Three Things

Here is Oscar... the reason I am a week behind in my blogs! 
 

When I was in high school I was a damn good baseball player.  By my sophomore year I had played against several future top MLB draft picks and came out on top, been awarded all-conference, all-county and all-state honors, and had been contacted by several Division 1 schools all showing interest in my skills. 

   I was far from a dominant pitcher.  I wasn’t lighting up the radar guns and I wasn’t overpowering anyone with a 90 MPH fastball.  My breaking pitches were nothing special and my change- up was effective but not out of this world. 

   So what the hell made me any good?

   I had three things.  I had a coach who believed in me.  I had a catcher who was ready to go to war with me on every single pitch.  And I had an unwavering belief in myself that every time I stepped out on to the mound I was absolutely going to win.  Regardless of the odds or the circumstances, I was going to win. 

   In order to be a top level athlete, or to improve your fitness for health reasons, I believe these same three things are absolutely essential.  Let’s take a closer look:

1)      Coach

I will never forget the way my coach would look at me on game day as he tossed me the game ball to prepare in the bullpen before the game.  He was FAR from the greatest baseball coach who ever lived when it came to X’s and O’s, but that didn’t matter.  What mattered is when he handed me that ball I knew he believed me and supported me 100% regardless of the outcome of the game.  He allowed my catcher and me to call our own game, further showing his trust in our abilities and giving me tons of confidence with every pitch I threw.  He chastised me when necessary and patted me on the back when called for, but more importantly he never wavered in his guidance and support.  His instructions and advice always hit me like a ton of bricks as I had just as much faith in him as he had in me.  I never questioned why I had to run so much in the weeks leading up to opening day, I never questioned why we did these seemingly silly drills with taped up tennis ball cans, and I never questioned him when he came out to have a meeting on the mound at what always seemed like the worst times.  I trusted him implicitly, and he returned that trust in me every single game. 

In the gym, we need this.  We all need a coach in the same way I needed my baseball coach.  While experience and diplomas and certificates mean a lot, none of it will matter one bit if you do not fully believe in your coach… and if he/she does not fully believe in you. 

2)      Catcher

Shout out to Billy Petix.  Not only was he the most feared left fullback on our 21-1-1 championship soccer team (on which I was the right full back… just saying) but he was the best catcher I ever had.  For much of the same reason as I appreciated my coach, Billy was as essential a reason for my success as anyone or anything else.  Once on the field, you are separated from your coach.  On that mound, raised high above the rest, you feel isolated from your teammates behind you.  When things get rough, it can be a lonely place.  But I never worried about that because every single pitch Billy was letting me know that it was never just me… it was us.  It was him and I versus the world with every pitch. If I succeeded it was our success and if the pitch got sent 400ft over the left fielders head it was our failure.  Even more than my coach he knew when to give me the tough love when I needed it, and when to help me crack a smile when that was what I needed even more.  He commanded my attention and my respect at all times and never let me take one single pitch for granted.  Nobody on, two outs, 0-2 count OR bases loaded, nobody out and a 3-0 count it didn’t matter… with Billy behind the plate I always knew I was going to make the next pitch. 

In the gym we have this with our partners or people who attend class with us.  In gyms I have been and worked in, I have seen the most amazing relationships blossom between people through supporting one another inside the gym.  I’ve seen people screaming at the top of their lungs to encourage their buddy to keep pushing, and I have seen long, tearful embraces after grueling workouts.  I have seen looks exchanged in the middle of workouts – no words even spoken – that have helped someone find a source of energy and motivation they never even knew existed.  Everyone needs a coach to lead them… and a partner to stand by them. 

3)      Belief

Before every pitch, I had the same exact routine.  It became legendary.  I would lick my fingertips once, wipe my hands on my pants, then perform the sign of the Cross, then lick my fingertips one more time before wiping them one more time.  I did this before every… single… pitch.  I was not making any kind of religious stance on the mound, nor was I deliberately creating a spectacle.  I did it because it was part of my routine, a routine that allowed me to clear my mind of the noise of the crowd, the pain throbbing in my arm, the cold weather, the size of the behemoth standing at home plate waiting to crush any mistake I might make, the project report due in two days that I hadn’t even started… as long as I had my routine all of that “junk” was cleared from my mind and all that was left was confidence.

Find a way before you step into the gym, before you walk up to the bar, before you start your workout… to just clear your mind.  Quiet all the interference, all the excuses building up in your mind why you shouldn’t be able to do what you are about to do, and you will be left with nothing but confidence and a belief in yourself that come hell or high water you are going to beat whatever is in front of you.  Whether it’s a quiet prayer or a little dance you do, find something that is uniquely yours and helps bring you back to where you need to be so that you can perform to the absolute best of your abilities. 

There is a great closing paragraph I want to add here but for the 11^th time in five hours my puppy is pawing at the door asking to be let out.  Yay that he is potty trained and is not even three months… boo that I live on the third floor and its pouring rain outside.  Until next week everyone….

 

TIP OF THE WEEK:

Your power snatch and /or power clean should not look markedly different from your snatch and / or clean.  Your mechanics should remain consistent, with your pull and finish not altering.  Here is a proper rendition of a power snatch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OmUEpwlyeE

(Speaking from experience) DO NOT sacrifice form and technique in these movements during a conditioning workout just to go faster.  You will develop terrible habits that will be difficult to break when performing the full movement.  You will also set yourself up for a nice injury and a trip to the doctor.  Spend more time performing the FULL movement without a clock bearing down on you… once perfected, then and ONLY then should you even consider performing high repetitions with these movements.