Video games & Hand/Eye Coordination

Parents tend to be wary of video games due to their violence-prone plot lines and media stories that they might dumb kids down. But a new study—one of the few that has looked at the physical effects of playing video games rather than the behavioral ones—indicates that the games might actually give kids a cognitive edge. The authors found "a robust positive association between cortical thickness and video gaming duration," which could point toward "the biological basis of previously reported cognitive improvements due to video game play."

The researchers recruited around 150 male and female 14-year-olds to take part in the study. On average, the group played about 12 hours of video games per week, although that figure varied between individuals. The team found that those teens who invested the most time in their games also had thicker cortical matter in two areas of their brain. Here's Forbes on what those findings imply:

The prefrontal cortex is often referred to as our brain’s command and control center. It’s where higher order thinking takes place, like decision-making and self-control.  Previous research has shown that the DLPFC plays a big part in how we process complex decisions, particularly those that involve weighing options that include achieving short-term objectives with long-term implications. It’s also where we make use of our brain’s working memory resources – the information we keep “top of mind” for quick access when making a decision.

The FEF is a brain area central to how we process visual-motor information and make judgments about how to handle external stimuli. It’s also important in decision-making because it allows us to efficiently figure out what sort of reaction best suits what’s happening around us. The term “hand-eye coordination” is part of this process.

If these two areas are more well-developed, then it might mean a person does better at multi-tasking and making decisions. 

While these findings are still in the realm of correlation rather than causation, the authors point out that there is a strong likelihood that "gaming is sort of like weight lifting for the brain," Forbes writes. And as Wired UK points out, other studies have found that people who play video games tend to be better at responding to sensory stimuli than those who do not, and that novice players who spend about 50 hours devoted to an action game (not in one sitting) can quickly develop these real-world skills.

The authors also think their research might help explain other recent studies have "associated frequent video game playing with improvements in cognitive functions." But they admit that more studies are needed to make a completely convincing case that video games really are harmless—and even cognitively productive—sources of entertainment.

Source: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/playing-video-games-could-actually-change-your-brain-not-bad-way-180950453/#dsW33gbrcPT8U2ok.99

Usain Bolt’s speed workout

Adopt the Jamaican Olympic and world record holder's training routine to supercharge your sprint

Bolt on exercises

Usain Bolt is faster than every one of the billions of Homo sapiens to have roamed the Earth in the past 200,000 years. The reigning world recorder holder in the 100m (9.58 secs) and 200m (19.19 secs) boasts a staggering top speed of 27.79mph. But Bolt believes anyone – you included – can accelerate to greatness. “There are no secrets,” he says. “You just have to develop strength, power, acceleration and technique.”

To get speed like Usain, read on for the Lightning Bolt Workout, which consists of five exercises in two separate phases…

Phase A: Electrify your sprint

These three moves enable your muscles to reach maximum force in the shortest possible time to boost your explosive power and turbo-charge your sprint. “I [perform them] once a week during the winter to develop power and increase explosiveness,” says Bolt.

1. Bunny hops

5 sets of 20 reps

With your feet shoulder-width apart, squat down and bring both arms back. Drive your arms forward and jump as far ahead as you can ahead. Land and quickly repeat the jump.

2. Box jumps

4 sets of 8 reps

Adopt a squat position, with hands on your hips. Jump onto a 60cm high box, landing on your feet. Jump back down into a squat position and spring quickly back up.

3. Bounding

3 of sets 10 reps

Leap forward, landing on the front of your right foot. On landing, immediately leap forward onto your left foot. Use your arms to power your body through the air.

Phase B: Stretch your stride

“Flexibility helps with stride length, as does core stability to hold the hips in a good position,” says Bolt. “Usually when the hips drop the stride gets shorter.” These two moves target your hip flexors, which drive your knees skyward for a faster, longer stride. A Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study proved sprinters were 9% faster after an eight-week hip flexion resistance-training programme. You’ll never miss the bus again.

