned utopia with the mandatory service, every person will have to learn how to wait on others, help others, and provide service to others. Now, if you have already worked in these industries, you know that "others" can sometimes be a bit prickly. If you have not already worked in these industries, you should know that sometimes you can be a bit prickly.
I always cringe when I see someone in a restaurant giving the wait staff a hard time. Or when I see someone treating a sales clerk in a patronizing or condescending manner. (And yes, I know this goes both ways.)
Maybe that waiter just broke up with his girlfriend. Or maybe the sales clerk just learned his dad has cancer. Or maybe, they have just worked a double shift and they still have to go home to a sick kid. If that were you, wouldn't you want someone to see things from your perspective?
3. Perspective Teaches Compassion and Humility. The other day, I was watching a decorating show on one of the cable channels. It highlighted the Top 25 Biggest Decorating Mistakes. (I was anxious to learn if my throw pillows were trendy or tacky.)
Anyway, about 15 minutes into the show, my husband says, "Gee, I bet this show's a big hit in Darfur."
OK, so that made me laugh, but kind of in a rueful sort of way. I mean, here I sit, on my comfy couch and in a position to even HAVE throw pillows to judge, and on the other side of the world, someone else is wondering how long he has till he starves to death and maybe even wishing it would hurry up. Yep, that gave me a sense of humility real fast.
I guess what I am saying here is that we could all use a little reality check now and then, or at least a reminder to think about the big picture and the fact that our own version of things is not the only version. It's a tough and humbling path to take.So, maybe it's good I am not in charge of the world, enforcing my mandatory service on all the unsuspecting citizens. Or maybe it's not. Depends on your perspective.
Previous Soapboxes
-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Cooler temperatures are finally here! We've got all the right gear for winter training at Runaway Success!
You don't need to flee to the gym or the treadmill as soon as the thermostat dips below 60 degrees! Cooler weather can be some of the most fantastic running weather if you just dress appropriately. Our knowledgeable staff will be glad to help you pick a few key items to make winter training enjoyable!
P.S. Winter can also mean running in the dark - we've got a full selection of reflective items to help you stay safe when visibility is less than optimal!
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: info2@happyrunning.com
web: http://www.HappyRunning.com
Friday, June 22, 2007
SUNY Albany Runners at National Level
Small time maybe, but SUNY Albany did a lot to advance to the bigger time this year with several teams making NCAA tourneys (Men's hoop, men's lax, baseball, softball) and recently several track and field athletes faired well. Check it out in the Times Union.
Direct Link to SUNY Albany Sports Web Site.
You can see that most of the runners come from in-state. As always, most programs recruit locally for many reasons. Easier and less expensive to recruit and evaluate in person, in-state tuition at state schools will stretch the scholarship dollar and the majority of any college's student body is from with-in the state or region.
I recently read an article about SUNY looking to build a football stadium to attrack better athletes. At a school of this size, the field will be more than football - most likely soccer, field hockey and track and field. They have to be careful about spending too much money on the football program - it seems to be the formula around the nation- and not always successful.
Look at St Peters, a I-AA program that just dropped the sport. The $400,000 it cost to run the program will be reinvested in the athletic department.
Direct Link to SUNY Albany Sports Web Site.
You can see that most of the runners come from in-state. As always, most programs recruit locally for many reasons. Easier and less expensive to recruit and evaluate in person, in-state tuition at state schools will stretch the scholarship dollar and the majority of any college's student body is from with-in the state or region.
I recently read an article about SUNY looking to build a football stadium to attrack better athletes. At a school of this size, the field will be more than football - most likely soccer, field hockey and track and field. They have to be careful about spending too much money on the football program - it seems to be the formula around the nation- and not always successful.
Look at St Peters, a I-AA program that just dropped the sport. The $400,000 it cost to run the program will be reinvested in the athletic department.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Football Scholarship Frenzy - Summer Rock Star Tour
Even the legendary touring band The Grateful Dead would have a tough time keeping up with this Idaho HS QB's 10 Day recruiting and camp tour.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/sports/story/88084.html
Let's keep an eye out in February 2008 for what happens to Mr Dane Broadhead of Minico ID. Parents of freshmen and sophomores, see what you have to look forward to if you son is a ranked recruit? Bottom line is that these schools want to now see what he does during the season. Then depending on need and where he is ranked on the board, they will all dance around each other until the last possible moment. If Broadhead stays hopeful about the PAC-10 big time like he has, tiny NAIA Carroll College will wait in the wings and figure out a way to make things work late in the game if he falls from the top.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/sports/story/88084.html
Let's keep an eye out in February 2008 for what happens to Mr Dane Broadhead of Minico ID. Parents of freshmen and sophomores, see what you have to look forward to if you son is a ranked recruit? Bottom line is that these schools want to now see what he does during the season. Then depending on need and where he is ranked on the board, they will all dance around each other until the last possible moment. If Broadhead stays hopeful about the PAC-10 big time like he has, tiny NAIA Carroll College will wait in the wings and figure out a way to make things work late in the game if he falls from the top.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Siena College partners to upgrade poor fields
I had heard from a few prospective student athletes that Siena College was lacking in the facility category - especially baseball and softball. Apparently Siena felt the same way and came up with a great Town/Gown solution to fix the problem.
By partnering with the City of Albany NY, the Saints will take over city fields, give them an upgrade and allow the city to share use during off seasons, breaks, etc. Siena avoids land purchase costs and foots the bill for new grass and turf fields. Albany gets someone else to upgrade and maintain and exisiting park that has been neglected. Both get use. Sounds good to me.
Read article.
By partnering with the City of Albany NY, the Saints will take over city fields, give them an upgrade and allow the city to share use during off seasons, breaks, etc. Siena avoids land purchase costs and foots the bill for new grass and turf fields. Albany gets someone else to upgrade and maintain and exisiting park that has been neglected. Both get use. Sounds good to me.
Read article.
Good Rower+Good Grades = Scholarship Offers!
Good interview about a very talented student athlete from New Jersey. Gives you a clue about the value of being both a top student and athlete will do for you in the process of college athletic recruiting.
While this girl is #1 in her class, the schools she is considering are all the very best. You can still find this type of money for being a top tier student (not necessarily #1) at colleges with slightly lower rankings. It's all relative.
Read full article
************************************************************************
Track coaches apparently want athletes with stomaches made of steel in addition to lungs and legs. Asking a student to wait until the end of May on a scholarship offer is stretching it a bit far if you ask me - especially if they have other options like this athlete in Missouri.
Worth a read for you track and field athletes. Read Story.
While this girl is #1 in her class, the schools she is considering are all the very best. You can still find this type of money for being a top tier student (not necessarily #1) at colleges with slightly lower rankings. It's all relative.
