I was in the gym in Johnson City, TN today and doing my usual Z-health neural warm-up. This is a program I have become more and more familiar with over the past couple years as I have been taking their courses to increase my knowledge on the body. Anyways, this man came up to me and asked me what type of program I was doing because he had never seen the type of movements I was making. So we started chatting a little bit and from our conversation he thought I should write an article about the information I have come upon. It just so happens I have this blog and thought that wasn't such a bad idea!
Don't want to make this too complicated so I will explain it this way:
Muscles are dumb, they do nothing unless told to. Joint mobility is everything because if the joints don't move well, the signals from the nerves to the muscles do not get transferred properly. The key to working out is letting the muscles know they are about to get a workout in and to be ready to receive the information. The best way I have learned how to do that is working through the nervous system and the best way I learned how to do that is to learn how to move the joints.
Inside the joints, when you move them correctly, a liquid called synovial fluid is released into the joint to lube the area and fill it with good feelings (for lack of a better term). The receptors you have in the joint area are called mechanoreceptors and they receive this good feeling signal which helps the nerves which helps the muscles. All this together is allowing your body to be more aware of itself and where it is in space (proprioception). If you are more aware of yourself and how your body moves in space the better you are able to perform, naturally. Did you get all that? LOL... Makes perfect sense once you understand the concept and how the nervous system works.
The question is how does a person begin to learn how to move better so that the cycle can begin? Well, there is a company called ZHealth who has created courses and DVD's for people to become more familiar with this information. The great thing about this information is that it has been around since the beginning of time. The body and the nervous system works in a certain way and there is no way around it. If you are able to grasp the information and then use it, you can create your own program for you because in the end you should know yourself better then anyone else.
If this blog catches your attention at all and you would like to hear more about it check out Lou McGovern at www.essentialstrength.com or go to the Z Health website at www.zhealth.net
Good Luck and we will talk soon!!!!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
The Draft Is Here
Hello Passion for Pitching Family
It has been a while so I thought I would force myself to sit down and write a bit!! The last few days I have been back in San Diego and that can mean only one thing, the amateur baseball draft is here!! Every season thousands of kids who have been scouted through the past several months or even the past couple years go onto a giant board for all major league clubs to see. They sit for hours upon hours and choose out of those thousands of athletes, college and high school level, who can potentially help their club at the highest level.
For any young kid out there reading this blog right now, I want you to know you can be one of the athletes chosen when you are old enough to become draft eligible. The real question is do you want to be one of those kids chosen in the baseball draft??
Life is a journey, we have all heard that before right!?! Life is a journey that truly never ends. More and more continues to happen as we roll along through our lives. More and more asking, more and more wanting. But when we are preparing ourselves for something like professional sports there is one thing you always want to make sure of, ask for it all!! Are you paying attention? Did you just read what I wrote? ASK FOR IT ALL!!
This is what I mean by this statement. So many times in life people ask for something that they want to have happen in their life but don't really ever stop to think about what happens once it comes. For example, if you are a young kid right now thinking of being drafted one day and how great that would be and how bad you want that to happen, don't stop there. The asking of being drafted is just one little dot on a very long line called, your life. Ask for the being drafted part but don't let that be the end of your story. Make sure that the asking to be drafted part is right around chapter 3 and then the rest of the book is about the amazing journey of how you got to the big leagues and then all the success you had once you were there. But if you stop at the drafted part, how are you going to know what is next.
When you dream at night or when you day dream during the day, GO BIG!! The more you are able to fill in the entire story line and feel good about it while you are doing it, the better chance you will have in fulfilling that story.
