Sports Mastery

THE D1 EXPERIENCE

 

THIS is what you can expect: 6 a.m. strength & conditioning Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Imagine freshman year, everybody’s partying and getting to know each other, and you can’t stay out past 10 p.m. You will do it and you’ll go to rehab after your morning training. From there, you’ll have breakfast with your teammates and then have class from 9 a.m to 1pm. class. In the afternoon, you’ll have a 1hr film session and then a 2 hour practice. After practice, which will normally be done by 6 p.m. you’ll have dinner. Then you’ll go to study hall at 7 p.m. After study hall you’ll have more homework. You might get to bed by 12:30 a.m. or 1.

You’ll do that four to five days a week.

In the offseason, you’ll commit anywhere from 20 to 40 hours [a week for practice, training, and film study] depending on the week. In season though, it’ll be easily 40, 50, 60 hours. Some folks might spend more than that studying the playbook and watching film. If you’re always thinking of “what’s the biggest return on investment for my time,” if you’re never going to play or get in, that can be a little disappointing!

Listen as GRANT NEWELL who played football at Oklahoma State University shares his D1 Experience. Grant shares his thoughts on:

 

• The recruiting process
• Inside the locker room
• Training Camp
• Redshirting
• Off-season Strength & Conditioning
• Studying film
• Gameday
• The Collegiate Classroom & Expectations
• Stress
• Social life

 

With athletics, there’s a regimen, there’s a schedule. There’s this path to be great: Practice, practice, practice, work harder than the next person, practice, practice, play the game. It can be scary.  

Would like to be interviewed on the Sports Mastery podcast? Do you know a former D1 athlete who would make a great guest?

Contact: [email protected]

HOW TO IDENTIFY THE VICTIM MENTALITY

 

1. Look for signs of blame. A major indicator of the victim mentality is the tendency to place blame on outside sources such as referees, play-calling, coaches, and the weather. Maybe you blame your parents because they didn't invest in that one camp that you really wanted to attend. Maybe you blame your coaches for not calling more pass plays.

No matter where blame is directed, it’s essentially useless. When you blame others, you give them power over your GAME instead of taking your destiny into your own hands. What’s more, you also push people away in the process.

2. Determine if you are always calling others to complain. Do you spend most days of the week talking to any teammate who will listen about your problems or inadequacies? Do you notice friends slowly not taking your phone calls or texting back in a timely manner? Even the best relationships have trouble surviving when one person always has something negative to share.

Complaining can be a tempting behavior and nonstop venting may seem to make you feel good on the surface. However, constant complaining sends the message to your brain to look for the negative, which only makes you feel worse in the long run.

3. Identify self-loathing. Feeling inadequate and not good enough is at the core of the victim mentality. A self-loather often views him/herself negatively and is always nervously waiting for others to spot all their inadequacies.

This kind of person is terribly hard to COACH because they cannot accept praise or compliments. Someone else may say “Wow, you did a great job on in the last game!” and the person pushes away the compliment with “Oh, no Tommy threw great passes all night long.”

One way to stop self-loathing is to accept the reality that how you see yourself isn’t the only or right way for you to be. Recognize that others' perceptions of you may be different, but, at least to them, they may also be accurate.

DeShawn Fontleroy

 THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO AS AN ELITE ATHLETE

 

The worst thing you can do as an elite athlete is to consume an excessive amount of sugar, processed foods, and the wrong fats. There's more but the subject of nutrition can be quite cumbersome.

Shawn Jenkins - MS, CSCS, ATC answers the question.

Why is Sports Nutrition so important?

At the most basic level, nutrition is important for athletes because it provides a source of energy required to perform the activity. The food we eat impacts on our strength, training, performance and recovery.  

Not only is the type of food important for sports nutrition but the times we eat throughout the day also has an impact on our performance levels and our bodies ability to recover after exercising. 

Meals eaten before and after exercise are the most important in sports nutrition but you should really be careful with everything that you put into your body. As a general rule of thumb athletes should eat about two hours before exercising and this meal should be high in carbohydrates, low in fat and low to moderate in protein.

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy that powers your exercise regime and protein is required to aid muscle growth and repair.

After exercising you need to replace the carbohydrates you have lost and you need to ensure proper muscle recovery by including protein in your post training meal.

The proportions of protein and carbohydrates that you require will vary depending on both the intensity and type of sport; so to get your individual balance right; you should contact a qualified dietitian or sports nutritionist for professional help with your sports nutrition. 

 

THE DARK SIDE OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL

 

In this interview, Terrence Wood delivers priceless information regarding the multi- billion dollar industry of college football. Throughout the interview, and in his book, Terrence uncovers the dark side of college football. At the end, the athlete and parent are enlightened with increased confidence to make the right decision.          

Before you go pro is an online mentoring company, designed for football players between the ages of 13-19 yrs old. The program is geared towards teaching kids the mental and moral obligations that come with the game of football.

Founded in 2010, by CEO Terrence Wood, Before You Go Pro, was built on a love for football, and the players who play the game. The mission of Before You Go Pro, is to teach young football players the X’s and O’s on and off the gridiron. To mentor and groom the person, before the player.