Read full article
************************************************************************
Track coaches apparently want athletes with stomaches made of steel in addition to lungs and legs. Asking a student to wait until the end of May on a scholarship offer is stretching it a bit far if you ask me - especially if they have other options like this athlete in Missouri.
Worth a read for you track and field athletes. Read Story.
Friday, June 08, 2007
ACC Scholarship Pipeline to tiny Rhode Island!
Good article in the Provindence Journal about a lacrosse player and cross-country runner who earned scholarships to Virgina and Duke respectively. One was a life long junkie of his sport and the other came late to his, even sacraficing his beloved basketball (in which he was recruited at the D-III level) to focus on the sport with Division I potential.
Worth a read for the scholarship minded.
****************************************************
I like this one also. It mentions the actual odds of getting a scholarship. Not good! In fact, about 1/4 of NCAA athletes get money! Study and get good grades to open up the real pool of cash!
Also of note is the issue of height and prototype. A football player featured in the article was eventually turned down by the D-IAA guys because he was too short for their liking. But that was never the stated reason.
5'11 defensive tackles are not prototype, 6'3+ are. Unless you have another skill such as long snapper, or can
Read full article.
Worth a read for the scholarship minded.
****************************************************
I like this one also. It mentions the actual odds of getting a scholarship. Not good! In fact, about 1/4 of NCAA athletes get money! Study and get good grades to open up the real pool of cash!
Also of note is the issue of height and prototype. A football player featured in the article was eventually turned down by the D-IAA guys because he was too short for their liking. But that was never the stated reason.
5'11 defensive tackles are not prototype, 6'3+ are. Unless you have another skill such as long snapper, or can
Read full article.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Nutrition Tips for Women with Amenorrhea
Nutrition Tips for Women with Amenorrhea
“I've been training so hard, I've stopped getting my menstrual period. Is that normal?”
“Should I take the birth control pill so I start menstruating again?”
“Is it OK to not have a period for several months?”
If you among the estimated 20% of active women who has missed three or more consecutive menstrual periods, you are experiencing amenorrhea. Although some women see amenorrhea as desirable because they no longer have to deal with the hassles and possible discomfort of monthly menstrual periods, others recognize absence of periods is linked with serious health problems: loss of calcium from the bones, almost a three times higher incidence of stress fractures, and long-term problems with early osteoporosis. Amenorrhea can also interfere with the ability to conceive easily should you want to start a family.
Read Full Article at athletesadvisor.com
“I've been training so hard, I've stopped getting my menstrual period. Is that normal?”
“Should I take the birth control pill so I start menstruating again?”
“Is it OK to not have a period for several months?”
If you among the estimated 20% of active women who has missed three or more consecutive menstrual periods, you are experiencing amenorrhea. Although some women see amenorrhea as desirable because they no longer have to deal with the hassles and possible discomfort of monthly menstrual periods, others recognize absence of periods is linked with serious health problems: loss of calcium from the bones, almost a three times higher incidence of stress fractures, and long-term problems with early osteoporosis. Amenorrhea can also interfere with the ability to conceive easily should you want to start a family.
Read Full Article at athletesadvisor.com
Athletic Scholarships for Specialists - Face Off!
When a player quits baseball in 10th grade and picks up a lacrosse stick for the first time the next day, would you expect that player to earn a Division I lacrosse scholarship? It depends on the player I guess, but in this case of Chris Hall from perennial NYS Section II lacrosse power Niskayuna - he was a natural. Goal scorer? No. Defensive monster? Nodda. What then, made Hall worthy of an offer after just one year of varsity lacrosse?
Face off genius! Read the entire article in the Albany Times Union.
Apparently Hall is off the field shortly after he face offs as he is not an "all round" player. Winning face offs allows teams to dictate pace and time of possession. Obviously this skill is important enough to bring in a one dimensional player at the college level.
A few posts back I wrote about the long snapper skill being such a skill that might earn someone a scholarship. Apparently Hall studies film and has made the face off is mission. In short he is focused. How many athletes accept limited roles and master them as opposed to those that might sulk because they are not playing more, or playing the position they want. Team players are valued and respected by coaches. Be one, master your role and you will be successful.
_______________________________________________________
How do you get an athletic scholarship? Read the Making of a Student Athlete
Face off genius! Read the entire article in the Albany Times Union.
Apparently Hall is off the field shortly after he face offs as he is not an "all round" player. Winning face offs allows teams to dictate pace and time of possession. Obviously this skill is important enough to bring in a one dimensional player at the college level.
A few posts back I wrote about the long snapper skill being such a skill that might earn someone a scholarship. Apparently Hall studies film and has made the face off is mission. In short he is focused. How many athletes accept limited roles and master them as opposed to those that might sulk because they are not playing more, or playing the position they want. Team players are valued and respected by coaches. Be one, master your role and you will be successful.
_______________________________________________________
How do you get an athletic scholarship? Read the Making of a Student Athlete
Monday, June 04, 2007
Want to play baseball at Florida State? Go to their camp
Mike Martin, Florida State's baseball coach, said his recruiting budget does not allow his coaches to travel all over the country.
"We have very few guys from New Jersey," Martin said. "We have very few guys from out of state unless we have seen them in camp. That's where we have a chance to evaluate them."
Read full article in The Pittsburgh Tribune Review,
Truth be told, a camp like FSU's is a money machine for the coaches, many of who make the bulk of their income from these events. As much as FSU will evaluate talent at their camp, very few players who are not already known by the staff will show up as an unknown and be offered a scholarship. It can happen, but it is not likely.
______________________________________________________________
Want a college baseball scholarship? Read all about it in College Bound: The Official Guide to Playing College Baseball
"We have very few guys from New Jersey," Martin said. "We have very few guys from out of state unless we have seen them in camp. That's where we have a chance to evaluate them."
Read full article in The Pittsburgh Tribune Review,
Truth be told, a camp like FSU's is a money machine for the coaches, many of who make the bulk of their income from these events. As much as FSU will evaluate talent at their camp, very few players who are not already known by the staff will show up as an unknown and be offered a scholarship. It can happen, but it is not likely.
______________________________________________________________
Want a college baseball scholarship? Read all about it in College Bound: The Official Guide to Playing College Baseball
Syracuse Drowns Swimmers - Freezes Pool for Ice Hockey
Syracuse University Cuts Its Swim Program
Syracuse University has decided to cut its swim program and ad women's ice hockey. Here is the address if you would like to help the team with a petition to save the sport.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/850963259
Syracuse University has decided to cut its swim program and ad women's ice hockey. Here is the address if you would like to help the team with a petition to save the sport.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/850963259
Once again, players left on hook by coach - Donovan a case in point
At the top schools, such as Florida, player choose programs for reasons that include "what coach is going to give me the best shot at being a pro player?" You can learn accounting, business, education, etc anywhere, but far less schools give you the best chance to be drafted. SHould players be given a short window to sign with another school if the coach who recruits them resigns? What if the coach is fired for some reason, or tragically has to resign due to health or family issues. Then what? I can't see the NCAA changing their rules very quickly. It happens every year.
