by Christina Sarich | Infowars.com | November 18, 2014
Perhaps you’ve heard of Unilever? The company sells products under 1,000 brands, including Hellmann’s mayonnaise Suave, Klondike, and TRESemmé. In addition to donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to shut down GMO labeling, the mega-corp has also decided to file a lawsuit against an upstart vegan mayonnaise-making company, claiming “false advertising and unfair competition.”
A Hellmann’s ad says:
“At Hellmann’s, we make our mayonnaise with real, simple ingredients like good eggs, delicious vinegar and oils rich in omega 3. So it’s definitely a step in the right direction. Lean about he Real Food Project at hellmanns.com.”
However, if you take a look at this ingredient list and do a little deductive reasoning, you’ll see that they have a reason to be nervous about a company who makes a healthier version of mayo: it’s full of soybean oil (mostly made from GMO soy), non-organic eggs, likely from chickens who are kept in cruel circumstances, and made to eat GMO feed), and vinegar. Heinz was recently targeted for claiming its vinegar was “all natural,” when GMOs are less than natural. Will Unilever, the parent company of Hellmann’s, face similar issues?
The Anglo-Dutch mega-conglomerate Unilever said the vegan company Just Mayo, “. . .already is stealing market share from Hellmann’s.”
Oh, that is a little frustrating isn’t it – when people vote with their dollars and refuse toxic food?
Unilever, which has also swallowed Ben & Jerry’s, Breyer’s, Lipton, Mrs. Filbert’s, Slimfast, Close-Up, Noxzema, Q-Tips, Vaseline, and hundreds of other brands into its multinational guzzler, argues that:
“Hampton Creek’s materially false and misleading Just Mayo name, packaging, and advertising has caused and unless restrained will continue to cause great and irreparable injury to Unilever.”
Unilever is seeking to reverse the new-found success that Hampton Creek is experiencing with their new mayo product. The company wants Hampton Creek to “remove all jars from shelves, and pay Unilever three times damages, plus attorney’s fees.” Hampton Creek is also being told to start calling their mayo something else because it, “damages the entire product category, which has strived for decades for a consistent definition of ‘mayonnaise’ that fits with consumer expectations.”
The FDA, Unilever points out, defines mayonnaise as including an “egg-yolk containing ingredient.”
Now Hampton Creek has had to prepare a countersuit, partly to determine ‘what makes mayo mayo.”
Part of the legal tussle may have instigated because Hampton Creek posted on Facebook that it was “Beating Hellmann’s in taste tests,” and also posted a cartoon of a jar of Just Mayo with boxing gloves standing over a KOed jar of Hellmann’s and being declared “The Winner!”
Unilever was not happy. “Hampton Creek’s superiority claims are false because they are not supported by reliable testing that reflects actual consumer preferences.”
It’s easy to control the market as a mega-corporation with deep pockets.
The following is a study around the process communications model. Over the last year, we have used this model with our teams with great success.
Different Strokes for Different Folks: Connecting with Students for Academic Success, By Michael Gilbert
Schools are challenged to provide meaningful learning experiences to prepare students for immediate and long-term success. The controversial Common Core is an attempt to institute a national curriculum in the United States to align with other countries.
Regardless of the approach, academic content is an important starting point for schools. Varying delivery methods are the companions to connecting with students for successful learning experiences. This article addresses how teachers might consider personality aspects in delivering curricula effectively. The methodology of doing so is explained by examining the Process Education Model, its components and implications. Also included are outcomes of several research and application projects.
The issues of how to prepare students to compete in a global economy are primary in education today. The “Common Core” is one possible approach for education in the United States. It was the adopted curriculum in 45 states. It is the closest the U. S. has come to a national curriculum, unlike most countries the world, where there is a national educational policy. However, issues regarding how to measure the results have spawned some crucial questions (Altman, 2014). While the “jury is still out” on the Common Core, the focus on delivering a meaningful curriculum remains. A formula to consider for academic success might be:
Content + Process = Academic Success
Traditional approaches to instructional delivery may no longer be effective.
“OK! Today, you are going to be working by yourselves. If you have any questions, raise your hands, and I will come to you.”
This scenario has been seen in classrooms all over the U. S. It demands that students conform to the way that the teacher wants them to behave. However, not every student is comfortable with static or limited delivery methods or constraining rules. We have learned that students have differing learning styles and ways of processing information (Gregorc, 1982; Kolb; 1984; McCarthy, 1980). Preference of intake modes (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic) (Barbe & Swassing, 1979) and access to different abilities (analytical, creative, and practical) (Sternberg, et al., 1999) are other considerations for looking at student learning. Also, students may be more adept with some learning styles or focal areas, or “intelligences” (Gardner, 1983).
Classroom structure and limited instructional delivery may be problems in dealing with students who bring home-life baggage to school. They see their “success” as their ability to “shut up and listen to the teacher” (Knaus, 2013, p. 16).
Personality characteristics (Myers & Briggs, 1943, 1976, 1985; Noland, 1978) may also factor into classroom interactions. Most of these models attempt to depict an individual with regard to one or several aspects of personality and suggest that the individual functions in life and in learning situations with the manifestations of those characterizations. Complete Study
A quick thanks to Minnesota Preps for coming out to cover the Go Fast, Go Hard Combine last week. Here is the link to the image gallery for the event. Secondly, make sure to check out Michael at MinnesotaPreps.com. He is the unquestioned leader in coverage of the high school basketball and football scene in Minnesota.
The attached presentation was by Dr. Robert Rowen, an expert in the area of ozone therapies. The presentation is very scientific and directed towards the medical profession. The motive for posting the video clip is my question. In the effort to attain elite performance, we are always looking for the way to enhance performance. My question is what are the hindrances to our performance? Oxygen therapies can eliminate these hindrances. Enjoy.
The subject of baking soda use for performance has been misunderstood. As a ergogenic aid in the short term, it has had mixed results. On the other hand, as an immune system booster and long term performance enhancer, the results stand for themselves. As always, the following information is meant to be the start of your journey on elite performance, not the solution.
“Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3) commonly called baking soda is a natural substance used in the human body within the bloodstream to regulate pH as a counterbalance to acid build up, which is critical to life. It affects the pH of cells and tissues, balances cell voltage, and increases CO2 which helps with oxygenation. Sodium Bicarbonate is a powerful medical tool that everyone would benefit by knowing more about.
Sodium Bicarbonate can be used as a first line of defence for a vast range of sickness including, cancer, flu, diabetes, kidney disease and even the common cold. Sodium Bicarbonate can be used in many forms whether transdermally in a bath, orally or nebulised for lung conditions. It is so powerful in it’s ability to detox that it can even be used against radiation exposure.” Dr. Mark Sirucs, author of Sodiium Bicarbonate: A Full Review
Here are a couple pieces of information on magnesium and magnesium oil. As always, this information is intended to be a start for your research, not the end answer.
Transdermal magnesium therapy offers an exciting breakthrough in sports medicine. Coaches can now treat injuries, prevent them, and increase athletic performance all at the same time. Magnesium Oil enhances recovery from athletic activity or injuries. It reduces pain and inflammation while propagating quicker regeneration of tissues. Topical application of magnesium chloride increases flexibility, which helps avoid injury. It also increases strength and endurance. Transdermal Magnesium Therapy is a boon for athletes, coaches and doctors who practice sports medicine.
