5 KEYS OF ATHLETICISM

The following list is by no means all-encompassing but provides some insight into some of the most glaring points that have jumped out at me through the last 40 years of my own training as well as those that I have trained. By no means was I a gifted athlete but years ago at the age of 36 I ran a 4.6 40 yard dash and vertical jumped 36 inches. I also managed to dunk a basketball at a height of 5′ 10″. This was not by accident or due to a gift but because I have learned and observed training outcomes for a very long time. Please take a few minutes and look over my list.

1)Put more empahasis on strength, power, explosion and speed than muscular and aerobic endurance.

In other words more strength, fitness and speed and less crossfit and long slow distance running.

The most common question we get is, “Did he or she work hard?”. Did they sweat? Did they breathe heavy? Most of these questions are related to conditioning. Athletes have plenty of time for conditioning. What most lack is explosion. Who cares if you can finish the soccer or basketball or football game without being tired? Did you move explosively during it enough to have an impact on the game? It’s great to be able to get through the game, but were you quick enough during it?

Conditioning and speed, agility quickness training are mutually exclusive events.

When baseball players prep for the season, many teams run distance only.  3 miles per day, 3 times per week. What about speed in the field or on the bases? It would take 2 seasons to run what some teams condition with in a week. THIS MAKES NO SENSE. Especially when you lose 3 close games due to a ball dropping in or getting thrown out at second when stealing or not beating out an infield hit.

Puking during a conditioning workout is one thing. Puking during a speed workout is impossible. Here’s why. When you condition, your body produces a boat load of metabolic acid especially when video gamers start conditioning for the first time. Metabolic acid in copious amounts completely inhibits the firing of any fast twitch fiber that one is trying to tap for SPEED TRAINING. Puking=lack of conditioning, conditioning, eating bad food, virus, nerves. Not explosive training. Not anywhere remotely close.

All you have to do is look at what happens to vertical leap, 10 yard dash, broad jump and 40 yard dash after a 6 week bout of high rep band squats for time. Or what happens after a division I soccer player trains like a marathoner.

Decreases of 4-6 inches in the vert and worsening dash times of .2-.3 seconds are not uncommon.

You can do all of the plyometric and speed drills in the world but if you don’t have  a strong, stable base you will reap very little benefit.

2)Work your brakes!

Athletes work linear speed like crazy but the problem is unless you are a track athlete you will have to be able to stop and restart. Stay off of the leg press machine and spend more time in the squat rack. While you are in the squat rack, don’t bounce out of the bottom position, use your hamstrings and glutes down there.

Make sure your ground mechanics are appropriate when you are training. Knees over toes, dorsiflexed ankle on contact. Don’t  feel  for the ground with a pointed toe. Get your hips down! Avoid excessive vertical movement when you are moving laterally.

3)Rely more and more on “open” drills.

Ready….
Set……
Go…..
only gets you so far.
You need to perform drills that involve you reacting to a variety of stimuli including contact, visual and auditory. There needs to be a reactive component to your training. You can prove it to yourself by first reacting to a “go” command without false stepping. Next try doing it reacting to a clap or thrown ball. See what I mean?

Your ability to stop and start unpredictably is at the root of agility.

If you do not add the element of surprise(open drills) to your agility repertoire, you become good at a skill like you get good at a golf swing or dancing or a ladder or cone drill.

Multiple studies bear this out.

Once the foundation of good mechanics is laid, unpredictability must follow unless you just want to be a combine or showcase star only.

4)Spend more time actually developing your athleticism.

There comes a point in time when being in 2 leagues, for 3 teams and running around reaches a point of diminishing returns.

Your swing is flawless….but has no pop. Will playing for 3 teams make it better?

Your soccer foot skills are great…….but you run like a dump truck. Will playing rec, travel and cup all in the same season fix this?

You are running track to get faster…….will running the mile or throwing the discus make this better?

There comes a point in time when an athlete needs to focus on his or her athleticism. You can’t do this by demonstrating the skills that you have. You must overload with some strength, speed, and agility training and allow time to RECOVER. Try playing for one team, one sport at a time during season.

5)Continue training In season! A recent research study entitled, “DETRAINING AND TAPERING ADAPTATION ON STRENGTH AND POWER PERFORMANCE” was published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Aug. 2007 and provides definitive scientific data that addresses your question of whether it is worth maintaining some level of training frequency versus stopping altogether and participating in a sport.  In the study, speed and strength training was conducted for 16 weeks prior to the experimental detraining (DTR) or maintenance (MT) work.  Following the training period, DTR stopped additional exercise; the other group, MT, performed low volume, high intensity work periodically.  Both groups continued to participate in their given sport.  Following 4 weeks of this modification, DTR lost some strength but had over a 15% decrease in muscle power (slower running speed and lower vertical jump), while  MT (the group that continued with their performance training) showed a small increase in strength and maintained power (maintenance of performance gains)

About the Author

Ed Wietholder is the founder and owner of Strength Fitness and Speed, Inc. Ed has trained many athletes and non athletes as well from the Pittsburgh area. In addition, many have benefited from his routine design and consultation across the United States.

