What is a 360 Athlete?
I believe there is more to being a top level athlete than just training speed or strength. Look around at other programs and you’ll find I’m probably in the minority here! Most places focus on developing a FAST athlete, or a STRONG athlete. To me it’s much much more than that. In reality, most athletes will never see competition after high school. Even less go on to the pro level. I prepare each athlete as if there is no end in sight for them but if there is, they will come away with so much more than being the fastest or strongest they can be. Everything they learn are tools they can take with them for the rest of their life regardless of where life takes them. I believe athletics are an unbelievable tool to help prepare for life in general, and I want this training to be the same.
Training
Strength, speed, agility, power – the basis to making an athlete better at his or her sport. The key is to do it the right way with the main focus being on injury prevention first and foremost. You can help an athlete become the strongest in the gym but if they are hurt all the time what difference does it make? Balance and intelligent training is key, being the fastest or strongest is only the tip of the iceburg.
Flexibility/Mobility
Many times this is a forgotten or neglected area for many programs. Many programs I see are too worried about being the fastest or strongest and either forget or don’t know that you have to be able to move correctly as an athlete too. If the guy that benches 400 in the gym can’t move on the field of play then what good is he?
Recovery
Again, another often neglected area. In our world today, kids are pushed to train, compete, train, compete and train some more. If they aren’t recovering properly, you aren’t taking steps upward anymore. You’re actually starting to head down the staircase and headed towards injury and burnout. Recovery needs to be intelligent, active and passive. I focus on the active and educate on the passive.
Nutrition
What we eat plays a vital role in how our bodies perform, plain and simple. In the time we live in now it’s all about convenience. Most families have both parents working and it’s just a different time now as opposed to 20 years ago. My nutrition focus is teaching better eating patterns. I will NEVER prescribe an eating plan to any athlete I work with. For one, that’s out of my scope. More importantly, that leads to disordered eating patterns in many cases. I educate on how to eat better for the athlete and make small realistic adjustments. Things that will be sustainable and make a big difference for athletes.
Mental Toughness/Confidence
This is an area of real passion for me. I’ve worked with athletes in many different arenas over the years and one large variable is the mental game. I’ve seen many gifted athletes over the years who have all the physical tools but lack the confidence for example. This plays a huge role in how athletes perform. My training and certification as a Mental Toughness Coach helps me to address this area in many different ways. From one on one training to an integrated approach that I primarily use at 360 Athlete. This all important aspect is woven in to my training throughout and many will likely never even know it. Every athlete that comes out of my training will be more confident at the least and will have learned some mental skills they can use in all aspects of life.
Education
A smart athlete is one that can help themselves when they are on their own. Let’s be honest, whoever you work with and wherever you work at, you’re only there for a few short hours a week. The other 90+% of the time they are on their own. This is where educating the athlete becomes such a huge factor. If they can begin to learn about their bodies with me, then I can assure you they will make better decisions when they are on their own.
A 360 Athlete is what I envision to be an all around athlete that can take this all encompassing foundation with them to any sport and area of life. I don’t train speed, strength or sport specific skills. I train 360 Athletes!