By Matt Acevedo

                 One of the common themes with young athletes today is that everyone wants to be the best at their sport but not all are willing to put the time in the weight room.  A lot of athletes work so hard on their skills particular to their sport but do not take very good care of their bodies.  There are a few things that need to be done as an athlete to take you to the next level.

                First, lifting weights and making your body stronger.  Weight lifting is a key proponent in any athlete’s life and can make the difference at the end of a game in any sport.  Making sure your body and muscles are strong can prevent injury and help you perform.  The second key is cardio and conditioning.  Give yourself an advantage by having your lungs in shape and your body ready to endure a long season and give yourself the extra energy at the end of a game.   Finally STRETCHING!  Many athletes do not know the proper way to stretch and do not stretch at all before or after either a game or practice.  Make sure you stretch everyday to keep your muscles loose and flexible to help your body perform to its fullest potential.  Flexible athletes tend to be the fastest and most agile on the field or court.

                Doing these three things along with working on your sport specific skills in and out of season will help you reach the goals you truly want to achieve.  Please continue to check back for weekly training tips or if you are serious about taking care of your body, come visit us at Athletic Edge in The BATT Academy.  All training is done by appointment only.  To schedule an appointment or consultation, please call Athletic Edge at 410.590.2288 or email Matt Acevedo, Director of Athletic Training, mace4429@yahoo.com.

There is one thing that is consistent with all athletes, in all sports, and that is we all need to work out.  One problem is that young athletes have is that they do not know the proper way to work out.  More often than not the guidance they have been given usually doesn’t come from a strength coach or a trainer, more like a dad or an uncle. 

Most kids today are big on the beach muscle weight lifting because they want to get “BIG”!  If you walked into a high school or college weight room and asked the athletes in there what their purpose is for being in there you would hear this……..” I wanna get big bro!”  This is when you find an athlete who runs a greater risk of getting hurt because they don’t know what they’re doing and they’re lifting heavy amounts of weight . 

As a young athlete in high school or college there are a couple things you should do to make sure that you’re on the right track as far as lifting weights for whatever sport it is your playing.  First make sure you talk to you trainer or one of the trainers here at Athletic Edge and let them teach you proper weight lifting form.  Second if you plan to work alone meet with a trainer about a sports specific regiment that will work the proper muscles for your sport while preventing injury as well.  And finally speak to your coach and see where his goals for you and your goals match up and how you can achieve them.

Come see us at Athletic Edge in The Batt Academy for more information on how to become a better athlete or give us a call at 410.590.2288.

Conditioning can be generic and boring, or it can serve multiple purposes and make you better conditioned and better at your sport.  The following is a conditioning drill done with an 8lb medicine ball; It builds strength while preparing one for the rigors of basketball.