Understanding What Is Appropriate And What Is Not

Family Update:

The family is doing well, although a cold as spread first to Brennen, then to Jenn and now the girls. They are all coughing and sneezing. I have been pretty fortunate over the years. I rarely get sick and if I do it is only a slight cold or something that is gone quickly. I think it is because I had every sickness known to man when I was little that God is giving me a break:) .

Sunday we are having an birthday celebration for Brennen's 1st B-day. The girls wanted to invite some friends over so they can take part in this BIG event (can you imagine when he turns 2- we'll be bringing out the fireworks). It should be a fun day and I know we will all enjoy his big day.

Understanding What Is Appropriate...

There is such a need for quality training and fitness information to hit the mainstream and it needs to happen quickly.

The other day I watched a club volleyball team perform "Big" box jumps. The boxes were easily 24-26 inches high. The girls are only 7th-8th graders and not very athletic at this stage. By no means am I mentioning this to disrespect the coach or the girls but attention needs to be paid to poor training techniques and strategies to make sure change occurs. These girls had to jump onto the boxes (which none of them could get high enough to perform properly), then they had to jump off (this was even worse because none of them landed properly). The coach then had them perform single leg step up jumps (I call them bench blasts). Now think about this folks... the boxes were easily 24-26 inches high. Most of the girls were 5'5" and under.... so this means when they put their foot on the box they were well over 90 degree at the hip. They couldn't even perform a normal step up let alone explode. Imagine the compressive forces in the hip and low back, not to mention the landing on one leg. WE NEED CHANGE FAST!

Once again I am not picking on this coach or team, but it was a perfect example of what not to do and it needs to stop or we will continue to have injured athletes due to poor training. It was my obligation as a specialist in training to say something to the coach. So, I told her my background and that I would be willing to come in and teach the girls how to jump and land as well as move correctly. I also mentioned I was concerned about the drills she was having the girls perform and how they could lead to possible injury. She was open and willing to have me come in. I thought that was awesome. Many times when I have offered to help coaches who badly needed help they refused and became irritated that I would even ask to help.

We need to understand what is appropriate if we are going to train athletes. In order for this to occur in the mainstream coaching community the professionals who understand need to speak up and share more information. The more you share the more coaches will realize they need your assistance. This will not only help you as a professional, but it will begin to help hundreds and possibly thousands of athletes as it trickles down over the years. Change doesn't occur by itself. It takes persistent action by dedicated professionals.

The best course of action is to create simple templates of how to perform basic exercises (strength, speed and agility, and flexibility to start with). Exercises should be broken down into the most fundamental patterns so it is easy for all coaches to understand and teach to their athletes. As the coaches becomes more comfortable with the fundamentals they can learn how to advance to the next level. HERE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACT: We, as professionals, must make coaches understand by starting with the fundamental patterns and doing them correctly it will bring the athletes to a higher level of performance then if they use more advance skills the athletes are not ready for. Coaches have to know why we do it this way.

Our goal is for all athletes to perform at their highest potential and to be safe in the process. So, we must start with the basics and bring them along at the appropriate pace.

Let me know your thoughts....

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: Hey, Speed Insiders! I can't wait until you receive your new Speed Insiders Newsletter this month. It is really sharp and full of info. If you are not a Speed Insider then quickly go to http://www.speedinsider.com/ and try out my Speed Insiders program for 2 months completely FREE!

PPS: 2009 means some new positive changes for the Speed Insiders program- the awesome newsletter is one of the changes and more changes are on the way. You are going to love them!

What A Difference Fundamentals Make

Last night our girls 5th grade team had a game against a 6th grade B team (the lower level 6th graders). It is the 3rd game the girls played (they have had 2 cancelled due to weather) in 2 months of practice. From day one we have stressed fundamentals like dribbling, passing, catching the ball, moving defensively, hitting the open person. For 5th graders, many of whom never played before, the improvement is drastic. In last nights game, which ended in a 12 to 12 tie (long story why it ended in a tie) our girls looked fantastic. They are understanding how to play better each time they step on the floor.