Dr. Jeff Schutt says that hamstring injuries can be avoided through nutritional support because contraction and relaxation is dependent on adequate cellular levels of magnesium. “A shortened hamstring is a result of lack of available magnesium,” he says. Liquid magnesium chloride can be simply sprayed and rubbed into a sore Achilles tendon to decrease swelling. And soaking the feet in a magnesium chloride footbath is the single best thing – apart from stretching – that you can do for yourself to protect from, or recover from hamstring and other injuries.
Memphis Tigers Assistant Basketball Coach Aki Collins joined Stephen McCarthy to discuss how to get noticed by college coaches and the character traits and skills young athletes should develop to take advantage of their talent. Subjects covered: How colleges build their list of potential players, specific areas and order of things coaches look at, and how coaches shorten the list to find the best athletes for their particular program.
Bio Information on Aki Collins:
• In his 18th season as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I level in 2014-15
• Previously had NCAA Division I stints at Marquette (2008-12), Fairfield (2006-08), Marshall (2003-06), Howard (2000-03) and Colorado (1997-2000)
• Has been involved in over 250 NCAA Division I victories
• Member of eight postseason squads (six NCAA Tournaments, two NIT), including the last six NCAA Tournaments
• Has coached five All-Americans, 25 all-conference selections and three conference players of the year
• Also coached nine players that were either NBA Draft picks or played in the NBA
By Christina Sarich | Infowars.com | October 30, 2014
For how long will we need to go back and forth in this GMO battle before a sound conclusion is finally met? If you have been following the GMO debate at all, you probably realize that this issue will likely never rest, as numerous studies on both sides of the spectrum (one side showing safety and the other showing danger) will continue to surface. What’s more, this research as well as opinions will be born out of lies or false substantiation. You’ve likely read headlines like these lately and scoffed:
2000+ Reasons Why GMOs Are Safe To Eat And Environmentally Sustainable
GMO Opponents Are the Climate Skeptics of the Left
Study of 1 Billion Animals Finds GMOs Safe
Or how about comments like this one:
“I used to think that nothing rivaled the misinformation spewed by climate change skeptics and spinmeisters. Then I started paying attention to how anti-GMO campaigners have distorted the science on genetically modified foods. You might be surprised at how successful they’ve been and who has helped them pull it off.”
Or if you trust one of the most hated companies on the planet, you can go straight to Monsanto’s site and read: An Overview of the Safety and Advantages of GM Foods.
Monsanto openly admits “after 30” whole “years of research” that they are convinced GMOs are safe. Just one type of pine tree lives more than 5000 years, but yea – Monsanto has all of Mother Nature figured out in its 30 years of tinkering with genes.
It’s amazing how many people have been boondoggled by biotech or are simply paid shills to keep the misinformation train choo-chooing along.
Vrain will be the first to admit that Monsanto has conducted a lot of studies showing that GMOs are safe, but he changed his own tune about ten years ago when he started reading scientific journals from other countries.
Vrain explains:
“I started paying attention to the flow of published studies coming from Europe, some from prestigious labs and published in prestigious scientific journals, that questioned the impact and safety of engineered food.”
Vrain was so much a supporter of GMOs (as well as a former biotech scientist for Agriculture Canada) that he used to conduct tours and tell large groups of people all about the greatness of genetically altered crops – but not anymore. Here is what he thinks about his former industry now:
“I refute the claims of the biotechnology companies that their engineered crops yield more, that they require less pesticide applications, that they have no impact on the environment and of course that they are safe to eat.
There are a number of scientific studies that have been done for Monsanto by universities in the U.S., Canada, and abroad. Most of these studies are concerned with the field performance of the engineered crops, and of course they find GMOs safe for the environment and therefore safe to eat.”
Vrain thinks the public is being swindled. He believes we should all demand that government agencies replicate tests showing that GMOs are safe rather than rely on studies paid for by the biotech companies. He continues:
“The Bt corn and soya plants that are now everywhere in our environment are registered as insecticides. But are these insecticidal plants regulated and have their proteins been tested for safety? Not by the federal departments in charge of food safety, not in Canada and not in the U.S.
There are no long-term feeding studies performed in these countries to demonstrate the claims that engineered corn and soya are safe. All we have are scientific studies out of Europe and Russia, showing that rats fed engineered food die prematurely.
These studies show that proteins produced by engineered plants are different than what they should be. Inserting a gene in a genome using this technology can and does result in damaged proteins. The scientific literature is full of studies showing that engineered corn and soya contain toxic or allergenic proteins.”
This science is actually only about 40 years old. It is all based on a theory of genetic manipulation hypothesized around 70 years ago – of the ONE GENE – meaning that each gene codes for one single protein. The Human Genome project proved this totally wrong.
Most scientists now understand that any gene can give more than one protein and that inserting a gene anywhere in a plant eventually creates rogue proteins. Some of these proteins are obviously allergenic or toxic, like Cry proteins found in GMO corn. Otherwise known as Bt toxins (Bacillus thuringiensis), Cry proteins are one of biotech’s answers for ‘safe’ food.
That’s odd; one study found them absolutely toxic for mammalian blood. Dr. Mezzomo says that Cry toxins are deathly for mice. Another study linked them to a higher rate of leukemia. Yet another study conducted at Sherbrooke University Hospital in Quebec found corn’s Bt-toxin in the blood of pregnant women and their babies, as well as in non-pregnant women. These same toxins are also associated with higher levels of inflammation in the body, allergies, MS, and cancer.
Furthermore, what ridiculous egocentricity for biotech scientists to think they can crack the code of life when there are still acres and acres of rainforest that contain medicinal herbs that they have never even studied or recognized. Every square mile lost in these forests represents a possible cancer soution or super-food source.
Why the heck do we need GMOs? We haven’t even utilized the plethora of foods and herbs Mother Nature has already provided us with, if only we would steward them sustainably. There seems to be a new wonder-extract being discovered every few days, despite our pillaging.
Additionally, Vrain once answered honestly to this question in an interview:
“Q: It is astounding that people don’t question the very idea of altering DNA. When Monsanto or others claim a genetically modified organism is “substantially equivalent” to the conventional plant, it’s illogical to me because when DNA is altered, the plant is altered. It’s not the same and it’s certainly not natural.
A: That depends on your view of the world. As a scientist, when you add a bacteria gene to a plant, or a plant gene to a fish, or a human gene to corn, or 10,000 acres of corn growing insulin – they consider it progress. So if a tomato plant has a bacterial gene, it still looks very much like a tomato plant. You couldn’t tell very much from the taste of the tomato so there is something easy about believing in “substantial equivalence” . . . but Roundup (Monsanto’s herbicide) is a chelator; it holds manganese, magnesium and a few other minerals. It holds the minerals and doesn’t let go so basically it starves the plant. It probably also starves many other creatures in the soil.”
Vrain has based his research on over 500 government reports and scientific articles published in peer-reviewed journals, some of them with the highest recognition in the world.
