Posted by Larry Jusdanis on Sat, Apr 28, 2012 @ 06:05 AM
Reason #1 - Time management & discipline
Another busy baseball season is upon us and many players are trying to juggle practices, games and schoolwork. Add in-season training to this schedule and a player really has to be disciplined with his/her time. SST athletes maintain a 2 days per week in-season program throughout their busy schedule. How do they manage to do this? Time Management and Discipline!
Stop watching TV, playing video games and reading your favorite Kim Kardashian tweets! All I am asking for is 2 hours per week during the season…really if you can’t afford to spend 2 hours in making yourself better during the season then you should consider licking stamps for a living.
It takes Time Management and Discipline…two skills that you need to continue working on if you truly want to compete at the college or pro levels.
Reason #2 - Peak at the end of the season, not at the beginning
It makes no sense to me why athletes train hard for the beginning of the season and then stop training. When is the most important time for an athlete to peak? Playoffs! SST athletes are stronger, faster and more powerful for a run at the championship season because of their commitment to getting strong in the weight room.
Think about this - you spend 2 hours per week strength training during the season….your strength continues to rise…Your competitor takes the summer off and his strength, power and speed diminish by the end of the season. Think of the sizable difference in strength you will have over your competitors. Can you look yourself in the eye at the end of the season and say I did everything I can to help my team win?
If you want to be the best then how can you justify taking 4 months off and expect to compete at the same level with some of your competitors?
Reason #3 - Continue training FOR BASEBALL
Everyone talks about aerobic conditioning for baseball players, but what about speed development? Last time I looked Baseball is an anaerobic speed and power sport - not AEROBIC!
Why is it that players are still running poles and miles? WASTE of time! Get over it peeps...work on your short term speed and you will see a huge difference in your game!
I have yet to see an award for the best miler in baseball - but I have seen awards given for stolen bases and homeruns - BOTH POWER AND SPEED movements!
Sorry to all of you old school thinkers that have their head in the sand and still have their guys jogging…include a 30 minute speed workout during the season and you will see a huge difference!
Sincerely,
Larry Jusdanis is the owner of Sports Specific Training Inc. and www.sstcanada.com
Image courtesy of diamondawgs.com
Posted by Jen Scorniaenchi on Mon, Apr 16, 2012 @ 12:06 PM
Many professional athletes work with mental performance coaches to enhance performance, many of whom wished they had developed these skills much earlier in their careers. The problem is, there is a mindset that mental performance training is only necessary at higher levels where there is more at stake. However, many young players are never able to reach their full potential due to mental performance issues and those that are ‘good enough’ to reach higher levels in their sport spend more time than necessary battling performance issues. Even so - every child, regardless of their future goals or their current level, can benefit from mental skills training at the very least to improve their sport experience.
A number of myths or reservations prevent adults and young athletes from truly understanding the use and need of sports psychology.
Myth #1. “I don’t really get nervous- I’m already mentally prepared,” kids say.
Sure - there are athletes that actually don’t get nervous. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t suffer in other areas such as dwelling on mistakes, focus, playing as well as they practice, anger or frustration issues, and of course, being “prepared.” Even if nerves aren’t an issue, any athlete that says they are mentally prepared usually cannot list the sequential steps they take before a game or the specific techniques they use and when. While an athlete may feel prepared, they often have no concrete plan of attack to deal with both positive and negative events.
Myth #2. “I’m playing well right now- I don’t need it” young athletes say.
If these kids could learn how to identify the thoughts and feelings that are feeding their success, they’d learn how to harness these thoughts and feelings at a later date—when they’re not at the top of their game.
That’s just one of the lessons they’ll learn if they embrace mental training. The term "mentally weak" implies there is an inherently defective or temporarily fragile mental quality in an athlete. This is not a helpful or accurate statement, as many elite athletes who are quite mentally strong still seek the services of sport psychologists on a regular basis. This is one of the most pervasive and damaging of the many myths about sport psychology. Why does Jose Bautista continuously work with a batting coach? His game is not "weak or broken". He works with a coach so he can continue to improve, and to minimize any backsliding. The same is true with athletes who seek the services of sport psychologists. They want to improve their mental skills.
Myth #3- “I already talk to my kid about thinking positively, why do I need someone else to do that?” parents say. 
