Whatever you can do, they can do better...

We are now into the 3rd week of our Summer Speed, Strength and Power (SSP) Camps and a few things are very apparent.

1. The younger kids are, the quicker they seem to learn. In just two weeks of training, the camp we have been running for NOR has seen some amazing improvements! From running technique to deceleration to landing technique, these kids have improved by amounts I was not expecting! And this keeps them safer during play, as well as improves their running speed, lateral movement and overall fun!

2. The girls are just crushing the boys in each of our 3 camps. The average ratio of boys:girls in our camps are 2:1. Our NOR camp has just 1 girl out of 14 kids in the camp. Yet the girls CONSISTENTLY out-perform the boys in acceleration, agility, foot-speed and quickness. The only thing the boys have over the girls is strength. And even then if we measure strength relative to body weight, the girls are almost even with the boys.

3. We need to do more of these. Almost daily I hear from the parents how much their kids enjoy the program and they ask if we do this during the school year. We absolutely do these during the school year. But it seems that practice and games for 3 different baseball leagues that Junior is signed up for takes precedence over movement skill training. Remember, movement skills are the foundation for sports skills. If an athlete has poor movement skills, then sport skills are going to be more difficult to teach. If a child can control their body with precision, then teaching sport skills becomes infinitely easier. Heck, it'll make the most basic instruction have a major impact and sport coaches will think they are all of a sudden Vince Lombardi.

So we will be starting a second Summer SSP camp for the junior group. The new camp will start on July 12 and run through August 4th. Meeting times are Tues/Thurs from 1-2:30. Ages for this camp are from 8-12. We would love to have more baseball and soccer players showing up. Although this camp is open to athletes of all sports.

If you have any questions about the Speed, Strength and Power Camp or just general questions about speed, agility and quickness, feel free to send us an email at aaron@pairmarotta.com! We hope to see you on July 12th!

The In-Season Dilemma

The baseball season is already here!!


Local high schools are getting ready to start practicing and many youth leagues are already on the diamond!! They practice and play, play and practice. They practice hitting, bunting, fielding, throwing, leading off, pickoff moves and learn the coaches signs from third base.

But lets take a step back. What is it that allows kids to play baseball? More generally, what is it that baseball requires to be good at? Movement. And that is what we at Pair & Marotta Sport Performance specialize in: Teaching Movement.

Movement is what allows baseball and softball players to swing a bat regarless of whether they hit the ball. But rarely do kids focus on just movement. They would rather make contact with an ugly swing than strikeout with a powerful swing. Don't believe me? Watch a youth athlete in the on-deck circle and then watch them at the plate. When there is no ball coming at them, their swing is simply a flop of the bat. Watch them when they step out of the box between pitches. These are the times to be focusing on a good swing.

So how does Pair & Marotta Sports Performance fix that? How do we work on the quality of the swing without the stress of them worrying about hitting a ball, but rather focusing on a good quality swing? We teach hip rotation and extension to drive the swing. We teach athletes how to put a stretch in the muscle, then to unleash it by getting a good solid contraction out of the muscle. We start in a squat to load the hips, then explode out and release the elastic energy we just created.

This is just one example of the types of exercises each athlete will be performing while at Pair & Marotta Sport Performance.

Many people think when the season begins, the strength program must stop. This could not be further from the truth. Strength training during the season actually improves the sport skills that are being taught while at practice. Watch as the athleticism of a player who trains during the season improves, while that of others is stagnant or declining.

Pair & Marotta Sports Performance In-Season Program starts February 2nd. If you're in Bakersfield and would like to be a part of it, email me at aaron@pairmarotta.com or call 661-912-9991. We are capping each group at 10 players, so don't wait too long!!

Picking Up the Pieces and Looking to 2009

With the World Series starting tonight, the two best teams in Major League Baseball will square off over the next week. What will be left is one team riding a float down main street of their respective city, and the other picking up the pieces of a season that couldn't be finished.

And just like you need to be doing, they are soon going to start preparing for the 2009 season. They will start getting stronger, faster, quicker and more powerful. Because they want to last through the 2009 post-season.

A strength and conditioning program isn't just for the elite. It is for those who desire to be elite. It is for those who want nothing less than the most out of their body, and it is for those who don't consider the season a success unless they win their last game.

Pair & Marotta Sports Performance has the program you and your team needs. Our facility is specifically designed and set up to accommodate teams of over 25 athletes. If you want there to be no question in who the best team on the field is, you will find your self in here.

In order to be the best, you've got to train with purpose and with intensity. Or as we like to say, you need to Train Like You Mean It.