Let me outline what a typical practice looks like so maybe you can see why each day we make it a point to make them better athletes, improve the skill level, and put them in positions to learn the game.

Touch Shooting- When the girls first get into the gym the grab their shooting charts and start on shooting 35 shots. There are 7 spots and they must shoot 5 from each. The focus in on a consistent routine with the shot. We want a good follow through and squared up body on each shot. The spots are right and left low block, middle of lane in front of hoop, short corner, short wing. All shots are close but give a different angle to shoot from. We want to have 560 shots taken by the end of the year- minimum. They record how many the made at each and try to improve each practice. Coaches walk around and help with form.

1. We always start with a good warm up of form running and dynamic movement. It will look like this:

• Skipping, backward drop step skips, 3 steps and split step, carioca, lateral shuffles
• Knee hugs, lunge reach, bench slides, hamstring reaches backward, Numbered push ups (they stay in the top push up position and tap the opposite shoulder with hand), and supine leg circuit (raise the leg up and down in all planes of movement)

2. We transition straight into agility and speed:

• Acceleration and Deceleration combination drill- the girls start in a defensive stance on the baseline and on the command sprint to the foul line extended and perform a controlled jump stop. They repeat they 3 times. Then we have the sprint again but stop using a angled stop as if doing a shuttle run. we want to see good control on stopping. Then we have them sprint out and back 3 more times. So for a total of 9 runs we accomplished a lot of learning.
• Jumping and landing- we always emphasis straight up jumping and lateral jumping with perfect landing positions. So we will give 5 controlled jumps on (each jump starts on my command for 5 reps) then we let them do 5 repeat jumps on their own. We teach if the landings are bad.

3. Fundamental Stations:

Station #1 Slalom Dribbling- we set up 8 to 10 cones the length of the floor and the girls must dribble, using various dribbles, through the cones with great control. They then perform a speed dribble back in line. We emphasize control all the time.

Station #2 Offensive moves- Here we teach the girls how to make offensive moves out of the triple threat position. Jab step, pause step, rocker step, and others. We teach the girls how to protect the ball and swing it quickly in the direction you want to dribble to beat a defender.

Station #3 Cutting and Shooting- The girls are taught how to get open using various cuts. They then are taught how to show their hands to receive a pass where they want it. Now once they catch it they can make an offensive move and shoot a layup or short shot. We always emphasize the things that will help them perform better.

Team Defensive Drill- 3 on 3 minus one- This is a great drill to teach the girls to help out and talk. We have the 3 offensive players spread out on the baseline and the 3 defensive players across the foul line matched up across the offensive players. The coach passes the ball to one of the offensive players and they take off on a fast break. The defender across from the girl who received the pass must touch the baseline and then get back in the play. The other 2 defenders must talk as to who gets the ball and who drops back. The last defender must find the open girl. Great drill for communication and getting the girls to understand the ball must be stopped first.

1 on 1, 2 on 2, 3 on 3 or 5 on 5- We do spend a lot of time doing 1 on 1 and 2 on 2 drills so the girls get use to making offensive moves. We will play 3 on 3 to get the to work together on screening and moving and passing to the open player. Then we use 5 on 5 to develop the concept of spacing and working together as a unit. They are learning so well.

Each practice we mix up the focus of the practice a little but keep pounding the fundamentals.

The game they played last night was so much fun to watch because we had girls dribble the length of the floor with a defender draped all over them and never lost control of the ball. Sticking with fundamentals and not getting caught up in how to run and offense is paying off. Because the girls can now dribble past a defender and make decent passes we can make offensive moves when needed. Fun to watch.

Even though this is a basketball practice outline I would use the same format for other team sports at this age level. The key is to get the athletes so comfortable moving as athletes- that's why we always do athletic movement skills first. Then we want their fundamentals of dribbling, passing, shooting, cutting, and others to get better every day. Little by little the game will make more sense to them and you now have a pretty good little group of athletes.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: This month is the release of my new Speed Insiders Speed Source Newsletter. It is a fantastic resource and you will want to get it. Go to www.SpeedInsiders.com so you can receive it with tons more this month.