It is always critical that parents are involved in helping develop and nurture the techniques their young athletes are learning to implement however, the emotions involved between a parent and their youth athlete can sometimes stand in the way (please read other posts on this topic here). Moreover, having a cognitive, conceptual understanding of sport psychology is important, but this alone is not sufficient to help an athlete consistently perform under pressure. The principles of sports psychology need to be individualized, adapted and utilized in a very detailed and systematic way in order to be effective.
Many people think positive thinking and visualization are the crux of sports psychology, and perhaps these are among the best-known interventions, but they are only two of many approaches to improving sport performance.
There is no single technique or modality that works equally well across the board in sports psychology, for all athletes, for all issues. Just as the field of medicine has various specialties and modalities to address the multitudinous issues that patients present, sports psychology has an array of interventions that can be customized to adapt to the wide variety of psychological issues athletes face.
If you’d like to learn more about how to help your young athlete benefit from mental training contact me for a free consultation!
Jen Scorniaenchi, M.S.
Images courtesy of:
pitchershiteighth.com
samandgiant.blogspot.ca
Posted by Larry Jusdanis on Fri, Apr 13, 2012 @ 05:10 PM
OK so here we are with Part 4 of my 4 part series on "What to Look for in a Baseball Strength Coach". Pretty common sense so far, right? Yes, but it is amazing how often we can look beyond the common sense ideas and get sold on some sort of sizzle...wihtout the steak, as they say.
So to review, here are the first 3:
Attribute #1 - Passion!
Attribute #2 - Leave Your Ego at the Door!
Attribute #3 - Continuing Search for Educational Resources
Now, Attribute #4 is something that is probably the most common sense of all of them, but I have to admit, it is not asked about nearly as much as you might think, nor as often as I wish it were:
Results
Yes, results are the bottom line. Why do you think the TV show, "Biggest Loser" is such a hit? People are getting results and that’s what everybody wants! But sadly, most people want instant success. If a coach tells you that you can drop 20 pounds in two weeks, be very leery. Success takes a lot of work, as it does in anything worth while, and there are no short cuts. So don’t expect shortcuts in weight loss or training either.
Ask your coach or trainer what successes they have had, and be specific. If you are a baseball player ask about successes with baseball players. Ask about seeing some transformations and statistics. Ask what the main 3 differences might be for your sport compared to, say, hockey. Ask, ask, ask.
Do you see a theme here so far with these attributes? The best coaches all have passion; all exhibit a keen interest to learn more in an endless study of research; a good coach stashes his/her ego. All of these combined will deliver to the client the main attribute - excellent results. Notice I did not mention certification? The reason for this is that some trainer certifications are done on line or through a weekend course (admittedly, some are actually pretty good). Now, this is better than no certification at all, but imagine dealing with a doctor who received his accreditations at a weekend seminar. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to get certification but the trainer/coach must still continue their education throughout their lifetime.
So, when looking for a good coach/ trainer please ask these questions and remember you will only get the results you want from the effort you and your trainer put into it. Some Coaches may only be working with you for two hours a week. So get off the couch, get ready for summer, and find yourself a great strength coach to make this your best baseball season ever!
For more information and access to great articles and videos please visit www.sstcanada.com
Sincerely,
Larry Jusdanis, Founder - SST Canada
www.sstcanada.com
Image courtesy of 360solutions.com
Posted by Larry Jusdanis on Wed, Apr 11, 2012 @ 06:37 PM
OK so let's review the first 2 of my Top 4 attributes of a baseball strength coach:
Attribute #1 - Passion!
Attribute #2 - Leave Your Ego at the Door!
Passion for your work is something that is essential for success, and finding it in a strength coach will do you a lot of good.
Leaving Your Ego at the Door means that your strength coach can put serving YOU at the centre of your program, versus serving themselves.
Now, Attribute #3 is something that is also very, very hard to come by in all walks of life, as it takes time, money, risk and sacrifice:
Attribute # 3 - Continuing Search for Educational Resources
Consider the strength coaches who attended this past seminar I have been referring to. They took time from their busy schedule to spend a whole day to better their techniques. They are determined in their search of new educational information. Next time you are looking for a trainer/coach ask how many seminars and what other types of education they take part in. At SST, the minimum goal is to attend one new seminar each month to better ourselves. Even if I only discover one new thing, both my client and I will be better for it.