By Jeff Schultz Friday, June 1, 2007, 06:27 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
On Tuesday, Billy Donovan said he was close to a new contract at Florida.
On Wednesday, Billy Donovan said he was still close to a new contract at Florida and, no, he hadn’t spoken to the Orlando Magic.
On Thursday, Billy Donovan finally agreed to a new contract. With the Orlando Magic. Negotiations presumably took only 18 seconds, or were conducted via Ouija board through Donovan’s spiritual adviser, Pinocchio.
So coaches lie. That’s no revelation. Let’s move on. Read Full Article
By Jeff Schultz Friday, June 1, 2007, 06:27 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
On Tuesday, Billy Donovan said he was close to a new contract at Florida.
On Wednesday, Billy Donovan said he was still close to a new contract at Florida and, no, he hadn’t spoken to the Orlando Magic.
On Thursday, Billy Donovan finally agreed to a new contract. With the Orlando Magic. Negotiations presumably took only 18 seconds, or were conducted via Ouija board through Donovan’s spiritual adviser, Pinocchio.
So coaches lie. That’s no revelation. Let’s move on. Read Full Article
SEC will vote on football recruiting change
DESTIN, Fla. - The Southeastern Conference will vote today whether to submit NCAA legislation that would change football's spring evaluation period to a contact period.
The proposal, initiated by Florida, says it is increasingly difficult for head coaches to avoid contact with recruits while walking in a school while classes are in session.
The NCAA limits coaches to "exchange of a greeting" with recruits between April 15 and May 31. The rule generated attention recently when Alabama coach Nick Saban was accused of offering more than a greeting to recruits. Saban denied the reports.
Read the rest of the article in The Birmingham News.
The proposal, initiated by Florida, says it is increasingly difficult for head coaches to avoid contact with recruits while walking in a school while classes are in session.
The NCAA limits coaches to "exchange of a greeting" with recruits between April 15 and May 31. The rule generated attention recently when Alabama coach Nick Saban was accused of offering more than a greeting to recruits. Saban denied the reports.
Read the rest of the article in The Birmingham News.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
The Advisor at the Freihofer's 5K in Albany with his Daugther
Never too early to expose your children to the fun of health and fitness. The Freihofer's run had a huge number of 15 U runners. This photo gallery in the Time Union will show you many of them.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Fast Girls Run in Albany!
I watched the Freihofer's Run for Women 5K with my 17 month old daughter and pregant wife (a runner who was none too plesased to be watching). Having run 15+ races of various distances and watched several more over the years, I was amazed at the number of runners 15 and under. In fact the largest age group entered was U15.
The winner, Benita Johnson, ran a 15:22 in 80+ degree weather with high humidty. Several runners in the Top 100 who by age appeared to be in high school, were from Saratoga NY. The same town that has produced Nicole Blood one of thje top runners in the US last year. While names escape me, she is not the first elite runner out of the area.
I hope the presence of so many young runners is a sign that this generation is as interested in health and fitness as they are in the internet, hollywood gossip and text messaging!
The winner, Benita Johnson, ran a 15:22 in 80+ degree weather with high humidty. Several runners in the Top 100 who by age appeared to be in high school, were from Saratoga NY. The same town that has produced Nicole Blood one of thje top runners in the US last year. While names escape me, she is not the first elite runner out of the area.
I hope the presence of so many young runners is a sign that this generation is as interested in health and fitness as they are in the internet, hollywood gossip and text messaging!
Friday, June 01, 2007
Fastpitch Softball Players Can't Hit!
There were two no hitters in the Softball College World Series yesterday. Locally here in Albany, there was an 11 inning game that produced 6 hits and 26 strikeouts. When I see that there are young women cabable of hitting 20 HR's+ at the college level, I refuse to believe the old story of softball being harder to hit than baseball. My opinion is that coaches have not adapted and started to teach their better athletes to drive the ball. Instead they slap and bunt their way to 1 or 2 runs, if lucky enough to get that.
In baseball or softball, good pitching is hard to beat. But a baseball at 95 MPH is no easier to hit than a softabll at 65-70 from a short distance. The argument that softball hitters has less time is defeated with simple math and logic.
In baseball or softball, good pitching is hard to beat. But a baseball at 95 MPH is no easier to hit than a softabll at 65-70 from a short distance. The argument that softball hitters has less time is defeated with simple math and logic.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Another League Management Web Site
I found this company in the Albany NY area.
League Sports Service www.leaguesportsservices.com
At first glance I wondered how this was different than using www.Leaguelineup.com or www.eteamz.com but it appears that it simplifies and manages the background check process for volunteer organizations and their coaches. Obviously this is a hot button today with all the report incidents on such web sites as www.badjocks.com and just about anywhere else you turn in the news.
They also offer roster management and communication tools to enable leagues to be more effiecient managers of informaiton.
If you have any experience with League Sports Services I'd like your feedback.
_______________________________________________________________
Want to play sports in college? Find out how.
League Sports Service www.leaguesportsservices.com
At first glance I wondered how this was different than using www.Leaguelineup.com or www.eteamz.com but it appears that it simplifies and manages the background check process for volunteer organizations and their coaches. Obviously this is a hot button today with all the report incidents on such web sites as www.badjocks.com and just about anywhere else you turn in the news.
They also offer roster management and communication tools to enable leagues to be more effiecient managers of informaiton.
If you have any experience with League Sports Services I'd like your feedback.
_______________________________________________________________
Want to play sports in college? Find out how.
Punters, Kickers and Long Snappers
I was in Las Vegas a few weekends ago to see some college buddies. One of them is also a Division I college coach and I tagged along with him to a Chris Sailer Kicking combine.showcase in downtown Las Vegas as my buddy was in need of a good kick off guy and a punter.
I learned a few things:
1) Long Snappers - apparently most colleges want someone who can get it back to the punters hands in .75 seconds or less. Ideally .72 or less but .75 is the max range. Under .70 and you are in pro territory. When you think about guys blocking punts or deflecting punts with little more than a few knuckles lengths of distance, you can see why there is a big difference between .72 and .75.
2) Three Step Punters - two steppers are preferred because of quickness. As my buddy said, "When we see a three stepper we are trying to block a punt that game, without expection."
This gets me to my story. My buddy watches a three stepper and thinks he has a good leg so he says to the player.
