Athlete Performance Testing - Part 1

Why do we test?

A very pertinent question! Testing does a couple things for sports performance coaches as well as a couple things for you, the athlete!

-        Testing establishes a baseline to determine your current athletic performance level.
 

-        Testing gives you an idea of what performance goals are feasible and gives the coach an idea of where your overall athletic potential lies.
 

-        Testing allows the coach to see what the athlete’s strengths and weaknesses are. Once these are established, weaknesses can be addressed to create a more balanced, well-rounded athlete.

Each one of these points is important and each will be covered in a separate article.

Probably one of the most obvious reasons to test is that it creates a baseline to compare yourself to as you train and develop your performance engine. Speed, strength, power, flexibility, and work capacity can all be enhanced with consistent, progressive training. As you improve these components of performance, your test results will reflect this improvement. You’ll run faster, jump higher, change directions more efficiently, and fatigue less.

Most importantly, you’ll be able to perform at a higher level than if you had not invested the time and energy to better yourself.

New England Patriot's LB Jamie Collin's jumping 41.5" at last year's NFL combine. SICK.

Stay tuned! Part 2 coming soon!

 Keep Training!
Coach Anthony Colarusso and Akron General Sports Performance

Catching-up on Sleep (and breathing)

Hello everyone!

During the holiday season many athletes are looking to getting some much needed rest!

I recently learned that sleeping and breathing have something in common. You can catch-up on them,  but you can't store them!

Research has shown that you can indeed catch up on sleep.  Which is why naps and an extra hour here and there can make you and your body feel a lot better.

Green High School Football Players trained before school last spring, a good reason for lack of sleep!

It's important to understand the distinction between catching up and storing for later use. If you miss lead yourself into thinking you can store sleep for later, you'll find yourself greatly disappointed come that next early alarm clock. 

Think of sleeping like breathing after exercise: you can't take deep breaths and store them for the end of the race, but you can take deep breaths after the race to catch-up!

Feel better (and recover better) this holiday season by catching-up on some sleep!

Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Kephart and Akron General Sports Performance

Give the Gift of Speed

Hello Everyone!

This Holiday Season give a gift that lasts a lifetime! 
The Gift of Speed!

Sports Performance Gift Certificates are available in any amount and can be purchased over the phone or in person at either performance center.

A great gift for the athlete in your life!

Your athlete can start using their gift right away!  

We are open throughout the holidays!

Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Kephart and Akron General Sports Performance

Athletes Beware: Butt Erosion

Hello Everyone!

If you've ever worked out in one of my training sessions you've probably heard me say, "the front is for show, the back is for go!" Which refers to the fact that the muscles behind us are the ones responsible for our speed and power and the muscles in front are mainly for looks.

At AGSP I'm always happy to hear an athlete say that their butts and hamstrings are sore because that tells me that they were training properly in their last session.

In a world where the hottest toys for the holidays usual involve sitting down to enjoy, we have to fight against "gluteal amnesia" if we want our athletes to compete at their fullest potential. (Gluteal Amnesia is lack of proper glute recruitment and firing. Visit some of these search results for more information.) 

Jeff Foxworthy joking calls this "butt erosion" at the end of this funny skit. 

When we get our athletes' glutes firing optionally we get athletes that are more explosive and powerful. We get athletes with more go!

If you suspect your athlete is suffering from "butt erosion" or "gluteal amnesia" it might be time to visit AGSP!

Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Kephart and Akron General Sports Performance 

2013 Holiday Hours

Hello Everyone!

2013 HOLIDAY HOURS

Thursday November 28 (Thanksgiving)
CLOSED

Friday November 29 (Black Friday)
09:00am Athlete
10:30am Athlete
12:00pm Adult

Tuesday December 24 (Christmas Eve)
09:00am Athlete
10:30am Athlete
12:00pm Adult

Wednesday December 25 (Christmas Day)
CLOSED

Tuesday December 31 ( New Year's Eve)
09:00am Athlete
10:30am Athlete
12:00pm Adult

Wednesday January 1 (New Year's Day)
CLOSED

Monday December 23 - Friday January 3
10:00am Athlete
05:30pm Athlete
*overflow groups scheduled as needed

Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Kephart and Akron General Sports Performance

Results in Returning Athletes at AGSP

Hello Everyone!

With the change of sport seasons we are having some athletes return for their second, third, fourth, even fifth year with us. Many of these athletes started at AGSP when they were only 9, 10, 11, or 12 years old, and now as teenagers, their early exposure to proper training is really paying off.

It is easier to train a puppy than it is to teach an old dog new tricks.

We've all heard that saying before, but our multi-year returning athletes are showing how this saying can truly impact an athlete's performance and life. With a foundation of proper movement given to them, these returning athletes have better coordination and stronger foundation to work from. Their body remembers what it learned as "a puppy" and now doesn't have to lose time "learning new tricks." Therefore, these athletes are literally able to pick up where they left off and are ahead of their fellow athletes who didn't learn proper training and movement as "a puppy."

Do you have a young pup who loves sports? Maybe it is time they come try a complimentary training session with us at AGSP.

Or, do you have a teenage athlete who could learn some new tricks? The sooner they start training and building their foundation the better!

Keep Training! (our returning multi-year athletes are!)
Coach Amanda Kephart and Akron General Sports Performance

Basketball and Learning Skills

Hello Everyone!

With basketball season gearing up we are looking forward to seeing the athletes that trained at AGSP show off their improved speed, strength and power. Some of our athletes also worked on their specific basketball skills at The Cleveland Basketball School. This combination of speed and strength training, along with specific skill training, is exactly the type of training Division One Athletes do (hence why university's have separate strength coaches from the sport coaches)

Coach Robbie, Coach Amanda and Coach Paul work together to make athletes better!

Working on skills in the off-season is one of the best ways to truly become a better athlete. I like to remind our athletes, "If you are playing more games with the same skills you've always had, you are not going to magically become better. You have to learn new skills and then apply them."

Training at AGSP and at programs like The Cleveland Basketball School teaches you how to improve your skills. To see what skills you will learn at CBS check out their new promo video!

 

Keep Training! (and good luck AGSP basketball athletes!)
Coach Amanda Kephart and Akron General Sports Performance