Tag: Athletic Development Resources

Endeavor Sports Performance Updates

As you may have inferred from my posts over the last several months, we’ve been extremely busy at Endeavor both preparing for our impending move to a new indoor sports complex and in creating new services to better serve the athletes in the area. On that note, I wanted to formally announce two new services that you may be interested in, even if you aren’t local.

Endeavor Performance Online
We’ve spent the last year developing an online program design site that will effectively allow us to recreate the Endeavor experience at satellite locations. While it’s hard to fully replicate what we have to offer in terms of assessment, individualized program design, and coaching, the reality is that the overwhelming majority of athletes are so under-served that they just fumble around with the same inappropriate bodybuilding exercises and techniques that almost every high school student does!

The value in our new site, Endeavor Performance Online, stems from having us design a customized program based on your individual or team goals, schedule, and equipment availability. While most online training resources simply post a program and let you fend for yourself (e.g. little instruction on what to do if you don’t have equipment or don’t know how to do a certain exercise), we specifically construct the program based on YOUR equipment availability, and we have HD videos of all the exercises in the program that include coaching instructions. This provides you with all of the information you need to complete the exercise safely, which will ultimately lead to better, more consistent results.

The site allows you to enter your personal information and track all of your weights, so you or your coach can observe progress over time. And because the site is fully integrated for smartphone and tablet use, you can bring the program with you to the gym and watch the videos live while you’re there. This is the PERFECT solution for all of the prep schools that have amazing facilities, but no one designing programs for the kids, and for all of the junior hockey and NCAA Div III schools that are in the same boat.

We’ve recently wrapped up beta-testing and are preparing for a full-launch. At this time, we’re only launching the site for teams and schools. If you, or someone you know, is interested in more information about the site, they can contact me through our Endeavor site here: Contact Endeavor

Endeavor’s U-12 Athletic Development Program

I’m extremely excited to announce our new U-12 Athletic Development Program. Our U-12 Athletic Development Program is designed to create a fun, high energy environment for youth athletes to stay active and train for improved performance. Decades of research from different countries around the world has provided evidence that youth athletes are primed to develop certain athletic qualities at specific ages (see graph below). Maximizing these opportunities will not only lead to short-term performance improvements, it will also creates a larger window for the athlete to develop these qualities in the future!

The 8-12 age group (+/- a year depending on the developmental stage of the athlete) is the perfect age for athletes to make significant jumps in their coordination, speed, and endurance. Each part of our U-12 Athletic Development Program is specifically constructed to take advantage of these “sensitive periods” for the development of specific athletic qualities. In this way, the athlete is set up for both short- and long-term success!

Display of “sensitive periods” for the development of specific athletic qualities.

Through our U-12 Athletic Development Program, athletes can expect to:

Improve their linear, lateral, and transitional speed and agility
Improve fully body power in sport-specific patterns
Improve functional strength
Improve core strength and endurance in linear, rotational, and diagonal patterns
Improve static and dynamic balance
Improve aerobic and anaerobic endurance
Reduce the risk of common sports injuries (e.g. ACL tears, groin and hip flexor strains, ankle sprains, shoulder dislocations/separations, etc.)
Compete with more confidence
Improve their performance
Have a lot of fun!

A typical training session lasts about 60-75 minutes and consists of:

10-15 minutes dynamic warm-up
5-10 minutes of movement/coordination training
15-20 minutes of speed and agility training
10-15 minutes of power training
5-10 minutes of core training
10-15 minutes of integrated athletic activity games/competitions

The value of our training services comes in professional program design, and world-class coaching. Our coaches motivate the athletes to perform their best, teach them proper exercise technique, and educate them on proper training practices, empowering them with the skills and knowledge necessary for long-term success. Whether the athletes want to improve their speed, coordination, strength, endurance, or just a fun way to stay active, our U-12 Athletic Development training will help them reach their goals!

The U-12 Athletic Development Program includes:

Comprehensive training program to improve all aspects of the athlete’s performance (speed, agility, power, strength, coordination, and endurance)
Individualized coaching in a fun, high energy group environment from one of Endeavor’s highly trained staff members

Our U-12 Athletic Development Program is a cost-effective option for motivated youth athletes to improve their performance in a high-energy training environment, and have a ton of fun in the process!