Ed has authored many articles that have appeared in national and international magazines.

Ed has trained and consulted for many High School, Collegiate and Professional teams.

What others are saying about Ed Wietholder

Big thanks to Ed Wietholder of Strength Fitness & Speed for the workout and always taking care of me when I’m back in Pittsburgh! Great dude!
Thanks Ed for all the help getting here! If anyone sees this and is in the south hills of Pittsburgh, they should check out Ed Wietholder‘s work!

Chase Winovich
University Of Michigan Football #15
Cleveland Browns # 69

It is easy for our young athletes to find a place to “workout”. There are many places popping up from former athletes who know what worked for them and who may be “certified” by unofficial, substandard organizations.

But then there is SFAS…owned and led by Ed Wietholder and his team of critically certified training professionals who understand the biomechanics and physical responses of performance-based training. This understanding results in the human body’s best opportunity for building and maintaining progress throughout their sports careers. Yes, there is science behind exercise and training and this team knows it inside out and upside down. They do this through balancing growth with agility and strength improvements while reducing the risk of injury both during and between seasons of these hard pushing athletes. Many of the SFAS athletes play more than one sport or more than one role in the same sport. The SFAS team evaluates, prescribes, re-evaluates and adjusts for each sport, each season and most importantly, each athlete – not a cookie cutter service. SFAS trainers communicate as a team to deliver the best unique situational plan for each athlete.  And add to this, they push your limits with intensity but in a fun atmosphere. The banter with the training staff and other local athletes creates a motivating family-like atmosphere. In two words, THEY CARE. Beyond the technical aspects, the respect the SFAS team shows to coaches and programs to complement their directives and to push the athlete both mentally and physically is obvious and reflects their knowledge of sport-athlete roles and the game. The well-rounded approach has resulted in many, many successful high school, college and professional level athletes. Personally, I have a tri-sport female athlete who has to work on her current sport while coming off the previous season’s sport (always simultaneous) and with the mindset and plans of getting ready for the third sport season year after year. Her high school is blessed with many great athletes, especially in her graduating class, so the competition is real and the seasons are long. The strength and agility needs of one sport can be very different from another.  I would not trust her training to anyone else. The SFAS team has built her both mentally and physically and she carries it out. Her performance has improved consistently in each sport throughout her growth years (with some inherent growth issues and process of her own).  The mental and confidence growth support from her SFAS team is beyond words.  Recently, as her basketball team heads to states for another year, she was unable to schedule her SFAS sessions due to her commitments.  She finally, after 4 weeks, was able to go back to her routine.  She came home from her session and said (with a bounce in her step), “I really missed my SFAS training and my SFAS family.  I feel great and it makes me happy to go there.  I feel like they always know exactly what I need.”  They do. From dealing with the process of severe osgood-schlatter disease to school challenges to transitioning between sports while playing a completely different sport…they do it all!  Thank you Ed and your SFAS team for helping Lydia succeed as an athlete and as a person. It takes a village and you are definitely a big part of ours. 

Lydia Shaw           Thomas Jefferson High School, XC/Basketball/Track

Jefferson University, XC and Track, NCAA Division II, CACC

Major: Architecture and Design

By: Lisa Steiner Shaw, PhD, Industrial Engineering, Human Movement Studies

SOFTBALL STRENGTH/POWER/SPEED

We train teams and players from all over Pennsylvania. We explode and react. After laying a foundation does it make sense to not focus on random movement drills? In other words repeating a know foot pattern then running to a spot where you know a ball or cone is becomes pretty useless? We see it frequently. Is there a reason to dance over hurdles before exploding to a known spot? Not really.

Here is what we choose to focus on:

1)Action: Dynamic warm Up, Stretch 

Benefit: Proprioception development,  Increased Core Temperature for better training performance 

 2)Action:  Mechanical adjustments, sprint techniques evolving to very specific basepath and positional speed. 

Benefit: Beating out infield hits, stretching singles into doubles, better reaction and getting to infield hits and fly balls. Better mechanics means more EFFICIENT movement.  

3) Action: Overloading the athletic movements with resistance and assistance. 

Benefit: Contrast training provides better neuromuscular recruitment and power in movements. Example:  pre training athletes exhibit much less muscle recruitment than trained athletes. Contrast training and complexing a plyo and a resisted movement enhances recruitment leading to a much improved “getting out of the box” and also exploding to a space. 

