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Archive for “Good Friend” Tag

IYCA Passion: Losing Is Your Only Safe Bet

Posted on: June 26th, 2009 by IYCA 17 Comments

 

 

IYCA Criticism is something I’ve just come to accept as part of my job.

 

It’s far easier to throw a brick at a house than it is to build one yourself.

 

And thus far since creating and launching the IYCA, I’ve seen firsthand how
that statement is true.

 

From world-class, big name industry icons to local youth sports Coaches, I
have taken my share of lumps over the past few years.

 

People criticize.

 

They publicly demean.

 

They get personal and attack my character.

 

It used to bother me some, I’ll admit.

 

Doesn’t phase me an ounce anymore.

 

Quite frankly, I sort of like it (is that odd???).

 

When you’re doing something of worth, it draws attention from all kinds of people.

 

Some are fans, some think you’re an idiot.

 

But you soon come to realize that the bad is going to come with the good.

 

The reason I’m bringing this up is because a good friend of mine recently forwarded
me an article about this very topic.

 

One particular sentence caught my attention –

 

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Is Your Lack of Action in Youth Fitness a Problem?

Posted on: June 22nd, 2009 by IYCA 1 Comment

 

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My youth fitness question to you last Friday certainly created a stir.

 

The IYCA Blog was literally LIT UP by passionate professionals worldwide,
all of whom chimed in with there thoughts to my query –

 

"What is the biggest problem in youth fitness and sport training?"

 

The responses were intelligent, articulate and clearly came from people who
have incredible fervor for this topic.

 

One of my favorite posts came from a good friend of mine.

 

Someone whose knowledge on the subject is truly amazing. I have enjoyed
learning from her since our first correspondence back in 2005.

 

Leigh Ashton is the former Director for the Long-Term Athlete Development
Program at the Millennium Institute in New Zealand and has recently opened
that country’s very first youth training center with her husband, Gareth, a man
whose intellect and passion for doing things "right" rivals Leigh’s.

 

Here’s what she had to say –

 

"This is a great thread and shows that:

 

A) there are many common issues worldwide with youth sports and fitness training

 

B) Brian and the IYCA are doing a fantastic job at calling these issues to our
attention.

 

I think the next issue for all of us commenting here is what we are going to do
about it? My husband and I have been friends of Brian’s since 2005 and have
just opened New Zealand’s first youth-only fitness centre.

 

The issue we feel strongly about (in addition to those outlined above) is for
those of us who have this knowledge to go beyond just talking about the issues
and have the courage to take action!!"

 

That last paragraph is as succinct and perfectly worded a message as I could
have hoped for when I asked my question last week.

 

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Youth Speed Training in New Jersey

Posted on: June 4th, 2009 by IYCA No Comments

 

 

Youth Speed Training and Business

 

So I’m just back from a wonderful weekend in New Jersey at the Fast Track
to Fitness Millions conference.

 

The conference was hosted by my two favorite guys – Pat Rigsby and Nick
Berry.

 

The speaking line-up was an unbelievable ‘whose who’ of fitness industry
Coaches and Business Leaders –

 

BJ Gaddour
Zach Even Esh
Mike Boyle
Chris McCombs
Jim Labadie
Jason C Brown
Pamela Macelree

 

But in my opinion, the show was stolen by a man who has absolutely changed
everything about the way speed and agility is taught and trained.

 

My very good friend, Lee Taft.

 

As usual, Lee lit up the crowd with his no-nonsense, easy-to-understand and
cutting edge youth speed training system.

 

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Youth Fitness Certification With The IYCA Family

Posted on: February 24th, 2009 by IYCA 3 Comments

 

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Youth Fitness Certification

 

It’s impossible for me to go back to business as usual today.

 

So I’m not even going to bother trying.

 

The IYCA Summit has left Nick, Pat, Sara and myself in a dream-like state

that has proven tough to shake.

 

So much energy.