Now tell me – how exactly are GMOs safe?
If a soil biologist and scientist of genetic engineering of 30 years revisits his stance on GMOs – shouldn’t those who are still clinging to biotech efficacy relent? We need more GMO whistleblowers like himself. I hope they are out there and they come forward – and fast.
A couple weeks ago.. I came across some information related to bentonite clay and the Redmond Clay company.. After a couple hours of research, you would be in your best interest to locate a can of this interesting product. Clay will detox your body of heavy metals within your body and in the long run, assist your body in running at it best and clearing your mind of a thing called “brain fog.”
Here is a great short clip by Dr. Mark Sircus of the International Medical Veritas Association on the benefits of clay.
Here is an infographic put out by the Redmond clay guys.
Over the last couple years, the importance of vitamin D has been made very clear. We have athletes who have had blood work completed and found that they are very deficient in vitamin D. We must increase our intake of this essential vitamin to maintain elite performance and boost our immune system.
Dont just take my word for it. Check out the following youtube clip by Dr. Sircus of International Medical Veritas Association as a start in your research on the subject of how your performance can be increased by getting more natural vitamin D.
We have all seen the athlete commercials talking about drinking your milk. Oh, also the studies that show that chocolate milk is a great for its anti-oxidant properties. Well, I hate the break the bad news, both statements are at best half-truths. A new study publishes the notion that 3 glasses of milk a day does not improve bone he, it actually destroys it. Here is the pdf of the study. Then, check out the book Suicide by Sugar by Nancy Appleton. Look for the story on Chocolate Goodness.
These are all at best half truths to the entire story. Raw milk firstly from the cow can be the solution that is true for increase bone health, not pasteurizated and homogenized fake milk that was probably used for this study. The current milk is the store might be more likened to colored water with some vitamins and minerals added. But don’t just think this is only correlated to bone health and antioxidants. Type into google “milk auto immune disease,” you will find all the information you need to see. Milk is not the same as all the athletes saying, “Got Milk” with their milk mustaches.
In the end….. Drink less of grocery store milk, perform at a higher level, and decrease the risk of injury, but do drink raw milk for increased performance.
For the last 5 years, we have been on the non-gmo, organic diet and lifestyle bandwagon and how it will improve performance of young athletes. Here ia a short youtube clip that explains the hard core truth about the role of gmo in causing health problems in young people. So not only does a non-gmo diet improve performance, it will also keep you away from inflammation and potentially, health challenges. For additional information and links to clinical information, click here.
A little background information, Ales states,
“There has been a 65% increase in IBD hospital discharges from 2000 to 2009. The number increased from 11,928 discharges in 2000 to 19,568 discharges in 2009.”
“IBD refers to the inflammatory conditions associated with irritation of the colon and small intestine. As you may recall, Danish farmers noticed the same problem in their pigs who were fed GMO feed – they were affected so badly that their guts were bleeding in many cases, and they also suffered increased fertility issues.”
Head Basketball Coach Paul McDonald of Vermillion Community College will be joining Stephen McCarthy of the The McCarthy Project to discuss one of the biggest trends recently is athletes attempting to gain perfection running a certain “xyz” system (i.e. robotic) and therefore, not seeing the whole picture or play and the effects of this type of player on how the game is played. Secondly, we will talk about the different types of drills or tasks you can do to help an athlete flow based on what he sees, rather than just doing it perfect.
Vermilion Head Coach Paul McDonald is entering his 24th season at the helm of the Ironmen. Coach McDonald is part of Minnesota’s basketball family-the McDonald’s from Chisholm. His father, Bob McDonald, just went over the 1000 win mark, one of only 13 coaches in the United States to accomplish such a feat. Coach McDonald graduated from Chisholm High School in 1976 and was a part of two State Championship teams at Chisholm (1973 and 1975). After a stellar high school career, he accepted a scholarship to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and became a Cornhusker. After lettering as a freshman, McDonald transferred to South Dakota State University and was named All Conference and All Region at SDSU. He still holds the record for consecutive free throws made for the Jackrabbits. Additional Information
Here is an excerpt from a interview with former NBA player and current Fox Sports Host, John Salley.
I know you were not always a wellness advocate or conscious consumer. When and how did you start thinking about the foods you were putting in your body?
When I was a rookie in the NBA, there was a veteran guy named Adrian Dantley -I sometimes call him AD or Teacher – who was my roommate. Back then you had roommates, and they had rookies rooming with the vets so you could learn from them, but really they just had you carry all of their bags and stuff.
We were in Milwaukee for an exhibition game, and AD offers to buy me lunch one day. I ordered a cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate shake. This was at 1:30 in the afternoon and we have a game at 6. He orders a sandwich, and he eats half of it, and then saved the other half of the sandwich to eat at 4:30.
When we get our food, I immediately gobble it all down! Well, after I eat all of that so fast, I am dead tired and want to take a nap before our game.
I take this nap and wander into the gym like 10 minutes before 6. AD had been there since 5:30. He had been stretching, getting heat packs to loosen up, and taping his fingers. So he has just been focusing, stretching, and breathing and I get there still sleepy, and my body is still trying to digest all of that nastiness.
Now I am in the game playing against this guy named Jack Sikma, and he was a methodical, and tall, and slow guy… he was like Herman Munster with blonde hair. That night though, he was beating me up and down the court, making me chase him around. So as this is happening, I get an attitude problem, I am making faces, I am arguing with the referee, and I am getting my ass handed to me. My coach, Chuck Daley, takes me out of the game, and I will never forget this, AD looks at me and just says “How is that hamburger helping you now?”
I’ll never forget it! That is because the answer to that question is; It is not! I had red meat, fried potatoes, sugar, oil, and dairy products in me, and AD looks at me and says, “Your stomach is this big (makes a fist), and you put a plate of food in it that is bigger than that and you barely chewed it! Your body is going to need two days to digest that! You are never going to have enough energy to play this game while dealing with that.”
I changed the way I ate from that point on.
It was not all at once though. It took me until 1991 to get into microbiotics, and I transitioned from vegetarianism, and then veganism, and now I am going more raw. It has taken me 21 years to transition, but I imagine that if I would have been eating what my body could have used as energy as opposed what was stopping my body in its tracks as it was trying to break things down, I would have been a way better ball player, and a way healthier person.
Now I talk to ball players, and they have no idea I am almost 49. This is because I don’t use my body as a storage bin.
I am constantly putting the right gas in the Ferrari. Full article
In our continual search for ways to improve athlete’s performance, gear inevitably enters the conversation. The special jersey or pair of socks can make a difference, both on and off the court. With that said, we are pleased to announce our partnership with Imperial Point. Imperial Point has quickly become one of the industry leaders in high quality custom volleyball uniforms.
” The partnership allows The McCarthy Project to bring a made in the USA product to our clients and others within the volleyball community. As always, our hope is that the volleyball community will enjoy a high quality product at a very competitive price, ” stated Stephen McCarthy, Director of The McCarthy Project.