The other part I wanted to add to this soap box of a blog is the preparation part. And in professional baseball there is a whole lot of preparation that goes on for most people before they ever get to think about the big leagues. I don't want to make this point to scare anybody but besides dreaming big and asking for it all instead of just a small part, you also must do your research. There is a lot that happens to young athletes once they get drafted and most of them are nowhere near prepared for what is going to happen. The early mornings of extended spring training, the 12 dollars to eat every day, the long bus rides, the rigors of a full season, the late hours, the long hours, etc.... Do you get my point? Again, I am not trying to scare anyone because I truly believe the game of baseball is an amazing sport and is second to none when we talk about how it can develop you as a human being. But you also must be honest with yourself and ask how bad do you want it. Do you realize what is on the other side of that draft day? The asking is the easy part, it is getting what you asked for that can be the tough part sometimes.
To wrap this one up I just want to tell everyone reading this blog that you should always ask for what you want, but make sure that you ask for all of what you want and make sure and research what that truly consists of. Know what it all entails, not so you can be discouraged and realize you don't want something, but to prepare yourself for what is to come so you can handle it as it comes to you.
Thanks again for reading my blog and I hope all your seasons are going well!! Enjoy your summer, it is coming right around the corner!!!
It has been a while so I thought I would force myself to sit down and write a bit!! The last few days I have been back in San Diego and that can mean only one thing, the amateur baseball draft is here!! Every season thousands of kids who have been scouted through the past several months or even the past couple years go onto a giant board for all major league clubs to see. They sit for hours upon hours and choose out of those thousands of athletes, college and high school level, who can potentially help their club at the highest level.
For any young kid out there reading this blog right now, I want you to know you can be one of the athletes chosen when you are old enough to become draft eligible. The real question is do you want to be one of those kids chosen in the baseball draft??
Life is a journey, we have all heard that before right!?! Life is a journey that truly never ends. More and more continues to happen as we roll along through our lives. More and more asking, more and more wanting. But when we are preparing ourselves for something like professional sports there is one thing you always want to make sure of, ask for it all!! Are you paying attention? Did you just read what I wrote? ASK FOR IT ALL!!
This is what I mean by this statement. So many times in life people ask for something that they want to have happen in their life but don't really ever stop to think about what happens once it comes. For example, if you are a young kid right now thinking of being drafted one day and how great that would be and how bad you want that to happen, don't stop there. The asking of being drafted is just one little dot on a very long line called, your life. Ask for the being drafted part but don't let that be the end of your story. Make sure that the asking to be drafted part is right around chapter 3 and then the rest of the book is about the amazing journey of how you got to the big leagues and then all the success you had once you were there. But if you stop at the drafted part, how are you going to know what is next.
When you dream at night or when you day dream during the day, GO BIG!! The more you are able to fill in the entire story line and feel good about it while you are doing it, the better chance you will have in fulfilling that story.
The other part I wanted to add to this soap box of a blog is the preparation part. And in professional baseball there is a whole lot of preparation that goes on for most people before they ever get to think about the big leagues. I don't want to make this point to scare anybody but besides dreaming big and asking for it all instead of just a small part, you also must do your research. There is a lot that happens to young athletes once they get drafted and most of them are nowhere near prepared for what is going to happen. The early mornings of extended spring training, the 12 dollars to eat every day, the long bus rides, the rigors of a full season, the late hours, the long hours, etc.... Do you get my point? Again, I am not trying to scare anyone because I truly believe the game of baseball is an amazing sport and is second to none when we talk about how it can develop you as a human being. But you also must be honest with yourself and ask how bad do you want it. Do you realize what is on the other side of that draft day? The asking is the easy part, it is getting what you asked for that can be the tough part sometimes.
To wrap this one up I just want to tell everyone reading this blog that you should always ask for what you want, but make sure that you ask for all of what you want and make sure and research what that truly consists of. Know what it all entails, not so you can be discouraged and realize you don't want something, but to prepare yourself for what is to come so you can handle it as it comes to you.
