As we rapidly approach the end of October, it brings us to an interesting point of the year. Football is coming to a close for youth teams, while high school & college are either at or just past the midpoint. Volleyball is in tournament mode, as their seasons are winding down.
On a bigger scale, I love this time of year because you have: post-season MLB, the NFL & college football are in full swing, and basketball is about here. There is no shortage of sports around here!!
So what's the point?
For those whose sports are either not in-season or are coming to a close real soon: after taking some time to let your body recover, you really need to start thinking about what to do now. Were you happy with your performance this past season? What are you doing to get ready for next season? As referenced in an earlier blog (see below), it's important to always be looking at what you can be doing better instead of just relying on your strengths.
In particular, baseball & softball players need to be using this time of the year to commit 6-8 weeks to work on their game. Do you need to be faster? What's your arm strength like right now? Having trouble exploding out of the box to run down the line? These are all things that are good to look at.....and now is the best time to start correcting these issues. Don't wait until February---it will be too late then.
THINGS BASEBALL & SOFTBALL PLAYERS NEED TO FOCUS ON:
SPEED: you need to be able to perform for that scout timing you, as well as getting around the bases. I had one baseball player who, after he finished training, was playing in a game & hit a ball to the shortstop. He knew he had hit a easy grounder for a sure out, but like you all do, ran it out anyway. To his surprise, he heard the umpire call "SAFE!" as he hit the bag. He didn't even have to think about it & his speed had improved!! Another player told me that he was able to get the extra base in a game that he NEVER would have gotten before. So, bottom line, YOU NEED SPEED!!
TRUNK: like all athletes, you have to have a strong core---note, not a strong six-pack; these are USELESS for athletes if you are not functionally strong---but baseball & softball players have to pay special attention to this area in order to perform. It helps with hitting & throwing. You need explosive hips in order to be good out there on the field.
THROWING: Listen up: the human arm was not designed to throw overhead repeatedly. So we have to do extra things to make it last through a season. This doesn't just mean to do a few sets of tubing exercises----it means an extensive, head-to-toe throwing program to best utilize your entire body to perform the act of throwing.
I welcome any & all comments regarding baseball & softball training.....I have been around baseball my entire life, spending almost 15 years as batboy & clubhouse boy for the Arkansas Travelers, then 6 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals as an athletic trainer. So I love all discussion about the game. Hit me with any questions!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
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2 comments:
B.J. as a coach of a large softball organization I can appreciate your post. My girls certainly need to improve their speed, hip strength, and arm strength during the off-season. My question to you is what should the recovery time be? We just finished up our season and still practicing once a week.
Any sport should really be viewed with a year-round perspective. There needs to be cycles built into the months of the year, each focusing on different aspects (strength, pre-season training, in-season, etc.) Especially with youth athletes, I would encourage rest be built into the training program, especially upon the culmination of the season. Rest doesn't have to be "just sit on the couch" activities; the term "active rest" has a great application here. Getting out & jogging a few days per week....still gathering as a team to practice but playing kickball or some other game...letting them just be kids will do a great deal of things for them. It gives them a much-needed mental break. It many not seem like a big deal, but I encourage baseball/softball players to, once the season ends, to not touch their gloves & bats for about 10-14 days. You will be amazed at what this does for them. Secondly, it gives their most-used muscles a break. Don't underestimate rest! Use the months of November & December (January too, to some extent) to make strength, speed & agility gains. They can train very hard without worrying about messing up game/practice time. Finally, any age is a good age for strength training---even youth. Body-weight exercises, with strong emphasis on technique & supervision, can help even an 11 year old!
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