“Imperial Volleyball produces top of the line fully custom volleyball uniforms. We are proud to present unique styles with superior quality. Our custom volleyball uniforms will make your team stand out from the competition and most importantly ‘Rule the Court.’ ” says Robert Fazioli, CEO of Imperial Point.
For more information on how the partnership could benefit your team or club, call Stephen McCarthy at 612-741-0982 or visit the Imperial Point website and mention The McCarthy Project for special pricing.
Here is an excerpt from a post on Steve Nash, Dr. Cate Shanahan (Author of Deep Nutrition) and the benefits of eating a properly balanced, non-gmo, organic diet with less sugar and less other harmful toxins. Nash feels that the same diet helped him recover faster from a broken leg and as a follow-up, the repair of the nerves damaged during the injury.
But his dietary transformation, and that of the Lakers, didn’t stop there. At Shanahan’s behest, they avoid sugar, processed foods and unhealthy oils – vegetable, canola, corn and other chemically engineered cocktails. It’s more nuanced than that, and Shanahan has sold the Lakers on the science to back it up.
“She’s not pushing supplements on us,” Lakers point guard Steve Nash said. “It’s all natural foods. There’s nothing processed; nothing unnatural. … Although it is a bit of an extreme diet compared to the traditional diet, what works in its favor as far as a safeguard is that it is a natural diet.”
Nash believes the infusion of healthy fats and oils helped him recover from a broken leg last season, and he’s holding out hope for any edge he can find as he tries to overcome residual nerve damage from that injury this season. Full article
The biggest takeaway for me has been that there isn’t one particular diet that’s right while everything else is wrong. There are certain core concepts you have to be aware of if you want to be healthy — step away from the sugar and toxic oils being the biggest. The point is to be aware of what you’re eating. If you stop looking to food for satisfaction and enjoyment, chances are you will begin to enjoy it more. If you follow certain concepts like avoiding sugar and processed foods, you will enjoy life more, too.
Roy Hibbert has gained 35 pounds of muscle in two years eating more carbs than fat — and, during the offseason, consuming 6,000 calories a day. The Lakers have had success eating more fat than carbs. In the end, these ratios aren’t crucial. What’s important is to understand what you’re eating and why. Don’t go for the quick fix.
The other lesson is, don’t take my word for it. Don’t take Dwight Howard’s word or Blake Griffin’s or Ray Allen’s. Don’t take what Dr. Cate or Dr. Mike or Robb Wolf say as gospel. Educate yourself, try different things, take foods out and put them back in and see what the results are. Then, adjust. Full article
For more information on how The McCarthy Project can help you or your team make the same improvements, contact Stephen at 612-741-0982.
The world of sports nutrition has been abused, insulted, over analyzed and has far too many performance based products to make even a logical and qualified decision on what is best for elite performance. Well, eliminating boat load of sugar from your daily intake is the great start.
‘I can’t live this way because it’s not healthy to have this high level of sugar in me,’ ” Dwight Howard said. “I just made a commitment.”
Over the last 14 years, we have pursued the best possible ways to eat without confusion and have food elicit the needed energy for athletes to be able to perform at their best under pressure.
This article posted by cbssports.com on Dwight Howard is a perfect example of the ways a non-gmo, organic lifestyle and properly cleansing your body can lead to improved performance.
For more information on how The McCarthy Project can help you make the same improvements, contact Stephen at 612-741-0982.
In one of the many letters he wrote to his son in the 1740s, Lord Chesterfield offered the following advice: “There is time enough for everything in the course of the day, if you do but one thing at once, but there is not time enough in the year, if you will do two things at a time.” To Chesterfield, singular focus was not merely a practical way to structure one’s time; it was a mark of intelligence. “This steady and undissipated attention to one object, is a sure mark of a superior genius; as hurry, bustle, and agitation, are the never-failing symptoms of a weak and frivolous mind.”
In modern times, hurry, bustle, and agitation have become a regular way of life for many people — so much so that we have embraced a word to describe our efforts to respond to the many pressing demands on our time: multitasking. Used for decades to describe the parallel processing abilities of computers, multitasking is now shorthand for the human attempt to do simultaneously as many things as possible, as quickly as possible, preferably marshalling the power of as many technologies as possible.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, one sensed a kind of exuberance about the possibilities of multitasking. Advertisements for new electronic gadgets — particularly the first generation of handheld digital devices — celebrated the notion of using technology to accomplish several things at once. The word multitasking began appearing in the “skills” sections of résumés, as office workers restyled themselves as high-tech, high-performing team players. “We have always multitasked — inability to walk and chew gum is a time-honored cause for derision — but never so intensely or self-consciously as now,” James Gleick wrote in his 1999 book Faster. “We are multitasking connoisseurs — experts in crowding, pressing, packing, and overlapping distinct activities in our all-too-finite moments.” An article in the New York Times Magazine in 2001 asked, “Who can remember life before multitasking? These days we all do it.” The article offered advice on “How to Multitask” with suggestions about giving your brain’s “multitasking hot spot” an appropriate workout.
But more recently, challenges to the ethos of multitasking have begun to emerge. Numerous studies have shown the sometimes-fatal danger of using cell phones and other electronic devices while driving, for example, and several states have now made that particular form of multitasking illegal. In the business world, where concerns about time-management are perennial, warnings about workplace distractions spawned by a multitasking culture are on the rise. In 2005, the BBC reported on a research study, funded by Hewlett-Packard and conducted by the Institute of Psychiatry at the University of London, that found, “Workers distracted by e-mail and phone calls suffer a fall in IQ more than twice that found in marijuana smokers.” The psychologist who led the study called this new “infomania” a serious threat to workplace productivity. One of the Harvard Business Review’s “Breakthrough Ideas” for 2007 was Linda Stone’s notion of “continuous partial attention,” which might be understood as a subspecies of multitasking: using mobile computing power and the Internet, we are “constantly scanning for opportunities and staying on top of contacts, events, and activities in an effort to miss nothing.” Full article
Stephen McCarthy of The McCarthy Project will be discussing the concept of leadership development in a world of “get mine first.” Subjects covered will include how do you break down the walls created by athletes who are just interested in getting theirs and how to be a great follower that can develop into a great leader.
For the complete interview, visit The McCarthy Project on Blog Talk Radio.
Scott Nagy returns for his 20th season at South Dakota State after guiding the Jackrabbits to three straight postseason appearances, which includes back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths in 2012 and 2013, and a bid to the College Basketball Invitational in 2014. He also led the Jacks to eight NCAA Tournaments at the Division II level.
The most prolific coach in school history, Nagy seems to hit a personal or team milestone every season, with the latest being the program’s 1,400th win on March 1, 2014 against South Dakota in the final game of the 2013-14 regular season.
A recent New York Times article exemplified how technological and billionaire elites live by different standards than they prescribe to the American populace.
A piece entitled “Steve Jobs Was a Low-Tech Parent,” discusses how the late Apple CEO refused to allow his children to play with one of the company’s most popular devices, the Ipad.
“So, your kids must love the iPad?” I asked Mr. Jobs, trying to change the subject. The company’s first tablet was just hitting the shelves. “They haven’t used it,” he told me. “We limit how much technology our kids use at home.”