Thanks again for reading my blog and I hope all your seasons are going well!! Enjoy your summer, it is coming right around the corner!!!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Quick Update
Hello Passion for Pitching Family!! Just wanted to send a quick update on what is going on down here in Jupiter, FL and Extended Spring Training. I know I said I would keep you posted on all the happenings around here but got a little lazy...oops!! Just what I tell all my pitchers down here not to do, right?? LOL
Things have been going well! We started games on Monday the 19th and now will play every day (except Sundays) until June 5th. The daily schedule goes like this:
8:00am coaches meeting
8:35am on the field to greet the players and go over the days schedule and whatever we want to discuss from the day before
8:45am stretch, condition, throw
9:30 team fundamental (bunt defense, first and third defense, cut-offs and relays, etc...)
10:00am Batting Practice
11:00am LUNCH!!! lol
Noon Game time!!
Off the field by about 3pm or so
So after the game for the day I go back inside and fill out a report for the days work and this allows the hire-ups and other instructors to see what is going on and if there are certain players they should be focusing in on a little more closely. That is the schedule from here on out. Nothing changes that much. A lot of the process is about finding a routine that suits you as a player and this is one of the ways to make that happen. The only real issue is the kids don't have much freedom to choose their own process or schedule because it is layed out for them. That is good for some and not so for others. But it has to be done that way and most of the young kids here need it because they would not be able to set up a proper process on their own without the discipline and guidance we have here.
That is all for today. Just wanted to pass on the daily schedule to you so you could see what it would be like to be a professional down here in Extended Spring Training.
Things have been going well! We started games on Monday the 19th and now will play every day (except Sundays) until June 5th. The daily schedule goes like this:
8:00am coaches meeting
8:35am on the field to greet the players and go over the days schedule and whatever we want to discuss from the day before
8:45am stretch, condition, throw
9:30 team fundamental (bunt defense, first and third defense, cut-offs and relays, etc...)
10:00am Batting Practice
11:00am LUNCH!!! lol
Noon Game time!!
Off the field by about 3pm or so
So after the game for the day I go back inside and fill out a report for the days work and this allows the hire-ups and other instructors to see what is going on and if there are certain players they should be focusing in on a little more closely. That is the schedule from here on out. Nothing changes that much. A lot of the process is about finding a routine that suits you as a player and this is one of the ways to make that happen. The only real issue is the kids don't have much freedom to choose their own process or schedule because it is layed out for them. That is good for some and not so for others. But it has to be done that way and most of the young kids here need it because they would not be able to set up a proper process on their own without the discipline and guidance we have here.
That is all for today. Just wanted to pass on the daily schedule to you so you could see what it would be like to be a professional down here in Extended Spring Training.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Attention to Detail
As I spend more and more time down here in Extended Spring Training there is one main focus these kids are missing and that is attention to detail. Being specific and having attention to detail is a major factor in whether people become successful at whatever the endeavor. When you go out and work on whatever it is you want to do in life there must be some sort of attention to detail. Some people would say sense of urgency, some people would say desire, some people would say motivation. But in the end you can have all the desire and motivation in the world but if you don't have an approach and a way to direct that desire and motivation then it is going to be tough to evolve into the professional you would like to be.
The examples for attention to detail are fairly simple when you are a coach in Extended Spring Training. Each day I walk around and observe the pitchers I work with, I focus mainly on their approach. If these pitchers got drafted and were able to be good enough to have someone notice them and give them a shot to make it to the big leagues, then you would think there shouldn't be a reason why they struggle so much when they get into an organization. But then as you walk around and watch these young guys you can see why they do struggle. There is no real direction to their process and their workouts. The attention to detail is lacking. This is not saying that it is a fault of anyone because if you haven't been exposed to these type of experiences in your life then how would you pick up attention to detail. If you are the best in your city all of your life and you really are never challenged on a daily basis in competition, then one could understand why there would be a lack of attention to detail. But now, since you have a chance to read this Blog, there should be no excuse and you should read these words very carefully.