4. Cable Knee Drives

3 sets of 10 reps

Using a low cable pulley and an ankle cuff attachment, stand so that the cable is taut and drive your knee explosively up to your chest. Keep the movement controlled as you lower.

5. Hanging leg raises

3 sets of 10 reps

While hanging from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, bend your knees and raise your hips until your thighs are near your chest. Pause, lower and repeat.

Source: http://www.menshealth.co.uk/fitness/cardio-exercise/usain-bolts-speed-workout

Combining Eccentric and Over-Speed Training Increases Strength, Power, and Speed

Speed and power are essential components needed to succeed in many sports. Consequently, athletes are constantly implementing programs to improve specific aspects of strength and power. Eccentric and over-speed training modules have been used to increase performance. A recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared the effects of traditional or eccentric training with volume-matched training that incorporated over-speed exercises.

The study consisted of 20 semi-pro athletes who were divided into 4 groups and performed 4 different training systems:

1) Traditional resistance training alone, where both concentric and eccentric actions were performed with the loading during the concentric phase.
2) Eccentric training alone.
3) Traditional concentric training combined with over-speed exercises.
4) Eccentric training combined with over-speed exercises.

Subjects were tested on 2 consecutive days to determine initial strength, power, and speed. Strength was testing using the back squat, power was measured from their performance on unloaded counter-movement jumps, and speed was measured from 40 meter sprints.1

The study lasted 12 weeks, and each group performed each of the 4 training systems during 3 week training blocks that involved 10 treatment sessions, and 2 testing sessions. The researched targeted changes in areas of strength, counter-movement jump peak power, and 40 meter max running speed. The over-speed exercises performed were assisted counter-movement jumps and downhill running.2

Following the 12 week training period, the data revealed there were improvements in bench press, squat, and peak power in the counter-movement jump. Larger strength increases were noticed as a result of the eccentric training block. Eccentric training with over-speed stimuli proved to be more effective than traditional resistance training in terms of increasing peak power in the counter-movement jump. Eccentric training did not result in any improvement in max running speed, however, the addition of over-speed exercises significantly helped when compared to eccentric training alone.3

In conclusion, this study suggests that eccentric training was more effective than traditional resistance in increasing both upper and lower body strength. The eccentric training block also resulted in greater improvements in counter-movement jump peak power when compared to traditional training. While eccentric training alone may not be effective for increasing speed, the incorporation of over-speed exercises (replacing counter-movement jumps and flat plane sprints with assisted jumps and downhill running) resulted in a transference of strength into max running speed. This study proved that short-term training blocks of eccentric training with an over-speed component can be used to improve lower-body strength, power, and running speed.4

Source: http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/combining-eccentric-and-over-speed-training-increases-strength-power-and-speed
Image: www.telegraph.co.uk

8 Fun Baseball Drills

To become better as a baseball player, you need to work outside of team practices and games. These fun baseball drills allow your player to get the reps they need to continue to improve while using game challenges to help the player understand their proficiency at a certain skill. Use these fun drills as a way of getting in more work doing baseball drills at home.

Infield

Five grounders in a row

Five Grounders In A Row is a quick grounder drill used to reinforce good glove/receiving habits. Start your player in a strong fielding position and you are directly in front of him about 12’-15’. Roll 5 grounders in rapid succession at your player, allowing for him to field the first one and discard to the throwing hand side then immediately receiving the second and so on up to 5 grounders. Since the grounders will come fast, it is important not to make the player move to field them, you are just working on glove work. Pay attention to form here with the glove and throwing hand securing the ball.

Try 4 rounds of 5 keeping score.

Outfield

Wide receiver

One of the most fun drills kids will ever do is the Wide Receiver Drill. It may sound simple, but kids absolutely love this and it’s a great skill builder (It’s also fun for the thrower!). You are the quarterback and your player(s) are to your right about 20’. They run a post pattern, which means they run straight ahead for about 20’-25’, then break left at a 45 degree angle left. You throw them the ball after they make their break left and they have to run and catch it. Then switch sides and start them from the left and the run the post to the right. Simple. Throw underhand to start with to get some loft under the ball and switch to overhand for full speed drill.