I’m sure I responded with a gasp and dumbfounded silence. I had imagined the Jobs’s household was like a nerd’s paradise: that the walls were giant touch screens, the dining table was made from tiles of iPads and that iPods were handed out to guests like chocolates on a pillow.
Nope, Mr. Jobs told me, not even close.
Since then, I’ve met a number of technology chief executives and venture capitalists who say similar things: they strictly limit their children’s screen time, often banning all gadgets on school nights, and allocating ascetic time limits on weekends.
Unfortunately, The Times didn’t press Jobs for a more in-depth explanation on why he restricted his kids’ use of a device that’s now played with by millions of children throughout the world, but the fact that various elites have followed in the tech guru’s steps suggests there is a double standard between how they raise their children, and how they believe lower and middle class American parents should.
The double standard is clear when one considers the actions of billionaires, such as former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, whose foundation has invested millions of dollars pushing the Common Core curriculum onto public schools, but who opts to send his own children to private academies where the Common Core standard is not taught.
Another New York Times article from 2011 also revealed that some charter schools where elites send their children prohibit computer monitors, a stark contrast to the flood of computers we’ve seen fill public schools over the past few decades. Compete article
Article Posted by Star Tribune’s David La Vaque of the Star Tribune on 8/19/2014 on Park Center Team Retreat with Stephen McCarthy and The McCarthy Project.
A team retreat and success in other sports has Park Center’s volleyball team ready to play.
A summer team-building retreat turned creepy for the Park Center girls’ volleyball team due to paranormal activity.
Doors at the team’s Camp Courage cabin would lock and unlock by themselves. Windows would open and close with no explanation. One player swore she saw something.
Living with ghosts is reality for returning Pirates players. Up 2-0 in the Class 2A, Section 5 finals last season, Park Center wilted and lost the match to Maple Lake. Even a 12-4 lead in the deciding fifth game couldn’t hold.
“Our hitters were pounding the ball, but Maple Lake would not let anything hit the floor,” senior Alicia Meyer said. “It was so frustrating. We know how close we were last year. We’re making that push to get what we didn’t get.”
Securing the program’s first state tournament appearance since 1981 will require a more diverse attack and strong chemistry. Players said the latter was created at the two-day August retreat located in, of all places, Maple Lake.
Coach Randy Almsted coordinated the weekend retreat for Park Center High School volleyball at Camp Courage in Maple Lake, MN. We ate weird food and they survived. Like figs and pea shoots. We talked about personalities and the pressure of playing well, as well as, found out that team is made up of individuals and individuals make up a team.
“Though unable to attend because of Minnesota State High School League rules regarding summer contact for coaches, Almsted said players learned about each others’ goals and personalities and how best to communicate.
The lessons were more than mental. Players were taught different stretching exercises and received tips on proper nutrition. Almsted and players agreed a new type of excitement was present last week when the team hit the floor for the first practice.”
Coach Jim Lee and the Waconia High School Volleyball team spent Labor Day weekend at the Caribou Gun Club in LeSeuer, MN enjoying the outdoors, completing the hard work of understanding one another and how to become a great team, win or lose. Oh, also eating clams, muscles and shrimp for dinner.
University of Minnesota’s head volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon joined myself last week to talk about the love of sport and how to properly develop young athletes. Coach shared his story growing up in New Zealand playing multiple different sports and developing over his lifetime a love for volleyball. He talked about how he came to focus on one sport, volleyball, his transition to coaching and some of his principles of success.
For the complete interview, visit The McCarthy Project on Blog Talk Radio.
Coach Hugh McCutcheon Bio:
Hugh McCutcheon enters his third year at the helm of Golden Gopher Volleyball. Completing two seasons as the Gopher head coach, McCutcheon has led Minnesota a 56-15 record, named the 2013 AVCA North Region Coach of the Year and has coached three individuals to All-America honors in the past season seasons. Complete bio
Stephen at the top of the pole ready for the leap of faith.
I, Stephen McCarthy, took a “Leap of Faith.” I have had a fear of jumping off buildings, bridges, even escalators for a long time. Today I conquered that fear and actually jumped of a pole 35 feet in the air today to hit a ball 10 ft away.
After contemplating for about 5 minutes on the perch, I made the decision to jump. Then an additional 3 minutes making sure it was the right decision, I put it to rest. I jumped. After a safe ride down, assessing all my body parts and a mental checkup, I had survived in one piece.
Thank you to all the guys and girls from TeamQuest.
The Minnesota Twin Cities metro area high school basketball fans are hyped for the summers biggest talent showcase event as the top players from Minnesota face off in a battle with in the classes event to see who’s tops. This year’s Under The Radar Showcase features exclusive match ups of prospects that would have otherwise never faced one another in competitive games as well as Minnesota’s top prospects bring their games to the Twin Cities to end the traveling basketball season.
Prospect Focus
The Main Attraction Prospects
Marshawn Wilson 6’3 G, Wisconsin United, Hill Murray
“Marshawn Lynch Beast Mode” is the nick name and for good reason Wilson excels at exploding through the lane and punishing defenders with his physicality. Wilson is coming off a breakout spring campaign preforming at high level for Wisconsin United helping lead to be one of the top ranked 17U teams in the nation. Wilson put up some big time performances against top level competition and should be primed to do the same in this year’s Under the Radar Showcase.
JT Gibson 6’3 PG, Net Gain, Champlin Park
Gibson is one of the top point guards in the state and is and division 1 recruit. Gibson has had a excellent summer preforming against high caliber competition during the spring for Net Gain. Gibson has consistently competed on a high level is on of the premier prospects from the class and demonstrated that ability in this year’s Under The Radar Showcase.
Sacar Amin 6’4 SG, Pulley’s EYBL, De La Salle
Amin is one of the premier shooting guard prospects in the class, a high flyer with a high caliber shooting guard skill set. Amin is coming off a great spring campaign preforming at high level during the live recruiting periods, racking up a host of offers.
Kyle McKinley 6’10 PF, Net Gain, Stillwater
McKinley is one of the top post prospects from Minnesota’s 2015 class, has great regional interest and is a division 1 recruit. McKinley is coming off a good spring campaign for Net Gain and a prospect to keep a eye during this year’s 2015 showcase game.
The world of basketball has become enamored with physical talent and spectacular plays, but the question remains how do we know where we are at as athletes or need to be in order to compete at our absolute best.
The answer… “The Combine”
A May 2014 post on Draft Express confirms this simple truth, “Trying to pinpoint a player’s athleticism based on their combine testing is akin to trying to get a feel for their basketball IQ by watching them play one-on-zero –it simply doesn’t make all that much sense. It does help us get a very general idea of where a player is at in terms of physical conditioning and strength, which often speaks to their work ethic, but rarely sheds much light on what it really aims to portray.“
The Go Fast, Go Hard Combine powered by The McCarthy Project, MinnesotaHoopersStandUp and Grassroots Hoops Club will give you the feedback on where you stand against other players, in and out of your age group, and where you need to improve.