4)Action: Progressing movements from closed(predictable) to open(random). 

Benefit: Better transference to the field. There is very little ready –set- go in sports and softball. Movement must be reactive, not on your own cue. 

 5) Power development in the body, including lower core education and activation and development of explosive rotational core power using med balls and plyometric drills 

Benefit: All movement originates in the low core. The low core is your anchor. A stronger educated lower abdomen provides an anchor from which an athlete can turn powerfully on a pitch or launch a fast pitch. All movement originates in the lower abdomen. Rotational core power provides greater velocity off of the bat, a stronger throwing arm and a more efficient consistent swing. 

6)Leg strength and stability and ground contact work 

Benefit: Reduced chances of cruciate ligament knee injuries 

7)Upper Body strength and power transfer 

Benefit: Increased bat speed and better power transfer from legs to hands 

It is easy for our young athletes to find a place to “workout”. There are many places popping up from former athletes who know what worked for them and who may be “certified” by unofficial, substandard organizations.

But then there is SFAS…owned and led by Ed Wietholder and his team of critically certified training professionals who understand the biomechanics and physical responses of performance-based training. This understanding results in the human body’s best opportunity for building and maintaining progress throughout their sports careers. Yes, there is science behind exercise and training and this team knows it inside out and upside down. They do this through balancing growth with agility and strength improvements while reducing the risk of injury both during and between seasons of these hard pushing athletes. Many of the SFAS athletes play more than one sport or more than one role in the same sport. The SFAS team evaluates, prescribes, re-evaluates and adjusts for each sport, each season and most importantly, each athlete – not a cookie cutter service. SFAS trainers communicate as a team to deliver the best unique situational plan for each athlete.  And add to this, they push your limits with intensity but in a fun atmosphere. The banter with the training staff and other local athletes creates a motivating family-like atmosphere. In two words, THEY CARE. Beyond the technical aspects, the respect the SFAS team shows to coaches and programs to complement their directives and to push the athlete both mentally and physically is obvious and reflects their knowledge of sport-athlete roles and the game. The well-rounded approach has resulted in many, many successful high school, college and professional level athletes.

Lydia Shaw           Thomas Jefferson High School, XC/Basketball/Track

Personally, I have a tri-sport female athlete who has to work on her current sport while coming off the previous season’s sport (always simultaneous) and with the mindset and plans of getting ready for the third sport season year after year. Her high school is blessed with many great athletes, especially in her graduating class, so the competition is real and the seasons are long. The strength and agility needs of one sport can be very different from another.  I would not trust her training to anyone else. The SFAS team has built her both mentally and physically and she carries it out. Her performance has improved consistently in each sport throughout her growth years (with some inherent growth issues and process of her own).  The mental and confidence growth support from her SFAS team is beyond words.  Recently, as her basketball team heads to states for another year, she was unable to schedule her SFAS sessions due to her commitments.  She finally, after 4 weeks, was able to go back to her routine.  She came home from her session and said (with a bounce in her step), “I really missed my SFAS training and my SFAS family.  I feel great and it makes me happy to go there.  I feel like they always know exactly what I need.”  They do. From dealing with the process of severe osgood-schlatter disease to school challenges to transitioning between sports while playing a completely different sport…they do it all!  Thank you Ed and your SFAS team for helping Lydia succeed as an athlete and as a person. It takes a village and you are definitely a big part of ours. 

Jefferson University, XC and Track, NCAA Division II, CACC

Major: Architecture and Design

By: Lisa Steiner Shaw, PhD, Industrial Engineering, Human Movement Studies

Training vs. Working Out

Training is having an organized specific plan to achieve a very specific result.

Working from the endpoint backwards 12-16 weeks is a great place to start.

Any team that I have ever trained has always been asked the question: When does your season begin and what do you want to accomplish?

Working Out is going to the gym and saying today I feel like hitting chest and not having a clue as to what weight or scheme or goals you have going on. Working out is going to 3 different coaches for 3 different things(or even better 3 for the same thing) and having no scheme as to how these things should operate together. Cluster bomb results especially for advanced athletes.

Training is an organized approach to things. You can’t do a high rep high endurance crossfit session 3 times per week while trying to improve your 40 time or vertical leap for your season or a camp. Yes you can make progress but specific gains that involve explosion are being compromised.

High nervous system component work like acquiring a skill or refining a movement should take priority in your sequence of training in any given day. If this work is to be fit into a day here is an example. Working on pitching or throwing a javelin technique first, plyometric and CNS work next, strength to follow and any base conditioning or GPP work last.

