Podcast #131: Building a Division III Powerhouse with Misericordia’s Garrett deMarrais

Garrett deMarrais

Today we’re sitting down with Garrett deMarrais, Assistant Coach / Recruiting Coordinator of Division III powerhouse Misericordia Baseball. The Cougars have reached the NCAA Division III World Series in back-to-back seasons, including a National Championship last year.  Topics Include:

    • The key to a winning culture
    • The power of thinking “outside the box” offensively
    • Key traits when recruiting new players

Continue reading “Podcast #131: Building a Division III Powerhouse with Misericordia’s Garrett deMarrais”

Podcast #130: Talking Shop with RPP Strength and Conditioning Coach Bill Walsh

Today we’re sitting down with RPP Strength and Conditioning Coach Bill Walsh. Bill brings with him 20 years of experience, in both the S&C and AT fields. Topics Include:

    • The biggest challenges when coaching the high school population
    • The 3 pillars of athleticism
    • Ankle mobility / strength and its relationship to mechanics and speed

Continue reading “Podcast #130: Talking Shop with RPP Strength and Conditioning Coach Bill Walsh”

The Scapular Stabilizers… Why Are They Mission Critical? – Part 2

In Part 1 of this 2-Part article, we review scapular stability, why it’s important and the fact that training it does not happen in isolation. We also covered some of the big players, namely strength and motor control of the cuff as well as tissue quality of the internal rotators. Today, in Part 2, we’re going to sum up the rest of the big players and talk a bit about putting it all together.

Let’s go…

Continue reading “The Scapular Stabilizers… Why Are They Mission Critical? – Part 2”

Podcast #129: College Baseball Recruiting with Sam Sharf, RPP Director of Recruiting

Sam Sharf

Today, I’m sitting down with Sam Sharf, RPP’s new Director of Recruiting. Sam brings with him over 12 years of baseball coaching and recruiting experience. Topics Include:

    • When is a good time to look into hiring a recruiter?
    • What’s involved in an initial recruiting eval?
    • Top focal points when preparing to choose as recruiter

Continue reading “Podcast #129: College Baseball Recruiting with Sam Sharf, RPP Director of Recruiting”

Passive vs. Active Hip and Shoulder Mobility… Why It Matters?

Hip and Shoulder Mobility

Putting your foot up on a table and stretching out your hamstring might feel good and can give you some temporary relief if done for long enough and frequently, but this newfound “Passive” range-of-motion (ROM) will more than likely NOT transfer to game play. This, requires what we call “Active” ROM.

Why? Let’s get into it…

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Podcast #128: Training Strength in an Elite College Setting with Jamie Burleson at FSU

Jamie Burleson

This week we’re sitting down with Florida State Strength and Conditioning Coach Jamie Burleson to talk about training strength with the elite college population. Topics Include:

    • Incoming Recruits, What to Expect on Day 1
    • The Importance of a Great Baseline Assessment
    • The Lack of Dedicated High School Strength Coaches in the Northeast

Continue reading “Podcast #128: Training Strength in an Elite College Setting with Jamie Burleson at FSU”

Podcast #127: Turning on the Lower Half for Better Lead Leg Stability

Lower Half Strength

Today we’re talking about creating a more efficient lead leg block through lower half activation with PT Greg LaMendola.  Topics Include:

    • Removing blocks in the kinetic chain
    • The Soleus and Piriformis muscles and their association with lead leg stability
    • More efficient transfer of power from lower to upper half

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The Scapular Stabilizers… Why Are They Mission Critical? – Part 1

What is Scapular Stability?

The Scapula (shoulder blade) attaches to your ribcage via two main muscles, the serratus anterior and the trapezius. These muscles (with help from the Rhomboids), pull in different directions to help keep your shoulder blade stable while your arm moves and accepts force. They are otherwise known as your “scapula stabilizers”. Why is it Important? Continue reading “The Scapular Stabilizers… Why Are They Mission Critical? — Part 1”

Training Power with Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP)

I love to use the phrase, “training doesn’t happen in isolation”. In other words, there’s a time to train strength and a time to learn to apply that strength quickly. Post-activation potentiation (referred to from here on out as “PAP”) is a phase we use once harder throwing begins at the mid-point of the off-season with our more advanced athletes to train explosive power.

What exactly is PAP?

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