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Coaching young athletes and helping them develop into the athletes they want to be is a very rewarding experience. From the 8 year old Youth to the 18 year old Developmental 2 athlete there are a lot of the same goals but very different approaches to how we reach them. Everyone wants to get faster, stronger, and more explosive but training an 8 year the same as the 18 year old just doesn’t work. Young athletes have 3 main phases of development that takes place.   Phase 1: Learning how to Train. This is the phase that most of our Youth class athletes fall into. During this phase athletes have a very difficult time doing anything at a high intensity and a lot of their improvements in performance are based on motor learning and doing a lot of repetitions. The biggest problem is that most athletes want to be too specific early on and miss out perfecting the basics.   Phase 2: Training to Train. This is the phase that most of our Developmental 1 and some Developmental 2 athletes are in. At this stage athletes have hopefully built a solid foundation of training and are ready to add in a few specifics but still focus on the basics. They are able to push themselves harder than before but still require a lot of repetitions to become good at anything. It is still very important to do a few things well instead of many things poorly.   Phase 3: Training to Compete. At this stage we can perform the basic movements correctly and are able to train them at a high intensity which means we can’t do as many repetitions. This allows us to focus on a lot more specifics than before and follow a more individualized program.   You come to Velocity because you want to improve your performance. Our highly trained coaches know how to assess an athlete design a program based on what training phase you are in. It is important for parents and athletes to keep these phases of training in mind when you watch another athlete do something and wonder why you aren’t doing it. It is very possible that it may not be what you need to get better.

Sir Isaac Newton first described the three Laws of Motion and thus became one of the first performance coaches to apply scientific principles to human movement.   Newton's First Law, the Law of Inertia, states "A body will stay in a state of rest or constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force that changes that state."  Let's focus on the state of rest.   That means in order to get going the athlete must produce force by sending a message down the nervous system so that muscles can contract.  The force acting on the body's mass (weight) so that the state of rest is maintained (Inertia) is gravity.  No force produced means no movement realized.

The “Three Cone Drill” is a multi-directional drill that allows athletes to showcase their ability to shift their bodyweight and move around quickly while changing directions and keeping speed. During this drill we are able to see an athletes multi-directional movement abilities as well as seeing what the athlete lacks in their “multi-d” repertoire.  

Have you ever told yourself that you’re going to write something down to remind yourself to do it only to find out later that you not only forgot to write it down but you can’t even remember what it was that you were supposed to do?   It’s a common organizational mistake and in general, people are more organized when they plan out what they are going to do with their day and what they have accomplished already.   Nutrition is no exception. Do you remember only the great dinners that you’ve had? What about remembering only the feelings of regret after you have eaten something that you know should have stayed on the shelf at the grocery store? With just these emotional responses and not a list of what you’ve actually been putting into your body, it’s hard to make changes to your diet and monitor them once you have made them

March athlete of the month goes to Developmental 1 athlete, Spencer Krause. Spencer has been awarded this for his continued participation after suffering a fracture to his arm while in the facility in addition to his drive and consistency the past couple of months. Coming to Velocity is tough enough as it is, can you imagine coming with a broken arm? If you want to know why he continues to train with us it's because "the coaches work you hard but they also make it fun!" Spencer works hard without being asked and always takes time to ask if he is doing a task the correct way.

High School Players - Get your times in the:   40 Yard Dash 5 - 10 - 5 Broad Jump Vertical Jump 185 Bench Press A FREE month of Velocity Training will be given to the winner of each event!

This month Developmental  2 athlete Justin Leong has been selected as Athlete of the Month for February. He was chosen by the coaching staff at Velocity Sports Performance Irvine for his hard work ethic and improved performance.  Justin has only been training at Velocity for 4 months, but he has shown consistent attendance and a positive attitude every time he comes in.   Justin plays basketball for the All-Net Aliso Niguel Wolverines, where he is a star player.  “I really like the Velocity training because it helps me condition for games and is making me stronger” says Justin.  He contributes his great training to the coaches at Velocity. “All the trainers at Velocity are really helpful and make it fun to work out, they push me to excel”.  Justin says his favorite exercise is the back squat because it takes balance and strength. “My legs feel really strong after doing this exercise” he says.

There’s no way around it; your environment influences your behavior.  Make things easier and you’re more likely to do them.  Take away temptations and you’re less likely to be enticed.  To increase the likelihood of reaching your goals, create an environment for success.    Start by stocking your kitchen with the foods you want to be eating for success.  Whether you plan on doing all or very little of your food prep here, you need to remove those opportunities for unhealthy eating.  If it’s in your home, you will eat it eventually.  

Recently, author, Seth Godin wrote a blog post about his “Hierarchy of Success”.  I thought it was very relevant to coaching overall.  Seth wrote; ”The hierarchy of success I think it looks like this: 1.Attitude                                                                      2.Approach 3.Goals 4.Strategy 5.Tactics 6.Execution We spend all our time on execution. Use this word instead of that one. This web host. That color. This material or that frequency of mailing.

  FOCUS - Mental Conditioning Nutrition Counseling Private Training

WHO: 1st & 2nd Graders    Class will engage kids in activities that develop fundamental motor skills & coordination while introducing them to movements in the sports of football, basketball, T-ball, and soccer. Each week features exercises, fun drills, and age-appropriate games.  

