Athlete Spotlighting #1: Danny Dunn

Hello Everyone!

Its time we start congratulating some of our hard-working athletes.

Its time we...
...share their accomplishments
...share their journeys
...share their commitment
...share their results

Introducing, Athlete Spotlighting, a time where we learn through others and acknowledge them for their hard-work, consistency, and passion.

Our first athlete was an easy choice. Since starting his training at AGSP over a year ago, he has been one of our most consistent, open-minded, eager, hard-working athletes to ever step under the barbell. Without further delay, its time to spotlight...

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT #1: Danny Dunn

Sport(s) Played: Football
Position(s) Played: Defensive End & Tackle
School: Stow-Munroe Falls High School
Graduation Year: 2012

AGSP Athlete Since: January 2008
Favorite Lift: Back Squat
Favorite Movement Skill: Acceleration

Favorite Professional Sports Team: Denver Broncos
Favorite Professional Athlete: LeBron James

When Danny is not at ASGP, he is: "Training with the high school football team"

His short-term goals? "Start on the Varsity Football Team this fall"

His long-term goals? "Play college football at Ohio State University"

How has AGSP impacted his performance as an athlete? "I've gotten faster and stronger"

Check out some video of Danny training hard at AGSP!

Stay tuned for more Athlete Spotlights!

Until then...

Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Kephart

What is a Sports Performance Coach?

Hello Everyone!

Whether its from a friend, sport coach, athlete, parent, or curious passer-by, I'm often asked, "What is a Sports Performance Coach?"

So let me answer the question clearly...

A Sports Performance Coach (SPC) is:
An Expert in Exercise Physiology
- Understands how all the systems of the body; muscular, nervous, skeletal, endocrine, etc. effects the entire human body. This understanding allows the SPC to teach athletes how to maximize human performance.

An Expert in Human Movement Pattern
- Not only does the Sports Performance Coach know how the body works, but also how the body moves. Angles, force production, stability, balance, edges, etc. are the meat and potatoes of the SPC's coaching. A good SPC understands all these movement variables and how they change depending on application. Whether its acceleration, squat, maximum velocity, olympic lifts, change of direction, etc. the SPC can get an athlete to perform all of these skills at a higher, more optimal level.

Has the Ability to Uncover the Cause of Pain
- Athletes train hard and pain is common. A good SPC, because of his/her above knowledge has the ability to start uncovering the cause of some pains. Especially when they are caused by poor movement patterns. Many pains, whether knees, backs, shoulders, etc. can cease when the SPC teaches proper movement and removes poor, unhealthy movement. Of course, a good SPC does not hesitate to get further opinions from physical therapists and doctors.

A Sports Performance Coach (SPC) is NOT:
An Expert on Individual Sports
- A SPC does not understand the details behind a good jump shot, the perfect swing, the perfect spiral, etc. This knowledge belongs to the Sport Coach, not the Sports PERFORMANCE Coach. This is why its important for a SPC to compliment the Sport Coach by building stronger, healthier, faster athletes. That way the Sport Coach can teach the perfect swing and the Sports Performance Coach can teach power generation. Perfect Swing + Power = Powerful Perfect Swing

Should a Sports Performance Coach try to be a Sport Coach? NO!
Should a Sport Coach try to be a Sports Performance Coach? NO!
Should a Sport Coach and a Sports Performance Coach work together to develop the best athletes possible? YES!

Hopefully that answers things. :-)

Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Kephart

Tip #8: General Physical Skills

Hello Everyone!

Athletes need to be complete.

Athletes can't have weakness.

Athletes have to have skills.

A complete, strong athlete has to have the following skills:

10 General Physical Skills

1. Cardiovascular Endurance
2. Stamina
3. Strength
4. Flexibility
5. Power
6. Speed
7. Coordination
8. Accuracy
9. Agility
10. Balance

If an athlete lacks any of these skills, his/her opponents will surely exploit them.

Are you complete?

Is your training addressing all 10 GENERAL Physical Skills?

AGSP's training does. Guaranteed.

Become complete. Become weakness-free. Become skilled. Become a better athlete with AGSP.

Keep Training!

Coach Amanda Kephart

* General Physical Skills concept credited to Jim Cawley of Dynamax Medicine

Characteristics of a World Class Athlete

Hello Everyone!

This post is an adaptation of Major Andrew Thompson's post on Characteristics of a World Class Trainee.

Top athletes share some powerful characteristics.
How many of these traits do you have?

