The Weekly Word: August 22, 2021

Schedule Update
Summer is slowly coming to an end and this year's edition was a whirlwind! The school schedule brings back a little bit of structure and consistency back into the gym schedule and hope it does the same for you! 

Starting on August 30th, our gym hours for youth/athletes sessions will be the following:

• Monday & Thursday: 5:15 and 6:00 pm
• Tuesday & Wednesday: 6:00 pm
• Friday: 3:30 pm

In addition, this year we will be running TWO five week programs for Youth Training. The structure of these programs will be comparable to what we did this summer with our camps. We will be focusing on laying the groundwork and building a strong foundation to build upon in a fun training environment. 
The first five week program will begin on September 13th and end October 14th. These sessions will run from 5:15 to 6:15. The next session begins October 18th and ends November 18th and these sessions also will run from 5:15 to 6:15. Training groups will be small and we will be limiting the group size to six children. Be on the lookout for more information and registration will be open this week!

What I've Been Listening To...
You Can't Make This Up: Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television by Al Michaels (audiobook)

This is a solid sports book that I received as a gift 5+ years ago from a member but like many books that I own, I never dove into it. Then one night I came across it as I was looking for a mindless book to listen to on Scribd, so I decided to give it a listen. This book has decades of sports stories ranging from the World Series game that had an Earthquake, the Miracle on Ice, to Monday Night Football, and much more. As I write this newsletter, Michaels is discussing his friendship with OJ Simpson, Robert Kardashian and others involved in the murder of Nicole Brown. Michaels regularly played tennis with OJ's getaway driver Al Cowlings and was in total shock, like the rest of America, when he learned that Al and OJ were evading police in their white Bronco!

Fitness Tip for the College Bound
Life after high school and sports begins for many kids this week. For them, there are no more practices, no more games, and no more training for sport. I have watched many kids continue to apply the concepts they learned as an athlete to their adult life as they continue to workout and strive to remain fit. I have also seen the opposite of this where kids no longer train because "they don't have to". I think that is a poor line of thinking that will ultimately lead to poor health. This period of their life, their twenties, is crucial to long term health. The more strength and fitness you can develop now, the more strength and fitness you will have later into life. Just think, when you turn 60, you may have 80% of the strength you had in your twenties. So why not try to develop that strength to the best of your ability? 

So what is my advice to these kids getting ready for life on their own:

1. Strength train 2-3 times per week. Do total body workouts where you work the front side and the backside of your body by performing a push and a pull exercise for both. Those are non-negotiable, after that, do whatever you think you need!
2. Develop strength. I am not saying become a powerlifter. I am saying get as strong as you can in the big lifts as these provide a great carryover into life. 
3. Walk as much as possible.
4. Try to use an eating window so you do not snack late into the night. 
5. Last but not least, develop a sleep routine that will allow you to stay sharp mentally and keep the body functioning optimally. The sooner you get your sleep routine situated the better!

Lessons From Coaching...
About 6-7 years ago I was coaching junior high wrestling and I was talking to a fellow coach about their team. He had  few guys new to the sport and he said he wanted to encourage the new kids to stay out for the sport and in doing so, realized he may need to modify his rules. In his words, "different strokes for different folks". What he meant was that his two-time district champ was expected to be at every practice, on time and ready to compete. The new kid who never played a sport might have more wiggle room when it came to the rules. At the time, I was a little hard headed and thought the approach was a bit flawed. Rules are rules and everyone must follow them. In hindsight, I realize that I was wrong. Concrete rules for 20+ kids, all with different family dynamics, may not be the best approach. Just to be clear, I am not saying don't hold true to your principles. Some policies and rules are non-negotiable. What I am saying is that understand each kids situation on a personal level and do what is going to serve them best over the long term. 

Quote of the Week
"One mark of a great mind is the willingness to change it" -- Walter Isaacson

I hope you all have an awesome week!
Chris Fluck