November 2, 2009 WORLD SERIES--ARKANSAS

Tonight is a big deal for the state of Arkansas. Let's all think about the biggest moments in sports for the Natural State---in no particular order. (and I welcome any omissions you suggest):

1. National Championships for college sports (Razorback football, basketball, etc.)

2. Jermain Taylor as world boxing champ

3. John Daly's golfing championships

4. Cliff Lee winning Cy Young last year


So let's examine the magnitude of tonight's World Series Game 5. Arkansas boys AJ Burnett (NLR/CAC) & Cliff Lee (Benton) are squaring off. Both have had great major league careers: last year Cliff (link to his bio) won the American League Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in the American League...AJ Burnett (link to his bio) is part of a formidable Yankees rotation, and has a no-hitter under his belt.

With a great performance tonight by Burnett, the Yankees could clinch their 27th World Series title. But, Lee, as the Phillies ace, could be the spark to get the Phillies back into the Series. Both had dominating performances in their last outing.

Tonight, this is the biggest stage in baseball. It is rather amazing that they are both from the central Arkansas area---growing up about 30 minutes apart. It is also amazing that they have the same agent, Darek Braunecker!

Having known both of these pitchers, I am very proud of what they have accomplished over their careers. This is a big night!

Transition of the Sports Seasons--BASEBALL & SOFTBALL COMING SOON

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!

My thoughts on the Arkansas-Florida game

Just in case anyone cares (ummm, probably not, but I will do this anyway)

* Great effort by the Hogs: they keep improving & improving, especially on defense.
* Florida loses without Tebow: I have even more respect for this guy. He is a winner. The rest of the team is questionable regarding #1 status. Depending on their effort tonight, I like Bama as the best team in the country.
*Brandon Spikes: not sure Arkansas does as well as they did running the ball with him off the field for Florida
*Tejada: yeah, he missed 2 FGs. Arkansas had other chances to score (Mallet's inaccuracy for one thing). Florida's kicker missed also. It's tough not to point the finger at him, but let's be careful.
*Refs: I try to stay away from the "The Refs Are on the Gators Payroll" argument. But it's real hard in this case. I am reminded of how Michael Jordan always got away with calls when he played. I think this is entirely possible that it plays out in other sports & leagues.

What's next for Arkansas? look for a group of confident, highly-motivated, vastly improved & angry Hogs to go on a tear from here on out. It looks very promising for a strong finish to the season.


Athletic thoughts: very impressed today with Dennis Johnson. His has an incredible combination of strength & speed. He can shed tacklers just from his size alone. I wonder if his small steps are holding him back even more. Maybe his hip flexors are too tight....who knows. But I genuinely think he can be an even better athlete with some work.

Ryan Mallet's arm strength is just amazing. That TD pass he threw was off the wrong leg. Incredible.

Jake Bequette has become the most-improved player on defense. What an incredible first-step.


Not sure right know about the Razorback's injuries right now....will try to find out.

Athletic Trainers in our Schools

I want to take this opportunity to get on my soapbox. It's really time to do something.

Have you ever watched a professional or college sporting event on TV and seen an athlete go down with an injury? They lay there on the field or court, writhing in pain, until a couple of people wearing fanny packs or something come sprinting out to them & immediately begin to assess the damage. These people start to figure out what's wrong with the athlete, and begin a course of care right there on the spot that, hopefully, leads to minimizing any further damage & getting that athlete back to playing again as soon as possible. So, who are these people?

If it's a TV game, there is probably a sports medicine physician out there, and that's a great thing. But the odds are very good that one of these people is a certified athletic trainer, an allied healthcare provider whose medical training ensures that they are there for the athlete & their injuries. Read more about the profession of athletic training here. Ask any athlete in the professional or collegiate ranks who has been injured & they will say that they are glad that there is a medical professional on hand for them at all times---not just for games, but also for practices & travel time.

Now, let's shift our focus to the high school ranks. Imagine yourself at a game, and the scenario described above happens....a player goes down, and....who runs out there to tend to them? Picture that being your son or daughter....you want to know "Who is the person giving immediate care to my kid?" Or does anyone run out there at all?