These last few weeks, I have been reading books, articles, DVDs and anything I can get my hands on regarding cancer and nutrition. Why? One of my clients has been diagnosed with cancer and I feel an obligation to do the best I can to help him get better. This is the kind of dedication I look for when hiring strength coaches.
Another good friend, one of the most learned nutritionists in the world, John Berardi spends countless hours researching and discovering new information about the human body. He has PASSION which leads him to the never-ending search of new and important information; the ongoing search for education! Why do you think he is the best? Passion and education!
So next time you are looking for a trainer/coach, don’t be afraid to ask them questions as if you’re conducting a job interview; which, in fact, you are. Their answer to this simple question will tell you a world of information about how serious they are about their profession and serving you the best that they can.
Stay tuned as I wrap this series up tomorrow with Attribute #4!
Sincerely,
Larry Jusdanis, Founder - SST Canada
www.sstcanada.com
Image courtesy of smartersocialmedia.com
Posted by Larry Jusdanis on Tue, Apr 10, 2012 @ 06:38 PM
I started out my Top 4 attributes of a baseball strength coach with Attribute #1 - Passion!
Passion for your work is something that is essential for success, and finding it in a strength coach will do you a lot of good. If you get the sense that your coach is watching the clock, or thinks that working 40-50 hours a week is akin to slave labour, then you know they do not have passion. Those that get lost in their work so much that time just slides away...they are rare, but if you can find them, grab on and don't let go.
Now, Attribute #2 is something that is also very, very hard to come by in all walks of life:
Attribute # 2 - Leave your Ego at the Door!
This is probably one of the most important ideals, and one of the most difficult for many coaches to acquire. I see big egos every time I travel and watch other coaches coach. (Make sure you take the time to read Mike McCarthy's blog on this titled "Is Your Baseball Coach In It For You? Or For Themseves?")
Let’s use my friend Scott for example. His strength is his ability to help his clients get strong . . .he does a GREAT job at this, but he understands his limitations, in this case, speed training. What did he do but seek out someone to help him and his athletes with this aspect of training? He left his ego at the door and did what was best for his clients!
I did the same thing for some of my female clients when I discussed nutrition and training with top physique coach, Francine from Montreal. Her insight was tremendously productive in helping my female clients achieve success. I often bring in nutrition experts such as Caryn from Biotics Nutrition to teach the SST staff, enabling us to better help our clients. Again I remind you, your trainer should be able to leave their ego at the door!
Remember the bottom line is that strength coaches and personal trainers are here to help you. Whatever it takes, coaches should try to ensure the best for their clients...and sometimes that means leaving their ego at the door. Don't look at it as a weakness - none of us knows everything. Look at it as a huge strength in that you have someone working for you that is trying to ensure that you get the very best in all aspects of your training.
We as coaches and trainers all like to boast about our clients’ successes and sometimes market them (before and after stories), but remember this (and I tell all my parents and athletes this): You are the one who commits yourself to the project and you must be the first one to put forth a great effort. Our trainers are ready to work hard for you, and you must be ready to work too. YOUR program is about YOU, not us. Don't let anyone's ego get in the way of that.
I'll be back tomorrow with Part 3!
Sincerely,
Larry Jusdanis, Founder - SST Canada
www.sstcanada.com
Image courtesy of blog.nutrex.com
Posted by Larry Jusdanis on Mon, Apr 09, 2012 @ 06:21 PM
If you are just getting into the spirit of using a strength coach or personal trainer and want to know what to look for, hopefully I can offer some advice. I have been in this field for over 14 years and have seen a lot. I’ve traded new information with colleagues, and used mentors and libraries of information to learn what I now know. But the learning never stops! I am always seeking what is best for my clients.
Many people have asked me what to look for when hiring a strength coach or a personal trainer; I think the answers are the same in either situation.
I used to think education was the most important credential and trust me I believe this lays down the foundation of the science of personal training which is very important but not the only thing to look for. I have seen many good coaches who don’t have a post-secondary degree have success but I have seen many more trainers who have a degree and then take a 2-day course and now think they are EXPERT personal trainers after one weekend!
Over the next FOUR days, I will give you FOUR of the attributes I think a client should look for in a baseball strength coach:
Attribute # 1 - Passion
Last June I attended a speaking engagement and workshop in cloudy Southern California (June Gloom!) where a couple of things really stood out. On the first day I had the pleasure of teaching 50 personal trainers about Functional Applied Speed Training for Power Systems.