The following tests will be administered and results posted: ¾ Court Sprint, Lane Agility, Lane Shuffle, Standing Vertical Jump, and Maximum Vertical Jump. Also, for the parents, as well as, athletes there will be seminars on the subjects of recruiting, nutrition, speed development, skill development, and much more.
Media Coverage by: MYSM, NY2LA Sports, Rivals, Minnesota Preps, Area Codes and MNHSU.
Dates and Location: November 2nd, 2014 at Maranatha Christian Academy. For the schedule and drills to be completed, visit here.
Cost:
Platinum Package $115.00
High Light Video or Scouting video
Scouting Evaluation
Combine Testing
Drills and position specific training
Recruiting Profile
Go Fast, Go Hard T-Shirt & exclusive MNHSU socks
4 games
Elite Combine Package $85.00
Recruiting Profile
Combine Testing
Drills and position specific training
Go Fast, Go Hard T-Shirt & exclusive MNSHU socks
3 games
Showcase Combine Package $65.00
Combine Testing
Drills and position specific training
Go Fast, Go Hard T-Shirt
2 games
For more information, contact:
Stephen McCarthy, The McCarthy Project
612-741-0982
www.themccarthyproject.com
Brian Sandifer, Grassroots Hoops Club
651-263-6924
www.grassrootshoopsclub.com
Grassroots Hoops Club, The McCarthy Project and MinnesotaHoopersStandUp will hold its annual 2014 Under the Radar Showcase of the top prospects from Minnesota and Wisconsin from in coming high school freshman through senior classes. The showcase event will be held on August 8th 2014 at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN. Prospects/participants are by invitation only!
Secondly, due to the response for the event, we have decided to use a different facility. The event will be held at the Leonard Center at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, rather than Columbia Heights High School. Our apologies for the late change, but we thought it was the best decision for the athletes, coaches and fans.
Under The Radar Showcase will consist of 20-25 of the top players playing in a “battle within the class” game see who is the top prospects in the class. 8 teams, 4 games, one court.
All Under the Radar teams will have a top 5 performers list selected, as well as, game MVP’s will be announced after the games. Games will be recorded for highlights and posted online. Each participant will be expected to bring a jersey from their high school or summer team of theirs, we ask that each athlete arrive approximately 1 hour before your scheduled game time with exception of the 2018 class arriving at 4:30pm. The following is a list of players from each class who have committed to playing the in the event.
Doors open at 4pm. Admisson: $10 Adults/Students $8
2015 game 8:40pm
Team Elite
Jarvis Johnson, 6’1″ PG, Pulley’s EYBL, DeLaSalle
Jalen Mobley 6’1 PG, D1 Minnesota, St. Paul Johnson
JT Gibson 6’3 PG, Net Gain, Champlin Park
Sam Neumann 6’6 F, Pulley’s EYBL, Cretin Derham Hall
Josh Collins 6’5 SF, Pulley’s EYBL, DeLaSalle
Sacar Amin, 6’4 SG, Pulley’s EYBL, DeLaSalle
Sid Tomes 6’3 G, Net Gain, East Ridge
Jacoby Ford 6’0 PG, E1T1, Minneapolis Henry
Kyle McKinley 6’10 Net Gain, Stillwater
Mike Gutierrez 6’1 G, St.Croix Prep
Justin Dahl, 6’11 C, Hoopmasters, Holy Family
Jonathan Conyers 6’9 PF, Heat, Fridley
Abdulsalan Osman 6’7″ C, St. Paul Academy
Team Hype
Donnell Gresham 6’1 PG, Wisconsin United, Cretin Derham Hall
Marshawn Wilson 6’3 G, Wisconsin United, Hill Murray
Grantham Gillard 6’4 SG, D1 Minnesota, Eden Prairie
Jeremy Johnson 6’3 G Wisconsin United, Champlin Park
Trenton McCarthy 6’0 PG, Grassroots, Minnehaha Academy
Randy Matthews 6’8 F E1T1, Minneapolis North
Gach Gach, 6’5 SF, Cyclones, Austin
Isaiah Sims 6’2 PG, Prior Lake
Connor Gamble 5’11” SG, Cyclones, Stillwater
Kyle Sorenson, 6’6 C, Lacrosse, Caledonia
Jordan Johnson, 6’1″ G, Iowa Elite, Roosevelt (IA)
Mario Manuel, 6’7″ PF, Iowa Elite, Roosevelt (IA)
2016 game 7:30pm
Team Elite
Amar Miller 5’10 PG, Pulley’s 16’s EYBL, Hopkins
Tyler Johnson 6’2 G, D1 Minnesota, Minneapolis North
Jamil Jackson 6’5 SG / SF Pulley’s 16’s EYBL, Minneapolis North
Brock Bertram 6’11 C Pulley’s EYBL, Apple Valley
Tyler Peterson 6’2 G, Pulley 16s EYBL, Centennial
Colton Lampart 6’4 SF, Lacrosse Boys and Girls Club, Caledonia
Jubie Alade 6’3 G, Fury, Armstrong
Austin Slater 6’8 F, Net Gain, Wayzata
Jalen Brown 6’3 SG, Pulley’s 16’s EYBL, Cretin Derham Hall
Ade Lamir 6’4 G, Pulley, St. Croix Lutheran
Chris Perry, 6’3′ SF, Net Gain, Cretin
Team Hype
Nikko Reed, 6’9″ PF, Net Gain, Maple Grove
Patrick Dembley 6’1 PG, Net Gain, Minneapolis North
Langdon Kirkwood 6’3 G, Pulley 16s EYBL, Brooklyn Center
Sam Baker 6’2 G, Pulley, Benilde St Margaret
Melvin Newbern 6’4 SG, Net Gain, Armstrong
Steffon Mitchell 6’7 SF, Fury, Shakopee
Dexter Dillard 6’2 G, Grassroots, Fond du Lac
Damario Armstrong 6’1 G, D1 Minnesota, Maranatha Academy
Jarrett Baptiste 6’2 G, Phenom, Columbia Heights
Teathloach Pal, 6’7 F, Heat, Fridley
Trenton Krueger 6’5 F, Pulley’s 16’s EYBL, St. Croix Lutheran
True Thompson, 6’3″ G, Heat, Armstrong
2017 game
Team Elite 6:10pm
Brad Davidson 6’2 PG, Pulley 16s EYBL, Maple Grove
Gary Trent Jr 6’4 SG, Pulley 16s EYBL, Apple Valley
McKinley Wright 5’10 PG, Real Athletics, Champlin Park
Tywhon Pickford 6’1 G, Real Athletics, Maple Grove
Alex Falcon 6’4 SF, Real Athletics, Centennial
Theo John 6’8 F, Pulley 16s EYBL, Champlin Park
Dedoch Chan 6’4 F, Fury, Albertville
Darryl Mayfield 6’2 SG, Real Athletics, Hopkins
Jericho Sims 6’5″ SF, Cristo Rey
Trae Berhow 6’4 SF, MN Lockdown 16’s, Watertown
Team Hype
Jordan Horn 6’1 G, Pulley 16s, Tartan
Simeon Davis 6’4 G, Wisconsin United, Minnehaha Academy
DJ Hunter 6’3 SG, Pulley, Minneapolis North
Isaac Johnson 6’3 SG, Pulley, Minneapolis North
Joevon Walker 6’5 SF, Wisconsin United, Minnehaha Academy
Emanuel Humphrey 6’4 F, MN Lockdown 16’s, Tartan
Jerimah Coddon 6’1 G, Woodbury
Kingston Myles 6’2 G, MN Lockdown 16’s, Tartan
Joe Haggard, 6’6″ F, Stillwater
Gonnar Mar, 6’6 F, DeLaSalle
Dom Marshall, 6’3″ F, Iowa Elite, Hoover (IA)
2018 game 5:00pm
Team Elite
Anders Nelson 5’10 PG, D1 Minnesota, Edina
Anthony Davis 6’2 SG, MN Lockdown, Hopkins
Race Thomson 6’4 F, D1 Minnesota, Armstrong
Sage Booker 6’0 G, 43 Hoops, DeLaSalle
Delawrence Aaron 6’2 F, 43 Hoops, Hopkins
Shae Mitchell, 6’4″ F, Future Stars, Lakeville South
Odell Wilson 6’5 F, Future Stars, Minneapolis North
Markel Aune 5’10 PG, Future Stars, Bloomington Kennedy
Kire Mayfield, 5’8″ PG, 43 Hoops, St. Louis Park/Hopkins
Sam Ingoli, 6’3″ F, Iowa Elite, Dowling (IA)
Team Hype
Goodnews Kpegeol 6’2 G, Rice Street, North St.Paul
Gary Smith 6’3 SF, Heat, St. Agnes
Charlie Dennis 6’2 F, Rice Street, Cretin Derham Hall
Tayler Johnson 5’11 G, El-Amin Basketball Academy, Minneapolis North
