A Philosophy of Strength and Health

Wow, what can I say about Vern Gambetta's 09 GAIN Apprentorship ? I went to Ft. Lauderdale on June 19 with no idea of what the next 5 days would bring; I emerged a changed person. I have been super-charged from a personal and a professional standpoint. For 5 days we (about 35 of us) were immersed in all things related to athletic development--physical assessment, skill acquisition, strength/power, speed/agility, martial arts, shoulder/core issues, rehabilitation of the elite athlete, current concepts in controlling MRSA, and cautionary tales regarding research in sport science. And I probably missed a few other topics. We started at 7 am and finished around 9 pm each day, and then usually retreated to the lobby bar for more discussion. Of course, by the last night, Mick, our Irish futbol performance coach from Abu Dhabi, took charge of the bartending! There were extraordinary people from all professions involving sport, movement, coaching and physical health: strength coaches,...

Just watched Food Inc. in a theater less than 3 miles or so from the world headquarters of the multi-national company in the picture below. Interesting there was a cop cruising the end of the exit. The movie will make you think about what you eat, why, where it really comes from, the policies that support it, and who controls it. It's time for a little blessed unrest.

This sign hangs just after the TSA security area in Concourse C of the Milwaukee Airport. The person who got this done deserves a bonus. And you gotta love an airport that sells cheese curds and braunschweiger in the main terminal. Braunschweiger was a staple at my grandparent's house and cheese curds were a staple in the AD's house. I am pretty sure he enjoyed the cheese curds more than I enjoyed the braunschweiger .

Me: "Your dad says you've been bringing the ball up the court." PB&J: "Yeah. No one wants to guard me. It's kinda fun." Hell yeah! I'm sure it is a little intimidating for some 5' 10" dude to see a 6' 10" dude coming down the court with the ball, with skill, at speed. Big dudes don't usually take charge and handle the ball; they usually lumber down the court, trying to keep up with the smaller guys. But my goal, beginning in February 2008 wasn't just to make PB&J a better post player. It was to make him a complete athlete. Athletic development is more than just increasing a kid's vertical or improving their 40 yd dash. Or at least it should be. It is developing body awareness, mobility and strength that leads to a set of physical competencies that allow the individual to better perform sport skills. We want to develop all-around athletic ability; not pigeon-hole someone into a team sport position, or their ...

Ryan "PB&J" Pierson is now ranked #26 in the class of 2010 centers, according to ESPN. Evaluation May, 2009: Pierson has completely changed his body since his injury a year ago. He is playing with more confidence in the low post and is using his strength to get position on his opponents at both ends of the floor. He is a little mechanical in his low post moves but does have a soft touch around the basket and can finish with either hand. He has a nice stroke on his faceup jumper and consistently hit the 15-17ft jumper as well as his free throws. He has ok lateral movement and must improve his fluidity of his low post moves. I'm not one who is into the basketball recruiting industry, but it is nice to see that our work (since March 2008) has carried over to his sport skill and play. There is much more work to do, but this is one dedicated kid.

The video below features highlights from the semi-final match against rival SLUH (white jerseys)--we had to beat them for the 3rd time this season to advance to the finals. My camera and computer are set up right behind the SLUH student section (meh). But this game illustrates some of the great play and athleticism at the high school-level in Missouri. And for all you boys out there who still think volleyball is a "girls" sport--put your little faces in front of some of these hits and see what volleyball leather tastes like.

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