In the state of Arkansas, LESS THAN 12 school districts employ their athletic trainer....out of 271! This number is staggering. Some schools contract out with a local medical group or hospital to provide an athletic trainer. This is good, but what if their employer wants to do put them at another school in the area, or what if they eliminate that position to save funds?? We spend millions of dollars on coaches, turf fields, and indoor practice facilities---please note, I am in 100% favor of these things, as long as there is also education going on!---but no one can seem to find funds for one or two qualified medical professionals who can:

1. Prevent Injuries
2. Lower Medical Costs & Insurance Premiums
3. Provide Rehabilitation Services
4. Administer First Aid Care
5. Ensure a Higher Level of Medical Care for Student-Athletes


What's wrong with this picture? Why don't more schools have an athletic trainer? Read this great article on this topic.

Ask your athletic director why your kids don't have a higher standard of care....ask your school board where your athletic trainer is.....demand it. Ask your legislator why every school doesn't have an athletic trainer? It's NOT a luxury, it's a necessity. In today's litigious society, a school really can't afford NOT to have an athletic trainer on hand at all times, for all student-athletes.


BJ Maack,ATC, LAT, CSCS
President
Arkansas Athletic Trainers' Association

For more information:

National Athletic Trainers Association
Arkansas Athletic Trainers Association

What Are You Training For?

In the business of training athletes, I am often approached with this general line of question: "Can you help me (or my child) get faster/stronger/better?" This general question is easily answered with a general answer of "Yes." But if you really want to help someone who asks you a question, sometimes it is better to answer a question with a question. So I usually avoid the general "Yes" answer and replace it with a question back to them. Something along the lines of: "What exactly do you do & want to improve?"

The point of this is to get the athlete to focus on exactly what the goals are. One of the best quotes that is relevant here goes like this:

"If you don't know where you are going, you will never get there."

If you want to improve your game, it is vital that you look at yourself and ask: "What am I NOT good at?" Be honest. What areas do you feel are not your strengths? What are your weaknesses? By starting here, you then can get a better handle on how to improve. A baseball player may have outstanding speed running the bases, but they have a poor first-step getting out of the box. He needs to focus on making his feet quicker & more reactive. A basketball player may be able to shoot the ball lights-out, but she isn't effective going to her left while dribbling. So she needs to spend more time with ball-handling skills.

Are you training to get better at one sport, or just a better overall fitness standard? Is your goal to make the varsity next year, or just to enjoy the sport? Do you want to drop your running time? If so, have a goal in mind---BE SPECIFIC WITH YOUR GOALS!! Write them down where you can see them...make them a part of your everyday routine.

So, for performance training, when meeting an athlete for the first time, we try to drill down into the most appropriate physical skills needed. We do an initial assessment & test session to see where they are, then look at the areas where we can make the most improvement. This way, we maximize our time & energy with the athlete. If they have blazing, God-given speed, then we want to focus more on their first-step or start....or train them to be more explosive with their hips. The point is that the athlete needs to be doing a training program that fits them & their unique set of physical ability, not a general training program that only gets a little bit of improvement out of them.

Remember, one size does not fit all in this business...it fits ONE.

The Fade of Summer = The Start of Fall Sports

So, if you are in the same mindset as me, you are slowly realizing that the summer is drawing to a close, especially if you are a high school or college athlete. Practices are about to kick off full-steam ahead, and there is no stopping it. Hopefully, if you are one of these athletes, you have been taking some steps this summer to prepare. Gone are the days of using football two-a-days to get IN shape: you better show up ALREADY in shape. If you don't, someone might just take your spot because the coaches will clearly see which athlete took the time to prepare and which athlete just took it for granted.

Here at Arkansas Sports Performance Center, we have had a great summer with an outstanding group of dedicated athletes who really worked hard this summer. We had a few teams & school groups training together, as well as several new & returning individual athletes. It was so fun to see the competition between current teammates & future opponents in here, all working toward the same goal: to be better than when they first walked in the door. I also enjoyed seeing different ages all getting individual attention....it was not uncommon to see a 10 year old football player next to a college basketball player in here, each getting the work that they require at their level, but then to see that older athlete build into & encourage the younger athlete. We are not just training for physical performance in here---we build confidence!

