|
|
|
|
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Sure, Training is About the Performance, but Let’s Keep it Fun
Raleigh Durham, NC
|
|
|
As far as Gregory Moss is concerned, fun is the name of the sports game.
“If you’re not having fun with sports, get out,” the local sports trainer said.
If fun is the number one reason for kids and adults to stay in the game, then commitment to being the best athlete possible will take it to the next level.
Performance training helps athletes demonstrate commitment to their sports, and keeps them strong and healthy.
Bryan McCall, director of performance training at Integrated Athletic Development in Carrollton, TX, has
identified five components of performance training: Confidence, Injury Prevention, Improved Physical Ability, Fundamental Movement Patterns, and Specialized Movement Skills.
Moss, a well-known trainer in Southern California, moved to the Triangle recently to support his daughter, Rachael Moss, who plays volleyball for Duke University. He takes performance training one step further, bringing a faith-based platform to his training table.
“I don’t preach. I just believe in the basic components of faith,” he said.
Through his training program, “Footsteps of a Champion,” Moss teaches athletes to love one another, be honest, have faith, believe in themselves and practice good sportsmanship.
It works.
Tori Phillips, 14, has spent just one year training with Moss, and she excels in volleyball. She not only made the varsity volleyball team at Cardinal Gibbons in her freshman year, she is a starter.
“Coach Moss has taught me the mental aspects of the game, to stay positive and not get down on myself,” Tori said. She has been playing volleyball since she was 12, and also plays for the Triangle Volleyball Club.
On a recent hot day at the Triangle Volleyball Club, Moss was putting Tori through her training routine.
“You have to keep it simple with kids,” the coach said. He believes in developing strength from the core.
“In my training programs, we work to develop a strong core. We work the quads and hamstrings, the ankles and shoulders,” he said.
“My mission is to rescue athletes from the bombardment of negativity and create within their athletic minds, tools that will improve their athletic performance, self esteem, and help them believe in themselves,” Moss reports on his website www.coachmoss.com.
Matthew Enzweiler, 17, plays lacrosse at Cardinal Gibbons.
“Lacrosse is a sport that combines a lot of athletic skills and requires agility and lots of hand-eye coordination,” he said.
Matthew and his brother, Luke, 14, train with Moss.
“The training has been beneficial,” Matthew said. “What I have felt so far is this program will maximize my athletic potential and motivate me to be the best I can be.”
Luke is preparing to try out for his high school basketball team. Even though he’s played basketball all his life, he knows that as a freshman, competition to make the team will be stiff. He hopes the coach’s program will give him an edge.
“Conditioning is big. It helps all the muscles in my body,” he said. “I incorporate running and weighted agility drills in my workouts.”
While Moss designs workouts specifically to help kids develop strong bodies, at the end of the day his focus is on helping kids develop strong minds and a good attitude about themselves.
“Athletics is a journey,” he said. “You have to educate kids as to what this journey is all about. Teach them that failure is a good thing, because that’s the only way to improve.”
Tori agrees.
She’s learned to go for the big dig or score without worrying that she’ll miss the shot. She has learned that not everything will always go her way, and that’s a part of growing as an athlete.
“You have to give it your all and just focus on how good you’re going to feel afterwards, knowing you did your best,” she said.
For Moss, top performance training may be about getting the body in shape for speed, strength and agility, but it’s mostly about keeping the mind and spirit in shape to maintain high self esteem and a good attitude about dealing with pressure.
“There’s no such thing as pressure. Pressure is defined by society,” Moss said. “Sports should never be pressure, but fun.”
|
|
| No comments added! Click [ add a comment ] to be the first! |
|
|
|
™
®
™