Try 5-10 reps at each side.

Variations:

For younger kids:  Use wiffle balls or tennis balls and have them catch bare handed. Something soft or light so if they miss a catch, they won’t get hurt.

For more advanced kids:  Throw the ball a bit harder and make it a line drive. If done on a grass field, kids will want you to make them dive for it.


Hitting

Line drive derby

Line Drive Derby is seeing how many line drives your hitter can hit consecutively. Work in groups of 5 pitch sequences, how many line drives can your hitter hit out of 5 pitches. Pitches can be whiffles, underhand front toss, in a cage, in your backyard, overhand, etc.

Wiffle tee home run derby

Find a spot where your player can visually see where he needs to hit the ball to, realistically. Place a tee relative to that spot to challenge him at that distance.

Try 3-5 reps for each player per at bat. If they get a streak going, let them keep going!

Pitching

Pitchers ladder

Mechanics aside, just throwing the ball and trying to hit a target for kids can be helpful. The Pitcher’s Ladder consists of throwing to a target at varying increasing distances. If you are able as a parent to squat down in a catcher’s stance, start your player out close, 30’ (depending on age, you may want to start closer or move back further). You can pace this off with 10 strides. Then move back to 36’. Then move back to 42’. Then move back to 48’. Then end at 54’. This can even be done standing as the receiver, as long as your player has a target (your glove).

You will find that when players play catch, they tend to be more “Free and easy” with their throws. When they have to hit a target, they tend to tense up more and “Aim” the ball rather than throwing it. This drill will help them get a better feel for how they need to pitch in game situations.

Play catch to warm up

30’ - 5 throws

36’ - 5 throws

42’ - 5 throws

48’ - 5 throws

54’ - 5 throws

The better they get, begin to keep track of how many times at each distance they can hit the target. Add or subtract distances based on performance.

Catcher

5 tennis balls

The 5 Tennis Ball Catching Drill is throwing 5 tennis balls in rapid succession to your catcher. Start your catcher in his stance and he simply catches the ball and drops it immediately straight down, then receives the next throw, up to 5. This sounds simple, but catching a tennis ball in a catcher’s glove is not the easiest task. They are very bouncy and the catcher must be able to squeeze the ball at the proper moment to secure the catch. There is your positive reinforcement. This can also be done with real baseballs at the older levels, but for teaching purposes at the youth level, this is an excellent drill.

Try 4 rounds of 5 keeping score.

First base

3 high 3 dirt

First off, make sure 1st baseman is stretching to the ball with the proper foot on the bag. For righties, it’s the right foot on the front part of the bag. For lefties, it’s the left foot on the front part of the bag. First priority for 1st basemen is to catch the ball. See the ball flight first, then step to the ball, keeping rear foot on the bag.

Throw 3 balls high, then 3 balls in the dirt (making sure to keep the balls away from 1st baseman’s body). When throwing balls in the dirt, try and make them a short hop to catch, they are easier to catch. Stress the need to anticipate a bad throw. For more advanced training, you can lengthen the hops or throw the short hops directly at the 1st baseman.

Source URL: http://www.baseballzone.com/fun-baseball-drills

Baseball was Rocky Marciano’s first love

Before he discovered boxing, Marciano had dreams of being a professional baseball player.

He was a typical youngster during the 1930s, spending countless hours with friends playing baseball and football.

Before Rocky Marciano embarked on a legendary boxing career, he was a well rounded athlete who took full advantage of living on Dover Street, which is close to Edgar Playground.

Being the undefeated heavyweight championship with a 49-0 record is what Marciano will always be remembered as, but his introduction to sports came on the baseball diamond.

Whether he was playing for an American Legion or a CYO team, Marciano was one of the top young players during his early days in Brockton.

