Talent is Overrated?

I'm in the middle of reading Talent is Overrate by Geoff Colvin. The title really grabbed my attention. The premise of the book is very simple: you are not born with certain abilities or talent, you gain the ability to perform at a high level (regardless of activity) through "deliberate practice." Basically you must develop a specific program where you can improve your abilities which will then carry over to your sport, activity, job, or trade. Colvin uses examples of such high level achievers as Mozart, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Tiger Woods, and Jerry Rice.

The story of Jerry Rice's rise to a great performer was interesting. He was talked into playing high school football. He was not highly recruited out of high school. Division IAA Mississippi Valley State was the only program to really show interest. How did Rice go from his humble beginnings to being one of the greatest players to every play in the NFL? His approach. No one put in as much time as Rice did to prepare for the game. It is estimated that only 1% of his time was spent playing on the field in the NFL compared to the other 99% which was spent preparing for that time using "deliberate practice." Amazing yet not surprising.

How do we improve our performance? Deliberate practice. Athletes will not improve their performance on the field by playing 100 games a year regardless of sport. Improved performance will come through a well designed "deliberate practice" routine. Building a good strong foundation for future development in your sport will come through a sports performance training program as well as your sport specific skill instruction. How much "deliberate practice" are you taking part in?

For more information on Speed Boosters training sessions as St. Louis Baseball & Fastpitch Academy and the Grizzlies Baseball Academy @ GCS Stadium contact Sean Erwin - sean.erwin@speedboosters.net

Grizzlies Academy

Speed Boosters Nike SPARQ sessions have begun at the Grizzlies Baseball Academy. Every Monday & Wednesday night from 5:15-6:00 and from 6:00-6:45 you can Nike SPARQ train with Speed Boosters nationally certified staff. Sessions are only $10 for a 45 minute session. As well as Speed Boosters training you can get professional hitting and pitching instruction from the staff of the Grizzlies Baseball Academy which includes former and current pro players as well as the current coaching staff of the minor league Gateway Grizzlies. Begin your pre-season training today with Speed Boosters training and professional instruction by the Grizzlies Baseball Academy staff. For more information contact Sean Erwin at sean.erwin@speedboosters.net

Grizzlies Academy Sessions Beginning

We will be beginning our SPARQ training sessions at the Grizzlies Baseball Academy beginning Monday January 19th. Sessions will be offered on Monday & Wednesday nights from 5:15-6:00 and from 6:00-6:45. It is open enrollment which means you can attend on the nights and time that fit best into your schedule. The cost is just $10 per training session. Along with the training sessions on Monday and Wednesday nights we will also be offering team SPARQ testing and training. To arrange your team sessions please contact me at sean.erwin@speedboosters.net To learn more about SPARQ visit their website at http://www.sparqtraining.com/

Becoming A Better Athlete

How important is sports performance training in your quest to becoming a better player? Extremely important! Just ask Urban Meyer and Bob Stoops. The NY Times had a great article on the importance of the strength coaches for the Oklahoma and Florida football programs. The role that these strength coaches play within each program is ever expanding. At the college level an athlete will spend more time with his strength coach than he will with their position coach. How much time do you spend focusing on strength and conditioning? Many coaches at the collegiate level see the hiring of the strength coach as the most important hire they can make. If you get a chance check out the article http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/sports/ncaafootball/08college.html?_r=2

If your looking to prepare and improve your strength, speed, and agility prior to the season now is the time. For information on Speed Boosters training and facilities visit www.speedboosters.net