 

TOPICS

1. Finding a blueprint for success

2. NCAA Recruiting

3. The Intangibles

 

 

MOST STUDENT-ATHLETES FAIL BECAUSE THEY DON'T BECOME A STUDENT OF THE GAME. 

There’s so much that can come out of watching game film, whether it’s learning your game, analyzing a offense/defense, or studying each and every move of your opponent. It’s often practiced at all levels of athletics from high school to the professional level but taken more seriously at the collegiate and professional level. 

Studying Yourself 

Analyzing and breaking down your own game is very important. It can separate an average athlete from a good athlete and a good athlete  from a great athlete. It’s imperative to know what you’re really good at and where you need to strive to make improvements. Pay attention to things like your defense, the release point of your shot, sprinting back on defense and things of that nature. When you get better at the little nuances of the game, you’ll be surprised at the major impact it makes.  

Getting tips from watching some of the best players in the world can also be beneficial as well. Just like how rappers and producers take things from the past and incorporate them in music today, the same can be done in athletics. All the vices are there with the power of the internet and social media. If you want to learn how to run a pick and roll, search Steve Nash. If you need more post moves, just google Hakeem Olajuwon. If you’re a shooter and you want to learn how to read/come off screens, then Ray Allen is your guy. All the outlets are there, you just have to take the time to do your research and apply them to your game. 

Studying Your Opponent

When it comes to scouting your opponent it makes you aware of their tendencies and how they play at all facets of the game. You’re able to watch what plays they run, where they like to attack, who their top athletes are and many other various tips. However, you still have to execute. You can scout a team for days and days and know everything about them but if you can’t go out there and stop them, then it really does nothing for you. Studying game film is an important aspect of the process but you can’t forget that execution means everything. 

Watching game film comes from the love of the sport. It’s not made for everybody and not everyone will enjoy it but if you take it serious and really pay attention, then it will lead to success. 

Listen to this episode a few times if you have to. If you have questions, contact me here: 

[email protected]

WHAT IF MY COACH DOESN'T LIKE ME?

FT: SHAWN JENKINS - MS, CSCS, ATC

Hey Coach....What's wrong with me? You told me before I joined the team that I'd be your number one guy, that I'd start in my position. The whole team played really bad in that first game, yet you benched me and then didn't play me for two whole weeks! What's wrong with me?

You told me to keep working hard and that when I played well I'd get my starting position back. So I believed you and really busted my butt. After I finally got a chance to get in, I had the game of my life. Everyone told me I was brilliant, even people who were unrelated to me. You didn't say word one to me about my play, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! It was like I wasn't even there in your mind, and then you proceeded to sit me for the next two weeks, no explanation! Coach, What's wrong with me? Didn't you think I played well?

The other two guys who are getting all the playing time aren't any better than me, and in fact, one of them is obviously much weaker. There have been games where their mistakes have cost us a win. Coach, that's not me saying this. That's a number of my other teammates and a lot of the parents on the team who watch the games. Not even my parents. I can't tell you what my parents are saying about you because it's not so nice. How come when these two guys mess up, you let them keep playing? You're more patient and encouraging with them. The minute I do something that even resembles a mistake, you bench me and then ignore me. Hey coach, what's wrong with me?

Coach, I train really hard. I take the sport seriously. I do everything that's asked of me in practice as hard as I can. I do extra training every day at home. I lift weights. I have a dream. I want to play at a higher level, maybe in college, maybe even beyond. But you never play me. You rarely give me a chance. You never talk to me. You never give me any feedback, positive or negative. I'm starting to lose my self-confidence. How can I feel good about myself when you don't believe in me? Coach, what's wrong with me? 

I've tried talking to you, but all you do is repeat the same things to me over and over again, like a recording. "Keep working hard. If you work hard your game will improve and when you play better you'll get the start." Coach, I think you're not being entirely honest with me here. I've been working hard. I've played much better in those rare games when you've given me a chance. Yet, you still don't start me. Coach, what's wrong with me?

I'm starting to feel like it doesn't really matter what I do now. You bench me if I play poorly. You bench me if I'm great. You don't notice how hard I work in practice. You never talk to me. I thought a coach's job was to motivate his players, give them corrections and support, and help them reach their potential. I have to admit that I've been struggling with the question lately, 'What's the point? Why bother?' Coach, what's wrong with me?

So I think I've finally figured it out. I'll admit though that I've had some help because as a 15 year old, it's really impossible for me to have a good perspective here. All this time, I've been thinking that it was all my fault. That I'm just not good enough to play for you, because if I was, then you'd play me more and talk to me more. Because of you, I've been believing that the dream I've had all of these years is a joke and that I don't really have the skills to play at the next level, despite what all of those other coaches have told me in the past. After all, if I did have the skills, wouldn't you support those skills, encourage me and play me more? 

