SDC Updates

Greetings everyone,

Over the next 6-7 weeks, I'm facing quite the challenge of getting
in both client workouts, as well as track practices and meets.

As many of you know, I currently coach a high school track team
during the spring. There will be some days that I will not be
able to train anyone, mostly due to a meet and the departure times
we have for those meets.

As a way to 'make up' for some of that time lost, I will be able to
take some clients on Saturday mornings, as my weekends are not
really full of major plans for the rest of April & May.

Things may become smoother in about 3 weeks, so I ask that if you
are currently a client, be a little flexible with me, as I have
been with you in your scheduling.

Thank you!

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ASAP Camp & Another One of Rick's Rants as well....

A.S.A.P. Training Camp: I just read an article on the Fargo Forum's
website today (Sunday's issue), which talked about parents & coaches
who clash. The main thing I took out of it is that it mentioned
how parents seem to have more ownership in their kids' role on a
basketball team, due to all the clinics, camps, travel teams, &
leagues they participate in, outside of the 4 month season of hoops.

As a trainer & a coach, I really don't see too much of the 'playing
time' issue in the sports of track & cross-country that I coach.
Its all performance-based decisions for the most part: if you don't
run fast enough, you won't get a spot to run in.

For instance, in cross-country, you have up to 7
spots to fill on a varsity race for your team. It becomes quite
the battle when you have kids fighting for those spots. In the end
of it, their performances help me make the best decision I can for
the team.

However, in a sport like basketball, there are many, many dynamics
that a coach has to juggle: playing ability, ability under pressure
situations, conditioning levels, is the athlete injured, etc.

I think parents who are worried about 'playing time' have a hard
time realizing that there are only so many minutes in a game, and
the promise of 'more playing time' is a moot point: each kid can't
exponentially expect more playing time when there is only so much
time available to shuffle 12-15 kids on 5 spots on a floor through
30+ minutes of a game's length.

Just because your son is on a travelling team in the spring, doesn't
automatically get him 8 more minutes a game next season.

Granted, there are situations where kids who do have talent just
don't get time on a court, because of grudges against parents, or
even the athlete, between the coach and them. This is unfair
politics in a sport that shouldn't deal with it, but it happens.

However, the point is no matter how many leagues, camps, or teams
that you are on, there is no guarantee that a son or daughter will
get an automatic increase in playing time.

Here's one example of myself: My sophomore year, I was "All-JV",
meaning that the JV squad was where I fit in the best. I wasn't
fast, I wasn't strong, I wasn't full of the basketball talent like
others on my team. But, I knew I fit the JV role on my team well,
and that's where I had to improve. Yes, I dearly wanted a spot on
that varsity bench, even if it meant going in the last 2 minutes &
we're down by 25+ points. Why? Because I had a chance to score and
get my name in the box scores in the paper. It was one of my main
goals, it was something to shoot for in my JV role.

After that season, that was when I made my big dedication to earning
a varsity roster spot as a junior. I knew if I even made it, I
probably wasn't going to get much playing time as a varsity athlete,
but I would definitely see improvements in my JV role. I started
every game for JV my junior year, contributed with 6-10 point games
instead of my lucky average of 1-2 as a freshman or sophomore. I did
get some "PT" at the varsity level, and it gave me hope to work
towards something more than that my senior year: I knew that during
my senior year, I'd have a chance to earn a starting spot, which
became my main goal.

All the while though, I really wasn't concerned about how many
minutes I was on the court. Come to think of it, not many of us on
my team really were counting minutes. Perhaps it was because we
didn't have such a successful team to begin with, but hey, we had
guys who scored well, played well, 'got their name in the paper' in
the last 2 minutes of a game, and just had fun.

I was never an all-conference all-star, I think I scored 10 points
once my senior year, with a few 4-8 point games, but mostly I was
good for 2 a game it seemed. However, I did earn 2 back to back
Practice Player awards my junior & senior years. That to me meant
that I was an "MVP" for my team's betterment. That was my role.

We were all just worried about doing our jobs on the court well,
even when we faced the toughest team in the state, twice, that
senior season.

I just hope today's parents see sports for that they are really
worth: its about working hard, committing towards a goal, and most
of all, enjoying the experience to get there.

Sometimes you don't get what you want, and you have to learn how
to deal with those situations. There have been jobs in the past
where I wanted a raise, but didn't get it. I had to deal with it.

Thank goodness for the lessons I learned in sports which helped
me deal with it in a calming, smooth manner.

Yes, I know I promote the fact that training can help get you
stronger, faster, and perform at a better level. That's all a part
of the experience in working hard & committing towards the goals
that the athlete has. If I can help the athlete do that, then I'm
doing my job as a performance trainer.

So, in short, if you are a parent, please realize that extra
outside commitments do not guarantee an increase in playing time,
or in securing a starting spot. Don't hold that over a coach.

Instead, work with your young athlete in learning how to deal with
what it takes for commitment, what it takes to work hard towards a
goal, and how to deal with situations that don't always turn out
their way. I think you learn TONS more in dealing with situations
you don't like, than the ones you end up earning & acheiving.

I know in the past year of running my own training business, the
past seasons of basketball in high school, where we won less than 20
games from my freshman through senior year (about 4-5 a season),
you can bet I took those lessons I learned as an athlete, and
applied them to my outlook on my business.

I've discovered that session-based training packages are not a
successful method to use in completing training programs.

Its why I came up with the "Unlimited Training" concept, where each
athlete gets customized workouts, by the week & month, so they have
a flexible routine & workout schedule that can meet their demands
that seem to change weekly, if not daily.

Its not the world's perfect system, but its working for a lot of
cilents and athletes in finding a solution for their goals.

The ASAP Training Camp goes from June 4-August 10, 10 weeks of
Unlimited Training visits for Strength (STAR System Protocol), and
Power (Athlete Xpress Protocol). Its up to 5, 30 minute workouts
a week.

One question I've had is "Can my daughter/son workout for 1 hour
length workouts with your system?"

The answer is YES! I can do a 30 minute Strength, then 30 minute
Power workout, all in one day.

As a special feature, you can get 2, 1 hour workouts, plus a 30
minute workout (5, 30 min. sessions = 2.5 hours a week) in this
type of workout option.

All this for just $147 per athlete.

Plus, if you sign up before May 1st, you will get a f-r-e-e DVD,
my "Power & Control for Sports" video!

Register with me by emailing me, and filling out the forms that
I have online at http://xpress.speeddialcoach.com

I can start getting times & slots secured for the athletes, before
June 4th, so its all setup & ready to go.

Call me @ 218-686-5417 for further inquiry.


Xpress Exercise For Every Body.
http://speeddialcoach.com
218-686-5417