Communication in Sport

Shaun Goodsell of Mental Edge Discussed the Proper Uses and Types of Communication in Sport

shaun goodsell Communication in Sport
Shaun Goodsell on communication in Sport

In today’s world, social media dominates communication in sport and life. Shaun Goodsell broke it all down on how to be a great communicator in sport and life that includes talking and the computer.

Shaun talked about the arena of communicating via social media and on a interpersonal level.  The coach and the player have specific roles and uses for technology.  On the other hand, the interpersonal skills are lacking development. How can both of them work in tandem?  Athletes and coaches could use the following 3 steps to improve their communication skills:

1.  Be clear when you say or do something

2. Be very concise. Don’t think that volume is the key to good communication.

3. Analyze the feedback you receive from the communication.

Shaun and Stephen covered these steps of successful communication  and much more on the show.

For the complete show, visit here.

Shaun Goodsell Bio Information:

Shaun has worked with LPGA Golfers, National Championship Hockey Players, Professional Triathletes, State Champion Football and Hockey Players, as well as those athletes who simply want to make “the team.” Every athlete deals with certain mental interferences and life impairments no matter what level they may be at competitively. There is no such thing as right and wrong, or, good and bad, in Shaun’s mind. I do not look at life in these terms. As a Performance Coach, it is my challenge to help each individual athlete develop a new way of defining his/her performance – it is not about good or bad, but about looking at what factors go into a quality performance and what each athlete can do and/or change, individually, to experience just that. With Shaun’s ability to teach and to inspire, along with his ability to communicate abstract ideas clearly, he is able to help each person he works with identify and look at ways they might be engaging in self-defeating patterns of thinking and/or acting, which results in an overall empowering experience for the individual, raising their level of mental toughness and overall self-esteem. Shaun also works extensively with coaches and parents of athletes in large groups, focusing on their integral roles in athletes’ overall mental development and their lives in general. Each coach and parents leaves these presentations and workshops inspired and better equipped to manage athletes with aim, purpose and compassion.

For more information, visit his website.

 

Brianna Walle: Optum Health-Kelly Benefits Pro

Brianna Walle of Optum Health/Kelly Benefits and the Nature Valley Grand Prix

brie sprint Brianna Walle: Optum Health Kelly Benefits Pro
Brianna Walle of Optum Health/Kelly Benefits Pro Cycling

Brianna Walle will be joining the show on Monday to talk about the upcoming Nature Valley Bike Race and her first year as a pro.

For the complete appearance, visit her

For more information on Brianna, visit her website.

Genetics: Are they the limiting factor in your vertical jump?

Jack Woodrup on Genetics and Vertical Jump

Jack Woodrup

VerticalJumping.com

Do you know what, I hate talking about genetics and vertical jump. Why? Because they are something that quite literally you cannot do anything to change. Your parents are your parents. But it isn’t just that you can’t change them either. It is also that many athletes use genetics as an excuse for their failures. They never achieved greatness because of genetics! As much as I hate to say this, they might actually be right. What, you were expecting some feel good article about how genetics can be overcome with hard work? Well alright then, here comes the pep talk.  When I was a kid growing up I loved to play basketball. I used to play all through the summer, sometimes well into the night. Every day before and after school and on weekends too. I couldn’t get enough. In fact by the age of 17 I was the best player in my town. I had one BIG UNSOLVABLE problem though. My mum and dad were both 5’6. To make matters worse, my dad seemed to have well and truly proved that my genetics were very much of the slow twitch variety because he in 1988 was in the Guinness Book of World Records – not for sprinting or jumping, oh no, that might have actually been useful. No he was in there for ultra-endurance cycling. He rode his bike from Perth to Sydney, a distance of 4380 km (2,720 miles) in about 10 days and 17 hours. At the time I was 13 and while I didn’t know anything about jump training then, I did know two things, with my height, and with my genetics, I was never going to play in the NBA, let alone dunk. So you know what, I never even tried.