Ok, so let's get into it then. Attention to detail is having an awareness of what you are doing during your workouts and that you are not just going through the motions. An example of this is when pitchers do their flatground work or especially their bullpens. A lot of the time pitchers start throwing and have no real focus to their process. They start throwing and don't have a consistent direction to the fastball. It is up in the zone for most of the workout. Then they move on to another pitch even though they never really accomplished anything with the fastball. Now they start throwing the change-up and they slow down their motion to take speed off of the pitch. Or perhaps they throw four or five in a row and never hit the strike zone with it and then switch to another pitch and just continue on like they are getting quality work done. I am sure while you are reading this at home you are thinking to yourself, "yah right", but trust me, it is true. Some of these younger pitchers never really ever threw bullpens or flatground work before. Some of the kids out of high school threw on Tuesday and Friday night games and that was their work. Add in a little long toss in between and they were golden. When you are blessed with an arm and are not challenged as a young pitcher there really is no reason for these kids to have a clue about the process. To be honest, I guess that is a good thing or they wouldn't need any coaches...lol!
I really didn't want to make this a long, drawn out blog but I did want to get a certain point across. Know what you want to accomplish every day you are working on your craft. If you are a pitcher and it is your day to throw long toss, then before you start, know what you are trying to accomplish in that specific workout. And once you start the workout, be in the moment and focus on what it is you set from the beginning. Do the best you can to not jump ship from the plan you. Also, do your best to stay present and not forget what you are doing. The attention to detail part kicks in while you are performing the actual workout. So, again, if it is long toss that day and you want to work on the overall rhythm and movement of your body, then focus on that and make sure that that is what is happening. The attention to detail is focusing on each individual rep and accomplishing what it is you are working on.
The game of baseball is a very tough game. The higher up you go the more guys that are there who look just like you and perform just like you. You have to start establishing yourself as the one who works harder, who is more focused, who is more composed, who is more intelligent on the field, who self motivates and stays present from moment to moment. In the end that is what really gets you a chance and it will create you more opportunities then the next guy.
Ok, done for now...hope everyone is enjoying the baseball season thus far!! Go Cardinals!!!
The examples for attention to detail are fairly simple when you are a coach in Extended Spring Training. Each day I walk around and observe the pitchers I work with, I focus mainly on their approach. If these pitchers got drafted and were able to be good enough to have someone notice them and give them a shot to make it to the big leagues, then you would think there shouldn't be a reason why they struggle so much when they get into an organization. But then as you walk around and watch these young guys you can see why they do struggle. There is no real direction to their process and their workouts. The attention to detail is lacking. This is not saying that it is a fault of anyone because if you haven't been exposed to these type of experiences in your life then how would you pick up attention to detail. If you are the best in your city all of your life and you really are never challenged on a daily basis in competition, then one could understand why there would be a lack of attention to detail. But now, since you have a chance to read this Blog, there should be no excuse and you should read these words very carefully.
Ok, so let's get into it then. Attention to detail is having an awareness of what you are doing during your workouts and that you are not just going through the motions. An example of this is when pitchers do their flatground work or especially their bullpens. A lot of the time pitchers start throwing and have no real focus to their process. They start throwing and don't have a consistent direction to the fastball. It is up in the zone for most of the workout. Then they move on to another pitch even though they never really accomplished anything with the fastball. Now they start throwing the change-up and they slow down their motion to take speed off of the pitch. Or perhaps they throw four or five in a row and never hit the strike zone with it and then switch to another pitch and just continue on like they are getting quality work done. I am sure while you are reading this at home you are thinking to yourself, "yah right", but trust me, it is true. Some of these younger pitchers never really ever threw bullpens or flatground work before. Some of the kids out of high school threw on Tuesday and Friday night games and that was their work. Add in a little long toss in between and they were golden. When you are blessed with an arm and are not challenged as a young pitcher there really is no reason for these kids to have a clue about the process. To be honest, I guess that is a good thing or they wouldn't need any coaches...lol!
