We are joined by special guest Coach Jim Swift of Swift Performance Training.  Coach Swift has a dream of helping his hometown teams become a powerhouse and achieve success.  He loves all sports but especially football, and he loves training the football lineman.  We talk about the importance of looking at the athlete as a whole and not just strength training to get stronger.  We talk about how to know whether your training is working and how private training fits in with school practice and much more!  If you'd like to contact Coach Swift you can reach him at [email protected] www.Swiftperformancetraining.com, as well as Swift Performance Training on Facebook and Instagram.

On this episode of The Elevating Athletes Podcast, Dr. Jake Robinson interviews Baseball Coach John Gump. We talk about some of the surprising (and not so surprising) lessons learned from being a baseball coach/instructor, the importance of creating your own success, and how to reach your full potential as a baseball or softball player. John gives us some insight into what it truly takes to become an elite baseball player and how making it to the next level is more than being good on the field. One theme that came up very frequently in this episode was "patience" and that was from a coach's point of view, a player's point of view, and from a parent's point of view. For more info or if you want to get in touch with John check out dbatboerne.com or find him on Instagram at coach_johnnyg! 

In this episode, Dr. Puckett discusses some of the very valuable lessons our kids can learn from youth sports such as stewardship, grit, discipline, self evaluation and more.  Comment below or send questions and comments to [email protected]

Coach Troy McHugh joins us as we discuss many topics such as effective athlete training approaches, what questions parents should be asking their kids' coaches, why mental training is just as important as the physical and much much more.  Coach Troy is the owner of TM Athletic Development.  He has been a coach for many years and to him, "the idea of continually pushing the boundary and living out the pursuit of potential" is why he loves working with athletes.  He said "Tapping into an athlete’s mental approach to training and showing them the value of contending with their potential. There is no greater fulfillment for me, then watching a human being manifest their potential."  And THAT is what this podcast is all about!  You can find more info on TMAD on IG @TMAthleticDevelopment

On this episode we discuss overuse injuries and strategies to prevent them.  A pitcher can spend too much time pitching. Overuse injuries are a big deal, especially in youth sports today.  Our bodies need time to recover. Youth athletes are not invincible, though they may act like it. That’s why it’s so important to have good communication with a coach –– or a team of coaches –– you can trust. In this day and age with club teams, travel teams, showcases, school teams, private training sessions etc, it is easy to over do it.  Parents MUST be an advocate for the health of their athlete.  Pitch counts matter.  Total number of practice and play hours matter.  Early specialization in sports matters.  Parents must seek education on these topics and know when too much is too much.  Email questions and comments to [email protected]

Sleep is essential to recovery and healing, and you’re far more likely to be injured when you’re running on empty.  Not to mention your performance will improve significantly if you get adequate sleep.  In this episode we talk about how much sleep athletes need, specific strategies to get good quality sleep, the scientific benefits of adequate sleep and how it will make you a better athlete!  Hint, 68% reduction in injuries and 9% improvement in sport performance, wow!  Email questions to [email protected]

We discuss how to support and manage an injured athlete, and how complete rest is rarely the best approach. If your knee is hurt, you can still work on your core strength, upper body or even modified knee exercises. Just shift your focus and keep yourself involved while you’re overcoming an injury.  Exercise improves blood flow, releases endorphins, boosts your immune system (healing system) etc.  A pro athlete doesn’t just sit on the couch for a month while an ankle sprain heals.  They spend a lot of time not only rehabbing their ankle but doing things to maintain their shape so when the ankle allows, they can hit the ground running, pun intended.  A sports PT should be able to modify exercise in many ways to accommodate the area you are rehabbing.