Born Athletic Blog

Brace Yourself: Reduce Ankle Injuries | ankle injuries,

lwhittaker — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:01:26 +0000

ASO Ankle Brace

Ankle injuries cost a team more than just playing time.

Ankle injuries during the basketball season can be devastating to a basketball team. Many basketball programs require players to use some kind of ankle protection in practice and games. Wrapping ankles with Mwrap or foam under wrap covered with athletic tape significantly reduces these ankle injuries. If the team does not have an athletic trainer on staff, the coach then spends a significant amount of extra time in the locker room. This can hinder the amount of instruction and practice time for the team. This is especially true when the gym is shared with other teams.

Ankle braces are a good solution to costly ankle injuries.

The problem can be corrected with the use of good quality ankle braces. Over the years ankle braces have improved greatly. They have evolved from bulky, rigid, poor seams to materials of much lighter weight and seams that do not cut into the feet. Today ankle braces fit and support better and offer a good range of movement. Today’s ankle braces offer a good alternative to ankle taping and an alternative to all but the best professional taping jobs. Ankle braces should reduce the costly effect of ankle injuries during the season.

What Are Sports Medical Supplies?

lwhittaker — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 04:15:30 +0000

Sports medical supplies cover a very broad range of products. These products can be treatment tables used by athletic trainers and also rehab and exercise products. Orthotic products such as insoles and arch supports can also be included in sports medical supplies. Treatment supplies such as elastic bandages, gauze products and examination gloves are also included in sports medical supplies. Athletic tape, pre-wrap or under wrap are readily thought of. Hot and cold therapy products are another example. Analgesics are another area of products considered in sports medical supplies.

Orthopedics is one of the largest sports medical supplies categories.

Sports medical supplies also include braces and supports of all kinds. These braces are designed for athletes and manufactured by sports medicine companies such as Mueller Sports Medicine, Cramer, McDavid as well as others. They are manufactured to such high standards to meet the rigorous use of the athlete. This is why athletic braces and supports made by sports medicine companies are also the choice of non athletes that prefer superior quality. Knee braces and supports in many styles and protection levels are readily available. The same is true for ankle braces and wrist braces. Wraps for the thigh and groin as well as supports for the shoulder can be found.

Mueller® Hg80® Hinged Knee Brace

Athletic tape and wraps are essential sports medical supplies.

Many athletes have their ankles, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hamstring muscles and other areas taped before a game or workout. Athletic tape and foam pre wrap or Mwrap or under wrap are all common sports medical supplies. Many athletes also use the adhesive sprays and removers with taping. Sore muscles also call for the use of sports medical supplies to ease the pain and help the muscle to recover.

Don’t forget the medicine kit in your sports medical supplies.

Many sports teams have sports medical supplies in a portable sports medicine kit. These kits can come completely stocked or bought empty and stocked to suit your own use.

As you can see, sports medical supplies cover a large variety of products for both the rigorous athlete and the person who needs a little extra support or prevention of a more serious injury. Find your sports medical supplies at a sports medicine store.

How to Improve Pitching Velocity

lwhittaker — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:22:14 +0000

In baseball there is hardly any pitcher who does not want to know how to improve pitching velocity. The reason for this is simple. Having a blazing fastball is a great way to dominate the batter. Good velocity on your pitchers can be a tremendous competitive advantage for a pitcher. Fortunately there are ways to learn how to improve your pitching velocity.
     Where do you start when you want to improve your pitching speed? As with most athletic skills the proper mechanics are vital. A relaxed wind-up should be followed by leg drive, hip rotation, arm acceleration and then a complete follow through. The release point and arm angle should be kept consistent. A good pitching motion with proper mechanics can take stress off the arm and shoulder and allow for increased efficiency.
      There are many good training drills for baseball. Long Toss is one of the very best for developing good arm strength. This holds for any position player as well as pitchers. To get maximum benefit from Long Toss it should be done correctly. It should not be over done. In other words you should not do it too often and your sessions should not be too long. This could lead to a sore or tired arm. After a sufficient warm-up, you and your throwing partner should gradually move further apart. Your throws should be made ina strong manner with good form. Do not just lob the ball to reach the other player but think of it as if you are trying to “throw through” the target.
     A few other pitching velocity tips that will help improve pitching velocity include icing your arm and shoulder after pitching. This will reduce any internal inflammation and help your arm recover from the stress of pitching. Mental focus on each pitch is important. Do not allow yourself to just do through the motions but to concentrate on every pitch as if it was the World Series. Another mental approach to improve youtr pitching velocity is visualization. This is a highly effective technique used in many sports with great success. When you are in a non-athletic and relaxed setting simply close your eyes, relax and mentally visualize yourself pitching as the ideal pitcher that your desire to be. As you do this see in your mind your fastball being thrown easily with great velocity and pin point control. Later, after having programmed your mind like this for a high level of performance you will be on your way to improvement when pitching.