Daniel Oturu 6’5 F, Pulley, Cretin Derham Hall
Owen King 5’10 PG, Wisconsin Playmakers, Caledonia
Demillon Randle 6’0 G, Rice Street, Cretin Derham Hall
John Waggoner, 6’4″ F, Iowa Elite, Dowling (IA)
Location:
Macalester College-Leonard Center
1600 Grand Avenue
St. Paul, MN, 55105
For media inquires contact:
Stephen McCarthy
The McCarthy Project
612-741-0982 www.themccarthyproject.com
Brennan Platt of BYU recently co-published an article titled, “Sticking With What (Barely) Worked: A Test of Outcome Bias.” The interesting part is Dr. Brennan Platt is an economics professor at BYU. With all the recent movies around “Money Ball”, game theory and scientific management of sport, Brennan will be joining Stephen to talk about his findings, the trends, the limitations, and ultimately, how do you use the study to create a better decisions.
Bio Information:
Brennan C. Platt is an Associate Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University. He received his B.S. degrees in Economics and Mathematics from Arizona State University in 2001, graduating Summa Cum Laude and from the Honors College. He then earned his M.A. (2005) and Ph.D. (2006) in Economics from the University of Minnesota, and has worked at BYU since then. He researches the theory of price formation. One current strand of his research investigates the determination of prices in search environments, including how these are distorted by insurance. Another strand analyzes several unique all-pay auctions, such as penny auctions and political rent seeking. Full Bio
Brian Sandifer always wondered how he could get kids to stay grounded with their hometown roots as they grow and become successful in sports and in life.
“So many times people see a child grow up, get some success, and then leave their hometown really never supporting it again and this bothered Brian,” said Stephen McCarthy, president of the McCarthy Project. which helped develop a question Sandifer always had into an organization aimed at providing an answer.
Like a light bulb, voila!
The Grassroots Hoops Clubs were formed. Getting kids connected, recognized, and established in their own communities is the primary focus of the clubs. Sandifer, who heads the Grassroots Hoops Club with McCarthy, uses the incredible talents that outstanding kids display on the basketball court as a way to further their understanding, knowledge and connectedness to themselves, their communities and the people around them. McCarthy and his McCarthy Project further assists the Grassroots Hoops objective by providing health, nutrition and educational lessons to the athletes designed to fuel their minds and their bodies maximizing their potential for success.
For the complete article, visit the SunFocus site.
Marquette University’s head volleyball coach, Ryan Theis, will be discussing the importance and role of preparing the days before the actual event. Areas covered include: the role of the coach, the role of the athlete and how communication melds the two together.
Ryan Theis was named the fifth head women’s volleyball coach in Marquette University history on Feb. 14, 2014. Theis, a 2000 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee graduate, returns to Milwaukee after a six-year tenure at Ohio University, where he led the squad to a record of 144-54 (.727). That mark places him third in the history of the Mid-American Conference and 18th among all active NCAA Division I head coaches. two-time MAC Coach of the Year (2009 and 2013), Theis mentored three AVCA All-Americans during his tenure in Athens and helped 13 players earn all-conference accolades, including three conference player of the year selections. Full Bio and contact information
Too many athletes have the athleticism to play at an elite level, but they do not. But why?
Jason Colvin of TeamQuest joined Stephen McCarthy of The McCarthy Project to talk about creativity, individuality, and how a team can be developed towards not just doing what athletes are told by the coach, but living in the moment and completing the task that is needed at that moment based on what the athlete knows and sees. Other areas covered include: Finding connectivity through people, why you should not force your agenda on players and the parent, how to develop deep coach and player relationships. To listen to the complete interview, click here.
For the complete interview, visit The McCarthy Project on Blog Talk Radio. Or for more information on our custom performance building events, click here.
Bio Information:
Jason is all about the outdoors, experiential learning and environmental awareness. He has been guiding individuals through outdoor leadership adventure trips, challenge courses and environmental education for five years. He earned Association of Challenge Course Technology Certification (ACCT) after training in high ropes facilitation and course management. He has a B.A. in fine arts and spent two years as a studio artist before breaking through to the world of outdoor learning and adventure. Click here for more on Jason Colvin and TeamQuest .
Head Volleyball Coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth of Creighton University will be joining Stephen McCarthy of The McCarthy Project to talk about how off-court training habits lead to success on the court.
Specific areas covered: Structure vs individuality, General thoughts that lead to success, sleep, nutrition, watching film, and how the use simple communication leads to better decisions.
Bio Information:
Two-time National Coach of the Year Kirsten Bernthal Booth will enter her 12th season in 2014 with six returning starters from a team that finished 23-9 and spent six weeks in the Top 25 a year ago. Creighton’s 2013 campaign opened with a win over No. 13 BYU en route to a Hampton Inn Invitational title, and led to runner-up finishes in the regular-season and tournament of its new league, the BIG EAST. CU led the nation in blocks per set and were anchored by all-league picks Leah McNary and Kelli Browning, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years. Booth enters her 12th year as head coach at Creighton with an impressive past, both on and off the court. Under her direction, the program has attracted two crowds of more than 12,000 while ranking in the top-50 nationally in attendance each of the past eight years. Full bio
Dr. Stefan Duma of Virginia Tech University will be joining Stephen McCarthy of The McCarthy Project to discuss concussions, helmets and the future quality of the gear. For the last three years, Dr. Duma developed testing strategies and protocols to rate the quality of football and hockey helmets. His hope is to educate the sports world on quality over cost and ways to reduce the number of head injuries in sport.