Plyometric work at the end of any training day makes no sense. If explosion is your goal then on and off box hops for high reps and high volume makes absolutely no sense. Depth jumps off of a box with 100 % effort for bouts of 3-5 makes plenty of sense done fresh early in training. You can’t improve power when NS fatigue or high lactic acid levels already exist.

Train. Be smart. Organize.

Baseball Strength Speed and Power

We train teams, small groups and individuals.

We also have a batting cage and turf available for skills practices.

We will focus on the field specific aspects of speed such as lateral quickness for middle infielders, out of the box speed, breaking on the ball speed, and first step quickness. 60 yard dash work can be addressed.
Regarding the throwing arm, exercises that target the rotator cuff, such as a variety of internal and external rotation movements will be utilized. Scapular strength and stability will also be addressed. Since the bicep also plays a role in stabilizing this joint, it too will be strengthened.
Core stability and rotational power, when combined with the above work, leads to a more powerful throwing arm that is less apt to become injured.
A special concern to pitchers includes the maintenance and strengthening of the rotator cuff. Large amounts of energy are absorbed by the body as the hand releases the pitch. This stress should be transferred to the stronger scapular stabilizers rather than the rotator cuff. Training this area together with certain plyometric moves, direct cuff work, and closed chain movements reduces the incidence of injury and strengthens the throwing arm.

“I thought the Strength, Fitness And Speed program really helped me learn how to train like a pro athlete”
-Tom Shirley

I first came across Strength, Speed and Fitness when I was the head baseball coach at Kiski Area.  At that time I was astounded at the progress the players that trained with them made in the short period of time they had worked with them.  As each of the players became faster, stronger and more agile, their level of play and their self-confidence greatly improved.I am presently the head baseball coach at Belle Vernon Area.  Once again I am seeing the benefits of their program in the 12 players that are regularly working under them.  Their improvement has been so significant that other players on our teams (middle school up) are taking notice.  In fact, no less than seven players and their parents have approached me to get information on their program to make arrangements to begin working with them at the conclusion of our current season.

As a former professional baseball scout and a former college coach, I highly recommend their program for any players wanting to increase their chances of playing at the next level.

Daryl Hixenbaugh

Past Head Baseball Coach Belle Vernon Area High School

Soccer athlete observations and Training

6 things my staff and I notice with soccer athletes over the last 21 years:

1) Everyone could use some more strength. All else aside, more strength makes you flat out more athletic. Power is your ability to recruit strength in a hurry and is a requirement during sprinting. Power also helps during cutting, jumping and kicking. Strength and stability keeps you from getting knocked off of the ball.

2) The athletes could use some more oblique and abdominal strength, stability and power. Your lower abdomen provides the anchor from which all movement can occur. This helps when you are kicking, jumping or sprinting. Have you ever watched a player run fast without the ball and look like he or she is speed skating? This tends to happen a lot with soccer. Sometimes it is motor and is a result of elbows that are flailing to the outside but more often it is the hips that are rotating. Force generated by the hip flexors and powerful arm action can’t be controlled by the body’s secondary rotational stabilizer, the obliques.  This produces a roll in the hips, a zigzag foot strike pattern and arm action that belongs on the ice, not on the soccer field.

3) Many of the players use a crossover step to move laterally without the ball instead of an open step. Takes longer and is inefficient in moving short distances.

4) Many athletes do not dorsiflex(pull the toes up) at the ankle during planting and during the recovery phase of sprinting. This is sometimes not a natural occurrence, particularly with soccer players who must point their toes to kick! As the shin swings forward right before ground contact, a nice dorsiflexed ankle provides a shorter lever at the knee(easier to turn over) as well a more efficient ground contact in line with the hips, not in front of the hips. Dorsiflexed ankles also send a warning to the knee joint and hip joint that they need to be ready to fire in advance.

5)Many players have a false step that wastes time and is inefficient.

6)Many players overstride as witnessed by a late recovery  evidenced by the foot finishing “high” when observed from the rear. This is “braking” actually.

Contact us to fix these issues.

Ed,

“I wanted to thank you for the work you and the other trainers have done with my children.  They both play soccer and this training was perfect for them.  When my son first came to you he was fast, but he ran out of control.  You not only improved his speed, but greatly increased the control he runs under.  His lateral movement and change of direction have improved tremendously.  This has enabled him to play his position with the speed and agility needed.  My daughter has also increased her speed and has become a stronger player.  She played her first game since last fall last weekend and other parents were commenting on how much faster she is now.  It is that noticeable.  They will be continuing with the program.  I am so pleased with their progress that I am having my youngest daughter begin the training.”

Again, thanks for your efforts.

