Sway Sadoff is not your typical 9 year old baseball player. In the age of video games and “daddy ball,” he is one of the most focused and dedicated young athletes you will come across at any age.

Sway was recently recruited to play for Team Avalanche the #1 ranked 9U team in the nation. His training week consists of 5-6 workouts, 2 practices with a 12U Team, and a 4 hour weekend practice in Lake City with Team Avalanche or tournament baseball.

“Our workouts are extremely focused and pre planned.  Some people think we are crazy, but for us it’s just what we do. From a very young age Sway has shown a lot of drive and extraordinary talent but it has been the amount of time and sacrifice that few people see which sets him apart” says his dad Jeremy Sadoff.

Last season Sway hit over .700 in USSSA and led his team to a runner up in the 8U World Series. What’s impressed many is his work ethic and how he goes about setting up his own workout routines. Sway also maintains near perfect grades and is an honor roll student. Keep an eye on this kid, to follow his progress check out his website at http://sway-sadoff.blogspot.com

The lack of discipline and intense training has “softened” today’s athletes. Awards and trophies are handed out to every member of the team just for wearing jerseys. Long hours of video game play have replaced long hours of street ball and manhunt. The next generation of athletes, teachers, coaches and community leaders are in big trouble unless we [as coaches] help guide them in the “right direction.”

Tom Brady is a modern era warrior-athlete. His work ethic, determination and courage have elevated him to the top of the sports world. Brady paved his own way by believing in himself and making the most of every opportunity. Watch this documentary and pay attention to the life lessons Brady imparts on young athletes then join the conversation over at http://www.facebook.com/delucasperformance.

For 99% of us, September 1st comes and goes as just another uneventful day. But for junior top prospects, it’s the first day colleges can begin the process of “locking you down” as a recruit.

College recruiting coordinators are often former athlete’s who are overworked, underpaid and constantly on the go. As the low man on the totem pole, the last thing they want to deal with is an annoying recruit who doesn’t understand the process. Coordinators may work 60-80 hours per week and receive hundreds of emails and phone calls a day, so when interacting with them it’s best to keep it simple.

When emailing a coordinator, keep it short and to the point. Use the email subject line to provide important data like “Your Name – Graduating Class – Position – GPA – Recent Accolades and Stats.” A compelling subject header will be enough to get your email to stand-out and opened up.

If sending them a link to a YouTube video, configure your channel so the first thing they see is your best highlight video. Provide a Youtube playlist with all your game film and footage of any combines or showcases you attend. Be sure to include contact info on your highlight video. If you’re sending a DVD, get a label put on the disc with your contact info, or write it on with a sharpie.

Keep the recruiting coordinator informed. Let them know you’re attending one of their camps or where you’re playing in showcase events. High school games are not recruited, coaches attend showcase events and combines where they can evaluate hundreds of top level prospects.

Send them a quick update on how you’re doing academically. If you scored higher on the SAT be sure to include that info in an email and on an update to your YouTube channel. It’s also a great idea to keep them informed on how your progressing athletically. If you’re working out hard and gaining muscle, maybe include a short workout clip of you performing a PR vertical jump or power clean. Nothing is off limits, but be tactful and conscience of when it’s too much. Recruiting coordinators can be your best allie in the college process.

• volleyball players who need to increase vertical jump, conditioning and quickness

• soccer players who need to get faster, add strength and improve stamina

• football players who need to get faster, build muscle and increase strength

• baseball players preparing for the grind of a long summer showcase season

• basketball players who need to get more physical, increase vertical jump and quickness

The Spring program will run for 12-weeks from March 5th to May 25th. Athletes will have the option to train either 2- or 3-days per week. Our new sports performance facility features a 20-yard agility area and a separate 30-yard sprinting track so sessions will be all-inclusive and include both a true speed and strength training component. The 90-minute training sessions are customized to each individual athlete and also includes nutrition coaching, college recruitment workshops, and mental strength training.

Check back January 31st for more details and registration. Be A Part Of The Performance Revolution!

Along with competing at a high level, eating a nutritious breakfast will increase mental focus and help build a lean strong body. Skipping breakfast, on the other hand, can put athletes in “catch-up mode” all day and create lack-luster performance in the classroom and on the field.