"Son, you've got a nice leg but I don't like the three steps. We block punts from three steppers. Can you show me a few kicks with a two step approach? "
First Kick - three steps
Second Kick - three steps
Third Kick -he never saw the kick because he walked away and crossed off the player. "Uncoachable" where the words he used.
Now, get inside the kids head. Here he is in front of 30 colleges coaches (USC, Boise) to name a few I saw. Here are my guesses as to why he did not try a two stepper:
1) Muscle memory and nerves - he just could not do it under the pressure.
2) He was not interested in my buddies school and thought it better to boom kicks for the other 29 coaches using his three steps.
3) He did not want to shank the punt in front of my buddy.
My buddy did not care about the result he just wanted to see him try it.
Combines are scary places for kids - many of them probable felt it was all or nothing. The truth is the coaches go to Chris Sailer and ask him who to watch for first based on their need. Sailer, who has already seen these kids during his sessions prior to the scouting period, knows who they are and lets the coach know. Even a bad day by a good kicker is not
I learned a few things:
1) Long Snappers - apparently most colleges want someone who can get it back to the punters hands in .75 seconds or less. Ideally .72 or less but .75 is the max range. Under .70 and you are in pro territory. When you think about guys blocking punts or deflecting punts with little more than a few knuckles lengths of distance, you can see why there is a big difference between .72 and .75.
2) Three Step Punters - two steppers are preferred because of quickness. As my buddy said, "When we see a three stepper we are trying to block a punt that game, without expection."
This gets me to my story. My buddy watches a three stepper and thinks he has a good leg so he says to the player.
"Son, you've got a nice leg but I don't like the three steps. We block punts from three steppers. Can you show me a few kicks with a two step approach? "
First Kick - three steps
Second Kick - three steps
Third Kick -he never saw the kick because he walked away and crossed off the player. "Uncoachable" where the words he used.
Now, get inside the kids head. Here he is in front of 30 colleges coaches (USC, Boise) to name a few I saw. Here are my guesses as to why he did not try a two stepper:
1) Muscle memory and nerves - he just could not do it under the pressure.
2) He was not interested in my buddies school and thought it better to boom kicks for the other 29 coaches using his three steps.
3) He did not want to shank the punt in front of my buddy.
My buddy did not care about the result he just wanted to see him try it.
Combines are scary places for kids - many of them probable felt it was all or nothing. The truth is the coaches go to Chris Sailer and ask him who to watch for first based on their need. Sailer, who has already seen these kids during his sessions prior to the scouting period, knows who they are and lets the coach know. Even a bad day by a good kicker is not
Recruiting Video Home Style
Tired of waiting for your coach to get you a highlight video. Not interested in paying $500+ for a service company? Then do it yourself.
Or perhaps you are one of the few athletes who understands the need to study extensive amounts of game film to critique your own skills and self scout? If you get game footage, there are programs out there that allow you to create "cut-ups" or "high-lights" that you can then watch anywhere you can play a CD Rom. This would be an example of the athlete who understands what it means to "go the extra mile" or "do what it takes."
My buddy Nick Interdonato who owns www.compusports.com , a sports and coaching software online retailer, has a very good, inexpensive ($195) product called Easy-Cut - Simple and Affordable Sports Video Editing .
While MAC and Movie Maker are free, they lack the tagging functions that this has to be able to create the cut-ups I spoke of. Colleges are now using iPods and portable DVD/CD players to give to their athletes as homework.
You don't have to buy something new to make video as it is off the rack on PCs and MACs, but for scouting and use on a team level, something like Easy-Cut is a good option.
Or perhaps you are one of the few athletes who understands the need to study extensive amounts of game film to critique your own skills and self scout? If you get game footage, there are programs out there that allow you to create "cut-ups" or "high-lights" that you can then watch anywhere you can play a CD Rom. This would be an example of the athlete who understands what it means to "go the extra mile" or "do what it takes."
My buddy Nick Interdonato who owns www.compusports.com , a sports and coaching software online retailer, has a very good, inexpensive ($195) product called Easy-Cut - Simple and Affordable Sports Video Editing .
While MAC and Movie Maker are free, they lack the tagging functions that this has to be able to create the cut-ups I spoke of. Colleges are now using iPods and portable DVD/CD players to give to their athletes as homework.
You don't have to buy something new to make video as it is off the rack on PCs and MACs, but for scouting and use on a team level, something like Easy-Cut is a good option.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Links and Stories
Sad story about an aspiring ball player who drove too fast around a corner...Read Story
Vanderbilt Baseball Coach, Tim Corbin, continues to recruit well - leveraging is teams #1 Ranking to strengthen the program...Read Story
Purdue investing in facility upgrades Read Story
TEXT Messaging Ban - students and coaches weigh in on the topic - Read Story
Earling Signing Day in the future of College Football? Read Story
Vanderbilt Baseball Coach, Tim Corbin, continues to recruit well - leveraging is teams #1 Ranking to strengthen the program...Read Story
Purdue investing in facility upgrades Read Story
TEXT Messaging Ban - students and coaches weigh in on the topic - Read Story
Earling Signing Day in the future of College Football? Read Story
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Recruiting - You are not good enough!
Talent is what rules athletic recruiting. If you can figure out how to get evalulated by a coach, the rest is up to your talent level relative to the coaches needs and talent evaluation style. That said how do you get real good at what you do? Besides natural ability, there is something else. I call it "uncommon focus and drive" to do things that make you the best you can be.
I mention this, yet again (for those of you who read my newsletter at www.athletesadvisor.com for all those years can attest) because simply playing your sport, playing on the travel team and showing up at practice a few hours a day does not cut it. It might for the uber talented, but not for most of you.
In a previous post I wrote about the practice habits of the current New England College Lax player of the year, Greg Rogowski, of Merrimack College. On Tuesday, the son of a man I sat next to at a recent awards dinner was featured in the Times Union. Matt Johnson, a lax star at Bethlehem HS has earned a scholarship to play for the UAlbany Great Danes. Albany, an NCAA quarterfinalist as of this post, has a very strong, rising program. What made me chuckle was how Johnson would sacrafice summer fun to stay at home and take 250 shots a day on his backyard goal. Rogowski claims to have taken 400-500 a day, even soaking the balls in hot water during the winter.
Question: Do you think there is any connection between their practice habits and the results they have on the field? Don't try to argue there is not.
So, you say you want a college scholarship and you say you want to be the best and you even say you work hard. But do you really? Think it over and when you wake up tomorrow decide what you need to actually do every day to be the best you can be.
_________________________________________________________
brought to you by www.athletesadvisor.com
I mention this, yet again (for those of you who read my newsletter at www.athletesadvisor.com for all those years can attest) because simply playing your sport, playing on the travel team and showing up at practice a few hours a day does not cut it. It might for the uber talented, but not for most of you.
