Since I first posted about Gatorade on our Facebook Fan Page (some time ago now) I have admittedly become side tracked and the result is a huge delay in a proper response.

I have been meaning to reseach and comment on Gatorade and their new G-Series for some time.  My inquiries and investigations always begin in one place…the IYCA and the professionals like Dr. Chris Mohr.

Chris was kind enough to respond to a forum post on a the IYCA professionals forum and I am making sure you have access (it has now been posted on the main website for the IYCA)

Here is the forum thread:

IYCA Training Advisor, Dave Gleason, posted this incredible question on our Members Only message board a few days ago:

Gatorade is making a big push with its Series – Prime, Perform and Recover.

I have questions about –

1) Its efficacy
2) Its quality
3) Its potential as a viable alternative for the young athletes we deal with on a day to day basis.

Dr. Chris Mohr chimed in with an answer:

Prime — the 1st in the “series” is really just a convenient way to take carbohydrates.

It’s more concentrated than normal Gatorade, but not quite as concentrated as a gel.

I’d stick with basic Gatorade if it were me.

The Perform is regular Gatorade. And the Recover is mainly protein with very little carbohydrates.

This would be more suited for an anaerobic athlete, who isn’t burning through glycogen and doesn’t have to be as concerned
with replenishing glycogen as quickly.

If you’re working with a more endurance based athlete, I’d want more carbohydrates in the recovery product than this offers. Hope that helps and let me know if there are other questions!

 ———————————————————

 THANKS DR. MOHR!

~Coach Dave

.

The initial national coverage by ABC News was quick (and irresponsible) for jumping on the notion that the supplement Creatine was the likely culprit.

Why?

Elevated levels of Creating Kinase in the blood tests of the young athletes admitted in the hospital.

Could Creatine have contributed to the compartment syndrome that resulted in several players actually needing surgery to relieve pressure and avoid permanent muscle damage…or worse?  Yes.

My point is not to defend Creatine.  I do not recommend this supplement to any young athlete and this is a topic to discuss in itself.

My point is that we must start looking at the sports training and conditioning programs that young athletes are engaged in – most often under the direction of a coach and or strength and conditioning coach.

Was the workout these young football players engaged in excessive?  Not according to McMinnville High School Administrators.

Not excessive?   Push ups followed by bench dips in a 115-120 degree room AFTER a conditioning practice out on the field during the hottest day of the year?

That is what I call , ”being stupid on purpose”.

What say the players on the McMinnville High Football Team?

“It’s heart-breaking,” injured player Greg Cordie told KGW from his hospital bed. “I love this game… He pushed us too hard, and here we are.”

Cordie’s parents and some others were outraged. Jim Cordie said he’s worried his son’s entire football career could now be ruined.

“This ain’t the NFL, this ain’t college. Stop bringing these college coaches in and pushing these kids so far. They’re still growing. They’re still kids. They just want to play for fun,” he said.

Must be the supplements though right?.  How about rhabdomyolysis?  Guess what one of the primary symptoms is?  Elevated levels of Creatine Kinase.

According to MedicineNet.com:

“Rhabdomyolysis (RAB-DOE-MY-O-LIE-SIS) is the rapid destruction of skeletal muscle resulting in leakage into the urine of the muscle protein myoglobin.”

“Myoglobin is a protein component of the muscle cells that is released into the blood when the skeletal muscle is destroyed in rhabdomyolysis. Creatine kinase is an enzyme (a protein that facilitates chemical reactions in the body) also in the muscle cells. The level of each of these proteins can be measured in blood to monitor the degree of muscle injury from rhabdomyolysis.” Myoglobin can also be measured in samples of urine.”

Hard work pays off.  I am a beliver in that, but it needs to be smart work.

Young athletes are not little adults.

There is an absolute art to training kids how to become better athletes.  Every coach will have a different ethos, philosophy and training style.

The style of coaching must be rooted in the science and practicality of working with young people.

Yes kids adapt, yet this mantra does not suffice when most coaches cannot adequately explain what it is they are actually asking young athletes to adapt to.

Ultimately it is the head coach and strength coach that bears the responsibility for this tragic situation in McMinnville.  Let this be a shot across the bow to coaches in our community (in all sports) to do what is right.

~Coach Dave

.

The following article is posted here with permission by friend and colleague Lee Taft.  Lee is THE speed expert.  Lee is a coach, runs his own successful athletic development company and travels the world teaching others how to effectively work with young athletes.

