Congratulations to all the graduating squirrels. I want to thank you for allowing me to be a small part of your time here at Mary Baldwin College. I have enjoyed working and teaching you and learning from you. You have enriched my life, and I hope I have enriched yours. Do not look at your graduation as an ending. It is a beginning. God bless you all, go forth and make us proud.
Those of you returning next year, especially the athletes, the time to get fit is now. Athletes that participate in the fall sports MUST get in shape now. If you wanted to take some time off after classes ended great. Now get to work. Don't make excuses. As I review injuries from last year it is obvious that some people are not doing their preseason training. In the first few weeks of soccer there are numerous hip flexor and groin problems. Volleyballers are having shoulder pain and Cross country runners complain of blisters and shin pain. Many of these aches and pains can be eliminated by properly preparing for your sport.
You know what your sport requires, get ready for those requirements. Don't expect to come to school in August and get in competitive condition in the two weeks of practice before your first game. Please come to the first practice ready to compete. If you come to school in poor condition it will take you 3 -6 weeks to make any significant fitness gains. You will already have had several games by this time. How many games were lost in the second half? Do you think fitness level may be a contributing factor to that problem?
Soccer players work on your running and kicking. Do not run long distances. You need to get to a field. Run on the grass, do sprints and practice cutting and running at different angles. Kick the soccer ball. Start slowly and build up to more powerful kicks. Your coach has a program for you.
Volleyballers, do power jumps. You need quick, explosive jumps. Work on that. Do your rotator cuff exercises and work your upper back. The upper back is the base for your shoulder strength.
Cross country runners, RUN. Get your mileage up. Have a good base so that when you return to school your body will be able to handle the added stress required to compete.
Ladies, make the commitment. Let's stop making excuses. I plan on coming back to school in great shape. Can you say the same? The challenge is out there, take the challenge.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Now is the Time
I am busy getting my garden ready for the summer and, while I was doing some research, I came across a little item I found interesting. Some one asked a tree expert, "When is the best time to plant a shade tree?" The answer was, "Twenty years ago, the second best time is now." This answer reminds me that now is the best time to prepare for for the future.
Please ladies, get ready for next year now. We have made some great improvements this year with our sports teams. We have many talented young players who will be returning next year and, with some good incoming first year students, our teams should continue to improve. Don't become satisfied with simply improving; let's win! I know many people say that winning isn't that important. Most of those people are losers and it makes them feel better about themselves to say winning is not important. Winning is important. Whether you want to win a game or win a job, the object is to win. I am not talking about cheating or hurting others to achieve victory. I am talking about doing the things that are in your control to make yourself the best you can be. You need to set a goal and work to reach that goal. Our speaker at this year's sports banquet gave an excellent talk. She is in the MBC Hall of Fame and is a very successful business woman. She spoke about setting small goals to reach larger goals. Start setting your goals now. Let's not look at winning one more game than last year. Let's look at winning the USASouth Championship. If you just read that last line and are saying to yourself, "Yea, right". I ask, why not us? Are you saying you are not good enough? Do you think that little of yourself?
I know many of the coaches and I believe that you are capable of greater things, but do you believe it? I read an article in the paper by a opinion writer. He stated that his friend was always asking him, "Why can't I lose weight?" After hearing this for several years from his friend the man responded, "because you really don't want to." That may sound harsh, but there is truth in that statement. I have had the same girls come to me year after year and ask for workouts. I give them a workout, I explain what they need to do, and I get the assurance that they will come back next year in great condition. When they come back I can see that they have not done the workout they were so excited about a few months ago. They always have, what they consider, a good excuse. But, I believe they really don't want to. We need to break that mindset. Getting into condition takes time, sweat and hard work. Stay in touch with your teammates over the summer. If you can workout together, do so. If you can't, challenge each other with your texts, tweets, and the other stuff you people use to stay in touch. If your teammate slacks off, call them on it. Don't let them get away with hurting the team. But if you plan on calling them out, you better have your act together first. You will not fool anyone when the fall sports start if you didn't work out.