I was overwhelmed and surprised by the passion and love for training and knowledge these coaches exhibited. Some had come from as far as Canada and New York all the way to California for a full day of learning. Right away (8AM) the audience was engaging and very receptive to learning. Never once did I have to beg for a volunteer - in fact I had to beat them away with a stick when we went into the practical sessions. This is what I call passion!
The next day I was fortunate to pair up with a good friend and great strength coach, Scott Prohaska. He had arranged for the training of 15 athletes, ranging from Olympic bobsledders to division one football players to elite baseball players. Coming into this I knew all these high -level athletes would have passion, but the passion from Scott was amazing. Not only was he encouraging, but he tried every drill I put each athlete through. At the end of the session he told me that he has brought in many people in to speak with his athletes and was pleased to report that his athletes told him that they enjoyed the day mainly due to my passion and the fact that I was right there in the trenches with them. This is what I love to do!
Later that day Scott and I went for dinner and discussed how many hours we work per week.
70-80 hours was the answer. I have asked many professionals, in other fields, the same question and they often admitted to working similar long hours. When I ask why they work so many hours each week, the common answer was not just that they have so much work to do, but rather, that they love what they do. You can actually see the true passion in their manner. People who are successful put the time into their field of work, but the ones who are truly dedicated, do it for the love of it! Their passion shows, in fact it oozes out of them - because you can not fake passion! As one of my clients, JoAnn, says “Love it!!”
I will be back to you tomorrow on Attribute #2 in What to Look for in a Baseball Strength Coach.
Larry Jusdanis
Owner, Sports Specific Training
Sstcanada.com
Posted by Jen Scorniaenchi on Sat, Mar 31, 2012 @ 08:11 AM
I am often approached by athletes and parents wanting to know how they can “gain more confidence.” Unfortunately, confidence is not something you can buy in a store, get from reading a book, or even by someone else’s praise. Improving YOUR confidence takes work by YOU. The great thing about confidence is that it is a bi-product of mastering many other mental skills- and that is where I always start with my athletes. The more we mentally practice our sport and build our coping skills the more confident we become. Confidence lies not only in an athlete’s belief in their own skill but also their confidence (self-efficacy) to cope when things don’t go as planned. It is through learning a combination of both coping skills and mental preparation that athletes tend to see their performance- and confidence – soar.
Here are some things to remember:
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Remember that confidence fluctuates. Even major league baseball players experience peaks and valleys when it comes to confidence. It is important to recognize that when your confidence is low it is not forever- as long as you work at focusing on something more productive like improving a skill; your confidence will restore itself.
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Focus on yourself, not on others. Instead of thinking about how well your teammates or opponents are doing, think about your own performance and how you can improve.
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Focus on day-to-day success. Don’t simply count the amazing double play, strike out, that huge home-run, or even a win as your measure of success. This is setting you up for a confidence pitfall. Instead, focus on even the smallest successes or things you do well EVERY day you train or play.
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Concentrate on the process, not outcomes. When you focus on your performance instead of the outcome of a game you automatically become more confident because your focus is directed at something YOU can control. It is possible that you could play the best game of your life and still lose. Yes, you may still feel disappointed or upset that you lost but your confidence will remain intact because you focused on your performance and gave it your all.
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Focus on what you’re doing right. Even in the midst of your worst possible game there is SOMETHING that you are doing right. That simple shift from dwelling on mistakes to finding something positive has a bigger impact on your mental and physiological state than you know!
To learn more about developing coping skills and how to mentally practice your sport, contact me for a free consultation! Just click the picture below.
Jen Scorniaenchi, M.S.
Posted by Mike McCarthy on Thu, Mar 29, 2012 @ 11:29 AM
High Performance - Is It For You?
Our High Performance Program is designed and run with the intent of being more than just another baseball program. We aim to help develop our players not just in a technical sense, but also physically, mentally and tactically, creating a more well-rounded athlete that is more than just capable of repeating skillful movements - they become better PLAYERS.
Over the years we have been able to work with 100's of athletes through this program and in its first 5 years can say that it has played a part in the development of over 100 players that have gone on to Elite, College and Professional levels.
But enough of us telling you about it. Here are a few of our athletes' stories in their own words:
If you are a serious athlete looking to have a story like theirs, we invite you to try out one of our High Performance sessions in the near future. Just click on the button below and we will see you soon!