Scheduling
Our Spring U-12 Athletic Development Program will run April 2nd-June 9th. We currently have open slots available at:

Mon/Weds: 5:00 pm
Mon/Weds: 6:30 pm
Tues/Thurs: 5:00 pm
Tues/Thurs: 6:30 pm

*Space in this program is limited and expected to fill up fast. Reserve your spot today!

Investment Costs

Prices are for seasonal training packages (~10 weeks). Pro-rated packages are available for athletes joining a program already in session and monthly payment plans are available for your convenience.

2X/WEEK SPRING PROGRAM: $350 Only $250!

If you’re interested in this program, call (856) 269-4148 today to reserve your spot AND get $50 off your Spring Training Program!

I’m very excited about everything we have going on at Endeavor right now (and several things we have coming up in the future that I haven’t mentioned yet!), and wanted to share them with you. Whether you’re local or fulfilling your potential from afar, we want to help you along your journey. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email directly.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld

P.S. If you didn’t already, don’t forget to check out this interview with Shawn Windle! Exercises for the Landmine

Please enter your first name and email below to sign up for my FREE Athletic Development and Hockey Training Newsletter!

Athletic Development Things You Should Read

I hope you had a great weekend. Emily and I kept pretty busy. We hosted a game night for a few of her friends Saturday night; I discovered that I’m not very good at Pictionary. Oddly, the group wasn’t very receptive when I proposed a redemption challenge of a deadlift contest.

I thought we’d mix things up a bit to start the week off and I’d direct you to a few articles I think you’ll really enjoy.

Good Read # 1: 2012 Resolutions: A Healthier Plan Creates a Healthier Golfer

About a year ago I started doing some writing for the Golf Association of Philadelphia. In this article, they asked me for some tips on how to avoid the pitfalls of traditional new year’s resolutions. While this was written for a golf audience, almost everything in the article is applicable to anyone reading this. Give it a read and let me know what you think by posting your comments below!

Good Read # 2: What’s Wrong With Keeping Your Chest Up?

David Lasnier wrote this post earlier in the year and I thought it was really well-written. David outlines why a common coaching cue needs to be put into perspective, and highlights the effect that extension at the thoraco-lumbar junction has on the ribs anteriorly. There are a number of powerful performance implications from the message David provides in this article; a definite must-read for anyone in the performance training field.

Good Read # 3: 24 Habits of 24-Hour Athletes

This is a simple, to the point article from my friend Kyle Bangen. Kyle is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Michigan Tech. I’ve had the pleasure of going to a few seminars with him, which affords some time to talk shop and pick his brain. In this article, he emphasizes that athletes can’t just be committed during their 2-hour practice or training time if they want to be successful; it has to be a lifestyle. I recommend retyping his 24 habits, printing them, and posting the list somewhere where you’ll see it frequently.

Good Read # 4: Core Values

This is another article from Kyle Bangen on the core values of his program at Michigan Tech. Along the same concept as the previous post, Kyle uses core values to describe his philosophy and expectations, both for himself and for his athletes. #9 is the key to success in hockey, as in life.

Bonus Read: Good Fitness Reads for the Week

Every week, Ben Bruno puts together an EXHAUSTIVE list of fitness articles, videos, and interviews that he enjoyed the previous week. I’ve been fortunate to be included in many of these; that may have even been how you first came across my site! If you’re looking to kill a few minutes…hours…or days, check out Ben’s list and click through some of the articles that pique your interest.

To your success,

Kevin Neeld

Please enter your first name and email below to sign up for my FREE Athletic Development and Hockey Training Newsletter!

3 Tips for High Performance Hockey Players

Below is an adapted version of a newsletter I wrote for Endeavor Sports Performance. If you haven’t already, you might want to sign up for our Endeavor Newsletter here: Endeavor Sports Performance Newsletter as we regularly announce special deals on training packages, supplements, and training gear that may be of interest to you.

3 Tips for High Performance Hockey Players

Many of the greatest coaches of all time (in every sport) drill the importance of fundamentals. While this message is typically delivered regarding sport-specific technical and tactical abilities, it also has a ton of merit regarding more general preparation techniques. Below are three tips that are easy to implement, and will have a huge effect on an athlete’s performance.

