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How to Build Athleticism in Young Athletes

A couple years ago, I wrote an article about youth strength training covering all the related myths and facts.  I have been asked several times since then what my young athlete should be doing if he or she is too young for the weight room.  There are four basic movements that every young athlete can master using their own body weight as resistance in order to better build his or her athleticism. Becoming athletic takes time at any age, but the good news is that young athletes have a higher window of adaptation at this age, allowing for giant leaps in athleticism over a short period of time.

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Athlete Highlight: George Mason Commit Shaun O’Keeffe (1.34 ERA) Velo is up 4-6 mph

George Mason commit Shaun O’Keeffe is having an exceptional spring senior season at Donovan Catholic High School in Toms River, New Jersey. In 36 IP, the lefty has registered a 1.34 ERA with 62 strikeouts and an Ocean County Championship for Donovan Catholic. Shaun began training with us last summer as a part of the Summer Throwing Program and continued his training throughout the fall and winter leading up to the spring season.  His velocity has improved by 4-6 mph, from sitting 81-83 to 85-87 mph.

How did he do it?

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Podcast #51: Maximizing Performance through Better Nutrition with Derek Lipton

Today we answer some big questions on the nutrition side with Performance Nutrition Coach and Sports Dietitian Derek Lipton (MS, RD, CSSD and CSCC). Topics Include:

    • Eating Strategies for “Hard Gainers”
    • Sleep and Hydration
    • 5 bullet points for a successful performance-based meal plan

Continue reading “Podcast #51: Maximizing Performance through Better Nutrition with Derek Lipton”

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What is a Proper Load for Hitters? The Do’s and Don’ts

Hitting a baseball is a series of sequential and interconnected movements. Many of the issues hitters face at the plate begin early in the hitting / swing process. Today, we’re going to review several components of what we consider to be a proper “Load”.  If you don’t start your swing by loading well, chances are it may not end well either. Losses in bat speed, power, poor sequencing, poor swing metrics and poor “adjustability at the plate” are all examples of issues that can be initiated with a poor load. The way we look at it, there are a few things you should DO well and couple of things you should make sure you’re NOT doing:

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Athlete Highlight: Vincent Luther Velo is up 6 mph Since September (1.18 ERA)

Vincent Luther, Junior at Ridgewood High School in New Jersey, is having an excellent start to his 2023 baseball season. More than halfway through the spring, he has pitched 35.2 innings with a 1.18 ERA.  His velocity is up 6 mph from 78 in July 2022 to 84+ mph since he started training with us last September, which gave us a good amount of time to work on several different areas.

How did he do it?

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Understanding and Choosing TJ Procedures and Recovery Timeline with Dr. Casey Pierce

This week we’re sitting down with Dr. Casey Pierce, MD. He is a long time friend and one of my “go-to guys” when it comes to Tommy John repair. This is a must for athletes as well as parents in order to be better educated with the process. This week we discuss:

    • The various levels of treatment and procedures
    • The back-to-throw timeline for each
    • How to determine which treatment is right for your particular situation and why

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What Do the New College Baseball Recruiting Rules Mean to YOU?

college baseball recruiting

The NCAA recently changed college baseball recruiting rules to slow the recruiting process for prospective student-athletes. Under the new rules, college coaches can’t communicate with a prospect, including inbound calls, until August 1st, prior to their Junior year. Additionally, no verbal offers or commitments will be made before that time. However, communication will be permitted while attending college camps held on campuses, but coaches are not allowed to discuss recruiting or make any verbal offers until the date listed above.  Let’s review what these changes mean to you!

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Lower Half Pitching Mechanics: Block – Simplified (Part 4 of 4)

Use your legs. Use your lower half. Sounds great but, “what the heck does it mean”? Coaches often cue this as if it’s one single thing. In reality, a proper use of the lower half has 4 different but connected and sequential components. In Part 4 of this 4 part series on lower half pitching mechanics, we’ll take a closer look and break down what I refer to as the Block.

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Athlete Highlight: Seton Hall Frosh Michael Gillen Sitting 91-93 mph w/ a 0.40 ERA

Michael Gillen, Freshman at Seton Hall University, is having a great start to his collegiate career. With 15 appearances and 22.2 innings pitched, he has a .40 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and velocity sitting at 91-93 mph. He initially began training with us back in the fall of 2019 as he was starting his sophomore year at Bergen Catholic high school (at the time according to PBR he was sitting 78-80). Fast forward… after graduation he joined the 12-week Summer Throwing Program in preparation for his collegiate career. When he started the summer program, his goals included cleaning up pitching mechanics, improving his velocity and overall pitching arsenal.

His summer program began with a 3 ½ hour initial assessment, which included the following: Continue reading “Athlete Highlight: Seton Hall Frosh Michael Gillen Sitting 91-93 mph w/ a 0.40 ERA”