Sincerely,

Patrick Maloney

 

www.strengthfitnessandspeed.com

Updating the Next Level List

Here is our partially updated list! 1998-

STRENGTH, FITNESS AND SPEED INC. CLIENTS AT THE NEXT LEVEL

Ian Wild                               Baldwin                                                             Mercyhurst/Pittsburgh Steelers/Winnipeg

Russell Stuvaints                Youngstown State                                             Pittsburgh Steelers NFL

Cie Grant                             Ohio State University                                      New Orleans Saints NFL

Dom DeCicco                    Thomas Jefferson High School                      Chicago Bears NFL

Cory Tucker                        South Park                                                         Slippery Rock/Cleveland Browns

Dorian Johnson                  Belle Vernon                                                    University of Pittsburgh

Cassidy Walsh                    Seton LaSalle                                                    University of Pittsburgh

Nick Bowers                       Kitanning                                                           University of Pittsburgh

Sean Gerst                           Baldwin                                                             Muskingum

Evan Hannan                        Belle Vernon                                                    W and J

Matt Benicky                      Belle Vernon                                                    W and J

Nick Sweitzer                     Belle Vernon                                                    Georgetown

Justin Ivill                           Belle Vernon                                                    Bucknell

Jake Maxwell                      TJ                                                                       WV Wesleyan

Peter Metro                        TJ                                                                       St. Vincent

Adam Staudt                        TJ                                                                       Clarion

Sam Fareri                           South Park                                                         Clarion

Braden Pahanish                 TJ                                                                       California University

Andrew Wheeler                USC                                                                   George Washington

Ryan Harkleroad                 USC                                                                   Dayton

Zack Pateras                       USC                                                                   Allegheny

Aaron Matthews                 Clairton                                                             Pitt

Chacar Berry                       Ringgold                                                            Slippery Rock

Jake Stewart                        South Park                                                         Wooster

Jake Dixon                          Bethel Park                                                       Lewis University

Sarah Stanley                      South Park                                                         Ohio State

Andy Abreu                         Penn Trafford                                                   Laroche

Doug Altavilla                     Baldwin                                                             Mercyhurst

Evan Augustine                   South Park                                                         PSU Behrend

Austin Stephan                    USC                                                                   Baldwin Wallace

Ashley Baker                      Elizabeth Forward                                            Alderson Broadus

Mitch Nordstrom                              Bethel Park                                                       Waynesburg

Justin Vickless                   Brentwood                                                        W and J

Nick Vento                          Franklin Regional                                             W and J

Brad Villa                            South Park                                                         W and J

Bradon Toy                         Kittaning                                                           W and J

Anthony Levis                     Belle Vernon                                                    W and J

Austin Kemp                       Thomas Jefferson                                                            W and J

Justin Bauer                        Brentwood                                                        W and J

Trevor Morrow                   USC                                                                   W and J

Matt Hermessmann            EF                                                                      W and J

Ian Dobbins                         Belle Vernon                                                    Penn

Adam Cole                          Belle Vernon                                                    PSU

Austin Fields                       Belle Vernon                                                    Slippery Rock

Jake Sweitzer                      Belle Vernon                                                    Georgetown

Nick Scholle                       South Park                                                         Grove City

Chris Boff                           South Park                                                         Thiel

Carley Bogan                      USC                                                                   William and Mary

Christian Breisinger           TJ                                                                       Waynesburg

Pat Hall                               TJ                                                                       Princeton

Nick Fekula                         EF                                                                      Princeton

Natalie Fekula                     EF                                                                      Adelphi

Kylie Owoc                         EF                                                                      Ursuline

Joe Mascaro                       Bethel Park                                                       Case Western

John Mascaro                     Bethel Park                                                       CMU

Mike Brucker                     Bethel Park                                                       St. Francis

Brook Burns                       Laurel Highlands                                              W and J

JT Colosimo                       Seton LaSalle                                                    Waynesburg

Adam Ottaviano                  Seton Lasalle                                                    Slippery Rock

Logan Corrigan                   Bethel Park                                                       James Madison

Dakota Forsyth                   Bethel Park                                                       PSU

Zac Forsyth                         Bethel Park                                                       Tampa

Shane Mallon                      Penn Trafford                                                   Alderson broadus

Cole Costy                          TJ                                                                       Youngstown State

Brett Dadig                         Seton LaSalle                                                    Pitt Greensburg

Danielle Dadig                    Seton LaSalle                                                    Youngstown State

Luke Deanavich                  TJ                                                                       St. Vincent

Tony Devivo                        Freeport                                                                           Duquesne

Danielle Dindak                  Serra Catholic                                                   Westminster

Shane Fetsko                       South Park                                                         Marietta

Sean Gallagher                    Bethel Park                                                       PSU Behrend

Rachel Giannangeli            Gateway                                                             Clarion

Tracy Gibson                      South Park                                                         John Carroll

Justin Gorny                       South Park                                                         PSU Behrend