Weekly Blog Tip: The Step Up

Hope you are having a good Saturday

I must tell you, this has been one cold stretch of weather. We actually had school delays and cancellations this past week because it was so darn cold. If you live in warm weather-do you have a spare bedroom or open garage space? I might be moving in with you. I can't stand the cold any more...Brrrrrr!

Weekly Blog Tip: The Step Up

I have always been a big fan of single leg exercises. I love what they can do to increase overall strength and body awareness. The step up, along with lunging, is one of my favorites.

The step up has been performed poorly for the most part over the years though. It can be performed better. Below are two variations I like to commonly use.

The Strength Step Up:
This step up is performed by placing the right foot on the box with the heel completely on. The left foot is on the floor but only the heel is pressured into the ground. The left knee is straight and pushing off is not allowed at all with this leg. The right foot is pressured on the heel as well.

Begin by leaning the shoulders forward with a straight back. This allows you to keep your balance and not fall backward when stepping up. Plus, by leaning forward with a straight or somewhat arched back there is a stretch on the posterior chain which gives more strength to the movement. Once you lean forward press hard into the box with the right heel as you lift your body up without help from the left leg or foot. The knee of the right leg should be over the middle toes and not collapse to the inside. When nearing the top of the motion finish by squeezing the glutes and driving the hips under the body. Next, slowly lower your body under control and land on the heel of the left foot. If you lose you balance and begin to lower down quickly make sure you land on the ball of the foot and bend the knee to absorb the force (only land on the heel if in complete control).

The head and eyes should be straight forward and if you are not holding DB's or any other wt, then your arms can be out in front of the body.

Perform 4-8 reps on the right before switching to the left. Perform 2-4 sets and you will be on your way to having strong legs.

Something to look out for:

1. Don't let your hip kick out to the side when stepping up. This shows a weakness in the lateral hip muscular and needs to be corrected before steps ups continue.

2. Don't let the body rotate away from the leg you are stepping up with. This also shows a tightness in the external rotators of the hips and needs correcting.

3. Don't drop your head down because this tends to round the posture forward- the body follows the head. When rounded forward the pelvis tends to not be in a good strong position to put stretch on the posterior chain.

4. Always make sure the heel is fully on the box.

The Power Step Up:
The set up is virtually the same except the foot on the floor and leg are allowed to push off. In the power step up you will use much heavier weight. The goal is to get up onto the box and into the hip extended position quickly. It is important to have the leg on the box at a 90 degree or more angle. So the push off of the leg on the ground helps you get started but the step up leg must finish with power. When lowering it is important to control the movement and bend the supporting knee.

I have also used this exercise with advanced athletes with a higher box. The athlete was actually below parallel at the start. But with the push off of the opposite leg the athlete was able to get to or higher than parallel before the step up leg had to finish the movement on it's own. This is a great way to develop explosiveness. If the athlete starts in a parallel stance by the time the step up leg takes over they might be at a 1/4 squat. So you want to take box height into consideration.

Things to look out for:

1. Don't round the back during the push off of the foot on the floor.

2. Be sure to lock out at the top with the hip.

3. Control the body coming down- don't slam down.

4. Be sure the hip, feet, and shoulders stay facing forward.

Good luck and hope you become strong with this exercise and variation.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: Join http://www.speedinsiders.com and you will be able to see exercises like the step-up and more any time you want.

Discipline Can Be Fun

I am excited to share with you the following ideas on organized fitness:

As I mentioned in my last post, I had a great experience learning from one of the most knowledgeable fitness experts in the world. What he shared with me was how fitness was performed years ago. He shared with me how the decline of fitness started with the shift going from physical fitness and movement to more sports oriented. Young people stopped learning how to move correctly, be physically fit, and posturally strong to learning how to play more organized sports. I believe both could have been accomplished and flourished simultaneously. Discipline can be fun if done correctly.