Click here for Dr. Duma Star Rating System for all helmets. And here for football only.
On the show, Dr. Duma announced the webinar that is open to the public, he mentioned to send an email to headbiomed@vt.edu for free access to the meetings.
Here are the links mentioned on the show.
1. Press Release for rating system for hockey helmets
Stefan Duma, professor and head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, was recently named the Harry Wyatt Professor in Engineering. “Dr. Duma is internationally recognized for his landmark studies in injury biomechanics and traumatic brain injury,” said Clay Gabler, chair of the honorifics committee of the Virginia Tech — Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences.
Most of us have been conditioned to look at the calories we eat as the primary reason why we might be getting a little thick around the middle, and while it is true that too many calories aren’t good for maintaining a healthy weight, far too many individuals have overlooked an important aspect to keeping fit and vital – toxic chemical overload.
A chemically burdened body is more likely to harness fat than a ‘clean’ body. Practitioners of ancient natural medicine have known for a long time that detoxing is vital to keep diseases of obesity at bay. But just last January, the government’s National Toxicology Program met to review the science on environmental chemicals and obesity and diabetes. The panelists published their review in an issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.
In brief, the study showed that environmental chemicals are changing how our brains regulate our feeding behavior. Heavy metals in drinking water and even apple juice, BPAs in the plastics made from petroleum, Dioxin, Atrazine, Aspartame, Phthalates, Perchlorate, substances like DDT, Monsanto’s glyphosate, and other pesticides are turning our endocrine systems into a mosh pit at a car crash competition. Full article
One the biggest challenges in dryland workouts for swimmers is the combination of facilities, the sheer number of athletes and the amount of time to complete the workouts. Weight rooms are impossible for 30-40 athletes to get in a good workout in 40-45 minutes or less. Secondly, more times than not, you are on the pool deck or in a hallway outside of the pool anyways. One solution is metabolic running. This type of training allows for a great number of athletes to workout at the same time without any equipment. More importantly, we observed a 10-15% improvement in our times in the pool after 4 weeks of implementing the metabolic swim team workouts.
Not only does metabolic running develop a swimmers overall conditioning, it will develop swimmer’s overall athletic ability. The metabolic training will challenge their overall speed of movements, coordination, as well as, their conditioning. The workouts are as follows; a set of 10 exercises with a 10-15 sec rest period between each exercise. Repeat 10 times and then allow a 3 min rest.
The program is only limited by the coach’s creativity. Program the sets longer (3-5 min-500 free lengths) or shorter (20-30 sec, 50 free lengths) based on your team needs. You can make them as hard and as easy as you see fit. You can add complex movements or simply, skip for 50 meters.
Here are a couple sets we have used with our swimmers:
Set 1: 10 pushups, Sprint , Carioca , Jog, Streamline jumps, Jog, Power Skips, Shuffle, Backpedal, and 5 sit-ups
Rest 3 minutes
Set 2: Jog 10 sec, 5 pushups, Backpedal, Sprint, Zigzag Run, High Knees Backwards, Carioca, Shuffle, Sprint
Rest 3 minutes and repeat for 1-2 additional sets
By the end of this 20-25 minute workout, they will be pushed to their limits. Add a 15-20 cool down flexibility program and you will see performance gains in the pool almost immediately.
In our continual search for ways to improve our athlete’s performance, we came across the method of multi-tasking or coordination training. If an athlete did not know specifically where they were in space or had to stop and think before acting, they are not able to complete the task quickly and efficiently. By developing coordinated effort, an ability to see and do movements at precisely the time the athlete wanted to produce the action, each athlete’s performance had the potential of improving.
The goal is for the athlete to understand where all of their body parts are during a movement. Enclosed is a set of drills that can be used to develop coordination or the ability to multi-task in space. First of all, find an agility ladder, a couple balls and a helper. Most athletes have completed agility ladder drills, but here is the catch. Add random math problems to the mix while doing the drill in reverse. This causes the athlete to take their attention off what their body is doing and start to think. Instantly, the athlete is multi-tasking.
Learn a step on the agility ladder and do it as fast as possible.
Add to the step, the athlete doing it in reverse.
Add to the step in reverse, the athlete juggling two balls.
Add to those three, the athlete doing simple adding and subtracting verbally.
Coordination training can provide a big upside. Athletes enjoy the challenging drills and will master them quicker than you think. And best of all, each athlete will have a better understanding of where they are in space, an ability to focus on an object while moving, and complete the desired movement more efficiently.
For more information on coordination training drills, contact Stephen McCarthy.
Over the years, I have come across many training philosophies related to training young athletes and the question always comes up. When should they start working out? The answer is sooner than you think, but take your time and build them slowly.
The American Academy of Pediatrics states that as long as the weights used are not maximal or close to an athlete’s 1 repetition maximum, strength training is safe for young athletes. The Mayo Clinic even weighed with the following statement, “strength training, not weightlifting. “
Here are a couple additional observations, the Russians trained young athletes to perfect movements without weight. That’s right. No weights until they perfected the lifting movements. This lasted up to two years for some. So bodyweight and coordination training until the athlete has a high level of proficiency completing each exercise is your best bet. An example of coordination training would be completing a footwork drill on the agility ladder, juggling one ball, and doing math all at the same time. Your athlete’s coordination and awareness of their body will be challenged, but place a low amount of stress on the athlete’s body.
Secondly, one of the big trends nowadays is the use of plyometrics (i.e. the shock method.) Some athletes are not ready for this method of training. It is too aggressive. How do you know? Athlete’s will start to have naggy-type injuries. More times than not, if you stop the plyometrics, no more nagging injuries. Somebody might say that all the other teams are doing it or I read that plyometrics make athlete’s skate faster. That is a true statement, but the goal is for your athlete to love the game, play pain free and develop the speed over time. One of our athletes started training when he was 9 years old, but he was always getting these nagging injuries, like knee problems, hips hurting, etc. So we held off the plyometrics portion, but continued training. We followed a disciplined training program using the methods mentioned. When he turned 15, we came back to the complete strength program, including plyometrics. He has increased his dead lift, back squat, and bench press by almost 20-25% in only 4 months. And now he is stronger than athletes that are 2-3 years older than him. He is pain-free, no injuries and loving life.
Allow your athlete’s the time to grow and learn where their bodies are in space. Add weights when the time is right. The end result will be a much happier athlete and save their bodies undo wear and tear.
Biography:
Stephen McCarthy, Director of The McCarthy Project, he has worked with over 10000 athletes with an emphasis on the youth athlete. He has researched and developed innovative training techniques for over 10 years. His athletes have received college scholarships and played professionally, as well as, won state championships and national championships. Visit www.themccarthyproject.com or email me at mccarthy@themccarthyproject.com
Perhaps you’ve heard of Unilever? The company sells products under 1,000 brands, including Hellmann’s mayonnaise Suave, Klondike, and TRESemmé. In addition to donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to shut down GMO labeling, the mega-corp has also decided to file a lawsuit against an upstart vegan mayonnaise-making company, claiming “false advertising and unfair competition.”