 So devoted to baseball was Marciano that he drove to Fayetteville, N.C., in 1947 to try out for a minor league team affiliated with the Chicago Cubs.

When Marciano didn’t make the cut following his discharge from the Army, he went back home to Brockton and started on the path of a boxing career that brought him to the top of the sport.

 “He was always a long-ball hitter with a very weak arm’’ said younger brother Peter Marciano. “He had good mechanics, but he couldn’t throw at all.

 “How ironic: The same right arm that was so powerful for him to knock out all those fighters was too weak for baseball.’’

 Marciano was joined by a few friends from Brockton for the springtime trip to North Carolina where they all made a bid to join the Cubs’ organization.

It was about a month into his stay that Marciano learned he was not good enough for the minor leagues, and he eventually returned home.

“He didn’t have a great arm, but he could hit the ball a mile,’’ said Marciano’s brother-in-law, Armond Colombo. “He was very slow of speed and that held him back. He was a better-than-average baseball player, though.’’

Marciano was a starter for the Brockton High School football team during his sophomore year, playing center and linebacker for a team that is now nicknamed the Boxers in his honor.

According to the book, “Rocky Marciano: The Rock Of His Times,’’ by Russell Sullivan, Marciano was one of the top players as a sophomore in 1940.

“He was only a sophomore, but he played nearly sixty minutes a game all season,’’ coach Charlie Holden is quoted as saying. “He was a rough, tough, powerful kid of about 155 pounds who never got tired and never got hurt.’’

One of the top plays made by Marciano that season, according to the book, was a 65-yard touchdown he scored after intercepting a pass against New Bedford High School.

That season would be the end of Marciano’s football career, though, as he left school during his sophomore year and went to work.

 Marciano kept playing baseball around in the city and got a taste of boxing when he was in the Army.

“He made the statement one day that if you win a fight, you got a weekend pass,’’ said Peter Marciano. “He wins by knockout in the first round, and every week, he got a pass and he kept winning to get passes. That was his motivation.’’

That was the foundation for a boxing career that would be one for the ages. It was a sport that Marciano had little to do with before joining the Army as he was happier to be on a baseball field in Brockton.

“He never thought of becoming a fighter, never talked about it,’’ said friend Nick Sylvester, who lived in the same neighborhood. “He never gave any indication about it.’’

Baseball’s loss, though, became boxing’s gain, and Rocky Marciano went from being a catcher behind the plate to an expert thrower of punches.

Source: http://www.enterprisenews.com/article/20110611/News/306119858

10 Best Speed and Agility Cone Drills

Speed and agility training drills are designed to work all your leg and core muscles, as well as the tendons in your body.  It is important to train at a level that is equal to your game intensity to help increase your performance and to minimize injury. Cone drills build leg strength and explosion on their one, but it is your intensity and rep scheme that will change the work load.


X-Drill
The X-Drill works multiple sports postures; change of direction, change of footwork and change of angle.

123 Back
This is a reaction drill that you can do with a training partner or coach.  The goal is to react with speed and sprint to the correct cone.  You have to think and accelerate, this is a great way to simulate the defensive aspect of sports.  The video shows how to set up the drill and how to perform it.

3 Cone / L-Drill
The 3 Cone or "L-Drill" is one of the most popular combine drills used to measure speed and agility.  This drill requires multiple changes of direction in a small space.  For more info, check our blog on the in depth instructions on this drill here.

Pro Agility Shuttle
Also known as the 5-10-5, this is the most popular combine drill used to measure quickness and agility.  This drill require 3 cones, with a series of complete changes of direction.  See our in depth technique training on this drill here.

Run-Shuffle-Run
The ability to transition in and out of a lateral shuffle is very important in sports like baseball, tennis, basketball and football.  This drill works on getting in and out of this position with speed.

Cone Alley v.1
There are three versions of cone alley, all with the same cone set up.  The first version works on getting in and out of the back pedal with a slight angle.