When one of you asks me how I'm doing you know my response will be, "Wonderful, here at Mary Baldwin College, Home of the Fighting Squirrels." I mean that. I love it here. I have great people to work with and wonderful young ladies to take care of. I want you to do well here at Mary Baldwin and later when you leave here and continue with your life. You will not become successful all of a sudden. There are no "overnight" successes. If you have not planted your shade tree yet, the second best time is now.
Please ladies, get ready for next year now. We have made some great improvements this year with our sports teams. We have many talented young players who will be returning next year and, with some good incoming first year students, our teams should continue to improve. Don't become satisfied with simply improving; let's win! I know many people say that winning isn't that important. Most of those people are losers and it makes them feel better about themselves to say winning is not important. Winning is important. Whether you want to win a game or win a job, the object is to win. I am not talking about cheating or hurting others to achieve victory. I am talking about doing the things that are in your control to make yourself the best you can be. You need to set a goal and work to reach that goal. Our speaker at this year's sports banquet gave an excellent talk. She is in the MBC Hall of Fame and is a very successful business woman. She spoke about setting small goals to reach larger goals. Start setting your goals now. Let's not look at winning one more game than last year. Let's look at winning the USASouth Championship. If you just read that last line and are saying to yourself, "Yea, right". I ask, why not us? Are you saying you are not good enough? Do you think that little of yourself?
I know many of the coaches and I believe that you are capable of greater things, but do you believe it? I read an article in the paper by a opinion writer. He stated that his friend was always asking him, "Why can't I lose weight?" After hearing this for several years from his friend the man responded, "because you really don't want to." That may sound harsh, but there is truth in that statement. I have had the same girls come to me year after year and ask for workouts. I give them a workout, I explain what they need to do, and I get the assurance that they will come back next year in great condition. When they come back I can see that they have not done the workout they were so excited about a few months ago. They always have, what they consider, a good excuse. But, I believe they really don't want to. We need to break that mindset. Getting into condition takes time, sweat and hard work. Stay in touch with your teammates over the summer. If you can workout together, do so. If you can't, challenge each other with your texts, tweets, and the other stuff you people use to stay in touch. If your teammate slacks off, call them on it. Don't let them get away with hurting the team. But if you plan on calling them out, you better have your act together first. You will not fool anyone when the fall sports start if you didn't work out.
When one of you asks me how I'm doing you know my response will be, "Wonderful, here at Mary Baldwin College, Home of the Fighting Squirrels." I mean that. I love it here. I have great people to work with and wonderful young ladies to take care of. I want you to do well here at Mary Baldwin and later when you leave here and continue with your life. You will not become successful all of a sudden. There are no "overnight" successes. If you have not planted your shade tree yet, the second best time is now.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Enjoy the Heat
Hello Fighting Squirrels. Sorry, it has been a few weeks since I've hit the blog. Things have been busy, and another year at Mary Baldwin College is quickly coming to a close. I must say Happy Birthday to Kate Carper. She has been my assistant for two years and is an avid supporter of all things Squirrel-like.
The weather has been great and I have seen many of you out there doing your off-season workouts. Even warmer weather is on the way, so here are a few tips on how to stay safe in the dog-days of summer. Exposure to extreme heat can cause problems for any athlete. This does not mean you should avoid working out in the heat. Athletes like to push themselves and pushing hard in the heat can be deadly. Wear loose, light colored clothing. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids. Water is usually the best thing. If you are going to be working hard for over 45 minutes a sports drink may be helpful. Workout in the morning or evening when it is a little cooler. Remember it is a combination of heat and humidity that causes problems. Be aware of the weather conditions. If you know your sport will be played in the heat, gradually increase your conditioning in the heat adding a few more minutes every couple of days. If you are working in the heat and start to feel ill you may be suffering from one of the following heat illnesses.