When athletes say “I’m not hungry in the morning” we have to look at the behaviors they’ve ingrained leading up to that point. How many months (or years) have they gone without eating a nutritious breakfast, or worse skipping it altogether?

Taking an athlete to the top of their sport is as much about training the mental game as it is about workouts, nutrition planning and practice.

The word “breakfast” literally means to break the fast. In its simplest terms, fasting is the act of not eating for a long period of time. When you fall asleep for the 6-8 hours every night, you’re in a virtual fast. Often times it’s a growling belly that gets you out of bed in the morning. What you choose to eat is one of the most important decisions you’ll make all day.

Since your fuel tank is empty in the morning, your body is highly receptive to nutrients. Eating a nutritious breakfast will jumpstart protein synthesis and create a rich muscle building environment. Undersized athletes who switch to a breakfast containing 3-4 eggs with 1-2 servings of oatmeal report a relatively quick 5-10 pound weight gain in the first month.

For the athletes who don’t have an appetite in the morning, they have to find a way to consume something. Here are some options from worst-case to best:

• Option #1 “Impending Disaster Scenario” – 2 glasses of chocolate milk
• Option #2 “The Fast Food Junkie” – 2 egg McMuffin with low-fat milk from McDonalds
• Option #3 “Lazy Man’s Shake” –  Fruit juice spiked with a full serving of whey protein
• Option #4 “The Champion” – 4 egg omelet, 2 servings of oatmeal, and 1 piece of fruit

Whatever sport you play, it’s the little things you do everyday [on a consistent basis] that will set you apart from the rest of the competition. Begin your morning with a nutritious breakfast, and a BIG game is right around the corner!

Combine Prep Day 5 of 36: Upper Body Workout

Today’s session focused on accumulating volume to build upper body mass. Because the workout heavily biased towards pressing, a significant amount of time was dedicated to shoulder prehab.

Roll – 5 min

• Glutes + hip rotators w/ baseball or tennis ball
• Posterior shoulder w/ tennis ball
• Quads + IT band w/ medicine ball
• Middle / upper back w/ foam roller
• Lats w/ foam roller

Flexibility / Mobility / Activation – 10 min

• Band pull-aparts x 15
• Band shoulder stretch x 10
• Lying internal rotation stretch x 5/side (2 sec hold)
• Lateral lunge x 5/side
• 1L SLDL w/ toe touch x 5/side
• T-spine reach throughs x 10
• Wall slides x 10

Dynamic Warm-up – 5 min

• BW squats x 10
• Jumping jacks x 10
• Seal jacks x 10
• Wideouts 2 x 5 sec
• Pogo jumps x 10 sec
• Mountain climbers x 5/side hold for 1-2 sec
• Hindu push-ups w/ push-up+ x 10
• Inchworm x 5

Plyometrics & Medicine Ball

• 2 leg lateral broad jump 2 x 3/side
• Hurdle hop & stick 2 x 3/side
• Plyo push-ups off bench 2-3 x 3
• Rapid fire side toss 2 x 10/side
• MB overhead slams 2 x 10

Strength & Power Development (proceed to private membership site)

Combine Prep Day 4 of 36: Lower Body Workout

Today’s session focused on lower body power and jump training.

Roll – 5 min

• Glutes + hip rotators w/ baseball or tennis ball
• Posterior shoulder w/ tennis ball
• Quads + IT band w/ medicine ball
• Middle / upper back w/ foam roller

Flexibility / Mobility / Activation – 10 min

• Floor adductor stretch x 10
• Roller split x 10
• X band walks w/ SL Hold 4 x 10
• Push-up top x 20 sec (head positioning)
• Seated glute stretch x 10
• Ball T-spine stretch x 10
• Toe touch to squat to reach x 5/side

Dynamic Warm-up – 5 min

• Knee to chest
• Leg cradle
• Heel to butt w/ OH reach
• 1L SLDL w/ reach
• High knee skip
• High knee run
• Power skip for height x 5/per side
• Heel ups
• Straight leg walk
• Straight leg skip
• Tall lean fall run x 3/per side

