Basketball Body and Mind

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Episode 65 | Guest: Mike Robertson

In this episode I talk with Mike Robertson, strength coach, founder of Robertson Training System and co-founder of IFAST in Indianapolis, about coaching young athletes while raising two children of his own. We cover why variety and fun come first, how training changes between ages six and thirteen, when to specialize, and how parents can judge whether a coach is a good one. This conversation is for parents, players, and coaches who care about long-term development more than short-term results.

Links mentioned in this episode:

•       IFAST Basketball Insiders — https://ifastbasketballinsiders.com/

Connect with Mike:

Instagram — @robtrainsystems

Website — https://robertsontrainingsystems.com/

Connect with me:

Instagram — @balticmove

Website — www.balticmove.net

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Female basketball players tear their ACL far more often than male players. In this episode, Gratas and I explain why: the Q angle, hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, and the two factors you can change, which are strength and landing mechanics. We also cover three simple tests you can do at home, how to progress strength and plyometric work, and a five-minute warm-up that every player, parent, and coach can use.

Connect with Gratas:

Instagram — @gratasgudavicius

Connect with me:

Instagram — @balticmove

Website — www.balticmove.net

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Episode 63 | Solo Episode

In this solo episode, I answer one of the questions parents ask me often: at what age should a child start lifting weights? I go through what the research says about growth plates, injury risk, sets and reps by age, growth spurts, and how to choose a coach who understands youth development. If your child plays a sport, this episode explains why strength training is part of keeping them safe and what it should look like at ages six, ten and thirteen.

Connect with me:

Instagram — @balticmove

Website — www.balticmove.net

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Episode #62 | Guest: Gratas

This Ask Me Anything episode of Basketball Body and Mind answers four listener questions with co-host Gratas. Topics include what it means to be different in a team environment, how to safely start post-game lifts and strength coaching, and how to build weight room buy-in with skeptical football players and coaches. Direct, practical answers for players, parents, and coaches navigating team culture and training load.

Mentioned in this episode:

- Book: The Chimp Paradox

- Book: Thinking, Fast and Slow

- Book: Think Again by Adam Grant

- Book: How to Win Friends and Influence People

Connect with Gratas:

Instagram — @gratasgudavicius

Connect with me:

Instagram — @balticmove

Website — www.balticmove.net

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Episode 61

Today is a conversation on what actually predicts long-term success in youth basketball. We cover the risks of early sport specialization, the relative age effect and why "late bloomers" often overtake early developers, and why overcoming setbacks and staying engaged with the game matters more than current skill level. Direct value for parents and coaches deciding how hard to push a young player.

Links/books mentioned in this episode:

• Previous episode with Alan Stein Jr. — https://open.spotify.com/episode/5cDW7mYvnVoLr6UAZ94gDA?si=110df76123a54f0c

• The Sports Gene by David Epstein

• Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

• Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant

Connect with Gratas:

Instagram — @gratasgudavicius

Connect with me:

Instagram — @balticmove

Website — www.balticmove.net

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Episode 35 | Guest: Alan Stein Jr.

Alan Stein Jr. spent fifteen years as a basketball performance coach working with some of the greatest players the game has seen — Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry among them. In this episode he breaks down the mindset that separates elite players from everyone else, why "next play" thinking has to be practiced daily, and what parents and young athletes get wrong about the process.

Links mentioned in this episode:

"Can You Make It to Pro? The Honest Truth Nobody Tells You" — https://open.spotify.com/episode/2AVv1z22Hzh3Kb674YsXJ5

Connect with Alan:

Instagram — @AlanSteinJr

Website — alansteinjr.com

Connect with me:

Instagram — @balticmove

Website — www.balticmove.net

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Episode 35 | Guest: Gratas

Stan and Gratas break down "adolescent awkwardness" — the clumsy, uncoordinated phase many young athletes go through during a growth spurt. They cover why it happens, how to spot when growth is fast enough to raise injury risk, and what to actually do about it: strength training with movement variety, wrestling-style body-control drills, multi-sport exposure, coordination ladders, and sleep. Practical, not theoretical — built for parents and coaches watching a kid suddenly hit doorframes and drop passes.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Ep 33 | Osgood-Schlatter and Sever's Disease: Causes, Testing, and Treatment

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Plisky et al., 2006, JOSPT — Star Excursion Balance Test as a Predictor of Lower Extremity Injury in High School Basketball Players

Connect with Gratas:

Instagram — @gratasgudavicius

Connect with me:

Instagram — @balticmove

Website — www.balticmove.net

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In this episode, we break down how young players could manage training load across school practices, games, and strength training. We introduce a simple framework, separating everything into buckets, and explain why no more than 3 high-intensity days per week is the target. We explain how structured training can cut injury risk by two-thirds. This episode is for players, parents, and coaches who want to build a sustainable weekly schedule without overloading young athletes.

Links mentioned in this episode:

●        Episode on stress management and relaxation — https://open.spotify.com/episode/5z5kSYrvfYUXH4QJinrH81?si=sDWahZz9SaK0QmsA32YeKQ

●        Episode with Luka Svilar — https://open.spotify.com/episode/2DY8GuCINpTWKkSW35hWxq?si=ClM2qtvRTCCBdPVGSUq_-A

●        Episode with Domantas Tautkus (London Lions) — https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ss61EuyemA1sFpzpyV65m?si=6nmlyMs8TDOhzwnuO_ut7Q

●        Episode with Hugo Salazar — https://open.spotify.com/episode/5glHQI4y8B74zNImc5ZPpV?si=e1f42f9c1dc94f9a

Connect with Gratas:

●        Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/gratasgudavicius/

Connect with me:

Instagram — @balticmove

Website — www.balticmove.net

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Episode 33  | Guest: Gratas

In this episode, I'm joined by new co-host Gratas. We talk about the two most common growth-related pains in basketball: Osgood-Schlatter disease and Sever's disease. How to diagnose what the cause is, why resting alone often fails, and how you can improve your condition. This episode is for players, parents, and coaches dealing with knee or heel pain, especially during growth spurts.

Connect with Gratas:

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/gratasgudavicius/

Connect with me:

Instagram — @balticmove

Website — www.balticmove.net

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Episode 56 | Basketball, Body, and Mind

This episode was a spontaneous recording during the camp in the Czech Republic. I decided to share how to return safely to basketball after a knee injury (usually ACL). To do that, we need to attack three things: basketball, body, and mind. I wanted to make it very practical, so feel free to download the guide, which can be found in the description below.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Free return-to-court guide (5-phase PDF) — https://basketball-body-and-mind.kit.com/56f8657f71

• Ep. 9 — Mindset Training For Basketball Players, with Kerdu Lenear — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-9-mindset-training-for-basketball-players-with/id1783540921?i=1000697544138

Connect with me:

Instagram — @balticmove

Website — www.balticmove.net