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Feature Articles

BASEBALL/SOFTBALL

Sept-Oct Champions Issues

Pitchers backing up bases: Jeff Moree, www.thecompletepitcher.com

Some people say baseball is a lazy man’s sport. Boy how wrong they are! All nine players on the field have a job to do every single play, including the pitcher. It is the baseball pitcher’s job to back up the throws to the bases from the outfield. This requires anticipating the play, and knowing the situation. Read More

Mechanics Made Simple: Geoff Zahn

Over the last few years there has been a lot of emphasis on proper mechanics for a pitcher. Every clinic that I have attended has at least one of the coaches going over the proper mechanics of the throw. There have been several books written on mechanics and there are many private instructors now basing their entire approach to teaching pitching on mechanics. Read More

Bunt and Run...OR...

In all levels of play, I am aware that "baserunning" often decides games. But "baserunning" is an overly broad topic. It really encompasses almost everything on the offensive side of the game including and especially the short game. While the high school games I have observed are beginning to demonstrate a decreased value to the short game due to the increased pitching distance, it is still an important tool. While it used to determine the outcome of most competitive games, it still can determine such. In age group play at 14U and lower ages, the short game is still absolutely key. And within this aspect of the game, I have often seen what I think is a critical fundamental mistake.Read More

July-August World Series Issues

Are you Loose?: Javair Gillett

How do the world’s best athletes achieve such a high level of performance? Well, as I once heard one of our great pioneers in Strength and Conditioning for baseball, Houston Astros Strength and Conditioning Coach, Gene Coleman say, "If you are one of the lucky ones, thank your parents!" Whether or not you inherit the natural talent and athleticism to play baseball at the highest levels, the first step toward achieving world class performance is to practice consistently and practice hard. The second step is to develop a progressive, athletic conditioning routine using movements specific to the sport. Read More

Desoto County, Snowden Grove

We are happy to welcome everyone back to DeSoto County and especially to Snowden Grove Park for the Dizzy Dean World Series. Each year we wonder how it just seems to get better than the last but I really believe it’s the dedication of the young people who love to play and the parents who make sure they get the opportunity to do what they love. Read More

The Spirit of the rules: Cal Ripken Jr

There's a fundamental spirit of fair and right play that reveals itself in all aspects of competition. When I grew up playing pick-up games with the other kids in my neighborhood, it didn't matter what sport we were playing, we always held each other accountable for playing fair. If someone wanted to cheat, we called them out on it, and if they wouldn't fess-up, we'd walk away from the game. Read More

Strive for Academic Excellence: Steven M. Tellefsen

If you, as a manager or coach, have instilled the proper mental attitude and training to your team members, you’ve made a great impact on the lives of these young athletes so they know how important it is to give it their best effort in studying and learning as much as possible. Education and perseverance will play a very important part in their lives and for all their future endeavors regardless of where they lead. Read More

Basketball: Fall 2010

Teaching the Fast break

The fast break is the ultimate offensive weapon in basketball. It affords maximum penetration to within a fifteen-foot radius of the basket on all occasions, and its effectiveness is usually determined by the amount of time spent in developing and exploring these fast breaking possibilities . Read More

Man to Man Defense: www.guidetocoachingbasketball.com

Back in the old days of the game of basketball, the guards stayed back and were strictly defensive men. It was up to them to see that no one scored. They were watch-dogs of the basket. In the beginning they were usually the most rugged and least versatile players on the floor. Sometimes, they didn’t even get beyond the center circle on the offensive drive because they had so little to do with the offense. Read More

BASKETBALL:MAY-JUNE ISSUE

Team Building: More Important than Strategy :Sean Glaze www.powerbasketball.com:

I have been coaching high school basketball now for 17 years. I started out as a freshman boys coach, worked as a jv boys coach, became a varsity girls coach for a couple of years, and now am going into my third season at a boys varsity program. Along the way, I have spent countless hours at coaching clinics, researching on the internet, visiting college practices, and conversing with other coaches to learn more about various offensive sets, defensive philosophies, and the details or teaching points that help to make them successful.Read More

Muscle Memory: Advantage Basketball www.advantagebasketball.com

Proprioceptors or Stretch Receptors relay information to our brain. They tell the brain where the body is in relation to time and space. Close your eyes and move your hands around, your brain can still interpret where the body or body part(s) are without seeing them. It’s a sense of body positioning. The brain analyzes the information, and provides you a clear sense of our body’s orientation and or movement. Read More

Golf: Fall 2010 Issue

Sweeney finds peace at ASU: Leadbetter Golf: IMG Academies

As she practices her putting stroke at ASU’s Karsten Golf Course, the familiar white buds of an iPod emit soothing sounds into Jaclyn Sweeney’s ears. Like many athletes, the junior on the women’s golf team enjoys listening to music while she perfects her craft.
Sweeney’s choice of tunes: Classical. Read More

Generating Power: Chi Chi Rodriguez

As I developed my game as a young golfer I was always looking for more power. I was looking for more power and I found it because I learned to build a solid wall of my left side, a wall that would not move under any circumstances.
The theory is, if I have a strong left side and can hit against it, then I can develop a lot of power. I need all the power I can find. Read More

GOLF :MAY-JUNE ISSUE

The Stance: Chi Chi Rodriguez

There is only one way to generate the speed you need for power and that is by having the proper stance before you even attempt to swing the club. Again, the prime factor in selecting a stance has to be complete comfort. But there is another factor: which stance will allow you the biggest body turn. Read More

Mike Tuel: IMG David Leadbetter Golf: Jon Weisbrod

Some people play golf.
For two months, Mike Tuel lived it.
After graduating from Fergus Falls High School in May of 2008, Tuel attended classes at North Dakota State University for one semester. Things went OK, but there was just something missing from his life that he dearly wanted back (at least on an everyday basis): golf. Read More

FOOTBALL: PREMIER JULY-AUGUST ISSUE

5 tips for Youth Football Coaches: Jobe Lewis

Football is a game, it's not life. While there are wonderful life lessons to be learned from the game, we as coaches cannot be so caught up in pummeling our opponent that we forget this important principle. In youth football, you've been successful as a coach if you've made the game so fun that kids want to play it again next year. This may mean playing "Johnny Slow Shoes", while offering up a prayer that they don't run his way. Read More

Speed and Movement: Brian Grasso www.briangrasso.com

The ability to ‘move’ has long been considered an innate skill that athletes either posses or don’t. The notion that movement aptitude or ability can in fact be taught, progressed and even perfected over time remains a constant source of debate for many strength coaches. Read More

Seven Reasons To Play Youth Football:

Making exercise a part of your child’s life teaches your child the importance of fitness. This, along with proper nutrition, plays a vital role in maintaining health. Children need physical activity every day and participation in sports helps fill this need. With today’s wealth of video games and increasing computer literacy, daily physical activity is often times forgotten. Getting your child involved with sports helps them make exercise a part of their lifestyle and increases their chance of a being a healthier adult. Read More