Heat illnesses come in three categories -- Heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat cramps are the least serious of the three conditions. If you have had heat cramps you know they are very painful. A muscle spasms and the muscle gets extremely tight. Cramps usually occur in the legs or abdomen. Drink fluids; water, a sports drink or fruit juice are options. Gently massage the cramp with ice; a little light stretching may also help. If the cramps stop, it is OK to begin playing again.
Heat exhaustion is a more severe condition. Most athletes will feel weak and may feel nauseous. The skin will feel cool and moist. The person may be pale or ashen. Heat exhaustion causes the body to sweat heavily to try and cool down. Move to a cooler place. Remove sweat soaked clothing and apply cool damp cloths or spray the person with cool water. Drink cool fluids, about 4 ounces every 15 minutes. Most people recover quickly from heat exhaustion, but if the person loses conscientiousness, refuses fluids or vomits call 911 or the local emergency number.
Heat stroke is the most severe heat-related illness. Heat stroke is a serious medical emergency. If you suspect heat stroke call 911. The person with heat stroke has an extremely high body temperature and red skin that can be dry or moist. The person my lose consciousness, have a rapid, weak pulse; rapid shallow breathing; confusion; vomiting and seizures. The best thing to do is rapidly cool the body by immersing the person up to their neck in cold water. If this can not be done, splash cold water on the person, get them in the shade, loosen restrictive clothing. Place ice bags on the person. Some people will tell you not to place the person in a tub of ice water. THEY ARE WRONG! Cool the person as quickly as possible.
A point of caution. Because we talk about heat illnesses in order; heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, some people get the idea that the illnesses progress through these steps. They do not. An athlete can show no signs of heat illness and collapse from heat stroke.
Do not be afraid to workout in the heat, just be smart. Enjoy the nice weather, use your head and get ready for next year. March on squirrels.
The weather has been great and I have seen many of you out there doing your off-season workouts. Even warmer weather is on the way, so here are a few tips on how to stay safe in the dog-days of summer. Exposure to extreme heat can cause problems for any athlete. This does not mean you should avoid working out in the heat. Athletes like to push themselves and pushing hard in the heat can be deadly. Wear loose, light colored clothing. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids. Water is usually the best thing. If you are going to be working hard for over 45 minutes a sports drink may be helpful. Workout in the morning or evening when it is a little cooler. Remember it is a combination of heat and humidity that causes problems. Be aware of the weather conditions. If you know your sport will be played in the heat, gradually increase your conditioning in the heat adding a few more minutes every couple of days. If you are working in the heat and start to feel ill you may be suffering from one of the following heat illnesses.
Heat illnesses come in three categories -- Heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat cramps are the least serious of the three conditions. If you have had heat cramps you know they are very painful. A muscle spasms and the muscle gets extremely tight. Cramps usually occur in the legs or abdomen. Drink fluids; water, a sports drink or fruit juice are options. Gently massage the cramp with ice; a little light stretching may also help. If the cramps stop, it is OK to begin playing again.
Heat exhaustion is a more severe condition. Most athletes will feel weak and may feel nauseous. The skin will feel cool and moist. The person may be pale or ashen. Heat exhaustion causes the body to sweat heavily to try and cool down. Move to a cooler place. Remove sweat soaked clothing and apply cool damp cloths or spray the person with cool water. Drink cool fluids, about 4 ounces every 15 minutes. Most people recover quickly from heat exhaustion, but if the person loses conscientiousness, refuses fluids or vomits call 911 or the local emergency number.
Heat stroke is the most severe heat-related illness. Heat stroke is a serious medical emergency. If you suspect heat stroke call 911. The person with heat stroke has an extremely high body temperature and red skin that can be dry or moist. The person my lose consciousness, have a rapid, weak pulse; rapid shallow breathing; confusion; vomiting and seizures. The best thing to do is rapidly cool the body by immersing the person up to their neck in cold water. If this can not be done, splash cold water on the person, get them in the shade, loosen restrictive clothing. Place ice bags on the person. Some people will tell you not to place the person in a tub of ice water. THEY ARE WRONG! Cool the person as quickly as possible.