Lee’s thoughts further illustrate why we take the approach we do at Athletic Revolution…

Enjoy!

Why AAU is Hurting Youth Sports

By Lee Taft

It isn’t what it was meant to be. Travel sports like AAU, travel soccer, baseball, softball, and volleyball are the perfect example of building specific skill on top of a poor foundation of fundamental skills.

Travel team sports for young, developing players should be about teaching skills, developing game knowledge, and improving function. I see less and less coaching going on with these travel teams and more playing games. Kids are learning to play with poor foundational skill sets.

Granted there are some travel teams that actually spend some quality time on skills development. Good for them! But there are way too many more only focusing on winning the games. They do what they have to by putting kids in positions so the team can win. This doesn’t help the players develop; it just makes the team win.

I have seen top-level junior high and high school basketball players not able to dribble, pass, or shoot a simple layup with their left, or non-dominant, hand. Yet, they are playing 30 to 50 games over the summer with travel sports and never have their limitations addressed.

Travel sports could be a great thing if done in the right context and with intent on improving each athlete’s ability. But, like always, we put playing more games and winning as the top priority.

Here is what I see happening. These kids on travel teams are winning games and developing a false sense of skill level. Then they have to play on a structured school or college program, and their fundamental skills are so limited they fail to meet the success they had on travel teams. This leads to problems, because the player and parents are now wondering why they are not being put in situations to be successful like they did in travel sports.

It all comes back to we want quick fixes, don’t want to work for anything, and expect things to be handed to us when we are unhappy. Sorry! Life doesn’t work that way.

We need to take back our sports and develop our athletes the correct way. I know travel sports are the way to be “seen,” but give me a break. If you can play you will get noticed.

I would much rather take an athlete and limit their off-season game play (still allow them to play, but not as much), and develop their skills to the point they are dangerously serious athletes.

The only way this will ever work is if it is a nationwide effort to change the focus of travel sports to an advanced form of developing athletes.

The response I usually get when I bring this up is, “Kids don’t have to choose to be on a travel team.” That is correct, but the kids that do choose are the ones that we are talking about. These kids lose out on becoming better players, and just because they are on a winning team does not mean they are good.

We are so in love with the flash and the glamour that we have ignored the foundation of improvement and development.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

The debate about high speed treadmills and skating treadmills has been around for years.  In this video I discuss the merits of these high priced pieces of athletic development equipement.  I also lay out many questions and concerns about high speed and skating treadmills – specifically what place they have if any in the youth fitness and athletic development arenas.

Take a look and as always…leave your comments below!

Thanks for being part of the revolution!

~Coach Dave

PS.  If you haven’t read my last post about schools sending FAT REPORT CARDS home click here to check it out and join in….I want to hear from you whether you agree with me or not

.

Full story here:  http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,597183,00.html

First we need to remember or realize that childhood obesity IS NOT THE PROBLEM.

What?  Did he really write that?  Yes.  Yes I did.

The fact is that the rise in childhood obesity is the symptom.  Actually it is one of the more relevant and media driven symptoms along with secondary conditions due to obesity, lower test scores, depression, anxiety, and low self esteem – to name a few.

The problem, if we need to call it that, is multi layered and wide spread for sure.

A lack of activity (in and out of school) and poor nutrition habits are the culprits here.

Very few if any solutions of today actually indicate realistic strategies for battling the aforementioned issue(s).

Now let us remember that we are dealing with children here.  Kick their butt fat camps for 6 weeks and a strict diet does not provide the empowerment, or long term solution here.

Nor does calculating BMI during school hours and sending home a report with half hearted recommendations as to what we should do with the information.

I will pose the rest of my comments as questions.

Why?

To get you to think.

I want to encourage you to think about the best possible solution for young children.  Perhaps for your children.

What is in the BEST interest of each child individually…

1. Is not BMI a calculation done by a child’s pediatrician to be consulted with the parents?
2. Is BMI an accurate depiction of a child’s weight/height ratio in determining risks due to body weight?  (We have all heard stories of little johnny that is solid as a rock with no visible body fat on his body yet is borderline overweight on the BMI indices.
3. Should kids be taken out of class to have this calculation done when they could be studying or exercising?
4. Does a child who is at risk have parents that do not recognize it without a BMI Report?
5. Where are the mandates that say Physical Education and or Physical Activity in school must happen daily?
6. Is there a concerted effort to search for healthy choices for school lunches?
7. Is there hope for  a young child who comes to school consisting of a bag lunch with salami, cookies and cupcakes?
8. Does the Fat Report Card address the issue(s) of lack of sleep, over scheduled after school activities (including sports), hormonal changes, developmental discrepencies, endochrine system abnormalities, etc?