 

So much passion.

 

So much drive.

 

The experience has reminded me of a conversation I had with a good friend

and colleague of mine back in 2003 when I first incorporated the IYCA.

 

“Look at what all the other youth fitness certification are doing, Brian, and do the exact

opposite”

 

I’ll never forget that and strive every day to make sure of it.

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The Young Athletes Injury Prevention Lie

Posted on: September 8th, 2008 by IYCA No Comments

 

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Young Athletes Programming Do Reduce Injuries

You can’t build a house on quicksand.

 

You just can’t.

 

When the base isn’t sturdy, the structure is bound to
topple.

 

And that’s the only real lesson you need to understand
when it comes to injury prevention for young athletes.

 

It’s all in building a foundation.

 

From the ground up.

 

As Trainers and Coaches, our entire obligation when
working with younger athletes (6 – 13 years old) is to
fill them with as much athletic knowledge as possible.

 

Nothing ‘sport specific’.

 

Nothing ‘position specific’.

 

Just a full and complete warehouse of information.

 

Force production and absorption.

 

Speed and agility skill.

 

Lift mechanics and positioning.

 

Teaching young athletes how to perform these critical
elements of sporting success in the undeniable key
to the becoming champions.

 

But it’s also the most important factor in preventing
injuries as well.

 

And that is one of the main issues we have wrong in
this industry.

 

True injury prevention does not come in the form of
6-week programs geared towards lessoning the risk of
certain incidents.

 

Real injury prevention occurs naturally as a secondary
result of proper developmental training.

 

It is not an isolating issue that needs to be addressed
separately.

 

Case in point, I was reviewing an ‘ACL Prevention’
program offered by a local hospital last week and saw
the curriculum they teach their young athletes during
this 6-week course:

 

a. Deceleration Techniques

b. Jumping and Landing Mechanics

c. Proper Strength Training Technique

 

Is there anything in there that shouldn’t automatically
be included in a well designed athletic development
training system?

 

What denotes this specifically as an ‘ACL Prevention’
program?

 

A good friend and colleague mine, Alwyn Cosgrove, is
found of saying, "If it isn’t injury prevention that
doesn’t that make it automatically injury promotion?"

 

Alwyn’s comment is meant to make you think.

 

All quality training programs should be based on
preventing injuries.

 

If they aren’t, than they’re promoting them – which
doesn’t seem to make any sense.

 

In the case of young athletes (6 – 13), the most
critical factor in preventing injuries is in understanding
the science and practical application of coordination
development.

 

 

Balance

 

Spatial Awareness

 

Kinesthetic Differentiation

 

Rhythm

 

Movement Adequacy

 

 

How each of these commodities apply to a training
session.

 

How to create fun and engaging drills for each of them.

 

Why they are critical for both future performance and
injury prevention.

 

And it seems to me that when it comes to working with
younger athletes, very few Coaches and Trainers truly
seem to get it.

 

ACL and other debilitating injuries that occur in the
teenage years can be prevented by applying the right
kind of exercise stimulus while athletes are still
very young.

 

Maybe worth looking at a resource that is considered
one of the greatest information products ever produced
when it comes to the training and development of young
athletes.

 

Complete Athlete Development has been field tested on
more than 15,000 young athletes worldwide and changed
the lives of countless Coaches, Trainers and Parents.

 

I’ve been coaching for 13 years now.

 

Not one major injury suffered to a single athlete
yet.

 

Could be chance.

 

Maybe I’m just lucky.

 

Or perhaps there’s some stuff about injury prevention
that you need to know better?

 

Have a look at Complete Athlete Development and find out –

 

http://www.developingathletics.com/cad-short-copy.html

 

Over 3.5 million young athletes will get injured playing sports
this year in the United States alone.

 

Tragic but largely preventable.

 

Give CAD a try –

 

http://www.developingathletics.com/cad-short-copy.html

 

 

‘Till next time,

 

Brian