In a previous post I wrote about the practice habits of the current New England College Lax player of the year, Greg Rogowski, of Merrimack College. On Tuesday, the son of a man I sat next to at a recent awards dinner was featured in the Times Union. Matt Johnson, a lax star at Bethlehem HS has earned a scholarship to play for the UAlbany Great Danes. Albany, an NCAA quarterfinalist as of this post, has a very strong, rising program. What made me chuckle was how Johnson would sacrafice summer fun to stay at home and take 250 shots a day on his backyard goal. Rogowski claims to have taken 400-500 a day, even soaking the balls in hot water during the winter.
Question: Do you think there is any connection between their practice habits and the results they have on the field? Don't try to argue there is not.
So, you say you want a college scholarship and you say you want to be the best and you even say you work hard. But do you really? Think it over and when you wake up tomorrow decide what you need to actually do every day to be the best you can be.
_________________________________________________________
brought to you by www.athletesadvisor.com
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Auburn Baseball to build fence around Alabama
Baseball
And keep players from jumping across the state border. You'd better be pretty good (and a pitcher) to get a look from out of state.
Slater said his plan to rebuild AU baseball includes an emphasis on recruiting in-state athletes, balancing the classes so the team is not top-heavy, as it was when he started, and improving the team's consistency.
"The plan, quite simply, that I believe Jay's alluding to and talking about, is something I mentioned on day one," Slater said. "We're going to recruit the state of Alabama. We're going to recruit in-state kids, and as we move forward with this program, we're going to transform this roster.
Read article about Auburn baseball plans to rebuild using local players.
Tennis
Temple has to have other more pressing problems at hand than to try this switch on the tennis courts. You have to laugh at the details of this little con...
General College - Admissions News
Looks like administrations are opening up their doors to a little more transparency by actively promoting student blogs to prospective students. MySpace, FaceBook, Youtube, etc are all places to interact with college students and learn about student life. I guess colleges feel if they monitor and endorse certain blogs, they can at least have some influence in where students look for information (and a little more control).
Anything that is linked from a college's official web site will have some editorial control to it - don't believe that there is not. Whether they chose the writer or have some over site, there is control. Read article
And keep players from jumping across the state border. You'd better be pretty good (and a pitcher) to get a look from out of state.
Slater said his plan to rebuild AU baseball includes an emphasis on recruiting in-state athletes, balancing the classes so the team is not top-heavy, as it was when he started, and improving the team's consistency.
"The plan, quite simply, that I believe Jay's alluding to and talking about, is something I mentioned on day one," Slater said. "We're going to recruit the state of Alabama. We're going to recruit in-state kids, and as we move forward with this program, we're going to transform this roster.
Read article about Auburn baseball plans to rebuild using local players.
Tennis
Temple has to have other more pressing problems at hand than to try this switch on the tennis courts. You have to laugh at the details of this little con...
General College - Admissions News
Looks like administrations are opening up their doors to a little more transparency by actively promoting student blogs to prospective students. MySpace, FaceBook, Youtube, etc are all places to interact with college students and learn about student life. I guess colleges feel if they monitor and endorse certain blogs, they can at least have some influence in where students look for information (and a little more control).
Anything that is linked from a college's official web site will have some editorial control to it - don't believe that there is not. Whether they chose the writer or have some over site, there is control. Read article
Friday, May 11, 2007
Cure to all baseball pitching injuries found!
Dr. Mike Marshall (yes, the former Dodger) has a cult following but low credibility with professional baseball. I have read a lot about him and his methods which are, to say the least, different from the norm. Yahoo Sports did a great article on him which includes video clips of his students.
You have to watch and read this if you at all consider yourself a pitching person.
When I was running the Big Apple Baseball Coaches Convention, I used to get emails from Marshall followers challenging us to bring in Mike to go head to head against our "so called" pitching experts, Rick Peterson and Brent Strom. The emailer said most pitching coaches should be arrested for arm abuse!
_________________________________________________________
www.athletesadvisor.com/books
You have to watch and read this if you at all consider yourself a pitching person.
When I was running the Big Apple Baseball Coaches Convention, I used to get emails from Marshall followers challenging us to bring in Mike to go head to head against our "so called" pitching experts, Rick Peterson and Brent Strom. The emailer said most pitching coaches should be arrested for arm abuse!
_________________________________________________________
www.athletesadvisor.com/books
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Virginia Intermont College Cuts Sports
Financially strapped Virginia Intermont College plans to eliminate its track and field, cross-country, tennis and soccer programs next year, officials said Wednesday. Read full article
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Should Women Run?
Mike Boyle wrote this article on women runners... Why Women Shouldn't run
Later, Boyle posted the response in his newsletter...
Should Anyone Run?
From Shane Lakins
Recently Mike Boyle sparked a lively debate within the running community when he wrote the article "Women Should Not Run". The actual title was supposed to be "Should Women Run?", but the end result would have been the same. The title it ran under just added a little more fuel to the fire.
Ironically as a running coach, I do not totally disagree with his comment. There are some people who should not run. In fact, if you only looked at the number of injuries incurred by running enthusiasts in a given year (between 50-80% depending on the source) then Mike may have fallen short by singling out women when in fact he should have said nobody should be a distance runner! Similarly, if we only looked at the number of ACL injuries produced from women playing basketball, one might deduce that this is an even more dangerous sport than running. These ACL injuries are caused by many of the same musculoskeletal and biomechanical problems that Mike noted for women distance runners.
As fitness professionals we owe it to our clients to inform them about the inherent risk of certain activities, but we also suggest they find activities they enjoy. If they enjoy running or playing basketball, then it is our job to educate them on how to run and jump properly to decrease their chance of becoming one of these injury statistics.
I think Mike has oversimplified things a bit and looked at the result (which is a lot of injuries) and not addressed the real issue which is biomechanics. Kind of like "throwing the baby out with the bath water" as he says. It's funny, if you golf you get a pro to help improve your swing, if you swim you get a coach so you don't drown, but if you run... well, anyone can do that, right?
Too many running programs follow simple linear progressions assuming that all people improve at the same rate. Furthermore, most of these programs, whether they are on-line or group driven, rarely address the need to run properly over the need to run "X" number of miles or for "Y" number of minutes.
Personally as a coach, I care about results, but results come as part of a process. Running is no different than any other skill in sport... it must be learned and practiced; however, it is often assumed that running is a natural thing and each person will develop their own technique (true to a point). Not to digress, but have you ever seen a baby born with a pair of shoes on? Over-dependence on shoes and orthotics, to stabilize the body and absorb all the shock, has led to a herd of brain dead runners simply putting one foot in front of the other and not considering the consequences of their actions, until they are injured. Then what do they do? They look at where the injury occurred and usually their doctor, physiotherapist or chiropractor says you need orthotics, lots of treatments and bigger more stable shoes. The problem is not the shoes, it's the person in the shoes!