What do I mean when I say discipline can be fun? Basically what I mean is if we want to bring back the art of teaching fitness and physical education rather than simply allowing kids to explore all the time and have more of a game atmosphere, then we need to have focus on a few things. First of all we need to learn how to deal with large groups. We need to know how to get them in formation so learning can take place. There are many formations; rectangular, semi-circle, circle, triangular and so forth. By placing students in order the teacher can see all students better. The teacher really should be teaching from a platform and every student should be able to see the teacher. Secondly, everyone should be on the same count. This is fun and it really looks cool. When all students are timed up and count at the same time (like it use to be at practice) it gives a sense of pride to everyone. The kids really want to do well. Finally, The students should begin by learning and following what the teacher demonstrates. They should then work with a partner to check each others form. This is important because each student learns how to teach. There is no better way to learn then to teach.

There are many other reasons but the three I mentioned can bring about a fun atmosphere for all the students yet great discipline. Discipline gets a bad name- I am not talking about a cold harsh environment. If taught and organized properly the students are the ones that want the well organized and disciplined setting. Think of a well orchestrated marching band. They looked terrific when they all move together. Each member of the band has pride in doing their part well. That atmosphere can be brought back and fitness.

Now that I have explained how a form of well organized fitness should be done let me explain the needs of free play and child lead games. They can both exist in a fitness and physical education class. I can honestly say if I had to choose I would make the well organized form of fitness and movement training the priority. Why? Because our country is unfit and our kids don't move well. By the age of 2nd grade you can begin to see the postural deformities begin. This is because we don't move enough as kids and we don't develop strong upper bodies and cores any more. Kids are always going to play. That is what recess is about and playing at the parks or backyard with friends. We have to take our fitness back and strengthen out kids again.

Many of you who have followed me for years and might see a change in approach from more play to more organized fitness. Well, I witnessed such poor physical education classes in my children's school and many others poor fitness programs that I feel change is needed. I have always been a big fan of children playing and exploring how to move and that will never change. But, there needs to be a more organized period of training (even if it is 30 minutes a day) of well performed movements. This should be looked at as a source of pride and accomplishment not taking away the kids freedom of expression.

Often the terms "burn out" and "overuse" come in to play when we discuss organized discipline and fitness. The two shouldn't go in the same sentence if done correctly. The burn out comes from poor coaches and teachers overdoing sports and specific training of sports. When parents make their kids play in several soccer leagues or baseball leagues or practice ice skating for 5 hours per day. The difference is in the intent and the focus on goals. My goal is to bring back healthy movement and fitness. I don't need to overdue this. I just need to have kids move everyday in a fun organized setting (I would even take 4 days a week if that's all I could have).

Over the next few months I will be working on outlining sequences and progressions of exercises that can be put into a healthy physical education and fitness program. I hope you will help me in this process.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: I have been telling you for some time about a few changes that are going to take place to my Speed Insiders program in 2009, well you just had a brief look into what some of the changes will be. Go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ so you can take part in this exciting venture.

The History Of Fitness

I just arrived home from Des Moines, IA. I was there helping instruct the National Guard in a new physical readiness program. It was a three day event that sparked an interest in physical fitness beyond what I already have.

Not only did I have the opportunity to teach soldiers, many of whom will be deployed at some point this year, but I spent time with one of the most knowledgeable men in the world when it comes to military fitness and physical education. His name is Dr. Thomas and he has a passion for physical fitness like no one I have ever seen. He not only plays a large role in the fitness of our military, but he also is leading the march in getting our Physical Education programs back on track.

One of the reasons it was so special for me to spend time with Dr. Thomas was because it reminded me of the long talks I had with my father. My father was also a physical fitness educator and cared deeply about the fitness of our country. He used to tell me about the programs he established back in WWII when he was in charge of physical education. Then to hear Dr. Thomas talk about his research of fitness during WWII and before was quite amazing. I really gained a higher passion for fitness after spending time listening to Dr. Thomas and having a chance to look at many of the books in his library of over 1,000 books on fitness related topics. Many of the books dated back to 1800's and he had at least one from 1700's. It was truly an amazing experience. One in which I would have loved to share with my father and hear his stories again.

