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Air Force Special Ops Lieutenant Colonel Heath Kerns discusses how to help your team develop mental toughness and perseverance.
His discussion is targeted to Football coaches, but many points are applicable to coaching in general. Please make sure to click on the video to start the presentation and make sure that your sound is on.
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The R.E.A.L. Man Program is a strategic and progressive character development program designed to help middle school, high school, and college-aged students to reach their full potential, in every aspect of their lives.
The 20-lesson program is a blueprint for success, which is aimed at helping students understand and live out the principles of a positive and influential life.
The foundation for the program can be described as:
Respect all people,
Especially women.
Always do the right thing.
Live a life that matters.
Here are a three videos about the R.E.A.L. Man Program.
The first video is a short description of the program. The second video is of an actual lesson taught by a coach at a school that utilizes the R.E.A.L Man Program. The third is an overview of the program.
The second video is a YouTube video, so you will need to be on a server that allows you to access YouTube.
There is sound with each video.
If you are interested in finding out more about the program, contact:
Kathy DiCocco at 203-206-4801 or email her at kdicocco@hopefoundation.us
Or click here to visit The R.E.A.L Man Program
Please click the play arrows to view the videos.
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This post was provided by Training-Conditioning
Increasing mobility requires more than just stretching or foam rolling. While these passive exercises are definitely helpful for keeping muscles healthy and flexible, active work is also required. By completing challenging exercises that put muscles through various ranges of motion, athletes will be able to access greater strength and power.
Here’s a list of exercises to increase mobility, put together by Venus Lau, NASM-CPT, a Los Angeles-based trainer, movement expert, and contributor to Muscle & Fitness magazine. For each exercise, Lau recommends to perform four reps, doing each rep slowly and taking about 30 seconds to complete. Also, have athletes try to hold the end ranges for three seconds. In total, the workout should take about 10 minutes.
Wave Unload
-Start in a downward dog position with heels up.
-Tuck the pelvis and shift the body forward, keeping arms straight.
-Articulate the spine like a wave moving one vertebra at a time. As the shoulders travel past the hands, drop the hips and pull the chest through the arms.
-Squeeze the shoulder blades together while looking to the sky.
-Return to downward dog and repeat.
Shin Box Bridge
-Start seated, with knees bent 90 degrees and soles on the floor.
-Straighten the arms, placing the palms on the floor and the fingers facing back.
-Using a windshield-wiper motion, shift the legs to the left, bringing both knees to the ground.
Twisted Crescent Lunge
-Start in a high lunge, with the right knee over the right ankle and the left heel over the ball of the foot.
-Reach both arms overhead.
-Twist to the right and open the arms to a T position.
-Hold, continuing to drive to the right.
-Reverse and repeat on the other side.
Crab Reach
-Start seated with the soles of the feet and the palms flat on the floor.
-Keep the arms straight, with the shoulders over the palms and the legs shoulder-width apart and knees over ankles.
-Lift the butt off the ground and bring the right hand in front of the eyes, with the fingers in prayer position.
-Lift the hips to the sky, open the left shoulder, and reach the right hand over the body toward the left hand.
-Return and repeat on the other side.
Adding these exercises to an athlete’s training routine will help them increase muscle mobility and range of motion, both of which are essential aspects of athletic performance. This will also help them make even greater gains in the weightroom. An athlete’s muscles can become tight and less flexible from training and competing, making these types of mobility exercises very useful for both performance and injury prevention.
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This article was provided Coaches Network
By Dr. David Hoch, CMAA, CIC
In my senior year of college, I interviewed for several prospective teaching positions. At the end of each interview, the person conducting the session—usually an assistant superintendent or principal—asked if I had any questions. I always did: “What are the chances of coaching at your school?”
When I heard that one school needed coaches in every sport, I immediately accepted its job offer. Initially, I coached the freshman basketball team. The following year I moved into the junior varsity position. Halfway through my first j.v. season, the head coach asked me, “Where would you like to be in 15 years?”
At 23 years old, the thought had never occurred to me, and I stuttered, “I coach soccer, I’m your j.v. basketball coach, in the spring I coach tennis, and I teach five classes a day. I love it. I’m extremely happy.”
He responded. “I didn’t ask if you were happy. I asked where you would like to be professionally in 15 years. See, in order to reach a goal or career objective, you have to take concrete steps to build credentials in order to get to your desired position. It doesn’t happen by accident. So, where would you like to be?”
Since I didn’t have a ready answer, the head coach dropped the subject. However, a few weeks later he repeated the question. This time, I muddled out, “I might like to be a head men’s basketball coach on the college level one day.”