So the real problem isn't really me coach, it's YOU! That's what people have tried to get me to understand. They're telling me that there's something wrong with YOU, not me. They tell me that good coaches don't play favorites, that good coaches can communicate with their players, that they continuously provide their players with positive as well as constructive feedback, that they inspire and motivate, that they are honest, that they have the courage to deal with their players directly, that they have some sensitivity to what it's like to be a 15 year old struggling with adolescence and a sport. They've been telling me that really good coaches make kids feel good about themselves, that they build, not tear down self-esteem. So everything that they've been telling me makes me wonder. Coach, what's wrong with you?  

If you enjoyed this short story, you'll really appreciate listening to this episode. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions, comments, or concerns. I can be reached at:

[email protected] 

  

HOW TO ADDRESS SPORT SPECIALIZATION

Structural Strategies to Avoid Overspecialization and Exclusive Specialization

• Perform strength training (8 to 20 weeks out of the year)
• Incorporate skills training
• Consider active & passive recovery
• Play multiple sports

Long-term athletic development should always trump specialization when it comes to youth sport. 

And the benefits of strength training during youth and adolescence have far-reaching health benefits, including:

• Increased bone density.
• Decreased body fat.
• Improved physical performance, which reduces risk of injury when playing sports.
• Improved motor performance skills.

No athlete should be restricted from diversification through high school participation. This recommendation is designed to preserve young athletes’ rights to diversify their sport participation through their high school years. Others have recommended 15 years as the cutoff age for protected diversification (Wiersma, 2000), and we agree that this is a logical age cutoff. However, we see no reason that club coaches or high school team coaches should mandate specialization before college when 98% of high school athletes are not going on to play at the collegiate level. Parents and sport performance coaches should guide young athletes in making important decisions about multiple sport participation versus more specialized approaches. But this should be discussed on an individual-case basis and should ultimately be the athlete’s and parents' decision.    DeShawn Fontleroy www.sportsmastery.com [email protected]

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY

OF

EARLY SPORT SPECIALIZATION

 

In this episode, we discuss sport specialization. What is sport specialization? When did it start? Why? How is it trending? What are the harmful side effects of early sport specialization. Does early specialization promote long-term success in sports?

Will we ever see another Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Jackie Robinson, or Jim Brown?

In what sports are there exceptions? Why is strength & conditioning of vital importance?

MYTH

1. Most college athletes specialized in one sport as a child.

2. The only way for my child to be "good enough" is for him/her to focus specifically on one sport early in life.

3. Children need to play their sport year-round to avoid getting out of shape.

4. Kids who spend their time learning one sport as a child are more likely to stay active throughout their adult lives.

5. The only way to develop skills in a sport is to adopt that sport early and spend time training to be better in that specific sport.

6. The only way to learn to love a sport is to specialize early and focus on getting better in that sport.

The episode features:

DeShawn Fontleroy

Shawn Jenkins

Leland Johnson

 

 

OLD SCHOOL VS NEW SCHOOL COACHING STYLES

Listen and learn as we explore 'old school coaching' vs 'new school coaching' styles. Coaching styles are often debated and argued by administrators, coaches, psychologists, parents, and athletes.

My intention as a coach is to help the athlete grow as a person and as a competitor. This topic stirs emotions and stimulates questions.

• How do modern coaches differ from coaches of the past?
• Do they differ at all?
• What can coaches do to reach their athletes and promote optimum performance?
• How can a coach earn respect from athletes without using negative responses and punishments?
• Which coaching style or styles do athletes respond best to?

 

WHAT IS COACHING?

Here are a few definitions: Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance.  It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them. In general, coaching should brings out the best by helping an athlete focus, break down tasks, and clarify their values. Coaching can be a  managerial  methodology that  seeks to maximize an athlete's performance by conscientiously considering individuals and their unique talents and abilities. It can be a form of accelerated learning that supports and facilitates enhanced performance. The coach applies specific principles of success in a way that creates experiential learning that translates concepts into actual skills. Coaching is a conversation,  a  dialogue,  whereby a coach and athlete interact in a dynamic exchange to achieve goals, enhance performance and move the athlete forward to greater success.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Andy Chitty. His son Sam attends Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. This was a conversation that uncovered several metaphors, ironies, and paradoxes of life. The interview with Andy was open, candid, and very informative. I would suggest any parent of a student-athlete to listen to this episode. We uncovered some valuable gems in this conversation. Some of the highlights of our conversation were:

• Doing things that you don't like to do...so that you can do the things that you want to do
• Minimizing the pressure on children to succeed
• Sports parents, politics, and perceived iniquities
• Lessons that pay dividends
• Intrinsic motivation
• Attending college 3000 miles away
• The psychology of transitioning from sports to life

 

The goal here is to share information, experience, stories, and dialogue to better help our student-athletes. Would you be willing to discuss the topics below?

 

If your new to the Sports Mastery podcast, check out the bullet points below. I've been interviewing the parents of student-athletes for the last 3 weeks.

• What is your #1 strategy that you use at home to develop discipline with your student-athlete?

 

• When you find your student-athlete procrastinating how do you motivate him or her to take action?

 

• How do you use reflective thinking to support achievement?
• What are your student-athlete’s barriers and limitations?

Do you know who would make a great guest? If so, don't hesitate to connect us. Thanks.

DeShawn Fontleroy