Mike McCarthy, Co-Founder - The Baseball Zone
Posted by Mike McCarthy on Tue, Mar 20, 2012 @ 06:15 PM
March 13, 2010
Lake Vista, FL - The 15u Terriers played a wild game in Lake Vista Florida on Tuesday and eventually emerged as 13-11 winners.
The competition was the Proctor Baseball Academy from New Hampshire and they jumped out to a early 7-0 lead after just three innings. The Terriers got back into it with a five run fourth. Stefan Markovic, Matthew Elford, Duncan Jakubowski, Drew Valade and Drew Dickerson scored the Terrier runs.
Proctor reclaimed the lead in the top of the fifth with three runs to make the score 10-5. Andrew Leggo, Dean Angelo and Anthony Spignesi made sure the Terriers stayed close however, when they crossed for three runs in bottom of the inning to make the score 10-8 after five.
As this long game moved to the top of the sixth inning Proctor extended their lead to 11-8, setting the stage for the final Terriers comeback.
After tying it up in the bottom of the sixth with hits and RBIs from Tyler Valiquette, Sam Turcotte and Andrew Leggo, the stage was set for scrappy center fielder Anthony Spignesi. With runners in scoring position and two out, Anthony squared up a 1-0 pitch for what would be the game winning RBI.
Michael Enns-Ward came on to pitch the seventh, and he would nail down the victory with authority by striking out the side.
March 14, 2012
St. Petersburg, FL - The 15u Terriers have a mini three game winning streak going with another win this afternoon over Brewster Academy (NH). The games have been far from defensive gems, but exciting all the same with today's ending in a 10-9 score. The victory came right down to the wire, as Brewster had the tying run at third in the seventh. He attempted to score on a sac fly to Terriers right fielder Dean Angelo, but Dean fired a bullet to catcher Jake Sims for the out at the plate to preserve the win.
Drew Dickerson pitched four solid innings, allowing just two hits while striking out seven. He walked just one Brewster hitter.
The ten run attack was spread throughout a lineup that is made up of players 13-15 yrs of age. Tyler Valiquette (2-3, 2 RBI,RS), Elliott Curtis (1B, 2 BB, 2 RS, RBI), Joe Tevlin (2B, 3 RBI, RS), Sam Turcotte (2B, RBI, RS) and Michael Enns-Ward (2 BB, 2 RS) all helped lead the offense on this day.
March 15, 2012
Competing mainly against varsity high school teams that used aluminum bats, the Terriers 15U team - using only wood bats - held their own in Florida compiling a 3-3 record. It was a great trip for everyone in the group, with some individual highlights below:
Top Hitter - Anthony Spignesi
Top Pitcher - Drew Dickerson
Gold Glove - Elliott Curtis
MVP - Michael Enns-Ward
The team flew home on Friday and resumed indoor baseball workouts and strength training at The Baseball Zone on Saturday morning in the High Performance Program.
Posted by Mike McCarthy on Sat, Mar 17, 2012 @ 10:29 AM
 March 12, 2012
Clearwater, FL - Historic Jack Russell Stadium, spring training home to the Philadelphia Phillies for several decades provided the venue for a 10-1 Ontario Terriers Baseball 15U victory over WI Baseball Academy(FL) on Monday night.
Elliott Curtis got his stadium debut as a starting pitcher and was excellent through five innings of work. He allowed just two hits, struck out four and walked just one.
En route to the 10-1 drubbing, Anthony Spignesi got friends and families out of their seats with an inside the park home run. Spignesi had three RBIs in the game. The balance of the offense came from Michael Enns-Ward (1B, 2 BB, SB, 2 RBI), Matthew Brillert (1B, 2B, RS, RBI), Sam Turcotte (2B, 2 RBI), Milton Palomino (1B, SB, 2 RS, SB) and Drew Dickerson (1B, RS, RBI).
Matthew Brillert and Tyler Valiquette combined to throw perfect sixth and seventh innings.
The 15u Terriers dropped game one of their spring break trip, 16-14. Drew Valade was 2-2 in that game with four runs scored, two stolen bases, two walks and an RBI.
The 15U Terriers are the development team of the Ontario Terriers Baseball organization. They train in The Baseball Zone's High Performance Program and with SST Mississauga's strength and conditioning program.
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