Athletic Revolution is so much more that a training facility for young athletes or a youth fitness center.  We are part of a greater mission…which means you are as well.  Together we can change things.  Together we can help children lead active healthy lives on their way to becoming active, vibrate and productive young adults…one at a time.

You are a part of the revolution and I’m proud to have you on board!

I really want to know what you think.

Leave your thoughts on the matter below and let your voice be heard!

~Coach Dave

.

This outstanding youth soccer camp is and has been run by Dean Sneider since 1997.  Dean philosophy is character and effort first, soccer skills second.  Young athletes leave this week with smiles on their faces and new soccer skills in tow.  I send both my boys there and will continue to do so.

On Thursday of the last week of camp, I had center stage to all 100+ young soccer players and their trusted coaches for one hour.  The theme…SPEED.

Fun was had by everyone (see the pictures here) as they experienced 3 secrets to game changing soccer speed and agility.

To put the frosting on the cake – my assistant was New England Revolution soccer star Kevin Alston who donated his time to help out and stay to sign autographs.  We raffled a soccer ball signed by Kevin as well as two free months of training at Athletic Revolution including a free evaluation, AR Champion Shirt, no enrollment…the works!

If you haven’t seen the pictures from that day you can view them on our Athletic Revolution Fan Page – www.facebook.com/athleticrevolution.  If you are not already a fan…just sign on to FaceBook and click LIKE on our page.

I hope to see you soon!

~Coach Dave

P.S.  Our U10-U12 Soccer Academy is sold out but make sure you get your name on the waitlist…we may add another session!

P.P.S.  We still have some room in our U14-U16 Soccer Academy but don’t wait…spots are going fast!

.

July 2, 2010 – Competing in the Dew Tour, at the famed Boston Garden, Nora Vasconcellos was in the company of the greats of men and women’s skateboarding.

Fitting in practice time in Rye, New Hampshire while maintaining any semblance of balance for an energetic and ambitious 17 year old whose life and friends are home in Pembroke, is a tall order.

With the 2010 X-Games Vert competition looming the weekend of July 29th – Nora’s training at Athletic Revolution in Pembroke gets ramped up.

Unlike all other evaluations of physical prowess, at Athletic Revolution the young athletes ranging in age from 6-18 are judged on the quality of carefully selected movements put together in a flowing, choreographed routine.

Dave Gleason, Head Coach of Athletic Revolution, says that preparing Nora physically is a steady system of balance, mobility, strength and stamina.
“Making sure Nora moves correctly and efficiently is paramount to her staying healthy as well as continuing to improve at the rapid rate she has been on”, says Gleason.

Nora’s thoughts on her work with Coach Gleason and Athletic Revolution are quite complementary.

“I’ve noticed an overall improved level of fitness; greater flexibility, strength and endurance which has me more confident and better able to focus on what I want to do when I’m skating. AR is not one-size-fits-all”.

“Coach Dave’s asks great questions and listens to create an approach that is unique to my particular sport. I feel so good about having AR as a partner in my skating that I truly can’t wait to get to every workout”, continued the 17-year-old athlete.

.

Matt Travis is a Physical Education Teacher and a Certified Youth Fitness Specialist in Massachusetts. Matt attended our testing day as a bystander and someone who is also looking to make a positive difference in the lives of the next generations to come.  His passion is unparalled.

I tell you this because Matt wrote a letter to me that I would like to share with you.  I captures how we assess our young athletes far better than I could ever imagine.

I know the merit our programming and testing system holds for young athletes.  I understand our role in developing not only young athletes into robust movers and shakers but as human beings.

The following is Matt’s description of what he witnessed, from the view point of an educator, a professional and as a human being.

Thank you, Matt for sharing in our day – and thank you for this letter:

I recently visited Athletic Revolution for their second testing session that happens quarterly throughout the year. Upon arrival I knew I was going to observe something special. From the moment I entered the facility I saw a wonderful family atmosphere that was decorated with professionalism. The black and orange balloons commemorating the special day, the happy birthday sign for one of the athletes, the baked goods, warm smiles and greetings from Dave and Andrea, the owners of Athletic Revolution, created a contagious energy that encouraged success. The stage was set for a plethora of talent and athletic ability. 