Dan Wanker                        South Park                                                         PSU Behrend

Carter Grote                       South Park                                                         Furman

Curtis Perz                          Norwin                                                              Wheeling Jesuit

Cory Owen                          Peters Township                                               James Madison

Gina Rock                           Latrobe                                                              Frostburg State

Shelby Lindsay                   South Park                                                         West Point

Laurel Lindsay                    South Park                                                         Edinboro

Corey Lostetter                  TJ                                                                       Fairleigh-Dickinson

Dave Martin                        South Park                                                         Waynesburg

Ben Webb                           GCC                                                                   St. Vincent

Chris Winkler                     South Park                                                         St. Vincent

Brian McDonough              Penn Trafford                                                   Concord

Corey Stanford                   Penn Trafford                                                   Catholic University

Connor McWilliams          Brentwood                                                        Alderson Broadus

Jake Murphy                       Bethel Park                                                       US Merchant Marine

Jake Wallace                       GCC                                                                   US Merchant Marine

Matt Naylor                        Belle Vernon                                                    Geneva

Rex Pearce                          EF                                                                      IUP

George Prota                      EF                                                                      Pitt Johnstown

Charlie Scharbo                  TJ                                                                       Carlow

Ryan Sciullo                       Kiski                                                                  W and J

Cam Smail                           Kiski                                                                  Grove City

Alex Minton                        Bethel Park                                                       Drake

Alexa Stahl                          Baldwin                                                             West Liberty

Cody Stolar                         South Park                                                         Allegheny

Brian Holland                     Bethel Park                                                       Allegheny

Evan Schweitzer                 Bethel Park                                                       Allegheny

Mike Wainauskis                TJ                                                                       Slippery Rock

Alexis Yanief                      TJ                                                                       Millersville

Lauren Yobbi                      South Park                                                         Duquesne

Jason Yobbi                        South Park                                                         W and J

Allie Yurkovich                  TJ                                                                       RMU

Rachel Stover                     TJ                                                                       Cleveland State

Hannah Zangara                  USC                                                                   Allegheny

Adam Mihoci                      Franklin Regional                                             California University

Mac Pope                            USC

Robert Plummer                 USC

Joe Laukitis                        USC                                                                   Saint Francis

Sydney Judkins                   South Park                                                         Sacred Heart

Rayshawn Bolden               West Virginia University

Tyler Trettin                        Bloomsburg                                                      Arena Football League

Jamar Foulks                       Mansfield                                                          Pittsburgh Power

Trent Jones                         Indiana University                                            Arena Football League

Beau Gibbs                          Northern Iowa                                                   Arena Football League

Mike Chiapetta                   Indiana University                                            Arena Football League

Dorin Dickerson                West Allegheny                                                University of Pittsburgh

Jon Ditto                             Gateway                                                             Penn State University

Ryan Einwag                       Baldwin                                                             Carnegie Mellon University

Rich Costanza                     Thomas Jefferson High School                      Maryland/PSU/Riverhounds

Tom Shirley                        Norwin                                                              Xavier

Chris Spegal                        Bethel Park                                                       Ohio

Jon Stewart                         Norwin                                                              Penn State University

Nathan Totino                     Seton LaSalle                                                    Duquesne

Renee Tomko                     Thomas Jefferson High School                      Louisville

Grant Serdy                         Upper St. Clair                                                  Princeton

Jonna Handra                      South Allegheny                                               UNC Charlotte

Brad Rodgers                      Norwin                                                              Robert Morris University

Tyler Urban                         Norwin                                                              West Virginia University

Andy Clifford                     Bethel Park                                                       University of Pittsburgh

Anthony Caruso                  Bethel Park                                                       Duquesne

Amanda Albitz                    South Park                                                         IUP

Mike Salopek                      Norwin                                                              University of Virginia

Cassy Sanderson                 Elizabeth Forward                                            Wheeling Jesuit

Zach DeCicco                     Thomas Jefferson High School                      Washington and Jefferson

Jordan Kelly                       Seton LaSalle                                                    St. Francis

Garrett Walz                       Seton LaSalle                                                    St. Francis

Brian Lattanzi                     USC                                                                   University of Buffalo

Brock DeCicco                  Thomas Jefferson                                                            University of Pittsburgh

Don Rhodes                        Norwin                                                              Georgetown

Rob McCall                        Thomas Jefferson                                                            Mercyhurst

Lyle Marsh                          Bethel Park                                                       Penn

John Schademan                 Bethel Park                                                       Colgate

Eric Olson                           Bethel Park                                                       Cal University

Cori Stark                            Belle Vernon                                                    Youngstown State University

Sydney Judkins                   South Park                                                         Sacred Heart

Shane Henkel                      Gateway                                                             Ohio University

