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!!

Are you better than the pro's?

I just got back from a trip to Washington, DC. I did not go to see the inauguration but rather to attend the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS) conference. At the end of our conference, we got to visit the new Washington Nationals baseball stadium. It was pretty awesome. We had lunch at the restaurant behind home plate and got a small tour of the Nationals locker room, athletic training room and strength training facility.

Here is my assessment: Although about half the size of Pair & Marotta Sport Performance here in Bakersfield, they had a lot of equipment in their strength room. Most of the stuff I have seen before but is still a little rare in training facilities. The aquatic facility is pretty awesome: two jacuzzi's, an underwater treadmill and a sauna. These guys definitely get to the special treatment!!

Here was the most interesting thing: a handful of the National's players are getting by on mere talent. Word has it a few of them cannot hold a :15 sec plank. FIFTEEN SECONDS!! And most of the guys do not spend much time training at the facility. What does that mean? Well they have finished in the cellar of the NL East the past few years.

Imagine if they spent more time in strength training. They would probably find their way towards the top of the standings!! The baseball season is long enough for pro's. The college and HS season's are shorter. What this means is that you have to stay in shape for the season and you cannot let practice be your conditioning.

Most people are under the pretense that you start the season at your best and the champions are decided by those teams that don't break down physically. But what if you could get stronger during the season?? You can. It doesn't take much.

By combining strength training exercises, such as a DB Squat and Overhead Press, and placing them in a type of circuit, you can prevent injury and actually get STRONGER as the season goes on!! Pair & Marotta Sports Performance is doing just that for you. Our In-Season Training Program is geared to getting you in, working your butt off and then getting out in about 45 minutes.

Want to be part of it?? Send us an email. aaron@pairmarotta.com or call 661-912-9991. If you want this season to be your best, you'll be here.

New Year's Camp replay

Hey guys,

I hope everybody had a safe and happy New Year!! I know I did when Pair & Marotta Sports Performance joined with Player's Edge Hitting Instruction for their New Years Baseball Mini-Camp.

The kids enjoyed every second of it. They got hitting, fielding and pitching instruction from guys who have either been to the top or are on their way up the ladder. They enjoyed each day, especially the days that Gabe Kapler and Maury Wills were there.

Here is a great video of Maury Wills talking about learning new things and having an open mind about baseball.



Remember, our In-Season Training Program starts on February 2nd. If you'd like more information about our In-Season Baseball Sports Training program, email me at aaron@pairmarotta.com

When are they supposed to improve?

So many players of all sports spend the entire year playing their sport. This is most obvious in baseball, soccer, tennis and basketball. My question to players, coaches and parents is this; When exactly are they supposed to get stronger?

Lets take baseball as a prime example. Almost half of all youth baseball players are on a travel team and the rest are on multiple clubs through out the entire year. As parents and coaches we place a lot of stress on them to constantly get better. But sometimes the stress to get better is placed upon players to the point of injury. Functional strength and power training will help prevent injury.

The video below is of Tiger's pitcher Justin Verlander doing a medicine ball throw, an exercise that we do as part of our power development cycle here at Pair & Marotta Sports Performance.



It is this type of training when done in-season that helps to keep athletes performing injury free all season long. Not to mention hitting home runs, throwing strikes and lighting up the basepaths.

To get involved with the programs at Pair & Marotta Sports Performance, give me a call at 661-912-9991 or email me aaron@pairmarotta.com

Empty - Reset - Clean

What a great weekend!! The Jaeger "Thrive on Throwing" Clinic was great!! We had an awesome turnout (45 baseball and softball players) and once we got going, it just seemed like everybody was excited to get going with the bands and start throwing!!

One thing I heard over and over from parents and coaches was that the initial talk from Alan Jaeger was worth its weight in gold. What he had to say about staying "in the present" and staying focused was indeed something that every youth player needs to hear. Not just because it will help him or her on the field, but because it will help you in life.

There is no way you can give quality effort if you are not focused on what you are doing. When you are in the batting cages you cannot be focusing on the big truck that just drove by, or the horrible a la carte pizza you had for lunch. You need to be in the present and focusing on seeing the ball.