I really didn't want to make this a long, drawn out blog but I did want to get a certain point across. Know what you want to accomplish every day you are working on your craft. If you are a pitcher and it is your day to throw long toss, then before you start, know what you are trying to accomplish in that specific workout. And once you start the workout, be in the moment and focus on what it is you set from the beginning. Do the best you can to not jump ship from the plan you. Also, do your best to stay present and not forget what you are doing. The attention to detail part kicks in while you are performing the actual workout. So, again, if it is long toss that day and you want to work on the overall rhythm and movement of your body, then focus on that and make sure that that is what is happening. The attention to detail is focusing on each individual rep and accomplishing what it is you are working on.
The game of baseball is a very tough game. The higher up you go the more guys that are there who look just like you and perform just like you. You have to start establishing yourself as the one who works harder, who is more focused, who is more composed, who is more intelligent on the field, who self motivates and stays present from moment to moment. In the end that is what really gets you a chance and it will create you more opportunities then the next guy.
Ok, done for now...hope everyone is enjoying the baseball season thus far!! Go Cardinals!!!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Contrast
What is the definition of Contrast? For this blog the definition of contrast will be anything that happens to you in your career path for baseball that is deemed negative. A quick example of that is when you are a pitcher and you are the starter for your team that day. You get all warmed up and ready to go for the game. Your bullpen felt great and you feel you are prepared and set for a great outing. The next thing you know the game starts and you can't throw a strike. You are walking guys, guys are getting hits off of you and you don't ever make it out of the first inning. That would be a great example of Contrast.
Now that we have a pretty clear idea of what Contrast is, the next step is to figure out how to deal with Contrast. The first thing we need to know about Contrast is that it is there for our assistance. Contrast is there to guide us so we know what parts of the game we need to improve upon. But the most important thing we could learn from Contrast is how it grows our desire. The more Contrast we have the more desire we should have. Think about that for a second because this is a pretty tough pill to swallow sometimes, especially when we are in the middle of the Contrast. The more Contrast we have, the more desire should grow inside of us.
The best way I know how to relay this information to the players I work with is perspective. If you can look at Contrast as your friend, then it won't beat you up so much. Think of it this way, what if by having Contrast we also at the same time got better in our minds and our bodies. What if every time you threw a bad game or hit too many batters or threw too many balls or gave up a game winning home run, what if at the same time you experienced this Contrast you knew that your mind and your body were learning from the experiences and they were fine tuning themselves for you even if you were not aware of it. Now, if you could wrap your head around this belief, would you feel a little bit better about Contrast? Would you allow yourself to feel better about the situation and not beat up on yourself because things did not go your way?
You see, I am going through that same thing right as I am typing this blog to you. I have had an ongoing battle with Batting Practice. Over the years I have trained myself to feel a certain way about batting practice and what it represents. I have twisted the story in my head so badly that it is tough for me at times to even go play catch with the guys out here. But let me explain to you what really is going on. The more I beat myself up and talk down to myself and feel unworthy, the more that comes to me and the worse it gets. But the minute I am able to switch my focus to what is I want and then keep my undivided attention to that, things get better. The Contrast I have experienced through the years have ultimately set me up for a lifetime of great batting practice!! But to tap into that energy and create that good BP, I must also be able to understand that Contrast is a good thing and it is nothing to be scared of. Contrast is there to help me grow my desire and get me to a point of where I really want to be. My job is to continue telling myself that. My job is to do the best I can to not discourage myself from throwing but to understand things are ok and it will get better. In no way am I telling you that it is that easy. Trust me, I have wanted to quit many times because of how badly it felt. But when I look at the bigger picture and understand that me not throwing good BP right now does not make me any less of a person. It does not make me a bad coach. In my opinion, it makes me a better coach because I know exactly how it feels to battle through confidence issues. I know how it feels to fail and I need to be able to communicate to my players how they can push through those setbacks.