“Good,” he replied. “Now, what steps are you going to take to get there? Being my j.v. coach isn’t going to get you to your goal.”
This was my first exposure to a mentor. I had no idea what the concept involved prior to that interaction. As I went through my career, I had two additional, extremely helpful individuals serve as mentors. They were invaluable to my professional growth.
While some mentors may simply “appear” in your life, there may be others whom you have to seek out. The following thoughts should help you find your next career guide.
Keep your eyes open. Learn to spot the coaches or teachers in your school or in neighboring districts who have a wealth of knowledge, experience, and wisdom. These individuals are usually very easy to recognize. They may not have a title, but everyone gravitates to them and seeks their subtle, sound advice. Get in line and ask them to help you.
Be open minded. Stay receptive to ideas and advice. While it is good to have your own ideas, you can learn a lot by listening. You don’t always have to follow the advice you receive, but at least be willing to consider ideas and suggestions. Take advantage of the experience and perspective of others and, in doing so, you may proceed more quickly and without encountering as many obstacles.
Look beyond your circle. Venture outside your specific sport for advice and help. For ideas on sport-specific skills, drills, and practice organization, coaches within your sport can be extremely helpful and should be consulted. But on a broader topic like your professional career, reaching beyond your individual sport makes sense because you will be expanding the number of potential mentors.
Increase your odds. Join professional organizations, such as your state coaches’ association, and attend their annual conferences. When you do, you will come into contact with others in your sport and in athletics in general who may be able to point you in the right direction. Your next mentor may be the individual sitting next to you at a session or someone you meet at lunch.
Show gratitude. Always thank anyone who is willing to help you determine and move toward your career goals. This person has his or her own life and responsibilities. By giving time and energy to help you with your future, a mentor is providing a gift and making a sacrifice.
And of course, as you progress in your career, don’t forget to reach out and be a mentor to the next batch of new, inexperienced coaches. Giving back is a privilege and an important part of the job for any professional.
David Hoch retired in 2010 after a 41-year career as a high school athletic director and coach. In 2009, Dr. Hoch was honored as the Eastern District Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. He was also presented with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Distinguished Service Award, and in 2000 he was named the Maryland State Athletic Director Association’s Athletic Director of the Year. Dr. Hoch has authored over 460 professional articles and made more than 70 presentations around the country. He welcomes comments and questions and can be reached at: davidhochretad@gmail.com.
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This article was provided by Training-Conditioning
When coaching a multi-sport athlete, it can be difficult to design a training program that caters to your specific sport while also addressing the athlete’s needs. Each sport has its own demands, and a multi-sport athlete may be stronger or weaker in certain areas based on the other sport(s) they play. But according to Jordan Tingman, CSCS, USAW L1, ACE CPT, CFL1, and contributor to the International Youth Conditioning Association, creating the right training program can help these athletes excel in every sport they compete in.
It starts with getting to know the athlete. Tingman recommends asking them a few questions: What have you done to train in the past? What sports do you play? Have you ever worked with a strength and conditioning professional or had any formal training outside of your sport? What injuries or structural issues have you had in the past? What are some things you would like to improve?
These questions will help you determine the training age of the individual and the types of exercises and intensity you will use going forward. Many young athletes don’t have experience doing resistance training, so even if they are already excelling in multiple sports, it’s important to start with the basics in the weightroom.
Know what other sports they play is key because it will help you understand the demands that are being placed on them. If they are repeating certain movements for one of the sports and creating muscle imbalances, you should look for ways to correct these imbalances during training. This will help them be better overall athletes and reduce the chances of injury.
Imbalances and weaknesses can also be linked to past injuries, so be sure to ask about those as well. If an athlete has suffered an injury in another sport under a different coach, you may not know about until you ask. Once you have this information, you can better determine what exercises to avoid, modify, or add in order to protect or strengthen some of the damaged or weakened muscles. With these extra precautions, you can help athletes be more resilient when it comes to further injury.
When asking athletes where they would like to improve, Tingman suggests having them get as specific as possible. There might be certain areas that they want to work or haven’t been able to address because of other sporting commitments in the past. Based on their goals, incorporate some drills or exercise into their training that will help them get to where they want to be.
Along with asking these questions of your multi-sport athletes, Tingman also recommends doing an assessment so that you can identify any glaring concerns. Put them through a series of dynamic warm-ups, such as High Knees, Butt Kickers, High Knee Hugs, Pendulums, Quad Stretch and Reach, Runners, Lateral Lunge and Pivot, Figure 4 with Air Squat, Carioca, Skips, Backward Run, Side Shuffle, and a two 10 yard sprints. Watching them move through these exercises will help you assess any of their physical limitations and adjust their training accordingly.