Improve First Step Quickness Increase Lateral Speed Improve Top Speed Reduce Likelihood of Injury WHEN:   March 8 - April 14 TIME:     Monday & Wednesdays                5:00 - 6:00pm

Football Skills & Drills Saturdays, starting January 23rd Grades 5 - 7   9:00AM - 10:15AM Grades 8 - 12   10:30AM - 11:45AM   NFL Veteran Bucky Brooks along with some of Orange County's top High School Football Coaches, as well as college and former NFL players, will be coaching skills and technique in small group settings.  You don't want to miss out!

John Sullivan of the Minnesota Vikings starts & snaps to Brett Favre Clay Matthews of the Green Bay Packers makes Pro Bowl as a Rookie Mark Sanchez leads the NY Jets to the AFC Championship game Donald Brown of the Indianapolis Colts goes to Super Bowl XLIV

  Once again some of the Nation’s top college football recruits are training with Velocity Sports Performance – Irvine in preparation for the NFL Combine in February! 

Velocity Sports Performance’s athlete of the month for January is Jack DeFalco. Jack, who is one of our most consistent athletes, has been training with Velocity for almost 2 years.  He has been chosen by the coaches because of his hard work and dedication he brings every time he trains.  Jack is known for his “never ending” energy and enthusiasm when it comes to training.

Jenny is what softball people call a "multi tool" athlete. She can hit, hit with power, run, catch, and throw. She can also kick a soccer ball, shoot a basketball and do things with her body that her friends can’t. Her grandparents are convinced that her sports skills are exceptional, while her parents are taking a wait-and-see attitude. The club coaches and scouts haven’t discovered Jenny, but it won’t be long. Most of her athletic activity takes place in the backyard with her brother Joey, mom and dad. That’s because Jenny is only 5 years old.    

Jumping higher and running faster. Not too many athletes would turn down the opportunity to improve these fundamental athletic qualities. We all know what this leads to: scoring goals, running in touchdowns, fast breaks, slam dunks, defensive steals, hard driven spikes, stolen bases, and crowd pleasing blocks, among many other things. These are some memorable highlights along the path that leads to winning. But before we get to winning, we need to take a step back and enter the foundation in which it all starts: performance training.

The key to any effective nutrtion program is consistency. To get results, you must stick to the program at least 90% of the time (i.e., no more than 4 meals out of an average of 42 meals per week violate the program). One of the biggest obstacles to being consistent is timing. For those of us who say, “I don’t have time to eat 5 meals,” or “I eat out because I don’t have time to pack a lunch,” there are no excuses. The barrier to success is not a lack of time, but rather a lack of planning.  

Colt McCoy has been training with Velocity Sports Performance for the past 10 weeks in preparation for the NFL Draft. He is out to prove that his hard work has paid off rehabbing his shoulder injury. Watch his journey to the draft!

Our goals when working with developing athletes is to build a strong foundation of fundamentals movements: skills, strength, power, agility, speed, mobility & stability.  Often though this is hard for many people to grasp as they want to see the bells & whistles of technology and activities that “look” sport specific.  They want to see the improvements by this Friday. 

On most Saturday mornings, 10 year old Ireland Gibbs can be found on the soccer field.  Ireland is a goal keeper for her U11 Pateadores.  She has been playing soccer for seven years and the past three years have been club soccer.   Asked why she plays soccer, Ireland says “she loves the thrill of soccer and that it is unpredictable.  She likes how free she feels on the field.”  Mom says, Ireland needs a sport that keeps her in motion, she just can’t sit still.  Ireland has been playing goalkeeper most of her soccer career, she likes it because she can use her hands, but mostly she likes that she leads the team and sees the whole field.

Last month’s article discussed how to choose high quality carbohydrates and their positive effect on sustained energy and increased metabolism. Sometimes, though, you are “on-the-go” and are in a bind about where to get high quality fast food. This month’s article will address some simple tips to help you when you are out and about and unable to prepare a home cooked meal.

November’s Velocity athlete of the month is Isaac Nielson. Isaac is a junior at Mission Viejo HS. He is currently about to begin his first basketball season as a varsity player, but also plays outside hitter for the MVHS volleyball team. At 6’9” Isaac is an excellent defensive player, and a very imposing obstacle to score against.

Carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for your body. Each gram of CHO contains 4 kilocalories (calories). In general, around 40% of your total caloric intake should come from CHO. Athletes who are training and competing should consume around 6-10 g CHO/ kg of bodyweight.

As I watch my children play sports I often end up laughing at some of the other parents and coaches.  They get way to excited over outcomes in the game; win or lose, one on one battles, was the call by the ref correct, how hard some hit, etc…   To watch these parents you would think this was the Olympics or the Stanley Cup.  It’s not.  I’ve coached athletes at high levels here in the US and abroad, so the perspective is different.   It’s funny to, because to reach the very goal of sports success, most of these parents are worried about the entirely wrong things.  They can’t see the big picture of kids getting turned off by unwarranted pressure.  They can’t see that what helps you win today at 9 may actually hurt the players development if its emphasized or rewarded.

1. Mental training can’t replace physical training and talent. We haven’t seen any Olympic Athlete who succeeded without doing the physical and technical work, even though we have worked with some of the most mentally talented athletes in the world. The reality is that even an exceptionally talented athlete who has not prepared well physically loses confidence and is vulnerable in competition. The best and easiest confidence is that which comes from the knowledge that you are as prepared, or more prepared, than your competitors, and that you are physically capable of a winning performance. 

There are numerous benefits to developing the right strength qualities for a soccer player; Increased Speed Reduce Risk of Knee and Other Injuries Greater Movement Efficiency to Increase Stamina