advice

YOUTH SPORTS  What coaches should know when selecting team members and what kids should know when choosing friends Choose Character over Characters Character will be there when things get tough. Characters look out for their own best self-interest. Coaches and teammates can count on players with character. They are...

Upper Body MD Ball Plyometric Progressions for Baseball/Softball By Gene Coleman, Augustine “Augie” Agyei and Al Sandoval A previous article provided the rational, guidelines and lower body plyometric exercises for baseball and softball. (http://baseballstrength.org/plyometrics-for-baseball-by-nate-tamargo/). This...

It’s Not How You Start; It’s How You Finish” Nolan Ryan’s 7th No Hitter By Gene Coleman, Ed. D., RSCC*E On May 1, 1991, Nolan Ryan threw his 7th no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays in Arlington, Texas at the age of 44. What started as a very bad day ended in a record setting night. Nolan said that when he...

Breathing Techniques in Sports By Geoff Miller “Take a deep breath” is a common saying in sports whenever someone is facing a pressure moment.  Whether it’s before a 3-2 pitch in game 7 of the World series, a game-winning field goal, a critical free throw, or a par-saving putt, we’ve all seen great athletes...

Details Matter When Creating Patterns of Success By Gene Coleman, Ed. D., RSCC*E Being on time matters. Being focused matters. Being a good teammate matters. Following directions matters. Doing the little things matters. Doing things the right way matters. Respecting your parents, siblings, teachers, classmates,...

Half-kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch By Brennan Mickelson MS, CSCS, RSCC, Seattle Mariners Players who sit a lot in class, as well as parents, coaches and umpires who sit at work and while driving can have excessive exposure to anterior pelvic tilt and tightness in the muscles that flex the hip. The hip flexors help...

It’s Not the Arrow, It’s the Indian By Gene Coleman, Ed. D., RSCC*E, FACSM During his more than four decades with the Astros as a player and coach, whenever a teammate would swing and miss what looked like a hittable pitch and then look at his bat to see if it had a hole in it, Jose ‘Cheo’ Cruz would call out...

Do Energy Shots Actually Work? By Leslie Bonci, RD Energy shots are not going away anytime soon. Companies that produce them generate over $7 billion in annual revenue. You know the spiel:” Down a 2-oz energy shot and you’ll be greeted with a refreshing, sustained boost in energy and no unpleasant side effects.”...

ARM AND SHOULDER INJURIES IN ADOLESCENT PITCHERS Research in the Am J Sports Med found that adolescent pitcher who had shoulder or elbow surgery violated at least one Pitch Smart Guideline by: Pitching significantly more months/year Pitching significantly more games/year Pitching significantly more...

Two-Point Standing Start for Acceleration By Agyei Augustine, CSCS, MAT and Gene Coleman, Ed. D., RSCC*E The two-point standing start is a good drill for improving first-step power and acceleration. Because most of the weight is on the lead leg, it also helps you keep from taking a “false” step. Speed coaches say...