If you want a simple example of what I mean, video tape someone running on concrete with shoes on and then without shoes. I don't care if they are male, female, skinny or over-weight, you will see that what they consider normal (in shoes) is very, very far from the true normal (without shoes).
Most runners do not fall into the elite category, but they can learn a lot from this group. One is they do not land on the heel and the other is they are almost all running at 180+ strides per minute, regardless of gender, leg length, speed or nationality. Approximately 80% of the running population are heel strikers with a stride frequency of 140-165 per minute. Believe me, if you do not know how you land or how many strides you take, you are well on your way to being one of Mike's injury statistics whether you are male or female.
Unfortunately the injury statistics have also resulted in running shoe manufacturers reacting by making bigger, more padded and reinforced shoes. The end result is that people have forgotten how they ran as a child in the back yard without shoes. We now have springs, air bags, gel packs and a myriad of space age technology in the heel of shoes to protect you from your own landing. If the heel is so soft and the natural place to land, why do you need all the artificial padding? The truth is, a runner should never land on their heel (sprint or distance). Mike is correct, the typical way distance runners land is an injury waiting to happen. Next time you buy shoes, remember that more is not better if you actually want to run correctly.
Is running for everyone? Of course not, but with some proper coaching and understanding of some biomechanical principles a lot more people would enjoy the sport without the need for a team of health professionals to keep them going. So ladies, fear not you can run!
Shane Lakins is Head Coach of XC and Distance Track at Queen's University and been part several national teams for Canada. He owns Kingston Body Management and writes and lectures on fitness and running related topics. He is in the process of writing a book on the biomechanics of running set for release in the summer of 2007. Shane can be reached at: shane@kingstonbody.com
What do you think? ray@athletesadvisor.com
Later, Boyle posted the response in his newsletter...
Should Anyone Run?
From Shane Lakins
Recently Mike Boyle sparked a lively debate within the running community when he wrote the article "Women Should Not Run". The actual title was supposed to be "Should Women Run?", but the end result would have been the same. The title it ran under just added a little more fuel to the fire.
Ironically as a running coach, I do not totally disagree with his comment. There are some people who should not run. In fact, if you only looked at the number of injuries incurred by running enthusiasts in a given year (between 50-80% depending on the source) then Mike may have fallen short by singling out women when in fact he should have said nobody should be a distance runner! Similarly, if we only looked at the number of ACL injuries produced from women playing basketball, one might deduce that this is an even more dangerous sport than running. These ACL injuries are caused by many of the same musculoskeletal and biomechanical problems that Mike noted for women distance runners.
As fitness professionals we owe it to our clients to inform them about the inherent risk of certain activities, but we also suggest they find activities they enjoy. If they enjoy running or playing basketball, then it is our job to educate them on how to run and jump properly to decrease their chance of becoming one of these injury statistics.
I think Mike has oversimplified things a bit and looked at the result (which is a lot of injuries) and not addressed the real issue which is biomechanics. Kind of like "throwing the baby out with the bath water" as he says. It's funny, if you golf you get a pro to help improve your swing, if you swim you get a coach so you don't drown, but if you run... well, anyone can do that, right?
Too many running programs follow simple linear progressions assuming that all people improve at the same rate. Furthermore, most of these programs, whether they are on-line or group driven, rarely address the need to run properly over the need to run "X" number of miles or for "Y" number of minutes.
Personally as a coach, I care about results, but results come as part of a process. Running is no different than any other skill in sport... it must be learned and practiced; however, it is often assumed that running is a natural thing and each person will develop their own technique (true to a point). Not to digress, but have you ever seen a baby born with a pair of shoes on? Over-dependence on shoes and orthotics, to stabilize the body and absorb all the shock, has led to a herd of brain dead runners simply putting one foot in front of the other and not considering the consequences of their actions, until they are injured. Then what do they do? They look at where the injury occurred and usually their doctor, physiotherapist or chiropractor says you need orthotics, lots of treatments and bigger more stable shoes. The problem is not the shoes, it's the person in the shoes!
If you want a simple example of what I mean, video tape someone running on concrete with shoes on and then without shoes. I don't care if they are male, female, skinny or over-weight, you will see that what they consider normal (in shoes) is very, very far from the true normal (without shoes).
Most runners do not fall into the elite category, but they can learn a lot from this group. One is they do not land on the heel and the other is they are almost all running at 180+ strides per minute, regardless of gender, leg length, speed or nationality. Approximately 80% of the running population are heel strikers with a stride frequency of 140-165 per minute. Believe me, if you do not know how you land or how many strides you take, you are well on your way to being one of Mike's injury statistics whether you are male or female.
Unfortunately the injury statistics have also resulted in running shoe manufacturers reacting by making bigger, more padded and reinforced shoes. The end result is that people have forgotten how they ran as a child in the back yard without shoes. We now have springs, air bags, gel packs and a myriad of space age technology in the heel of shoes to protect you from your own landing. If the heel is so soft and the natural place to land, why do you need all the artificial padding? The truth is, a runner should never land on their heel (sprint or distance). Mike is correct, the typical way distance runners land is an injury waiting to happen. Next time you buy shoes, remember that more is not better if you actually want to run correctly.
Is running for everyone? Of course not, but with some proper coaching and understanding of some biomechanical principles a lot more people would enjoy the sport without the need for a team of health professionals to keep them going. So ladies, fear not you can run!
Shane Lakins is Head Coach of XC and Distance Track at Queen's University and been part several national teams for Canada. He owns Kingston Body Management and writes and lectures on fitness and running related topics. He is in the process of writing a book on the biomechanics of running set for release in the summer of 2007. Shane can be reached at: shane@kingstonbody.com
What do you think? ray@athletesadvisor.com
NCAA takes on MySpace? A mismatch is there ever was one!
With the recent banishment of TXT messages in the recruiting wars (they now reside in a back room with full color media guides) this article points out that if it is not one form of communication it is another and the NCAA will never catch up to the method. What I don't like is the NCAA fearing "preconceived notions." Fact is everybody as some notion or expectation about a recruiting trip regardless of the source or how they found the source.
Student athletes need to do more research, not less, about their college decision. What they are told by 'official sources" is never the complete picture.
As it is, many colleges already regulate the myspace.com and facebook.com pages of their athletes.
" More college-age teens are turning to MySpace, a cyber community, to find out about a school that is recruiting them.
According to the NCAA, recruits are going online, talking with college students at the prospective school they're considering, and learning things coaches would not tell them. This can lead to "preconceived notions and can shift the dynamics of the recruiting weekend," according to a presentation before the NCAA convention in January 2007."