A point of caution. Because we talk about heat illnesses in order; heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, some people get the idea that the illnesses progress through these steps. They do not. An athlete can show no signs of heat illness and collapse from heat stroke.
Do not be afraid to workout in the heat, just be smart. Enjoy the nice weather, use your head and get ready for next year. March on squirrels.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Off Season
Although the title is Off Season, I want to say congratulations to an in season team. Softball had a very good first weekend. One game short of a great weekend. There were many positive signs. One of the good signs this weekend was a noticeable increase in strength and power. These ladies spend a lot of their off season in the weight room. They stuck together and worked hard and have gotten stronger. Good job ladies.
Now let's talk about the title, Off Season. Most of our Fighting Squirrels are now in the off season. This is the time when many athletes and coaches will tell you championships are made. What are those of you who are in the off season doing today to win tomorrow? I urge you to get in the weight room. There are two folders at the desk, one for soccer and one for volleyball. I will be putting another folder in there for basketball soon. If you want to jump higher, hit harder and run faster, get in the weight room. There is NO TRUTH to the myth that weight training makes you slow or musclebound. Studies show a direct correlation between leg strength and speed.
Your coaches can not help you in the weight room, but I can. I am the athletic trainer and the strength and conditioning coach. Please talk to the softball girls. Find out what we did in the weight room and how they feel about their new found strength. I can tell you what you need to do, but you must do it.
If you want to win, start today. Get strong for next season. Volleyball and soccer, you must come to the first practice in good condition so that your coaches can work on skills not fitness. I guarantee that you will feel stronger and more confident if you start the season ready to go. The best way to have a good season is to have a great off season. Come on squirrels, lets pump it up!
Now let's talk about the title, Off Season. Most of our Fighting Squirrels are now in the off season. This is the time when many athletes and coaches will tell you championships are made. What are those of you who are in the off season doing today to win tomorrow? I urge you to get in the weight room. There are two folders at the desk, one for soccer and one for volleyball. I will be putting another folder in there for basketball soon. If you want to jump higher, hit harder and run faster, get in the weight room. There is NO TRUTH to the myth that weight training makes you slow or musclebound. Studies show a direct correlation between leg strength and speed.
Your coaches can not help you in the weight room, but I can. I am the athletic trainer and the strength and conditioning coach. Please talk to the softball girls. Find out what we did in the weight room and how they feel about their new found strength. I can tell you what you need to do, but you must do it.
If you want to win, start today. Get strong for next season. Volleyball and soccer, you must come to the first practice in good condition so that your coaches can work on skills not fitness. I guarantee that you will feel stronger and more confident if you start the season ready to go. The best way to have a good season is to have a great off season. Come on squirrels, lets pump it up!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Don't be a False Friend
I hope you had a chance to read yesterdays blog. Some of you may wonder what does this statement by Mother Teresa have to do with fitness. I believe in fitness of the mind, the body and the soul. There is one stanza that really stands out to me:
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
I had a discussion with a young lady this week that really struck me. She was upset that she feels like she is doing too much for herself and not enough for others. She has had success in many areas and yet she feels that she is not doing well. I think our society has skewed our views of success. If one earns a lot of money they are looked at as being greedy and the conventional wisdom says the rich are evil. Isn't that what to OWS crowd is all about? I certainly agree that your worth should not be measured by how much money you make; however, there is nothing wrong with being successful and making a lot of money. Think of the number of people you can help with your wealth. Why do some people think they deserve what others have earned? Success comes in many forms.
Your personal success often does help others. If you have a successful business, you hire workers. If you create a new product, you improve peoples lives. Don't be afraid of success. If you work hard and do well, you earned it.
