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66 inch jump!!! This is CRAZY!!

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Playing Tag Gone too Far?

This morning when I was reading the paper before getting ready to head to the field, I came across an article with the headline "Va. Principal Bans Tag, says kids got too rough."

As you can imagine my initial response was 'what? are you serious?' But then I actually read the article that is posted below:

NOT IT!
Va. principal bans tag, says kids got too rough
MICHAEL ALISON CHANDLER
Washington Post

A playground pastime is getting a timeout this spring at a Virginia elementary school.
Robyn Hooker, principal of Kent Gardens Elementary in McLean, has told students they may no longer play tag during recess, after determining that the game of chasing and yelling "You're it!" had gotten out of hand. Hooker told parents in a letter this month that tag had become a game "of intense aggression."

She said that her goal is to keep students safe and that she hopes to restore tag (as well as touch football, also on hold) after teachers and administrators review recess policies.
The decision has touched off a debate among parents. Some call the restriction an example of overzealous rule-making that fails to address root problems; others say it's best to err on the side of caution.

Many schools nationwide have whittled down playground activities in response to concerns about injuries, bullying or litigation. Dodge ball is a thing of the past in many places, and contact sports are often limited at recess.

In most places, principals have considerable leeway to decide what is appropriate or safe recess behavior as they manage sometimes-large numbers of students in sometimes-small spaces. Kent Gardens, with more than 900 students, is over capacity. Hooker said the playground can get crowded.

Over the past couple of months, she had noticed that tag was sending too many students to the nurse's office.

"This is not the old-fashioned tag, where you could use two fingers and you would be `it' and move on to someone else," Hooker said, noting the game has become much more aggressive.
This tag involves grabbing people who do not necessarily know they are playing and possibly bumping them to the ground.

"Then the kids do `pyramiding' or `towering.' They pile on each other. (Sometimes) they call it `jailhouse' or `jailbreak,' " because the child has to break out, she said.

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There are any number of opinionated reasons that I can list here as to what is going on in our school systems. These include first take a look at what is going on in the 'home' of these children and/or how is the 'environment' being designed at that school's recess area.

Whatever the reason, the school should provide some structured play during recess that allows children freedom to explore movement and play while at he same time providing boundries that keep everyone safe.

Here is a favorite tag game that I use when visiting local schools:
http://www.audioacrobat.com/playv/WQ28Qr1Q

I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, or suggestions!

'Lean into the Turn'

By far the athlete above is the quickest I have ever worked with in twelve years. Actually he is one of the fastest as well, but his ability to change direction is scary.

One of the reasons that he can literally change direction on a dime is that he uses his inside leg to help decelerate his body and that he also leans into his turns.

Too many athletes struggle with changing directions and one of the first things I see is a postural fault. In other words, the athlete actually leans opposite they way they want to go.

Is it due to a weak core? Poor movement mechanics? Or something else? It's a combination of all of the above!

However, using the term 'lean into your turns' is a great way to get the athlete to feel their movement much better!

Davidson wins Again!

Wow am I proud of the men's Davidson Basketball team! Tonight was yet another storybook win for them and I can think of no better team that deserves it.

I have had the opportunity to work with Bob McKillop and his program during their preseason over the past few years. Bob is nothing short of the ideal example of a professional and an outstanding individual.

Bob actually took the Sports Profile, www.innertactics.com, back during the preseason of this year. I will post some of his numerous strengths tomorrow and will attempt to breakdown just why this coach continues to achieve success year after year.

GO DAVIDSON WILDCATS!

Making the Vertical Jump Relevant

We all hear the common question of 'how high can you jump?' but maybe this isn't the best question. Training for the vertical jump test is a solid indicator of being explosive so don't get me wrong here.

However, an athlete rarely just jumps for the sake of jumping. There is always another task that comes just after that. For example, catching a ball, blocking a shot, heading a ball, etc.

In the above picture is a player who is 5 ft tall and weighs approximately 100 lbs. And while she is well undersized she proves time and time again to be one of the best headers on the field!

It's not just about the ability to jump, it also is about timing, recognition, reaction, and vision!

When trying to improve your vertical jump, add a few extra sets of the sport specific task that the athlete experiences during the game. Not only does this make the task more sport relevant, but the athlete will have a lot more fun as well!

Intrinsic Coaching

I posted this today on the Innertactics Blog:

"If you want to get more out of your athletes, stop viewing them as performers and view them as people. Working with them on what you can see (physical) is the easy part. It is working with the part that you can't see that is ulimately the most rewarding."

Medball Scoop Throws

The Medball Scoop Throw has been a staple in my program now for the past ten years. This exercise is an excellent way to explosively develop the entire posterior chain.

If you have used this exercise try and put a stopwatch on your athlete when they throw the medball. The Carolina Panthers players did this exercise yesterday in our offseason program and the majority of them kept the ball in the air around 2.2 seconds.

So far the best time that I have seen in the past few years for using a 10lb medball is 2.73 seconds!

Try this with your athletes and let me know how they do!

'RFN' Runs

The other day I was grabbing lunch with my good friend Muhsin Muhammad just after we got done working out. We got to talking about how he is starting his 13th season in the NFL and what were some of the qualities that make for a great receiver.

Of the top five that he mentioned was something that he calls RFN Runs, or RUN FOR NOTHING Runs.

In other words, running routes during a game even though you know the ball is not coming to you. Why? Well for a wide receiver it sets up his opponent so just when he least expects it, a touchdown happens! i.e. Moose's Super Bowl 86yd Touchdown catch

How about your athletes? Do they go all out during RFN Runs? Do they 'sell the move' or does their opponent choose not to pay them any attention b/c he knows your athlete isn't a threat during the play?

Sometimes known as shadow runs, it is this type of effort that separates the good from the great!

When your athletes run routes in their sport (aka set plays, specific patterns,etc) during training or practice, do they still go all out?

If not, here are a few suggestions to prevent them from 'going through the motions':

• Paint pictures in their mind as to why this movement pattern is important, even if it is not designed for him/her
• Ask the athlete why they think completing the pattern is important for the play and the team?
• Ask the athlete what happens if they do not 'sell' the movement?