1) Regulate Your Sleep Cycle
Sleep is a time for recovery and regeneration. It’s a time for your sympathetic nervous system, also known as your “fight or flight” system, to down-regulate, and for structures within your body to repair themselves from whatever physical or mental stresses they were exposed to throughout the day. Sleep is essential.

Most people are familiar with the idea that too little sleep can negatively impair performance. The same can be said for too much sleep (although I’d err on this side!). Many people, however, have never been taught how important it is to regulate your sleep cycle. In other words, you should attempt to go to bed and wake up at the same times every night/day. Because this isn’t always logistically possible, it’s okay to give yourself an hour window on either side. For example, if you typically go to bed at 11pm and wake up at 7am, it’d be okay for you to go to bed from 10pm-12am and wake up between 6am-8am, as long as you get the same total amount of sleep each night (8 hours in this example). A sporadic sleep schedule is interpreted by the body as a source of stress, meaning the very time that should serve to help you recover is actually pushing you in the opposite direction. Regulating your sleep cycle will help maximize your recovery and regeneration, and ensure that you’re continually making progress and not slowly breaking down.

2) Pack A Lunch
Athletes spend an average of around 8 hours per day at school. Within this time span, they’re provided roughly 45 minutes to eat, and offered a variety of fried and highly processed foods to fuel the students’ brains and bodies for the rest of the day. Frankly, these aren’t appropriate meal choices for a sedentary, goal-less sloth of a student, but they’re DEFINITELY not appropriate for serious athletes. Even choices like chicken caesar wraps, which are generally considered healthy choices by students” consist of a processed white tortilla, nutrient-less lettuce, caesar dressing which is full of fat (with no upside), and chicken of variable quality. In other words, it may be better than the chicken nuggets and tater tots your friends are eating, but not much.

The reality is that very few schools provide even reasonably healthy food options for their students because they’re more expensive, tougher to mass produce, and less likely to stay preserved for prolong periods of time. The system is less about optimally fueling students for mental and physical performance and more akin to mass-producing feedlot level nutrients to adequately stuff them until the next day. Pack a lunch with a couple pieces of fruit or vegetables, a water, bag of almonds or cashews, and a meat sandwich on sprouted grain bread. It takes about 5 minutes to throw something like that together, which you can do the night before. It’s a simple change, that will cause you to feel, perform, think, and look better.

1) Take This AMAZING Supplement Everyday!
A couple years ago I spoke at a group of youth lacrosse players at the Wells Fargo Center for an event hosted by the Philadelphia Wings. Addressing the athletes, their parents, and a portion of our staff at Endeavor, I mentioned that there was an amazing supplement that was scientifically proven to improve speed, agility, strength, power, conditioning, and mental processing. Does that sound appealing? You bet. More than appealing, it sounds like magic. Too good to be true. When I asked what people thought it was, I heart responses like “creatine” and “beta alanine”, which are actually well-educated guesses. At least, it’s better than the “Nitric Oxide” powders, and all the other crazy supplements who’s advertisements are borderline illegal and incredibly morally suspect. The truth is that all of these results can be expected simply from drinking water.

The world’s most effective supplement

Even minimal dehydration (1% of body weight) can have a profound influence on physical and mental performance, and the majority of youth athletes (and their parents for that matter) live their lives in some relative state of dehydration. Some do so out of a lack of awareness; others because they don’t like the taste of water. Keep in mind that the average water requirement for inactive individuals to avoid dehydration is 6-8 cups of water. I tell our athletes that that recommendation doesn’t apply to them. They’re HIGHLY active and are looking to do more than simply avoid dehydration. 12-16 cups is a bit safer. I encourage athletes not to think of “if” they can drink that much, but think of “how” they can get it in throughout the day. 16oz of ice water when you first wake up is a great way to start the day. Drinking 2 16oz bottles of water throughout the school day is a great way to stay awake. 16oz within an hour before practice, 8-16oz during, and 16 oz after will help ensure you’re properly hydrated to perform your best. 16oz bottles aren’t that big, and if you stick to that schedule, you’ll have consumed 11-12 cups of water. If you don’t like the taste, try adding some flavor like lemon or lime juice. Remember, it’s not candy, it’s water. You’re going to need to drink it in copious amounts for the rest of your life, so get used to it!

Simple tactics. Huge payoff. Start building positive habits to pursue athletic excellence today!

To your success,

Kevin Neeld

P.S. Tip #4: Train using a PROVEN off-ice hockey training system!