I let genetics, for a long time be my excuse for failing, even before I began. What could I have done instead? Could I done anything to change things anyway? Well for a start what I should have done was instead of letting my genetics limit my thinking I should have asked the question, what if I am wrong? What if my dad was wrong? Maybe he was a sprinter who turned himself into a long distance athlete through insane levels of will power and commitment (and trust me on this he WAS definitely committed, when my dad went training for his Perth to Sydney ride, he was up early for work, then he would leave in the mid afternoon for his training ride and he never returned until well after I was in bed. He did this each and every night for months leading up to the ride. The man loved to ride a bike that was for sure).

You see in my early 30’s, long after I had stopped playing competitive basketball I decided one day that ‘what the hell’, I am going to train up to dunk a basketball. When I started I weighed nearly 90kg (198 pounds), did a lot of bench press and bicep curls but very little leg work (I could barely squat my own bodyweight). About 14 months later I weighed 74kg, deadlifted 225kg, and squatted 160kg to parallel and, believe it or not, I could dunk a basketball.

So what is the moral of this story? Well if you will sift through all that self-indulgence for a minute you will see that yes, maybe genetics will ultimately prevent you from being the world 100m champion, or playing in the NFL, but how the hell do you even know unless you go out and try.
So are your genetics holding you back? The simple answer is you don’t really know. While there are tests that can help determine your fast twitch slow twitch fiber ratios, the fact is there aren’t any genetic tests that can say your upper limit for vertical jump is going to be 34 inches and your best 100m time is going to be capped out at 10.2 seconds so you should consider something a bit different.
Just as important to consider are that team sports have a whole bunch of other intangibles besides athleticism that determine success (easy example – Steve Nash, 2 time NBA MVP – not known for his dunking or speed. There are many, many more). And not everyone wants to be a world champ. Maybe, like me, you just want to find out what you can do.

Either way it all comes back to the very first point I made in this article, whether you want to play pro sports, be a world champions, or you just want to be the best athlete you can be, you genetics really shouldn’t mean a thing because if you are reading this it is already too late to change things. So stop making excuses. There really is only one way to find out and that is to go out and try before it becomes too late and you have missed your opportunity.

Shawn Myszka: Performance Coach Defined

Shawn Myszka of Explosive Edge Athletics Defined Performance Coach

shawn myszka Shawn Myszka: Performance Coach Defined
Performance Coach Shawn Myszka

Shawn Myszka talked with host Stephen McCarthy about the task of defining a great performance coach for your athlete.  Agents and parents have many choices on the direction of training and speed development for their athletes.  The major disconnect is how do yo separate the marketing hype and name dropping from training philosophy.

Here are a couple points Shawn made during the show:

1. Letters behind the name are important, but not the only thing.

2. Put together a list of questions specific to your athlete to ask the trainer directly.

3. Test and see the test results to make sure measurable performance increases are occurring.

For the complete appearance, visit here.

Shawn Myszka of Explosive Edge Athletics Bio Information:

His wealth of experience begins at a personal level as a competitive bodybuilder, winning the NPC Wisconsin State Championship in 1999 and 2001, and eventually competing at the National-level. Shawn took his passion for training athletes to the next level, the professional level, as a strength coach on the Strength & Conditioning Staff with the Chicago Bears in 2003. Shawn has also spent time working with Louie Simmons, regarded by many as the top strength coach in the world, as well as 6-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates. In addition to all of this, he has trained Collegiate National Champion Athletes, Professional Athletes, and has also worked closely with various high schools / sports organizations to implement the best possible athletic performance program available for them.

For more information on Shawn, visit his website

Kurt Hester: Choosing a Strength Coach

Industry Leader Kurt Hester Discussed the Role of Strength Coach

kurt hester Kurt Hester: Choosing a Strength Coach
Strength Coach Kurt Hester of theDominant1 Speed Training

Kurt Hester of thedominant1 joined the show to talk about the perils of choosing the proper strength coach.  The decision more times than not is made based on the number of pro athletes a strength coach work with or name dropping who the coach knows.  The truth is that if that is the only reason you are working with a particular coach, you need to do your homework.

