Working in fitness facilities has caused me to develop several pet peeves. Acts of human curtesy are still abundant, but there also seems to be a growing selfishness that is apparent. What ever happened to giving a damn, staying under the radar, and trying to help out the folks who come after you? Here’s a poem that I wrote about a common, yet ironic situation that we see in the gym. Read more
Man, it’s been a long time! I’ve spent many months focused on making another Olympic team. I’ll sum up my experiences at the Olympic Trials quickly, and get to my blog. Read more
Early in the summer of 2015, my 4-year-old son decided that he was brave enough to take the training wheels off of his bike. I proceeded to do so immediately, before he changed his mind. At the start of our journey, I used to the same old techniques that we’ve all seen to get going. I started by pushing him down the sidewalk. Then I let him attempt to start the bike’s motion on his own. After too many attempts and being analytical (as normal), I noticed several things: Read more
I’ve spent my career learning things from all sorts of athletes and coaches. Whether it be good or bad, there is always a lesson to be learned. I’ve been extremely observant of behaviors and trends of successful and unsuccessful pairings of athletes and coaches. Based on my experience, here are the top three suggestions I recommend for improving results in a coach athlete relationship. Read more
This weekend, I witnessed via my television screen one of the biggest blunders in college football. The situation of course was the fumbled snap, the re-fumbled recovery of that snap, and the subsequent recovery of that fumble for a last second touchdown. Michigan State wins and beats Michigan in their big in-state rivalry, and one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the football. The person who fumbled that snap has a name, and his name is Blake O’Neill. After October 17, 2015, every Michigan football fan will know his name. @blakewoneill on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets went crazy! The comparison of this young man’s blunder and Ray Finkle, the fictional character from the Ace Ventura: Pet Detective movie, are alive. I don’t know a lot about Blake O’Neill, but the little that I do know, and the bit of science has grown to help us understand performance, should tell us all he alone is not the only one to blame. Given his lack of situational experience any one of us could do the same thing, and the coaches had the primary responsibility to give him more situational practice. Read more
All the talk about doping in sports, specifically the newest revelations in track and field, will push many to believe that all elite athletes are using drugs to enhance performance. Anti-doping is struggling to keep pace in an infinite war. The thing that I’m here to tell you is: DOPING DOESN’T MAKE ATHLETES, it makes them perform better. Doping control is doing a good job at snuffing drugs out, but we’ve created a bigger problem. Our mindset about how much doping there is. A problem that compounds the doping conundrum is when elite athletes are involved. What exacerbates the issue more is that we look to elite athletes as the models, dare I say “role models” for our sport. It has been proven that the more a topic is discussed via mainstream media, the more awareness comes to that topic. Read more
When I was working as an assistant strength coach at Texas Tech for the legendary basketball coach Bob Knight, I started to realize the extent that athletes can lack in recovery and restoration. Though most fans wouldn’t view basketball as an extreme sport, the durations of continual work with little rest are astounding! Players are constantly either playing, practicing or traveling to games all year. Read more
I spend a large portion of my day talking to people about fitness, exercise, and health. At times the conversation will shift to a new concept, or program that this individual is wanting to try. Almost every person wants to start their new life on Monday. What the heck is so special about Monday? Why didn’t you start yesterday, or this morning? Even if it’s a Tuesday morning, and the greatest idea ever thought is lingering, most of us will wait to get it all figured out on Monday! I think that the best thinkers and achievers are those that disregard that idea, that climb over simple social obstacles and get things done ASAP. Read more
At any given level of sport, the most talented athlete at that level will get lots of praise. The trouble with judging talent is that what makes one person more talented at each level is subject to change. Here is why talent is important but not the most important factor for furthering success. Read more
A few nights ago, I was sitting at the table having dinner with my son Omo and wife Megan. I swear my son is getting smarter by the minute, and every moment he is learning more how to play the system. Like any 4 year old, he wants to eat his treats (dessert, junk food, etc.), but we always try and make him eat his healthy foods first. With his brain power at full tilt, he is always attempting to devise a way to get what he wants, by smooth talking and looking cute. Ladies beware of this guy in the future! Read more
