Ok, so it's been a while since I've done this. A really long time. I have had an Outlook Task Item called "Update Blog" yell at me every week or so for the last 5-6 weeks. I keep ignoring him. But no more….
Let's get caught up on some things. I will go back to right after Christmas & try to get back to current days.
- U.S. Army All- American Bowl Week: During the week after Christmas, I had the privilege of serving as one of the athletic trainers* for the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. The purpose of this bowl is to showcase the top senior football players in the country in the AlamoBowl, nationally televised by NBC. What an amazing week! I was totally blown away by the magnitude of the whole event. The entire downtown of ol' San Antone was draped in banners & the like, all promoting the game. First-class operation! I was honored to work with some fine local athletic trainers to help these kids get the best possible care for their injuries as well as normal taping & stretching duties.
I was down there as a part of the affiliation I have with Athletic Republic (the international sports training network that ASPC is a proud member of). We as a team not only assisted with the sports medicine care for the athletes, but we were responsible for the athletic testing for the Army National Combine, as well as other various Football University events (www.footballuniversity.org)
Being a proud Arkansan, it was neat to work with Razorback signees Darius Winston of Helena-West Helena & Ronnie Wingo of St. Louis. I also made this observation: as I closely follow high school football in Arkansas and now getting to see the nation's BEST high school football players on one field, I can honestly say this: Arkansas high school football talent, while by no means the top of the nation (yet!) is nothing to shun….it is right up there with the likes of Texas, Florida & California. That is exciting to me! Everyone keep working hard!
- Arkansas Sports Performance Center: Things are really busy at the workplace. Actually, how is work when you get to do what you love? I am blessed to be able to help young men & women get to their full potential—be it for training or for injury rehab. We recently completed some team training for White Hall's football team…about 15 young men made the hour-long trip twice a week to work their tails off. We just saw some amazing results! See www.arkansasvarsity.com for some info on this.
We are drawing nearer & nearer to finalizing plans for our new facility & location. Central Arkansas will never be the same! I can't wait to dedicate an entire blog post to this announcement!
The great staff I have the honor of leading just keeps getting better & better…which in turn makes our programs better & better. Thanks to Chris, Jonathan, Zach M, Zach H, Mike & Justin for all you do!
- FBU: I just got back from working a Football University camp in Houston at Rice University. FBU (Football University) is a series of invitation-only, position-specific weekend camps held all over the country, specifically taught by some of the most distinguished names in professional football. Also as a part of Athletic Republic, I was down there helping with the performance teaching, training & testing of these athletes. Upcoming camps for me: Hattiesburg, MS, Orlando, FL & Columbia, MO. Lots of fun seeing these kids learn & get better.
- ATHLETIC TRAINING: in addition to helping kids get faster, stronger, etc., I also get to help with injuries & issues affecting the student-athletes of Arkansas. (go to www.swata.org/aata) Find out if your school has access to an athletic trainer. If you don't have one, ask your athletic director, your superintendent, your school board…WHY NOT? Why should a student-athlete be put at risk for injuries just because there is no one qualified at practices & games? Call your legislator to ask for their support for athletic training legislation, both on the national & state levels.
- PED: Yet again, performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) have made the headlines. It seems like they are as prevalent in the headlines as the economy! WHY? Well, frankly, because it is a problem. But the problem really doesn't have anything to do with the present (at least in baseball)….it's all about the past. Anyone who gets caught now is just stupid with all of the negative attention these days. Let's be real: cheaters have always looked for a way to gain an advantage…even in the days of the ancient Olympics. A cheater doesn't think it's cheating unless they get caught. Let's also be real about this: baseball has all of the attention with this issue, but EVERY sport has to deal with this issue. I predict that we are a short time away from a steroid scandal rocking the NFL. It's there.
There are ways to advance in your sport without turning to such things. Hard work for one…but let's consider something else: SMART work. It is possible to work TOO hard, but never possible to work TOO smart. I try to instill in every one of my athletes the importance of doing things smarter & more intelligently than the other guy. Things in this category include: post-workout recovery, applying science to your training method, being sport-specific (if you are a basketball player why train like a football player?), rest, nutrition, and proper strength training. I whole-heartedly believe that if you do these things, you will prevail, and see amazing gains that won't get you in the "POSITIVE" test category for PEDs.
- FCA Football Combine: Saturday, April 18 marks the oldest & BEST Combine in Arkansas! War Memorial Stadium! This invitation-only event is in its 11 year, and promises to be the best yet. www.fcacombine.com
Look for information coming soon about an OPEN FOOTBALL COMBINE (for anyone!) also held on April 18th!
If you've read this far, I have to say THANK YOU! The purpose of this blog is (supposed) to be a relevant & timely forum for what's going on with the world of athletes in Arkansas. I welcome any & all comments!
I promise to be better about posting…..
*Athletic trainer: not to be confused with a personal trainer. www.nata.org Who is taking care of your kids while they play sports?