Isn't this what we try to teach with sports? Those with talent don't always win. Those who work hard don't always win. Those with a little talent and who work hard don't win all the time, but they will have their fare share of success. I see a disturbing trend on some of our sports teams. We have had teams get defeated by a large margin and our girls will say that the other team, "Wasn't that good." Think about what you are really saying. This team hammered you and you can not accept the simple truth that they are better. I don't expect you to be happy about this, but instead of dismissing the lose with a silly comment, think about what made them better. Analyze their strengths and your weaknesses. Improve.
I have seen teammates rip other team mates because the other person is getting more playing time. Have you looked at yourself? Is that person working harder than you? Is that person more talented than you? Are you really doing your best at every practice and every game? If you are not as talented or you don't work as hard; don't rip the other player, make yourself better. Too often the answer for some of our girls is, "I quit."
Doesn't the successful athlete help the team? Doesn't the successful athlete help recruit better players to our school? If we are honest with ourselves don't we want to be the successful athlete? If you are working hard, but you are not as talented, you need to face that fact. Work hard to get better and know your role on the team. You may be a practice player and you need to accept that. Your contribution to the team is to practice hard everyday to make the starters better.
If you are that "better" player, what's your attitude? Do you try to offer help to your fellow players? Do you recognize that they might not be as talented, but they are working hard? Do you appreciate their hard work at practice? We are a team. We need to accept our roles, continue to seek self improvement and enjoy the victory or accept the lose with a determination to help each other get better. Don't be a false friend or a genuine enemy. Be a teammate, work together and succeed.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
I had a discussion with a young lady this week that really struck me. She was upset that she feels like she is doing too much for herself and not enough for others. She has had success in many areas and yet she feels that she is not doing well. I think our society has skewed our views of success. If one earns a lot of money they are looked at as being greedy and the conventional wisdom says the rich are evil. Isn't that what to OWS crowd is all about? I certainly agree that your worth should not be measured by how much money you make; however, there is nothing wrong with being successful and making a lot of money. Think of the number of people you can help with your wealth. Why do some people think they deserve what others have earned? Success comes in many forms.
Your personal success often does help others. If you have a successful business, you hire workers. If you create a new product, you improve peoples lives. Don't be afraid of success. If you work hard and do well, you earned it.
Isn't this what we try to teach with sports? Those with talent don't always win. Those who work hard don't always win. Those with a little talent and who work hard don't win all the time, but they will have their fare share of success. I see a disturbing trend on some of our sports teams. We have had teams get defeated by a large margin and our girls will say that the other team, "Wasn't that good." Think about what you are really saying. This team hammered you and you can not accept the simple truth that they are better. I don't expect you to be happy about this, but instead of dismissing the lose with a silly comment, think about what made them better. Analyze their strengths and your weaknesses. Improve.
I have seen teammates rip other team mates because the other person is getting more playing time. Have you looked at yourself? Is that person working harder than you? Is that person more talented than you? Are you really doing your best at every practice and every game? If you are not as talented or you don't work as hard; don't rip the other player, make yourself better. Too often the answer for some of our girls is, "I quit."
Doesn't the successful athlete help the team? Doesn't the successful athlete help recruit better players to our school? If we are honest with ourselves don't we want to be the successful athlete? If you are working hard, but you are not as talented, you need to face that fact. Work hard to get better and know your role on the team. You may be a practice player and you need to accept that. Your contribution to the team is to practice hard everyday to make the starters better.
If you are that "better" player, what's your attitude? Do you try to offer help to your fellow players? Do you recognize that they might not be as talented, but they are working hard? Do you appreciate their hard work at practice? We are a team. We need to accept our roles, continue to seek self improvement and enjoy the victory or accept the lose with a determination to help each other get better. Don't be a false friend or a genuine enemy. Be a teammate, work together and succeed.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Do it Anyway
Last week at Mass the deacon read a prayer that is attributed to Mother Teresa. I thought I would pass it on to you.