Cone Alley v. 2
Version 2 of cone alley adds a hip rotation by cutting in and out of a cross over.  All three versions of Cone Alley work great with the OverSpeed Trainer 360 for added training.

Cone Alley v.3
Version 3 of cone alley adds a lateral shuffle to a spring and crossover run.  This is a highly dynamic drill for all sports.

Staggered Shuttle
The staggered shuttle is an abbreviated version of the pro agility shuttle.  This is a quick change of direction that forces you to get your footwork set into a powerful position.

Run-Shuffle-Shuffle-Run
A shorter version of Run-Shuffle-Run, you are working on changing direction with a lateral shuffle.  This is another great drill for defensive players and has added training effectiveness when used with the OverSpeed 360 Training Cable.

Source: http://www.kingsportstraining.com/blogs/training-blog/8269753-10-best-speed-and-agility-cone-drills

Teach Your Child to Think Like an Olympic Athlete

The Olympics are magical and inspiring. We watch with amazement the unparalleled feats of human agility, grace, strength, and beauty. We know that those athletes live in a different stratosphere from our world, but what do our children think when they see these phenomenal human beings being cheered by the world, receiving medals and thunderous applause, only to get frustrated when they can’t perform like that in their own sports? 

As an anxiety therapist who works with children struggling with sports performance and perfectionism—there is so much our kids can learn about their own lives from the Olympics. Our children can wish for the super-human talent, the near perfect skills—those may be out of reach—but what is absolutely in your child’s grasp, where the level playing field truly lies, is in the mindset of an Olympian.

That mindset is the gateway to their great success.

Are Olympians immune to thoughts of doubt, dread, self-criticism, pressure, and perfectionism? No, these superstars have the same thoughts that we hear in our mini-vans driving our own kids home from sports, and that I hear from kids in my office each week. The difference between the giants and mere mortals is not the thoughts; the difference is what professional athletes train themselves to do with these thoughts. In sports, managing the mind is as important as managing the body. Practicing mind-management yields what United States figure skater Jeremy Abbott describes as “mental toughness.” I think of it as mental agility—being flexible in your mind to put your focus where you need it most.

It is just that toughness that allows Olympic athletes to tune out the billions of admiring viewers and the pressure of representing their country to the world, and keep eagle-eye focused on the task at hand. Cultivating the mindset that allows that focus is a true feat that athletes of all ability levels can strive for—and achieve. Here are eight ideas to get your child started:

1.    Don’t think success or failure, think growth: Psychologist Carol Dweck distinguishes between a fixed mindset (focused on proving oneself constantly—each moment proving worth or lack thereof) versus a growth mindset (focused on improving, with the understanding that improvement is constantly underway through practice and even mistakes). Successful Olympians have a growth mindset. If you notice, there is a lot of similarity between the way they respond in those on-the-spot interviews whether they’ve just set a world record, a personal best, or missed the mark: they stay close to the specifics of their performance. They focus on what they were working on form-wise, strategy-wise, or their technique. They understand that moment was one data point in an ongoing (wonderful) work in progress. Teach your child to focus on the big picture of improving, not over-interpreting the importance of any one game or meet. This way he can focus on his game, rather than getting derailed by the constant pressure of proving himself with every move.

2.    Think trends and outliers: We all prefer to succeed; we don’t love losing. When our favorite figure skater falls (though as we saw in the men’s figure skating, you can still win gold!), we know that the falls are an exception—they fall outside the “trend” line of what is typical for a person’s performance. Help your child distinguish between what is typical for her and what is rare, or an exception. She may be able to learn from her mistakes or outliers, but shouldn’t assume or conclude that these low moments are somehow the truer marker of her ability. A bonus: Keeping the meaning of these outliers small is exactly what allows athletes to recover from them quickly, without missing a beat.