Speed Drills

• 5-yard prowler sprints :: 5-yard sprint x 4

Plyometrics & Medicine Ball

• Resisted Broad jump 3 x 2
• 1L box jump 3 x 3
• High hurdle hop w/ approach 3 x 1 (max height)
• Tall kneeling chest launch pass 2 x 10
• OH throws 2 x 10

Strength & Power Development (proceed to private membership site)

When rolling pay attention to areas that feel denser and more sensitive. By rolling over these “knots” you’ll begin to iron out your muscles and improve flexibility. The harder you practice and train, the more frequent you should foam roll. Aim to begin every session with some form of rolling routine. The progression should move from foam roller-pvc pipe-medicine ball-lacrosse ball. The smaller the implement, the deeper you’ll dig into your muscle. Beware, it won’t be a pleasant “day at the spa” massage; rolling is the “cheap man’s” way of getting a deep tissue massage.

Certain areas will be more tender (painful) than others. Try using a medicine ball to roll your quadriceps and glutes. Take a foam roller to your IT Band and upper back. Attempt digging into the hip rotator/glute medius with a lacrosse ball. An often overlooked area is the bottom of your foot. Take a tennis ball and roll from heel to toe – it’ll send a systemic release response to the rest of your body.

Athletes enjoy rolling at first because it’s a novelty, but once they discover how uncomfortable it can be the “un-dedicated” gloss over or discount it all together. If you take the time to roll your entire body, you’ll soon improve flexibility and increase performance.

Are you interested in seeing what DeLuca’s is all about? Call us at (321) 752-1001 to schedule your FREE functional movement and performance assessment. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter by entering your name and email in the form to the right.

Combine Prep Day 2 of 36: Upper Body Workout

Today’s session focused on upper body power and the bench press. Plyo push-ups off a bench and medicine ball chest passes were used early in the workout. Prehab work for the shoulder included prone Y-T’W’s and a half Turkish Get-up.

Roll – 5 min

• Glutes + hip rotators w/ baseball or tennis ball
• Quads + IT band w/ medicine ball
• Middle / upper back w/ foam roller
• Lats w/ foam roller

Flexibility / Mobility / Activation – 10 min

• Band pull-aparts x 15
• Push-up plus x 10 (2 sec hold per position)
• Lying internal rotation stretch x 5/side (2 sec hold)
• Lateral lunge x 5/side
• 1L SLDL x 5/side
• T-spine extensions on foam roller x 10
• Wall slides x 10

Dynamic Warm-up – 5 min

• BW squats x 10
• Jumping jacks x 10
• Seal jacks x 10
• Wideouts 2 x 5 sec
• Mountain climbers x 5/side hold for 1-2 sec
• Push-ups x 10
• Plank circuit 5 sec – 10 sec – 5 sec

Plyometrics & Medicine Ball

• Band resisted lateral hop 2 x 5/side
• Hurdle hop & stick 2 x 3/side
• Plyo push-ups off bench 2-3 x 3
• Side toss 2 x 10

Combine Prep Day 1 of 36: Lower Body Workout & Testing

Today’s session established benchmarks on the vertical and broad jump along with thresholds on the power snatch and rear foot elevated split squat.

Roll – 5 min

• Glutes + hip rotators w/ baseball or tennis ball
• Quads + IT band w/ medicine ball
• Middle / upper back w/ foam roller

Flexibility / Mobility / Activation – 10 min

• Floor adductor stretch x 10
• X band walks 6 x 10
• Lunge w/ Reach x 5/per side
• Seated glute stretch x 10
• T-spine rotations x 10
• Cook hip lift w/ tennis ball 2 x 10s/per side

Dynamic Warm-up – 5 min

• Knee to chest
• Leg cradle
• Heel to butt w/ OH reach
• 1L SLDL w/ reach
• High knee skip
• High knee run
• Power skip for height x 5/per side
• Heel ups
• Straight leg walk
• Straight leg skip
• Tall lean fall run x 3/per side

Plyometrics

• Vertical jump x 3 (record best height)
• Broad jump x 3 (record best distance)
• Box jump w/ 90 degree turn 3 x 3/per side
• Split Squat EQI 2 x 30s/per side

Medicine Ball

• Tall kneeling chest pass 2 x 10
• OH slams 2 x 10

Strength & Power Development