People are often unreasonable, irrational and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.
My only comment: Amen.
People are often unreasonable, irrational and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.
My only comment: Amen.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
How can I run faster?
Charlie, how can I run faster? I get this question from many of the fighting squirrels. The VWIL ladies want to increase their times for their military fitness tests and the athletes want more sprint speed so they can compete at a higher level. We can talk about a lot of different ways to increase speed. In this article I will discuss one important step to take. Are you ready? RUN FASTER.
The next question I get is, "I know that, but how?" Most of us like to stay in our comfort zones. I have talked about this in previous blogs. To run faster you must, well, run faster. If you want to increase your time for the 1.5 or 2 mile military run you should not just keep adding miles to your runs. Too many VWIL ladies keep adding miles to their runs, but they plod along at the same slow pace. One way to decrease your run times is to increase your run tempo. To do this is to get a stop watch and time your runs. I often tell the VWIL ladies. Get on our track and jog .5 miles to warm up. Take a few minutes to stretch and then get ready to work. Run a 1/4 mile as hard as you can, time the run. Walk the straight away. Jog around the corner and the next straight away. Walk the next corner. When you get to your start point, run another 1/4 and try to beat your last time. Run 4 quarters in this way. Jog another .5 miles to cool down and then stretch. Do this speed work 2 or 3 times a week with easy longer runs in between. Please remember to get a day of rest also.
The same type of training applies to sprint work. Run your sprint with a stop watch. Take a break walk back to your start point, take some time to recover and try to beat your last time on your next sprint. Another way to improve your sprint speed is to downhill run. Find a moderate hill, this should not be a problem in Staunton. Run down the hill at a sprint. This will force you to over-run; that is run at a faster pace than you are used to running. Jog or walk back up the hill and get ready for your next sprint.
There a many other things that can improve your run time. Increasing your strength through weight training and perfecting your form are ways to increase speed. In this blog I wanted you to get the easiest way to increase your speed without getting too scientific or specific. This type of training is hard work. You will probably hate it at first, but you will get results. I think the best and easiest way for you to increase your speed is; RUN FASTER.
Sprint on Squirrels.
The next question I get is, "I know that, but how?" Most of us like to stay in our comfort zones. I have talked about this in previous blogs. To run faster you must, well, run faster. If you want to increase your time for the 1.5 or 2 mile military run you should not just keep adding miles to your runs. Too many VWIL ladies keep adding miles to their runs, but they plod along at the same slow pace. One way to decrease your run times is to increase your run tempo. To do this is to get a stop watch and time your runs. I often tell the VWIL ladies. Get on our track and jog .5 miles to warm up. Take a few minutes to stretch and then get ready to work. Run a 1/4 mile as hard as you can, time the run. Walk the straight away. Jog around the corner and the next straight away. Walk the next corner. When you get to your start point, run another 1/4 and try to beat your last time. Run 4 quarters in this way. Jog another .5 miles to cool down and then stretch. Do this speed work 2 or 3 times a week with easy longer runs in between. Please remember to get a day of rest also.
The same type of training applies to sprint work. Run your sprint with a stop watch. Take a break walk back to your start point, take some time to recover and try to beat your last time on your next sprint. Another way to improve your sprint speed is to downhill run. Find a moderate hill, this should not be a problem in Staunton. Run down the hill at a sprint. This will force you to over-run; that is run at a faster pace than you are used to running. Jog or walk back up the hill and get ready for your next sprint.
There a many other things that can improve your run time. Increasing your strength through weight training and perfecting your form are ways to increase speed. In this blog I wanted you to get the easiest way to increase your speed without getting too scientific or specific. This type of training is hard work. You will probably hate it at first, but you will get results. I think the best and easiest way for you to increase your speed is; RUN FASTER.
Sprint on Squirrels.
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