A calm excitement filled the room before the testing began.  The athletes’ families took their places in the many chairs set up along the perimeter of the turf, with their cameras ready to catch this triumphant occasion. Dave introduced the event by explaining the uniqueness of the Athletic Revolution teaching system, the extensive time and effort the athletes have given to be chosen to participate in the testing session and a loving thank you to his wonderful wife Andrea.  Dave’s superior coaching ability really shined as he took a moment at the end of the introduction to recognize important events in two of his athlete’s lives. He commended one athlete on earning the citizenship award at his school and led the singing of happy birthday for another athlete on his extra special day.  He continued to explain the order in which the athletes would perform the testing protocol starting with the 6-9 year old discovery athletes and ending with the 10-13 year old exploratory athletes.

The testing began with the youngest athletes working towards their white arm bands, the first level of achievement for the 6-9 year old discovery athletes and continued with the athletes attempting their orange and black arm bands, the second and third levels of achievement. The testing finished up with the 10-13 year old athletes working towards their white and orange arm bands at the exploratory level of achievement. 

As a physical educator, coach and level 1 youth fitness specialist, I was absolutely amazed at the endurance, balance, motor control and agility of each athlete. The confidence exuded by the athletes as they performed solo in front of an audience was extraordinary. Each child went through a challenging mix of balance, rhythm, reaction, agility, speed and endurance skills that created a collage of functional athletic ability.  Compared to the traditional non-functional fitness assessments that my allotted curriculum requires me to perform, this testing session was a breath of fresh air.  It was a rewarding experience to see each athlete’s face light up when they saw their hard work pay off and heard the explosive support at the conclusion of each of their own tests. I was so caught up in the excitement and proud moments of these athletes performances that I found myself blurting out cheers for these athletes like they were my own children.

One student was Athletic Revolution’s first exploratory athlete in franchise history to earn an orange band.  I consider myself to be in great shape and have proficient athletic ability, but I am not sure that I could have completed the tough endurance filled coordination challenge that he accomplished, at least not with as much grace. I felt honored to be an observer of this emotional transformation from willing students to confident athletes. It was astounding to see these athletes intrinsically motivated to take a chance and shoot for a high level of athleticism.  The most rewarding part that I observed was the respect each athlete gave to one another while they were testing and the family like reception they gave to each other when they each finished.  Athletic Revolution isn’t just creating spectacular athletes; they are fostering and empowering incredible human beings, and changing lives one child at a time. I look forward to experiencing another testing session because it was one of the most pure forms of youth athletic success I have ever seen. Thank you Dave and Andrea for inviting me to witness this athletic revolution!

Sincerely,

Matt Travis, P.E., YFS        

 

.

It was inspirational, emotional, impressive and joyous.

We are changing youth sports performance testing and youth fitness testing.  No longer will young athletes have to achieve just for the sake of achieving.  No longer will they have to be subjected to 1 rep max tests, or reps for 1 minute protocols with no subjective assessment of technical ability.

Check out this little slide show of some of the highlights of our day.

Congrats to all of the following Champions:
 

Discovery (6-10 yrs)

White Band Recipients

Daniel Ellis – White Band

Orange Band Recipients

Lucas Barone
Derek Lambiase
Bo Rinkus

Black Band Recipients

Trevor Gleason
Sam Herrmann
Cameron Maggiore
Justin Troia
Steven Cerventes

Exploration (10-13 yrs)

White Band Recipients

Carley Pearce
Dylan Prudente
Kristina Lavallee
Brian Lavallee

Orange Band Recipients

Bryan Musial

We are proud of each and every one of you!!

~Coach Dave

.

None more important than helping reduce injuries in young athletes.

Is our goal to reduce injury by helping our athletes become…

Stronger?

More mobile and flexible?

Faster?

More proficient when moving?

More aware of skill development and how it relates to better athleticism?

Yes, yes, yes , yes and yes.

What is never mentioned in our literature but perhaps should be is how we strive to educate parents and their young athletes beyond the x’s and o’s of training.  How important rest is to the human body.  The role stress plays in athletic development.  Human development and how it relates to performane training for young athletes.

Read this article that was recently published in the Boston Globe for even greater insight.

http://www.boston.com/sports/schools/articles/2010/06/01/young_athletes_injuries_on_the_rise/

What are your thoughts?

We want to know so please leave your comments below.

Til next time,

~Coach Dave

.