In the end, this all ties back into Focus. Step one is experiencing the Contrast. Step two is identifying what you do not want, which allows you to now know what you do want. Step three is taking your focus to what it is that you want and being so stubborn that you won't allow yourself to think any other way. For example, what I need to do better is take all that energy and focus I have on not wanting to fail while throwing BP and pivot my thoughts to the other end of the spectrum. I need to focus on succeeding and throwing well and sitting with the feeling of how great it will be and is when I throw great BP. The more I can take my focus and put it on where I want to be and not what currently is, then I can start to tap into the energy I have stored up through all the Contrast. So, if there are ever any times you experience Contrast in this game of baseball, and there will be (trust me on that one...LOL)just make sure you remember that Contrast is your friend. It is setting you up for a world of future success. Just take your focus to where it is you want to be and continue to dream as big as you can.
That is all for now...enjoy your weekend Passion for Pitching Family!!!
Now that we have a pretty clear idea of what Contrast is, the next step is to figure out how to deal with Contrast. The first thing we need to know about Contrast is that it is there for our assistance. Contrast is there to guide us so we know what parts of the game we need to improve upon. But the most important thing we could learn from Contrast is how it grows our desire. The more Contrast we have the more desire we should have. Think about that for a second because this is a pretty tough pill to swallow sometimes, especially when we are in the middle of the Contrast. The more Contrast we have, the more desire should grow inside of us.
The best way I know how to relay this information to the players I work with is perspective. If you can look at Contrast as your friend, then it won't beat you up so much. Think of it this way, what if by having Contrast we also at the same time got better in our minds and our bodies. What if every time you threw a bad game or hit too many batters or threw too many balls or gave up a game winning home run, what if at the same time you experienced this Contrast you knew that your mind and your body were learning from the experiences and they were fine tuning themselves for you even if you were not aware of it. Now, if you could wrap your head around this belief, would you feel a little bit better about Contrast? Would you allow yourself to feel better about the situation and not beat up on yourself because things did not go your way?
You see, I am going through that same thing right as I am typing this blog to you. I have had an ongoing battle with Batting Practice. Over the years I have trained myself to feel a certain way about batting practice and what it represents. I have twisted the story in my head so badly that it is tough for me at times to even go play catch with the guys out here. But let me explain to you what really is going on. The more I beat myself up and talk down to myself and feel unworthy, the more that comes to me and the worse it gets. But the minute I am able to switch my focus to what is I want and then keep my undivided attention to that, things get better. The Contrast I have experienced through the years have ultimately set me up for a lifetime of great batting practice!! But to tap into that energy and create that good BP, I must also be able to understand that Contrast is a good thing and it is nothing to be scared of. Contrast is there to help me grow my desire and get me to a point of where I really want to be. My job is to continue telling myself that. My job is to do the best I can to not discourage myself from throwing but to understand things are ok and it will get better. In no way am I telling you that it is that easy. Trust me, I have wanted to quit many times because of how badly it felt. But when I look at the bigger picture and understand that me not throwing good BP right now does not make me any less of a person. It does not make me a bad coach. In my opinion, it makes me a better coach because I know exactly how it feels to battle through confidence issues. I know how it feels to fail and I need to be able to communicate to my players how they can push through those setbacks.
In the end, this all ties back into Focus. Step one is experiencing the Contrast. Step two is identifying what you do not want, which allows you to now know what you do want. Step three is taking your focus to what it is that you want and being so stubborn that you won't allow yourself to think any other way. For example, what I need to do better is take all that energy and focus I have on not wanting to fail while throwing BP and pivot my thoughts to the other end of the spectrum. I need to focus on succeeding and throwing well and sitting with the feeling of how great it will be and is when I throw great BP. The more I can take my focus and put it on where I want to be and not what currently is, then I can start to tap into the energy I have stored up through all the Contrast. So, if there are ever any times you experience Contrast in this game of baseball, and there will be (trust me on that one...LOL)just make sure you remember that Contrast is your friend. It is setting you up for a world of future success. Just take your focus to where it is you want to be and continue to dream as big as you can.
That is all for now...enjoy your weekend Passion for Pitching Family!!!
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