Here are a couple points Kurt made on the show today:

1.  Athelete development programs need more emphasis on balance.

2.  As a follow up, the also need more exercises that include reaction times or teaching angles.

3.  A basic strength program is the foundation, not how many different pieces of equipment you are using at one time to balance on one foot.

For the complete appearance, visit the following here.

Kurt Hester’s Bio Information:

Kurt Hester serves as D1’s director of training. In addition, he is an active strength and speed consultant for Florida State, Tennessee, Illinois, Ole Miss, Alabama, Nicholls State, Grambling State and Miami. Prior to D1, Hester ran and owned HS2 Athletic Performance in New Orleans, where he turned out more than 400 collegiate scholarship athletes and trained more than 50 NFL Draft picks. He also trained numerous MLB Draft picks, high school All-Americans, state championship teams and collegiate national track & field finalists. A graduate of Tulane University, Hester was inducted into the Strength Coach Hall of Fame, and he holds certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, United States Weightlifting and the Speed, Agility and Conditioning Association.

For more information, visit his website.

Genetically Modified Organisms and Sport Performance

Increase Performance by Eliminating Genetically Modified Organisms in Your Diet

Genetically modified organisms are the cause of a major disconnect in the life of every athlete. They cause performance to decrease, as well as, do not allow athletes to recover as fast as they should.

What is a genetically modified organism or gmo?

In the broadest sense, the definition of gmo is an organism that has been modified from its natural state. A scientific definition would be an organism whose genetic characteristics have been altered by the insertion of a modified gene or a gene from another organism using the techniques of genetic engineering.

frankenfish 300x183 Genetically Modified Organisms and Sport Performance
Genetically Modified Organisms: Salmon

Here are a few examples of genetically modified organisms:

  1. Salmon made to grow bigger and faster than real salmon
  2. Crops that kill insects while it is growing
  3. Use of seeds to create watermelon without seeds or to create other desirable traits.

A recent study out of France has shown that diet made up of gmo Corn caused serious health challenges. Here lies the disconnect; the gmo food item does not have the nutrients you need to perform your best, and it is also breaking you down further. The food item has been modified from its natural state and does not possess the same nutrient density that a real or non-gmo food item.

If athletes would grasp this simple concept of eating non-gmo food items, the athlete would have a competitive advantage and not have to change his diet.

 

Thi’sl: The Role of Music in Sport Today

Rapper Thi’sl Talks Music and the Role it Plays with Athletes

thisl 300x225 Thisl: The Role of Music in Sport Today
Thi’sl on The Role of Music in the World

Rapper Thi’sl joins the show to talk about the world of music and sport.  Almost every athlete today has a pair of headphones and a mp3 player.  So it is a given that the world of sport is influenced by music.  But how far? and in what ways?  He will be addressing these questions and much more.

For the complete appearance, visit here.

Bio Information:

Travis “Thi’sl” Tyler, an ex-hustler turned urban missionary and rapper, check out his website and his new album, Free From the Trap. He is currently based in St. Louis, MO.

Thi’sl had a burning desire to reach his generation and culture. He prayed for direction, and God impressed upon his heart to return to rap. Initially, he tried to mimic the heavily theological raps he had been exposed to, until finding his own lane.  He eventually started an independent label and released his national debut album, Chronicles of an X-Hustler, which debuted at No. 4 on the iTunes Hip Hop chart.  Chronicles is a self-described “audio biographical” look into Thi’sl’s life as he addresses real life situations through a biblical lens and provides practical/biblical solutions to everyday situations.  That’s his mantra—let his biblical knowledge meet real people in their current realities.  Having been featured on several albums since his national debut including features with Lecrae’s Rehab: The Overdose and Flame’s Captured, Thi’sl recently released his sophomore album Beautiful Monster. Driven by his mom’s words, “While people are sleeping, I’m working,” Thi’sl is dedicated to making the most of his platform and changing the world.