Desire:
- an insatiable desire to improve
- self-motivated and take action

Willingness to Listen:
- teachable
- open and willing to accept guidance and correction
- engaged listener
- fosters effective communication between athlete and coach

Dedication to Fundamentals:
- embraces fundamentals
- builds a solid foundation "performs common movements uncommonly well" (virtuosity)
- improves with regular, deliberate practice
- pre-workout time is maximized and used as an opportunity to sharpen basic skills

Mental and Physical Preparedness:
- is prepared at every session
- never late for training
- enthusiastic about the opportunity at hand, regardless of how they “feel”
- recognizes that rest and nutrition are not distractions, but rather complementary building blocks of elite human performance

Ability to Train Alone:
- while a group dynamic offers encouragement and mutual accountability, there are times when an athlete must work alone
- excuses aside, a world-class athlete will find a way to face rigorous protocols alone and unafraid

Behavior under Distress:
- is able to deal with injury and the mental anguish of rehabilitation
- is able to bounce back quickly and with even greater resolve
- understands that pain and injury are sometimes part of the contract
- reveals true character in times of discomfort and adversity

Everyday...
Every workout...
Every practice...
Every game....
...is an opportunity to develop these world class characteristics.

Pick one or two characteristics you currently don't have and commit yourself to adding them to your athletic arsenal.

Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Kephart

Well Done, Walsh Jesuit's Women's Basketball!

Hello Everyone!

A big WELL DONE to the hard working women of Walsh Jesuit's Women's Basketball Team!

Your perseverance through adversity this season was incredible!

Check out the Plain Dealer's Article:
Walsh Jesuit's effort in loss is out of this world

Strong both physically and mentally, ladies be proud! Rest up and AGSP looks forward to seeing you again soon this off-season.

Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Kephart

An Athlete's Summer

Hello Everyone!

I'd like to highlight a great article from World Renown Strength and Conditioning Coach Mike Boyle. The article, "The Road to College" highlights some important truths that parents and athletes need to know.

The Road to College

by: Mike Boyle

Parents are being misled. Yes, all the tournament and camp organizers are deliberately misleading you. Parents shell out thousands of dollars for exposure camps and exposure tournaments for their son’s or daughter’s. The organizers tell you that attending a certain camp or playing in a certain tournament will improve your chances of getting a scholarship.

The bottom line is it’s not true. If your child is a football or hockey player four days of camp will not change him or her. Neither will a weekend tournament. Unfortunately, parents make a critical error at the wrong time. The most critical time in a young athletes career is the summer prior to their senior season. This is when a young player needs to train to prepare to have a great senior year. However, instead of preparation, parents choose exposure. The result is usually the same. The athlete goes to 5-6 “exposure” camps to be “seen” by college coaches. Instead of training and preparation the summer is about travel and “exposure”. The final result is that the athlete is not physically prepared for the senior year and ends up either getting injured or having a sub-par year. Coaches that might have had interest suddenly disappear. Sure things turn into maybes. Suddenly all the time spent on exposure seems wasted as there is no “product” to expose.

The road to college sports should go right through a weightroom. I know this sounds old fashioned but, it’s true. If your goal is to play college sports, then, get ready to play. Don’t spend all summer trying to convince coaches how good you are. Spend the summer trying to get better so coaches will notice you. You can’t network your way into college sports and even if you can, in these days of email etc., send a letter and a video.

Last summer I discouraged the coaches and parents of some of the best prep school football players in Eastern Mass to forgo the five camp plan and train. We instead chose to focus on the 1 or 2 camps the coach and parents thought would have the most value and, focus on training. The results were outstanding. The team had a great season, losing only two games, the players who trained were clearly improved and the players who were seniors are all going to the college of their choice.

It worked out exactly as I said it would because our plan makes sense. The ideas of athlete development and athlete exposure are almost polar opposites. The key is to balance the need to be seen by and meet college coaches with the need to train to be able to impress coaches during the critical senior year.

Coach Boyle's point is clear: choose to work on becoming a better athlete instead of trying to show everyone how good you are. Similar to Coach Boyle's facility in Boston, MA, Akron General Sports Performance is designed to make athletes better. Through hard work and commitment we see athletes take their games and skills to the next level.

Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Kephart

Tip #7: You Gotta Eat...MORE

Hello Everyone!

Need to put on pounds? Then don't fall into this failed equation...

Swear you're eating a lot + not gaining weight = YOU'RE NOT EATING ENOUGH

I'll never forget the time I saw Division One Coaches yelling at one of their athletes for not putting on the weight he needed.

I'll repeat... YELLING.

These coaches would not except the athlete's excuse of "but coach I eat A LOT". If you are not putting weight on, then you are NOT eating enough. These coaches, like myself, pay little attention to the fact that you eat twice as much as your friends... the results speak for themselves.

No matter how much you're currently eating and/or drinking, if you are not reaching your body weight goals then you need to consume MORE.

Meeting your body weight goals should be just as important as reaching your squat goals, 40 yard goals, team goals, etc.

Add calorie packed beverages.
Pack twice as much food for lunch.
Eat until you're stuffed, not just full.

Whatever it takes, take your body weight seriously.

Keep Training! (and eating!)
Coach Amanda Kephart