P.S.2. If you’re local and not actively enrolled in a sports training program, you can start training with us for only $89! We’re currently offering an $89 30-day trial for all new athletes and personal training clients. Call us today at (856) 269-4148 to take advantage of this incredible offer!

Please enter your first name and email below to sign up for my FREE Athletic Development and Hockey Training Newsletter!

UCAN Perform, Look, and Feel Better!

I hope you and your family had a great new year! Last week we wrapped up the highlights of 2011. If you missed those posts, you can check them out at the links below:

4 Pillars of Athletic Success
While I was in Minnesota, I had an opportunity to hear Dr. Colleen Hacker speak to the players and staff about mental preparation. Her entire 2-hour talk was nothing short of riveting, and was one that I think every athlete should hear (probably more than twice). One of the things she mentioned was the idea of there being four pillars to athletic success:

Technical Preparation
Tactical Preparation
Mental Preparation
Strength and Conditioning/Nutrition

Simply, a failure to fully realize any of these categories will widen the player and/or the team’s “Performance Gap”, the difference between their current performance level and where it could be. Focusing on the last category, there are a lot of athletes that make huge sacrifices to train hard in the off-season and even during the most rigorous times of their season to ensure that they are continually progressing toward their goals and toward their full potential. A HUGE proportion of these athletes go on to practice and compete with a COMPLETE neglect for proper nutrition. The same can be said for athletes that work exceptionally hard (and smart) all season long for a complete neglect for proper nutrition. They’re passively widening their Performance Gap.

Proper nutrition can mean a lot of things-food selection, food timing, consistency, etc. One area that I think is especially important is activity-related nutrition. In other words, to perform at their best, athletes need to properly fuel themselves before, and even DURING the event. In this regard, I think there is one solution that is far superior to the alternative options out there!

Perform Better, Lose Body Fat, and Have More Energy!

Generation UCAN offers a revolutionary sports drink that is taking professional, collegiate and recreational sports by storm, and for good reason. Typical sports drinks provide a simple carbohydrate source (basically energy in the form of a sugar derivative) that causes a fast, relatively large spike in bloog sugar levels. Unfortunately, this energy supply is short-lived, can have a negative rebound effect (lower blood sugar than before the drink), and blunts the body’s ability to burn fat in the process.

In contrast, Generation UCAN’s products have a time-release effect. This serves to provide an energy supply over a long period of time, avoid the negative effects of a plummet in energy supply, and allow the body to rely on fat as a primary fuel source. It is possible to train the body to rely more heavily on fat for energy (which is in more plentiful supply than carbohydrates and many of the other fuel sources for high intensity activities) by having a well-developed aerobic system. That said, ingesting a sugar supplement (like most sports drinks) will cause a spike in blood sugar, which causes a spike in insulin and consequent blunting of the body’s ability to rely on fat for fuel, REGARDLESS of training status. In other words, it is best to attack this issue from a training AND nutrition standpoint to ensure that you can perform at a high level, consistently and without wear.

Notice UCAN’s consistent, long-lasting energy supply (red) compared to a typical sports drink’s spike and crash (blue)

Note the higher level of fat burning after consuming UCAN (red) compared to a typical sports drink (blue)

In short, Generation UCAN has created a safe, healthy supplement that provides long-lasting energy AND promotes fat burning. It’s the perfect solution for all athletes, and even for the “desk jockeys” out there that may need a mid-day energy boost.

Until the end of the month, Generation UCAN is offering an exclusive 25% discount for you on ALL of their products. To take advantage of this great offer, simply follow these 4 easy steps:

Click this link: Generation UCAN
Click the “UCAN Shop” button on the upper left
Click on each of the products you’re interested in on the left hand column and add them to your cart
On the checkout summary page, enter the coupon code “competehard”

Nutrition can have a profound impact on your performance, body composition and overall energy and well being. Generation UCAN offers a truly revolutionary option that will have you playing, looking, and feeling better than ever before!

To your continued success in 2012!

Kevin Neeld

Please enter your first name and email below to sign up for my FREE Athletic Development and Hockey Training Newsletter!

Endeavor Sports Performance Updates

Athletic Development Things You Should Read

3 Tips for High Performance Hockey Players

UCAN Perform, Look, and Feel Better!

Top Athletic Development Posts of 2011