One of the important aspects of your pitching performance is physical conditioning. Obviously the arm and shoulder need to be strong in order to throw hard, have endurance and recover from throwing stress. So how do you achieve the muscle strength you need? Itwas once thought that muscle strengthening exercises would actually interfere with a pitcher’s performance. it is now known that a good program of strength training can be extremely useful. This is true for both performance and injury prevention. Muscle strengtheningshould not just be for the arm and shoulder but the entire body should be made stronger. All the major muscle groups, arms, backchest, abdominal, arms and shoulder muscles should all be properly conditioned with a sensible weight training program. Weight training exercises should always be performed in a slow and controlled manner with no jerking or fast movements. Each muscle group should be exercised until fatigued but this should not be overdone. Short but intense workouts performed with several days rest between with allow for good muscle strengthening results.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/baseball-articles/baseball-how-to-improve-pitching-velocity-4428809.html

About the Author

For more dtails on how to improve the velocity of you pitching please visit http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-throw-a-baseball-harder

David Waters is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and author of The Fitness Center Handbook. He is a avid fitness enthusiat and a former fitness professiional. In addition David is an expert outdoorsman with extensvie experience in fishing, hiking and camping. He is also a founding member of The Nahanni Camping and Fishing Club.

The Troublesome Ankle Sprain

lwhittaker — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:10:12 +0000

An ankle sprain can be very troublesome for an athlete.

In the area of sports injuries, the most common of all is the ankle sprain. Ankle sprains are evidenced by the following:

Pain (sometimes accompanied by a sharp noise like a pop.) Weight bearing leads to increased pain

Swelling and discoloration. The swelling will begin rapidly from bleeding into the ankle tissues and will usually reach the maximum swelling within 24 hours. The bruising will also be evident.

Range of motion. There will be a severe limit to the flexibility of the joint. Most motions will cause pain and the amount of movement will be hindered.

Causes of the ankle sprain.

These injuries most often occur in the sports requiring quick forward, backward, lateral and sudden stopping motions and jumping and landing akwardly. The ankle is susceptible to rolling, twisting, and turning, resulting in pain and swelling of the ankle and damage to the ligaments that enable the ankles to work correctly.

The damage to ligaments can be, but is not limited to tearing, stretching and weakness. These ligaments are needed to stabilize the joint and while incredibly flexible, cannot sustain extreme movements. The sprain occurs when the joint is flexed beyond its capability.

The degree of the sprain can vary. Extreme cases result in the tearing of the ligaments, especially above the ankle joint – most commonly referred to as a high ankle sprain.

Should one seek medical attention for an ankle sprain?

Medical attention might be required. It is best to seek medical attention to rule out other causes of pain and swelling, such as a break or other damage. Ankle sprains, however, need to be attended to immediately to reduce the swelling and bruising and shorten the duration of the incapacity. Complications can result from delay in treatment. Being susceptible to future sprains can result from the weakening in the joint if not treated. Numerous ankle sprains can lead to arthritis in the joint, causing future disability and difficulty in mobility.

In some instances, support will be recommended, such as ankle braces and other ankle supports. Following the guidance of the medical professional regarding types of supportive care will be important for future health of an ankle sprain.

Here is a website where you can buy some ankle braces…

Spats/Shoe Spatting

lwhittaker — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:48:22 +0000

Follow along as BAI shows you how to get a killer clean shoe spat so you can feel tight and look great!

Step 1

Start with the foot at 90 degrees. Ordinarily we’d be spatting over cleats, but we didn’t have any in the training room when I prepared this presentation.

Step 2

This step is optional, but if you plan on keeping your shoes nice and/or spatting all season, prewrap will help. Start at the laces and go toward the arch, under the shoe, then back to where you started. Continue on around the back of the calf/achilles, then back where you started again. That is one figure 8. Repeat until you have at least 2-3 figure 8′s, and don’t worry if it wrinkles or rolls up…you don’t have to worry about blisters from that because the athlete’s skin is already fully protected.

