Individual or Group Performance Training
High School
At the high school level training and preparation becomes more formalized and regimented, it’s where kids develop their identity as an athlete, a teammate, and a competitor.
After assessment we will build the program specific to the player –what position do they play, where are they in their developmental growth cycle, what skills/sport specific qualities do they need to increase to improve their game? The high school athlete needs strength and conditioning practices to be integrated into their current schedule in a way that supplements it, not overloads it. It’s often that the simple and basic things (stretching, hydration, sleep quality, etc.) are the limiting factors at this age, rather than extra footwork drills or conditioning on top of what they are already doing.
A key component of seeing continued success at this level is setting a standard of excellence in habits, discipline, and execution of the little things. The basics are the basics for a reason, before moving on to more advanced training methods the athlete must demonstrate and value perfect technique, a high level of effort, and extreme ownership of the preparation process.
High school sports provide an important opportunity for character development, and I strongly believe that my job training any high school athlete is to be a mentor as well as their coach. Building self-confidence and accountability will instill a sense of pride in who they are and what they do, and thus will carry over into getting more out of every rep of training as a whole. At this age, it’s just as much about building a winning mentality as it is building them up physically.
College/Pro
​The elite athlete needs a focused and targeted approach to developing qualities specific to injury prevention and performance. We utilize different recovery and restoration, mobility and functional movement, visualization and mental skill training, speed and explosiveness, agility and multidirectional work, strength and physique improvement, and other services based on the athlete’s assessment and goals.
Top levels of competition require a high level expertise and attention to detail, we will utilize advanced assessment protocols and an extensive collection of techniques and exercises that promote durability and longevity. At this stage in the career we have already moved the big rocks, it’s about asking the right questions and working together to find the specific areas we can improve in to build and maintain a physical and mental edge. Additionally, we offer advanced nutrition, therapy, and lab testing services that can be done independent of the team or organization.
Youth
There are various forms of private lessons, camps, and “experts” that advertise services for youth athletes, and many well-meaning parents that invest in them only to be disappointed...
This stems from a lack of education of the demands of training relative to the athlete’s age and biological stage of development. To maximize output specific to increasing sport performance, there must be a focus on providing the right drills and exercises at the right times.
Youth athletes are not “tiny adults” – certain periods of growth and maturation (particularly around puberty and peak height velocity) change what the body needs and what benefits it gets from training. First and foremost, teaching and ingraining quality movement patterns, balance and coordination, deceleration and landing mechanics, and other basic movement principles gives the most return on their investment. Though an 11 year old baseball or volleyball player may be playing their sport against the top competition on a premier team, they are still 11 years old and need to learn how their body works at a fundamental, mechanical level.
It’s common for young kids to want workouts like “what the pros do”, even though those aren’t the workouts those pros were doing when they were that age. Overloading and/or mismanaging training for the youth athlete can be detrimental to performance, especially in the long term. Challenging kids with developmentally appropriate skills and progressions while fostering a structured and supportive environment is paramount for success!
Masters Athletes
For those who love to compete and push themselves to stay at their best, we will navigate the effects of age and injury and keep you performing at the highest level possible. It's a priority to look at the big picture, at this stage we need to know how the effects of work, family, and life compound and affect preparation. You can get away with doing most anything when you are 20 years old, training the 40 year old and above athlete requires a realistic knowledge of the body relative to output and recovery, managing stress, and mentally staying motivated to train and compete.
Proper screening and assessment are key - with age it’s common to lose mobility and develop asymmetries and deficiencies, and these limitations tend to impact our training in ways we may not be aware of. Rather than regularly updating our knowledge of our body and training program, we start to feel pains or not hit weights/milage/etc that we used to and attribute it to losing ability. These moments are mentally challenging and wear on the competitor, often leading to mismanaging resources, adding unnecessary training and possibly burnout.
Testimonials
"I have been working with James for three years, focusing a lot on mobility and explosive strength. We do a number of exercises to work on range of motion and continually look for new ways I can maximize my quality of movement and stay healthy. I feel great going into this season and I'm ready to perform at my best."
Ethan Pocic, Cleveland Browns