What I took from this four day event is that we need to get our youth moving correctly once again. I know you have heard it before, but the movement we have going on in the country to get our kids moving isn't good enough. It is too soft and too unorganized. I have actually changed my views in how I see the need of our programs to be ran. I still believe in play and self directed movement during early stages of growth and development, but I also see the need for well organized instructor driven programs. Here is the great thing about this view, the students can also be the instructor. They can and should learn to lead their peers. (More on this topic at a later time.)

I have always been a big proponent of group instruction and I am even a bigger fan now. The reason is more students/athletes/adults can be involved then if we focus on the one-on-one or small groups. The key is how we instruct these large groups. I have seen through books and videos groups of up to the hundreds being instructed and it was as if they were only one. Each person learned, through proper instruction, how to perform the exercises well. There is a method of having partners instruct each other to get each student to be an instructor. There is no better way to learn a skill then to have to teach it. If done properly, we can have our physical education classes, youth fitness groups, and sports programs performing top notch movements like "Pros" in no time.

More thoughts... In order for the youth fitness movement to head strongly in the correct direction our schools and families have to buy in as well. We need to have correct mechanics when our students are sitting at their desks for better posture. We have to stop eating and drinking poor nutrient foods, and we have to exercise in full range of motion to keep our bodies ability to move well through adulthood. Lot's to do and little time to do it. If we keep waiting we will have a serious problem in the years to come. Love to hear your thoughts...

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: Come join the family of Speed Insiders and participate in the movement to better fitness. Go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ for a FREE trial for 2 months.

Single Leg Power

If you have been a subscriber to the SSE Journal at http://www.sportsspeedetc.com/ you are well aware of my appreciation of single leg development. In a recent Speed Insiders video of the month (http://www.speedinsiders.com/) I demonstrated several single leg exercises I like to use with my athletes to improve power production as well as strength. In this video I demonstrated simple, but important exercises that attack the posterior chain, strengthen the anterior of the thigh, and challenge the stability of the athlete all in one. Let me share them with you...

The first exercise I showed was a 1/2 kneeling step up with knee drive. This exercise is performed with a small 4 inch box. The athlete's front foot should be about 6 inches from the box. With good tall posture and the arms in opposition, like when running, the athlete will aggressively drive up and out of the 1/2 kneeling position, step onto the box with back leg, and finish with a knee drive of the opposite leg. Try to hold the knee drive position for 2 seconds to work balance. This exercise is great for youngster athletes as well as more advanced.

The keys are to be quick out of the kneeling position, stay tall/posture, and finish tall with a knee drive on the box. This exercise really recruits the glutes and hamstrings, as well has the quads. It is a nice exercise to use to assess the stability and mobility of your athletes as well as strength levels. Perform 5 reps on each leg, rest and repeat if able.

The second exercise was set up exactly the same as the 1/2 kneeling step up with knee drive, but this exercise is called 1/2 kneeling to leap and hold.

The athlete is set up in the same position with the lead foot roughly six inches from the box. This time the athlete explodes out of the half kneeling position and leaps (land on opposite foot of push off) onto the box and holds a 1/4 squat single leg stance for 2 seconds. So rather than seeing a stepping onto the box there should be a leap into the air with solid landing on opposite leg (opposite of the one pushing off the ground).

Once again, another great exercise for recruiting posterior chain and quad. This will challenge the athletes ability to maintain good take off and landing posture. In order to stick the landing, the hips will be pushed back and the shoulders moved forward over the landing knee- still with a flat spine though.

The next progression of these first 2 exercises is to increase the box height from 4inch to 12 inch and to 18 inch. Obviously you know not to go beyond what is capable by the athlete.

The progression goes as follows:

• 1/2 kneeling step up to knee drive on the 4 inch (or 6 inch), 12 inch, and finally 18 inch, then
• 1/2 kneeling leap and hold on the 4 inch (or 6 inch), 12 inch, and finally 18 inch.

