BUILDING YOUR ATHLETE FROM THE GROUND UP - Blog

[Guest Prosoft Admin]

BUILDING YOUR ATHLETE FROM THE GROUND UP

 

Have you ever been working on helping your son or daughter, or maybe one of your players, and wondered why they just couldn’t seem to get it right? Ever felt that way as a player?

Maybe just one more drill. Maybe if I just say it one more time….say it louder….show them myself what I mean. Ok, maybe it’s time to Google some new drills to do.

 

HOLD YOUR HORSES! STOP beating yourself up.

It may not be your coaching. It may not be your young athlete’s actual ability to follow your instructions. It might not even be their skill itself.

Whether it’s an athlete’s technique that’s falling short or the outcome itself that is lacking, from a poor hip turn on a golf swing, getting a sore arm every time they throw hard, or being unable to change directions on defense well, not getting a full swing on your volleyball spike, or a runner struggling with their speed work due to an arm that keeps crossing midline…

Oftentimes, what appears to be a technique flaw, requiring diligent skill development sequencing from a coach who picks and teaches just the right set of drills is, in actuality, TRULY an underlying PHYSICAL limitation. Skill drill after skill drill, practice after practice, week after week of sweat and dedicated effort – on both the part of the athlete and from a coach or loving parent, will result in the same thing: SAMENESS!

Why? Well if you’re lacking the motion, lacking the strength, lacking the stability….if you physically just don’t own enough STUFF in your body to accomplish a certain move it doesn’t matter how much you try your hardest to change that skill. It’s not more coaching or more practice or just the right drill you need.

Do YOU know whether your young athlete is lacking in some physical ability? Is there a joint or muscle group that’s lacking motion? Is there a balance or control issue somewhere? Is there a strength deficit that’s limiting their development? Or, is it merely that neuromuscular skill patterning they need?

I don’t know…I haven’t seen them yet? Do you?

Listen to the story of Bobby on our podcast. It’s a great example of how using Applied Functional Science approaches helped identify some really key physical shortcomings that had been missed and will serve as the foundation for Bobby’s future successes as a baseball player!