Step 3

Now the fun begins. I have colored the sides of the tape to help you see how it goes on correctly. Your first step here is to complete at least three figure 8′s, just like you did with the prewrap, except this time use cloth athletic tape. Elastic tape may also be used, or team colored tapes will give you a cool look, too. 1 1/2″ is used here, but 2″ is better for larger shoes. Start at the laces, then pull your tape down through the arch as shown. Wrap around the bottom of the foot back to where you started. You have completed the bottom half of one figure 8.

Step 4

Next, direct your tape toward the achilles as shown and loop back around the leg, finishing where you started. You have just completed one figure 8.

Step 5

Below you see the start of a third figure 8. Notice how each additional figure 8 overlaps the one before it by about half. In other words, don’t just tape right back over the same spot with your second and third figure 8.

Step 6

Here you see the completed three figure 8′s. Now let’s start closing this puppy up!

Step 7

Apply the first of a series of horseshoe strips around the back of the shoe. I like to start as low as possible on the shoe (don’t tape over the air sole or shock or whatever if they have it…the tape will come loose) with the first strip, starting on the inside part of the foot (medial), around the back to the outside (lateral) part. Make sure your tape starts stuck to the tape already on the shoe from your figure 8′s (not prewrap) and ends on tape on the other side. Pull tight…these strips will snug the shoe significantly.

Step 8

You can see here, I have added 3-4 more horseshoe strips from the indide, around the back, to the outside, working my way up the shoe, overlapping by half as I go up. We’re over halfway done!

Step 9

Here you can see that I have finished up the second layer of horseshoe strips. For the second layer, start near the top of the ankle and work your way down. Alternating your placement like this strengthens the job and helps prevent splitting in the back. We’re almost finished…

Step 10

Now lay down a couple more figure 8′s nice and tight to cover up all the loose ends from the horseshoe strips. This should also clean your tapejob up and make it look good. Finish at the laces or the lower leg. Apply one or two strips around the top of the tape job at the lower leg to close it off and make it look nice and clean.

Step 11

There you have it…a spat job pretty enough for even the pickiest prima donna DB, QB, RB, or wideout, let alone a big nasty in the trenches. Keep in mind ordinarily it would look solid white (no black lines), so it would be wrinkle free, fresh, and clean! Enjoy!

From the IYCA: Top 5 Mistakes in Youth Fitness

lwhittaker — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:08:44 +0000

Summer is the ‘make or break’ time of year.

Without a strong summer of youth fitness or sport training camps working effectively on all levels, you can literally kiss your business progress goodbye. June, July and August represent your greatest potential to have a revenue spike. They are the months that will see the most number of new young clients walk through your door (at least hopefully). They are when the seeds will be sown for your business success the remaining nine months of the year. And yet every single year at this time, mistakes are being made. I guarantee that you are making mistakes yourself.

Here are the ‘Top 5′ things you need to be concerned about:

1) Set Logistics Now

If you don’t already have your summer youth training programs set in terms of price, location, duration and time, you are WAY behind –

As I type this, parents are looking to register their kids into a summer program and won’t wait until school’s out to get that organized.

2) Establish Community Buzz

Once you take care of ‘1′, it’s time to start spreading the word. Press releases, on-site appearances and referral networking have always been the 3 that were most efficient for me. Are you doing those now?? Are you aware of what they are and how they work??

3) Registration Collection

Parents want a quick and easy way to register (and pay) for their kids summer programs. Are you equipped for that? Is it offline registration? On-line? Will some parents walk away from your summer camp and go with Plan B because your registration process wasn’t simple enough for them?

4) Conversion Process

Once you have a new young client enrolled, do you have a system for making sure they will sign-on to your long-term, non-summer program? How do you convert a ‘Summer Camper’ into a ‘Long-Term Client’? It takes a system… Do you have one?? For the record, you will be leaving THOUSANDS of dollars on the table if you by-pass Step 4.

5) Funnel

How will you stay in contact with your summer camper once the program is done? Do you have a system in place to stay in communication with them and their parents if they didn’t convert to full-time clients right after the summer program was finished? This is perhaps the greatest mistake of the 5. In order to maximize, you have to be ready. You must get things moving now and have systems in place to generate the kind of productivity that every summer promises.

Do yourself a favor and listen to this complementary audio:

Your Youth Fitness Summer Success Plan

Pat Rigsby and I spend 45 minutes telling you exactly what you need to know in order to make this summer your most productive and profitable yet —> http://iyca.org/kidfitcamp/summer

Time is running out… The kids will be out of school soon:

Click Here Now for our ‘No Charge’ Audio —> http://iyca.org/kidfitcamp/summer

Be well,

Brian Grasso