Tarran Senay                       South Park                                                         NC State

Zach Zigmond                     Bethel Park                                                       Wheeling Jesuit

Tara Zollinger                                                                                                 University of Maryland

Lauren Dittman                   Norwin                                                               Colgate

Liam Krahe                         Bethel Park                                                         Northeastern

Rick Fehl                             Pittsburgh Central Catholic                              Mount Union

Zach Zigmond                     Bethel Park                                                        Wheeling Jesuit

Anthony Rusch                   Bethel Park                                                         Seton Hill

Christian Angotti               Thomas Jefferson                                               University of Dayton

Mike Carr                            Steel Valley                                                        Point Park University

Nate Wojciekowski           South Allegheny                                                 LaRoche

Jared Pratt                           Bethel Park                                                       Colgate

Evan Kelly                           Seton LaSalle                                                    University of Richmond

Jake Matthews                    Greensburg-Salem                                           Cornell

Jessie Vilkofsky                 Elizabeth Forward                                            Wheeling Jesuit

Adam Lazenga                     Bethel Park                                                       University of Pittsburgh

Riley Kern                          Elizabeth Forward                                            Washington and Jefferson

Ron Harris                          Baldwin                                                             Slippery Rock

Quinn Hood                        Baldwin                                                             Wooster

CJ Seitzinger                      Bethel Park                                                       John Carrol

Cory Spegal                        Bethel Park                                                       Mercyhurst

Garrett Wild                       Baldwin                                                             Mercyhurst

 

Matt Walbert                      South Park                                                         Pitt

TJ Matrascia                       TJ                                                                       Robert Morris University

Tim Petro                            Norwin                                                              Gannon

Ryan Luffey                        South Park                                                         LaRoche

Dave Kucenic                     South Park                                                         Cal U.

Ryan Sherry                        Bethel Park                                                       Allegheny

Nick Miller                         West Mifflin                                                     W and J

Bill Bendgen                       West Mifflin                                                     Thiel

Chad Bowman                     Franklin Regional                                             Seton Hill

Randy Bush                         Baldwin                                                             Bethany

Zack Landman                     Brownsville                                                       Marrietta

Alex Mace                           Bethel Park                                                       Juniata

Matt Didiano                       Franklin Regional                                             Penn State Behrend

Chris Rizzo                         Bethel Park                                                       John Carroll University

Brook Burns                       Laurel Highlands                                              Wheaton

Ryan Mihoci                       Franklin Regional                                             Lycoming

Matt Green                          Belle Vernon                                                    RMU

Tyler Sellew                        Belle Vernon                                                    California University

Spencer Lynn                      Belle Vernon                                                    California University

 

Danielle DeMay                 Bethel Park High School                                 Penn State Behrend

Dan DiNinno                       Penn Trafford High School                             Grove City

Jim Dittman                        Norwin                                                              Penn State Behrend

Megan Duncan                    Norwin                                                              Penn State University

Ryan Fehl                            Central Catholic                                               Mount Union

Matt Griffin                        Bethel Park                                                       Duquesne

Will Grunewald                  Mount Lebanon                                                Bowdoin

Ben Iannachione                 Baldwin                                                             Boise State University

Jason Kolodziej                  Thomas Jefferson High School                      Bucknell

Zach Kuba                           Shadyside Academy                                         NYU

Noelle Lyons                      Norwin                                                              Saint Francis

Paul Matthews                    Greensburg Salem                                            Hampden-Sydney

Dale Meinbresse                Upper St. Clair                                                  Quinnipiac

Jake Mihalov                       Thomas Jefferson                                                            Denison

Tony Mingone                    Brentwood                                                        Mount Union

Erin Montgomery                              Allderdice                                                         Allegheny

Mike Morante                     Peters Township                                               Dayton

Ryne Murray                       Upper St. Clair                                                  Westminster

TJ O’ Brien                         South Park                                                         Wheeling Jesuit

Casey Quinn                        Bishop Canevin                                                 Duquesne

Rob Ramsey                        Geibel Catholic                                                California

Franco Sebastiani                              Greensburg Central                                          Rochester

Drew Serdy                         Upper St. Clair                                                  CMU

Jake Serdy                           Upper St. Clair                                                  Maine

Erica Bilski                         Seton LaSalle High School                             Chatham

Tim Chapon                         Thomas Jefferson High School                      Pitt Titusville

Pam Coudriet                      Carrick High                                                     Carlow

Adam Cline                         Thomas Jefferson High School                      Penn State Behrend

Kara Stroup                         Mars                                                                  St. Francis

Dan Robb                            Thomas Jefferson High School                      West Virginia University

Mike Puskaric                    Serra Catholic                                                   Robert Morris University

AJ Little                                             Baldwin                                                             CMU

Brian Urban                         Baldwin                                                             Indiana University

Kristen Penska                   Norwin                                                              Juniata

AJ Ross                               Thomas Jefferson High School                      St. Vincent

Matt Bliss                           Bethel Park                                                       W and J

Alex Baroffio                     Bethel Park                                                       W and J

3rd Annual SFAS 2016 Football Lineman Camp

We are happy to provide this service again! Many happy much improved campers!