Read full article from DesertNews.com's Dick Harmon.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Brought to you by www.Athletesadvisor.com/books
Student athletes need to do more research, not less, about their college decision. What they are told by 'official sources" is never the complete picture.
As it is, many colleges already regulate the myspace.com and facebook.com pages of their athletes.
" More college-age teens are turning to MySpace, a cyber community, to find out about a school that is recruiting them.
According to the NCAA, recruits are going online, talking with college students at the prospective school they're considering, and learning things coaches would not tell them. This can lead to "preconceived notions and can shift the dynamics of the recruiting weekend," according to a presentation before the NCAA convention in January 2007."
Read full article from DesertNews.com's Dick Harmon.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Brought to you by www.Athletesadvisor.com/books
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Clips, Snippets and Links
Basketball
3 Pt Line extended for 2008-2009 season - should open the paint for the Big Fellas.
High School Recruiting - if you have followed the court ruling on this issue in Tennessee you might find this article on controlling conduct, not speech, interesting.
Football Recruiting
I never cease to be amazed by the mob mentality a lot of college football coaches have when it comes to recruiting, judging talent and offering scholarships.
This article points it out again that the first scholarship offer is the hardest to get..then the rest of the schools get in line. Do they not trust their own evaluations of talent enough? Are they afraid to make mistakes? Do they not want to pull the trigger too early and draw light to a "diamond in the rough"?
From Jeremy Crabtree, Rivals.com director of scouting, "
The hardest offer to gain is that first one,” Crabtree said. “Coaches will never tell you this, but they say, Why is so and so offering? They must see something. One or two offers can snowball.”
Read full article
________________________________________
Provided by www.athletesadvisor.com/books
3 Pt Line extended for 2008-2009 season - should open the paint for the Big Fellas.
High School Recruiting - if you have followed the court ruling on this issue in Tennessee you might find this article on controlling conduct, not speech, interesting.
Football Recruiting
I never cease to be amazed by the mob mentality a lot of college football coaches have when it comes to recruiting, judging talent and offering scholarships.
This article points it out again that the first scholarship offer is the hardest to get..then the rest of the schools get in line. Do they not trust their own evaluations of talent enough? Are they afraid to make mistakes? Do they not want to pull the trigger too early and draw light to a "diamond in the rough"?
From Jeremy Crabtree, Rivals.com director of scouting, "
The hardest offer to gain is that first one,” Crabtree said. “Coaches will never tell you this, but they say, Why is so and so offering? They must see something. One or two offers can snowball.”
Read full article
________________________________________
Provided by www.athletesadvisor.com/books
Monday, May 07, 2007
Bad Grades - Less Money. The dreaded APR..
Baseball
The NCAA released its Academic Progress Report recently and six baseball programs had scores low enough to merit the maximum scholarship penalty of losing 10 percent of their scholarships. For a complete list of the programs penalized, go here.( all sports shown)
The six programs that will be limited to 10 rather than 11.7 scholarships starting next year are Fresno State, New Mexico, Temple, Texas-Arlington, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas Tech.
Several other schools have to cough up more than one scholarship, including Oral Roberts (1.06), Lipscomb (1.10) and Florida International (1.12). In all, 27 schools either saw scholarships reduced (20 in all, some by as little as .05 scholarships) or were publicly reprimanded (seven).
________________________________________________________________________
College Bound: The Official Guide to Playing College Baseball
The NCAA released its Academic Progress Report recently and six baseball programs had scores low enough to merit the maximum scholarship penalty of losing 10 percent of their scholarships. For a complete list of the programs penalized, go here.( all sports shown)
The six programs that will be limited to 10 rather than 11.7 scholarships starting next year are Fresno State, New Mexico, Temple, Texas-Arlington, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas Tech.
Several other schools have to cough up more than one scholarship, including Oral Roberts (1.06), Lipscomb (1.10) and Florida International (1.12). In all, 27 schools either saw scholarships reduced (20 in all, some by as little as .05 scholarships) or were publicly reprimanded (seven).
________________________________________________________________________
College Bound: The Official Guide to Playing College Baseball
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Recruit me now? Hard to during the season.
I bumped into a UMBC Lax coach the nigth before the America East Men's conference finals against SUNY Albany (won by SUNY 15-14). We briefly spoke of recruiting which he said was about to head into "summer pressure mode." Camps, showcases, tournaments. The road show and busiest time of the year for the coaches.
He indicated that the bigger programs (Virginia, Hopkins, Syracuse, etc.) are getting like hockey and some of the other early commit sports by extending verbal offers after a players sophomore year. In effect trying to lock down recruiting classes two years in advance. This coach was skeptical of that approach as players and needs can change a lot in that time frame. Hockey used to have a gentleman's agreement about not recruiting players after they had verbally committed. Not so in football or basketball - not even close.
My crystal ball tells me that lacrosse will surpass hockey in popularity in the next ten years and more colleges will add programs in the south and far west. At that point, recruiting may not be so cordial and reflect the more competitive practices of other sports. Stay tuned.
As always, Lax Power is a great source of recruiting info. www.laxpower.com
He indicated that the bigger programs (Virginia, Hopkins, Syracuse, etc.) are getting like hockey and some of the other early commit sports by extending verbal offers after a players sophomore year. In effect trying to lock down recruiting classes two years in advance. This coach was skeptical of that approach as players and needs can change a lot in that time frame. Hockey used to have a gentleman's agreement about not recruiting players after they had verbally committed. Not so in football or basketball - not even close.
My crystal ball tells me that lacrosse will surpass hockey in popularity in the next ten years and more colleges will add programs in the south and far west. At that point, recruiting may not be so cordial and reflect the more competitive practices of other sports. Stay tuned.
As always, Lax Power is a great source of recruiting info. www.laxpower.com
Friday, May 04, 2007
Who's the best? Good time to find out and learn
May is NCAA tournament time. Regional brackets at any level are a good way to research schools in your sport and learn more about them and the conference they are in.
Use www.ncaasports.com for sport specific coverage and bracket postings.
Softball - http://www.ncaasports.com/softball/womens
Baseball - http://www.ncaasports.com/baseball/mens
Track and Field - http://www.ncaasports.com/track-and-field
Lacrosse M - http://www.ncaasports.com/lacrosse/mens
Lacrosse W - http://www.ncaasports.com/lacrosse/womens
Tennis M - http://www.ncaasports.com/tennis/mens
Tennis W - http://www.ncaasports.com/tennis/womens
Golf M - http://www.ncaasports.com/golf/mens
Golf W - http://www.ncaasports.com/golf/womens
Volleyball M - http://www.ncaasports.com/volleyball/mens
Rowing - http://www.ncaasports.com/rowing/womens
Water Polo W - http://www.ncaasports.com/waterpolo
What do you do with all this great informaiton. I could write a book on it, but I already have. The Making of a Student Athlete.
