Stretching to Improve Athlete Performance

Contract-relax stretching is one fo the most effective forms of stretching for increasing flexibility and range of motion.  Products such as Thera-band stretching straps are great to use for contract-relax stretching.  This type of stretching is an active stretch and it is known to enhance performance.  The following is an example on how to do a contract-relax stretch. 

1. Breathing- Breath in as you contract the muscle and breathe out as you relax and stretch.

2. Start Phase - Begin with a moderate tension in the strap.

3. Contract phase- Provide enough elasticity in the strap to support resistance during muscle contraction.  The muscle should be at resting length.  Contract the muscle through the range of motion or hold a static contraction for 3 to 5 seconds. 

4. Stretch phase- Provide enough tension in the strap to lengthen the muscle.  Hold the stretch for 10 seconds and repeat 5 times. 

Contract-relax stretch can be done before and after workouts. 

For more information on contract-static stretching go to http://www.thera-band.com/

Training for Middle Distance Runners

Middle Distance runners are the most difficult runners to train because of the multi-energy system demand on the athlete.  A coach has to be very strategic in training middle distance runners, therefore, planning a running program for competition is critical.  Many coaches make the mistake of giving middle distance runners high mileage and little or no speed work.  When this happens the runner stays in a comfort zone in their races.  This makes it difficult to improve in their times.  In middle distance running their are two zones,  the comfort zone and the critical zone.  Most runners don't train in the critical zone and to be honest that really frustrates me!  The critical zone is the decision making part of the race.  It's when the runner decides to take the race over and develops a kick.  But, when there is no training in the critical zone the athlete is never able to finish strong in a race.  Preparating athletes for the critical zone is a high priority.  The critical zone is about a 1/4 of the race distance and it is important for the athlete to be as fresh as possible before the race to execute this distance.  A coach must add variety to the training and avoid overtraining.  Remember recovery and sleep is the most important part of the training.  High mileage with no plan  and no speed work will minimize any chance for the runner to run their best.  Here is a sample of a multi-pace training system that I use when training middle distance runners.

5 paces of a training plan 

1. V02 Max run (800m-3200m) pace
2. Special Endurance II (grass runs - 500 meters)
3. Special Endurance I ( 300-500 meters)
4. Speed Endurance (150-200 meters)
5. Speed (30-60 meters)

A good running program should have these phases covered.  Remember middle distance runners have to sprint too and they need to work out like sprinters.  Lots of fast running combined with mileage and drills will allow middle distance runners to achieve their personal best!

Gino

Coaches and Athletes on The Internet

I went to a workshop last month on Coaching and Ethics in Sport and one of the coaches did a presentation on the dangers of social media on the internet.  It was a real eye opener for me and I'd like to share with you all some of things I learned at this workshop about student-athletes and coaches websites such as Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and texting.  Many colleges coaches have several athletic scholarships they can offer when recruiting.  Scholarships today are worth a lot of money, especially full athletic scholarships.  Coaches today are doing more interviewing, and background searching on potential student-athletes.  Many of the coaches have software capacity to tap into any Facebook or Myspace page.  Also, many college admissions offices and employers check Facebook and Myspace accounts.  It has now become part of the recruiting process. 

Coaches and parents need let their kids know that whatever they post online will stay there forever.  Many of the kids think that only a small number of friends are reading their postings but the truth is that their posts are open to the entire world.  There was a situation in New Jersey when some football players decided to post their a video tape of their post-game celebration on Youtube and within a few hours those players were punished and suspended from the team by their football coach, and they were suspended from school.  They are many more cases out there like this one. 

So to all student-athletes out there that work with me be careful when posting on your web pages and also texting.  It is worth your while to review all text, posts, and photos that appear online.  Think twice before posting anything.  You don't want to anything to go against you when an opportunity for a college scholarship arrives at your doorstep. 

Nutrition: How Much Is Enough?

About 60 percent of calories in a sports diet should come from carbohydrates.  Starches and grains contribute much to that.  Carbohydrates are the best choices for fueling your muscles and promoting good health.  It is the primary fuel for athletes and it is readily stored in the muscles for workouts.  Athletes who train hard every day need to be properly fueled to avoid glycogen depletion.    An athlete should strive to eat at least 6 to 11 servings of grains every day.  Although this may sound like an overwhelming amount of food, it's not when you understand the definition of "serving".  Six to eleven servings is only 2 to 4 servings per meal or 150 to 300 calories.    A game plan for good nutrition is the key in becoming a champion athlete. 

FLSP Track Athletes Off To A Great Start!

Congratulations to following FLSP athletes that have taken off to a great start for this indoor season:

Jenna Jordano                                  Sophomore (NWC)
Jared Delane                                     Sophomore (NWC)
Megan Bobinski                              Sophomore (Holy Cross)
Katie Bobinski                                 Senior (Holy Cross)
Lindsay Crevoiserat                       Senior (Glastonbury)
Cara Dorris                                       Senior  (Glastonbury)
Ryan Pajor                                       Senior (Glastonbury)
Aubry Palmquist                             Junior (Bristol Central)
Erika Pakalnis                                   Junior (Holy Cross)
Conner Kelley                                  Senior (Bristol Central)

The following are times and places:

Name                            Meet                                    Event Time & Place
Jenna Jordano            Remigino Invite          300m        44.8  10th
Jared Delane               Remigino Invite          55m          6.72   4th     300m  36.9  1st
Megan Bobinski        Rhody HS Clssic        1000m      3.12    4th
Katie Bobinski           Rhody HS Clssic        55m          7.51   2nd    300m  42.36 2nd
Lindsay Crevoiserat  Remigino Classic       1000m      2.52  1st  (meet record)
Cara Dorris                  Remigino Invite         1000m      2.59  3rd
Ryan Pajor                   Remigino Invite         1000m      2.34 1st   (meet record)
Aubry Palmquist        Rhody HS Classic     3200m     12:08  4th 
Erika Pakalnis             Rhody HS Classic      1600m     5:46   11th
Conner Kelley            Rhody HS Classic      3200m     10:25  4th  


Great Job on these performances!!! Keep it up the big meets are coming!!!!!

Brown Named First Team All-Conference and All-New England

Congratulations to FLSP athlete and Bryant's Sophomore running back Jordan Brown for being selected first-team All NEC Conference and Division I (FCS) All- New England.  These accolades are a tribute to all his hard work and dedication to the team and the sport!  Can't wait to start training again Jordan! 

"Training hard every day"

http://www.bryantbulldogs.com/sports/fball/2010-11/releases/20101201itjpcc

http://www.bryantbulldogs.com/sports/fball/2010-11/releases/20101126mjj1h7

Ragone Named Finalist For Ivy League Player of The Year

Congratulations to FLSP athlete and Penn's Sophomore Quarterback Billy Ragone for being selected as  one of the four finalists for Ivy League Player of The Year.  The winner will be announced on Monday December 6th in New York City.  Ragone was also voted first-team all Ivy Quarterback.  When you see the link notice his running form in one of his pictures!!!

http://www.pennathletics.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205038631&DB_OEM_ID=1700