Q: What is meant by capping power leaks?

A: Power leaks occur when transferring power from legs to hands. Through core, balance, mechanical, and mental improvements we teach how to facilitate this transfer.

Soccer athlete observations and Training

6 things my staff and I notice with soccer athletes over the last 15 years:

1) Everyone could use some more strength. All else aside, more strength makes you flat out more athletic. Power is your ability to recruit strength in a hurry and is a requirement during sprinting. Power also helps during cutting, jumping and kicking. Strength and stability keeps you from getting knocked off of the ball.

2) The athletes could use some more oblique and abdominal strength, stability and power. Your lower abdomen provides the anchor from which all movement can occur. This helps when you are kicking, jumping or sprinting. Have you ever watched a player run fast without the ball and look like he or she is speed skating? This tends to happen a lot with soccer. Sometimes it is motor and is a result of elbows that are flailing to the outside but more often it is the hips that are rotating. Force generated by the hip flexors and powerful arm action can’t be controlled by the body’s secondary rotational stabilizer, the obliques.  This produces a roll in the hips, a zigzag foot strike pattern and arm action that belongs on the ice, not on the soccer field. 

3) Many of the players use a crossover step to move laterally without the ball instead of an open step. Takes longer and is inefficient in moving short distances.

4) Many athletes do not dorsiflex(pull the toes up) at the ankle during planting and during the recovery phase of sprinting. This is sometimes not a natural occurrence, particularly with soccer players who must point their toes to kick! As the shin swings forward right before ground contact, a nice dorsiflexed ankle provides a shorter lever at the knee(easier to turn over) as well a more efficient ground contact in line with the hips, not in front of the hips. Dorsiflexed ankles also send a warning to the knee joint and hip joint that they need to be ready to fire in advance.

5)Many players have a false step that wastes time and is inefficient.

6)Many players overstride as witnessed by a late recovery  evidenced by the foot finishing “high” when observed from the rear. This is “braking” actually.

Contact us to fix these issues.

www.strengthfitnessandspeed.com

Becoming a better athlete

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I’ve seen it before and I’ll see it again. I saw it when my sons played many years ago. Playing for 3 teams or going to endless open gyms will not make you a better athlete. Your skills will improve to a point but the bottom line will be how strong, powerful and explosive you are. Best players will play. Period. Whether they attended 100% of open gyms or put in time with 4 travel teams best players will play. Period. Are you getting as strong, fast and powerful as you need to be? Or is endless mindless repetition getting in the way?

Lineman Strength, Speed and Skills Camp

Lineman Strength, Speed and Skills Camp

 

This camp will run for 8 weeks and will meet on Mondays and Fridays at 12 noon for 8 weeks at the Pleasant Hills Location and for some sessions a field to be named later in the South Hills. Sessions run for 60 minutes. Tuesdays are speed/strength and Fridays footwork and skill. Total cost of the camp is $349. This camp is not a 3 day deal, it is designed to actually create habits and improve strength, footwork and speed over a 2 month period. START DAY IS JUNE 9!

We will be working on total body strength, upper body power and hand quickness, short range acceleration, balance, capping power leaks and toughness.

Total cost of the camp is $349/athlete.

If 5 players sign up from same team, cost goes to $320/athlete.

Register at www.strengthfitnessandspeed.com. Contact Ed at ed@strengthfitnessandspeed.com for more details.

 

Cory Tucker is a standout lineman at Slippery Rock University. He is a student of the game and was recently named to the 1^st team all region at SRU. Cory spent many years sports performance training under the tutelage of Ed Wietholder, founder and Director of Strength, Fitness And Speed, Inc. Cory will be handling all of the skills aspects and some of the strength and footwork development as well.

JT Colosimo attended Seton La Salle High School and is presently playing Football at Waynesburg University. In High School Football Football (letter winner) he was  second-team all-conference. JT spent many years sports performance training under the tutelage of Ed Wietholder, founder and Director of Strength, Fitness And Speed, Inc. JT’s father presently coaches football at Montour High School. JT will be handling all of the skills aspects and some of the strength and footwork development as well.

Ed Wietholder is the President and Founder of SFS, Inc. Over 30 years of experience in Strength, speed and conditioning. Read more about Ed at http://www.strengthfitnessandspeed.com.