3.    Don’t fall for the trap door trick of losing talent: When kids understand about trends and outliers they are less likely to fall for what I call the “trap door trick of losing talent or ability.” Inevitably when children mess up, they don’t look at the specific cause, they go global: I’m stupid, I stink, I’m an awful player.  It’s as if a trap door opens up underneath them and all the talent and ability they had before the mistake goes right down the shoot. Ask them what really changed: Did they lose all of their talent, or did they just make a mistake or struggle with this one instance? Ask them if the pros lose all of their talent or ability when they mess up. Talk with them about what athletes say in those on-the-spot interviews—they don’t say something global like: “I totally blew it!,” they focus on the details: “I got a slow start out of the gate,” or, “I didn’t keep my feet tucked in the jumps”—essentially their reaction to a mistake reads like a to-do list for their next practice; so it can, and should, be for your child.

4.    The smartest move: Turn off your head: One of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard about focus in sports came years ago from Olympic figure skater turned sports commentator, Scott Hamilton. He describes how when you get out on the ice, you have to turn off your head, you can’t focus on thinking, remembering every step, every move, every instruction, you just have to turn off your brain and in his words, “skate stupid.” If we tried to ride a bike by telling ourselves exactly what each foot should do, we’d fall for sure; we need to not interfere with what has become—through practice—automatic for us. When kids are thinking about what they’re doing on the court or the field, they may be overthinking their technique, but likely they are thinking: What are other people thinking of me right now? Am I playing well enough? You see it in their face—they’re analyzing: doing the post-game recap instead of playing. Playing is playing, analyzing is analyzing—there’s a time and place for each, help your child keep them separate. Help them find their way to get into the flow of the game, turn off their head, don’t over think, play “stupid”—it’s the best way to play smart.

 5.    Practice is for everyone, even the pros:  We know that Olympians devote every minute of their lives to training: they eat, breathe and sleep their sport. Many kids want to just be “great” at their sport but don’t want to practice—they just want to be there. They may believe that that their heroes don’t have to practice (or don’t realize how much!), that they are just naturally great, or once they’ve achieved a certain greatness—it’s permanent. Ask your child how many hours she thinks professional athletes train each week, and why. Professional athletes train at least 40 hours a week. Wait—but they are professionals—why do they need to keep practicing? Because ability is about improving your skills—goodness or even greatness is not an endpoint that you achieve and you have arrived. As masters know, their work is never done. Encourage your child to track his progress in specific areas every few practices so he can see the benefit it provides.

6.    Look to your heroes: When an Olympian has had a tough run, he looks to his coaches and other trusted advisors such as parents or teammates for their input. It’s not a weakness to get help, seeking the wisdom of others builds a broader base of strength. Coaches can see things that we can’t see, and know things that we don’t know. To help your child recover from a disappointing day on the field, have him identify his dream team of consultants—favorite coaches, athletes, a grandparent perhaps and run his day past his board. He can imagine (in his mind) what advice they have for how to accurately interpret what that disappointment really means and what he can do about it. He might imagine too what his dream team does when they experience disappointment. Finally, he can also learn to be proactive and ask his coach for additional pointers.

 7.    Find a coaching voice that you like (and treat yourself that way, too): Children are often very self-critical and hard on themselves; to help them see how unhelpful that is, it may be easier to do that from a distance. Ask them which coaches they thought were best in the Olympics—or in general in their experience—ones who get angry and yell when you make a mistake, or ones who stay calm and show you exactly what to do to improve your game? Next, bring it back home: Ask your child how she can be that coach for herself—what does she want to be saying to herself in her head when she’s going into a game? What does she want to be hearing in her head if she has a mis-step?


The Sochi Olympics will be over soon, but the lessons you can teach your child from them can be a springboard to a strong mindset that will serve your child for a lifetime. Practice, perseverance and physical training are essential, but not the whole picture, in the words of figure skater Jeremy Abbott: “Once you’re out there, it’s all about the mental game.”

Source: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/worry-wise/201402/teach-your-child-think-olympic-athlete