Principles of High Impact Coaching

Principles of High Impact Coaching with Shaun Goodsell

shaun goodsell Principles of High Impact Coaching
Shaun Goodsell on HIgh Impact Coaching

Shaun Goodsell of The Mental Edge was in rare form on the show.  He spoke directly to the issues related to coaching at all levels and the principles of high impact coaching.

He covered the basics:

1.  Taking the time to know what your players are thinking no matter what the age and build that sense of rapport with each athlete.

2.  Take the role of coach with great care, honor and responsibility.

If you are interested in getting better as a coach, to listen to the complete appearance visit here.
For more information on Shaun Goodsell, visit his website.

Nature Valley Grand Prix: The McCarthy Project Official Internet Radio Show for

The McCarthy Project: Official Internet Radio Show and Content Provider for Nature Valley Grand Prix Announced

biker home 300x99 Nature Valley Grand Prix: The McCarthy Project Official Internet Radio Show for
Nature Valley Grand Prix and Bike Festival

We are proud to announce that for 2013 we will be the “Official Internet Radio Show and Content Provider” for the Nature Valley Grand Prix and Bike Festival.

We will be covering the teams and their athletes. passing along training and nutritional information and many other guests related to Minnesota cycling and the the bike race.

Background Information on the Nature Valley Grand Prix and Bike Festival.

The Nature Valley Grand Prix is returning to Minnesota, bigger and better than ever. This five day stage race, which is part of the Nature Valley Bicycle Festival, draws the top pro/elite racers from all over the country.  If you’ve experienced pro/elite racing before, you’ll want to mark your calendars for June 12-16, 2013. If you haven’t, you’ll want to find out what you’ve been missing.  Pro racing is a dazzling sport that can only be fully appreciated in person. The roar of a motorcycle and shrill blasts from the course marshals’ whistles announce the approach of the racing pack. The racers fly by, a brightly colored blur so close that you could reach out and touch them. They kick up enough wind to blow your hair back on a calm day. You hear the buzz of their chains and clicks as they shift gears. Shoulder to shoulder and wheel to wheel, hard physical contact between pro racers is common and the risk of a sudden crash is ever present. And bike racing isn’t just something that you watch. Racing is a brutal sport and the riders feed off the energy of the crowd. So come prepared to cheer, clap your hands, stomp your feet and drive these racers to a higher level.

For more information on the race, visit their website.

 

 

 

 

Counting Calories? Check Your Food Sources

Counting Calories: Its Not What It Used to Be?

GMOcorn3 263x164 Counting Calories? Check Your Food Sources
Counting Calories on GMO food?

We have all heard the stories about counting calories and food quality over the last couple years.  Today, I am going to mathematically prove that you can count calories, stay on task, and still not meet your nutrition goals.

 Lets Do this.. For the sake of time, I am going to setup a fictitious person and their goals.

Female, 35, Very active lifestyle and works out 3-4 times a week.  Recommended number of calories per day 2400.  A little high based on the US Department of Agriculture Food Pyramid, but we are giving you some wiggle room based on your lifestyle.

Lets see…

Breakfast 400 calories

Starbucks Coffee 240 cal

Lunch  400 cal

Sports Drink 200 cal

Snack 250 cal

Supper 600 cal

Total calories 2290 cal, well below your goal for daily intake.

All looks well on paper, so what is the problem?

Not all tomatoes are created equal. For that matter, not all food is created equal.  Check out this study on the comparison of food products at the genetic-level. The study shows that in some cases,  the food may be almost 10 times less nutritious. 

For the sake of argument, we will run with only two times less nutrients that it could or should have.  You now need to consume 4580 cal, not 2290 cal to gain the benefit you need for your body to operate properly and recover.

You are literally going in a deficit every day if you do not choose your food sources wisely.  You are eating the right foods, but your body is starving.

Solution:

Move over natural foods i.e. organic foods and control the sources of those non-gmo items. 

Follow this simple rule and you will meet your nutritional goals, train at a higher level and recover quicker from your workouts without even changing what you are eating.

For more detailed information on this subject, visit The McCarthy Project