The same goes when you strength train for baseball. You must stay focused. When you are going through the warm up, here at Pair & Marotta Sports Performance or pre-game on the field, you must focus. There is a purpose to the warm up and if you are not focusing on what your body is telling you, you will be missing out on a HUGE part of the training session. By focusing on form and technique of movement, you will teach your body to go where you want it to rather than you being dragged around by gravity and the other physics of baseball.

My final point today just repeat's what Alan talked about at Saturday's clinic: choose 3 key words to help you reset your focus. My words are

1. Empty
2. Reset
3. Clean
   

Those are the words I use to get re-focused. Whether I'm in the batting cages just having fun, or if I am lifting and trying to get stronger and build muscle. These are my words. Yours may be different. But they need to work for you.

I'll have pictures of the Jaeger Clinic up next week as I am heading out to Phoenix for the rest of the week. One quick note: Don't forget about the Player's Edge New Year's Mini-Camp. Some big names are going to be there and it's going to be a great 3 days of learning.

MisConceptions about strength training and baseball

Alright guys and girls,

You've heard so many things from your coaches; "pitchers shouldn't do upper body exercises", "you need lots of sit-ups for a faster swing", and the all-might "lifting weights makes you slow."

The truth is, many baseball coaches know so much about the sport and strategy of baseball, but know so little about movement for the sport. When addressing a swing, many coaches will say "your not turning your hips," when they are very correct. But what if the player has tight hip flexor's and literally cannot open his/her hips?

So I am going to address these things. for you briefly, but hopefully I will clear up these misconceptions.

1.Should pitchers do upper body exercises? Yes. Why should pitcher's not do pull ups and push ups and vertical pushes? These are all exercises that strengthen the shoulder, that create stability in the shoulder and over the long term can help prevent the muscular imbalances that occur with pitching 80-120 pitches per game.

2.Will sit-ups give me a faster swing or help me throw harder? No. To develop a faster swing or throw harder, you must develop the muscles that are responsible for creating a swing/pitch by strength training, and then training those muscles with a very quick tempo. When training for speed, tempo is almost more important than how much weight you use.

Note, the strength coach pictured here with Pettite, is no longer with the team. Who is? Click here.

3. Will lifting weights make me slow? This kind of builds on the question above and the short answer is no. Quite the opposite. Muscles cause contractions, if you have more muscle, more muscle will pull through a movement, creating a faster movement. Do you want to be faster? Then you need to get involved in a strength and conditioning program like our FAST Forward at Pair & Marotta.
We have a few opportunities for you coming up. The Jaeger Sports Baseball/Softball Throwing Clinic on December 13 and on January 1-3 we team up with Player's Edge Baseball Training for our New Year's Pre-Season Baseball Camp, where you'll learn about hitting, pitching, baserunning, speed development and core strength and stability. You'll also be doing exercises like this one Josh Beckett does (left).

Up and Coming Events...You're Going to Wanna Be Here

Hey all you baseball players...Pair & Marotta is teaming up with a couple of great Southern Cal baseball clubs to bring you some awesome events during the month of December!!

First...on Saturday December 13, Pair & Marotta, Bakersfield Baseball Academy and Jaeger Sports will be putting on a day clinic directed specifically at strengthening your shoulder, reducing injury and making you a better pitcher, catcher and overall baseball player. If you've never heard of Jaeger Sports, I suggest you look into them.

They have worked with hundreds of pro and college players including Dan Haren of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Barry Zito of the SF Giants and Joel Zumaya of the Detroit Tigers. If Jaeger Sports can help these guys, they can certainly help you!!



The second event we have coming up is when Pair & Marotta team with Players Edge Hitting. We will be hosting a 3-day baseball/softball intensive program directed at giving you the techniques to get faster on the base paths, get more power out of your swing, make cleaner contact and drastically increase your range in the field.




This camp will be held on January 1-3 and run from 9-1pm on each day. To sign up for either of these events, email aaron@pairmarotta.com or call 661-912-9991.

Space is very limited so be sure to sign up early and bring your friends!! You don't want them missing out on both of these exciting programs!!