It was also exciting to see some returning athletes---namely NFL players Tank Daniels of the Philadelphia Eagles & Darren McFadden of the Oakland Raiders. Both returned to ASPC to build on what they had done with us before but also to get the extra steps needed to prepare for training camp. They always took the time to talk to the other athletes in here & sign autographs. Two great guys....

Allow me to put on my sports medicine/athletic trainer hat here for a second if you are an athlete about to start school. There are some things you need to be aware of.

1. HYDRATION: take the time to beat the heat! Drink extra water throughout the day, even when you are not practicing. Monitor your body weight to see if there is excessive weight loss after a hot & sweaty practice. Make sure your urine color is not too dark. Avoid or restrict your caffeine intake.

2. MRSA (staph infection): if you are going to be in & out of a locker room, weight room, or gym, take the time to wash your hands thoroughly. Don't share towels or wet clothing. ANY cut or wound--clean it & keep it covered. Use a cleaning agent like Hibiclens.

Seek out the advice of an athletic trainer or other healthcare professional for any issue. Don't let something minor turn into something major & derail your season. You have worked too hard this summer to let something preventable like MRSA or heat illness set you back.

FANTASY FOOTBALL & INJURIES

 

I have to admit: I enjoy fantasy sports, namely football & baseball. It is a great way to stay connected, both to the game, and frankly, it just gives me & my friends something to talk about. You know men….it's tough to just make small talk. But throw in a topic of where you might be drafting or which running back is out for 3 weeks because of a pinky toe injury, and we can talk for hours. Which brings me to the point of this blog……if you are into fantasy football, it is probably getting close to draft time. There are some high-profile players with injury concerns, and I want to take a moment & apply my area of vocational expertise to these injuries. Maybe these will help you…maybe not. Either way, let me state right now that I am not responsible for you using this info & your draft choice tanking!

Let me know if you have any specific questions about these or other players by commenting on the post!

 

NAME	POSITION	TEAM	INJURY	PROGNOSIS
Tom Brady	QB	New England	ACL/MCL	Despite post-surgical complications, Brady is having a terrific rehab. Reports coming out of camp is that is looking like the Brady of old, and until he demonstrates otherwise, you have no reason to pass on him if he is available. He still has a great team around him. It is his plant (left leg) but he should be fine.
Darren McFadden	RB	Oakland	Turf Toe	I think he has the worst of this behind him…he now sees what it takes to play at the NFL level, and has taken the steps needed to get his body ready. I see no reason to have any concerns about this injury for the 2009 season. I have more concerns about the Raiders as a team, but that's another story.
Felix Jones	RB	Dallas	Toe	Another ex-Hog with a toe injury…hmmmm. The difference here is that Felix actually had surgery on his toe. While he had some toe issues in college & played through them, this one gives me pause. I personally would wait & not draft him high…there's also the non-injury issue of splitting time with Barber.
Brian Westbrook	RB	Philadelphia	Ankle/Knee	Lots of factors going against him here: he is almost 30, creaky knee, now a creaky ankle. This one also gives me personal angst, as I have to decide if I want to protect him on my team. I think he will still be a serviceable #2 RB but don't expect typical Westbrook numbers this year.
Anquan Boldin	WR	Arizona	Jaw	Devastating hit last year…but I would not hesitate one bit this guy. Maybe not a team player but a hard-nosed competitor.
Carson Palmer	QB	Cincinnati	Elbow	This is the same-type injury that affects many pitchers, but Carson did not require surgery. He also did not get hurt throwing the ball, but it was a contact injury. I think he will not have any issues with throwing the ball this year. Now, to whom is another issue.
Antonio Gates	TE	San Diego	Ankle/Toe	This combination of injuries gives me pause. Due to where he is in his rehab schedule, I can't see him being the Antonio Gates of old for the first part of the season.