Use www.ncaasports.com for sport specific coverage and bracket postings.
Softball - http://www.ncaasports.com/softball/womens
Baseball - http://www.ncaasports.com/baseball/mens
Track and Field - http://www.ncaasports.com/track-and-field
Lacrosse M - http://www.ncaasports.com/lacrosse/mens
Lacrosse W - http://www.ncaasports.com/lacrosse/womens
Tennis M - http://www.ncaasports.com/tennis/mens
Tennis W - http://www.ncaasports.com/tennis/womens
Golf M - http://www.ncaasports.com/golf/mens
Golf W - http://www.ncaasports.com/golf/womens
Volleyball M - http://www.ncaasports.com/volleyball/mens
Rowing - http://www.ncaasports.com/rowing/womens
Water Polo W - http://www.ncaasports.com/waterpolo
What do you do with all this great informaiton. I could write a book on it, but I already have. The Making of a Student Athlete.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Lax Star Picks D-II over D-I, why?
The Albany Times Union ran a feature a recently about a former area High School lax star who chose Division II Merrimack College in Andover Mass. Greg Rogowski, now a sophomore is basically unstoppable in college as he led all of college in scoring when he was a freshman!
Surely capable of playing at a lot of D-I programs, he chose Merrimack for two main reasons.
1) He was getting a full scholarship package. School was paid for.
2) They had a specific major he wanted.
Of course they have a good program and I would guess Greg might have had to think twice about the school if their program was poor. It is nice to see decisions made on more than just getting to a D-I program. The fact is that Greg will get to play against D-I guys during summer league play and possible as a pro. Kudos to Mr. Rogowski and the coach at Merrimack, Bartolo Governanti for his recruiting job.
Speaking of Albany area lacrosse. I sat with Fran Johnson at the annual Capital District YMCA President's Dinner. Fran is the proud father of Matt who is a standout at Bethlehem NY High School and will be playing for upstart SUNY Albany next year. Matt is currently the 2nd leading scoring in Section 2.
Surely capable of playing at a lot of D-I programs, he chose Merrimack for two main reasons.
1) He was getting a full scholarship package. School was paid for.
2) They had a specific major he wanted.
Of course they have a good program and I would guess Greg might have had to think twice about the school if their program was poor. It is nice to see decisions made on more than just getting to a D-I program. The fact is that Greg will get to play against D-I guys during summer league play and possible as a pro. Kudos to Mr. Rogowski and the coach at Merrimack, Bartolo Governanti for his recruiting job.
Speaking of Albany area lacrosse. I sat with Fran Johnson at the annual Capital District YMCA President's Dinner. Fran is the proud father of Matt who is a standout at Bethlehem NY High School and will be playing for upstart SUNY Albany next year. Matt is currently the 2nd leading scoring in Section 2.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Everybody loves college athletes - except at Middlebury College
Just a quick link to show you the types of attitudes that exist in colleges. This is example is from Middlebury College but could be from most any school in the country, especially small liberal arts schools. This hardly proves a hostile environment for athletes, but it is not like HS when nobody said things like this (not usually.)
I think you will see more of the big schools do what Kentucky did and that was to purchase their own school plane for recruiting purposes.
The cost of recruiting is very high, something that schools typically keep quiet. In this case, the concept of a specific plane for recruiting will likely open up more discussion than wanted, but it is Kentucky, not Princeton or Northwestern. To me, if it makes financial sense than do it.
What you will not see happen is athletes being flown in on a private jet. That ended a few years ago.
Runners - check out my pal Aimee Rodriguez's monthly soapbox blog http://www.athletesadvisor.com/crosscountry/soapbox.htm . This month "A must list for runners."
I think you will see more of the big schools do what Kentucky did and that was to purchase their own school plane for recruiting purposes.
The cost of recruiting is very high, something that schools typically keep quiet. In this case, the concept of a specific plane for recruiting will likely open up more discussion than wanted, but it is Kentucky, not Princeton or Northwestern. To me, if it makes financial sense than do it.
What you will not see happen is athletes being flown in on a private jet. That ended a few years ago.
Runners - check out my pal Aimee Rodriguez's monthly soapbox blog http://www.athletesadvisor.com/crosscountry/soapbox.htm . This month "A must list for runners."
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Advisor Lands in Albany!
After many years in Boston the Advisor (www.athletesadvisor.com) has relocated to the Albany NY area. So far so good. Here are a few observations and places I've seen.
Runners - as a big fan of Cross Country the sport and as a recreation activity I was happy to see a qaulity running store. Fleet Feet Albany off of Wolfe Road is one of the few (if not the only) running specialty store in the area. The region has has some great runners, especially out of the Saratoga area.
Strength and Conditioning - with all the high school sports coverage the Albany Times Union paper generates I would have thought HS sports were more advanced in a few areas. I have yet to find an athletic strength and conditioning business similair to the likes of Velocity Sports or CATZ, Boyles, etc. Granted, this is not a major market like Boston, but it is not tiny and there is the influence of several college athletic programs which usually drive these businesses. Ill have to keep my eyes open. Please email me if you know of any programs (ray@athletesadvisor.com)
The Towne of Colonie has an amazing park called The Crossings and on the land is a fantastic family/youth recreation center with courts, indoor water park, and great fitness equipment. I saw a lot of HS age athletes working out. With immediate access to a few miles of paved trails, this is a runners paradise.
Also found a great indoor turf complex called the SportsPlex at Halfmoon (Clifton Park) major soccer and lacrosse action at this full size, field turf complex.
Runners - as a big fan of Cross Country the sport and as a recreation activity I was happy to see a qaulity running store. Fleet Feet Albany off of Wolfe Road is one of the few (if not the only) running specialty store in the area. The region has has some great runners, especially out of the Saratoga area.
Strength and Conditioning - with all the high school sports coverage the Albany Times Union paper generates I would have thought HS sports were more advanced in a few areas. I have yet to find an athletic strength and conditioning business similair to the likes of Velocity Sports or CATZ, Boyles, etc. Granted, this is not a major market like Boston, but it is not tiny and there is the influence of several college athletic programs which usually drive these businesses. Ill have to keep my eyes open. Please email me if you know of any programs (ray@athletesadvisor.com)
The Towne of Colonie has an amazing park called The Crossings and on the land is a fantastic family/youth recreation center with courts, indoor water park, and great fitness equipment. I saw a lot of HS age athletes working out. With immediate access to a few miles of paved trails, this is a runners paradise.
Also found a great indoor turf complex called the SportsPlex at Halfmoon (Clifton Park) major soccer and lacrosse action at this full size, field turf complex.
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