The progression moves along as quickly as the coach or athlete feels it should. I would definitely do a session or 2 with step up landings before leaps just to build control and power.

The last exercise I performed on the video is called an "Eagle Jump". I believe this exercise came from Remni Korchemny. It is definitely not an exercise you use the first time out. Let me explain.

The athlete will face away from a 12-18 inch box and place one foot up onto the box. The lead foot is roughly 18-24 inches away. The front foot placement is important for safety of the knee, feet, and ankles. The athlete will squat down placing both hands on the floor. The front foot should be under the upper chest area and should never be back under the stomach. It is important to have a shin angle back toward the box but not to sharp. The ankle should be dorsiflexed all the weight on the balls of the feet but the heel nearly touching the floor. The chest should be almost, in not, sitting on the thigh. Make sure the back foot is softly on the box.

The athlete will aggressively jump into the air as high as possible only pushing off the lead foot (the back foot does not help). The arms should lift aggressively as well to aid in the lift of the body. The upper body will become more erect to complete the extension of the body. Upon landing the athlete should decelerate slowly (not too slow but under control- just don't plop down on the leg to avoid injury) on the lead leg. As soon as the hands touch the floor immediately explode back up. Repeat.

WARNING! This exercise will make athletes hips extremely sore the first time they are performed. Especially if the athlete has done little to activate the glutes. By-the-way, the main reason I began using this exercise was to get athletes to activate their posterior chain in a powerful pattern. Believe me...it works.

Perform 1 set of 5, then move to 2 sets of 5, next 3 sets of 5. I always throw in a set of 10 every know and again to shock the system and build muscular endurance. Don't overdue the 10 rep set, just add only once in a while.

So there you have it. These exercises will surely spark your training and give your athletes the boost the need in their single leg strength and power.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: Become a Speed Insider Member and receive my valuable monthly videos. They will boost your program and training options. Go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ now and take a test drive for FREE!

What Do You Watch When At....

I have gone to many basketball games this year. I have seen several boys and girls high school, elementary, and even professional. As a matter of fact there is a high school boys game tonight I plan to attend. My question to you is what do you pay attention to when you go to a game?

Over the years of being a speed coach, especially with basketball players, I find myself watching a lot of defenders. As a point guard you learn to use your peripheral vision to see the court. I kind of do this when in the stands watching the game. I always know where the ball is but I spend most of my time watching the defenders on the ball and off the ball. I want to see how they move and what their footwork is like. At one of the games with my daughter she said to me "Did you see that shot." I had to say no- because I was looking at how the defender worked his way off the screen. It give you an entirely new perspective of the game.

As a coach of many sports I learned early to watch what was going on away from the ball. When I use to coach football I would keep my eyes focused on our lineman and many times the defense to see how they reacted to a play. I always know where the ball is, and it is more important to me so see what everyone else is doing.

If you get a chance to watch a college, pro, or high school basketball, football, or other sport with and offense and defense, try to put you focus on what the defensive players are doing and how they move their feet. Not only watch their feet but watch to see how they react or anticipate plays. I like to see if they can see plays coming. If there is a screen or a block (football) being set on them can they fight off the screen or block and still maintain good defensive positioning?

Back when Bobby Knight was coaching I use to love to watch players like Steve Alford move without the ball. You could see him setting up his defenders to get caught up in a screen. Another player to watch is Rip Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons- constant movement without the ball.

I think you miss a lot of the game when you only watch the ball. The good stuff happens away from the ball. Plus, if you want to be a better coach of multi-directional speed you need to watch the defenders and see how they move their feet, how they control their shoulders when a change of direction occurs quickly. You want to watch them have to stop on a dime and still be in control. You don't see this when you only watch the ball.

I would love to read your comments on what you saw the next time you watch a game.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: If you haven't had a chance to see the best multi-directional speed DVD set in the industry yet you need to go to www.GroundBreaking2.com and check it out today.