Boston Sports Medicine and Performance Group, LLC Blog

Are You Doing A Good Job? by Seth Godin

Posted by Boston Sports Medicine and Performance Group on Mon, Mar 21, 2011 @ 07:03 AM

athletic training resources

 

Are you doing a good job?


One way to approach your work:

"I come in on time, even a little early. I do what the boss asks, a bit faster than she expects. I stay on time and on budget, and I'm hardworking and loyal."

The other way: "What aren't they asking me to do that I can do, learn from, make an impact, and possibly fail (yet survive)? What's not on my agenda that I can fight to put there? Who can I frighten, what can I learn, how can I go faster, what sort of legacy am I creating?"

You might very well be doing a good job. But that doesn't mean you're a linchpin, the one we'll miss. For that, you have to stop thinking about the job and start thinking about your platform, your point of view and your mission.

It's entirely possible you work somewhere that gives you no option but to merely do a job. If that's actually true, I wonder why someone with your potential would stay...

In the post-industrial revolution, the very nature of a job is outmoded. Doing a good job is no guarantee of security, advancement or delight.

Topics: basketball resources, basketball conference, athletic training conference, boston hockey summit, boston hockey conference, Seth Godin

I Wish That I Knew What I Know Now When I Was Younger

Posted by Boston Sports Medicine and Performance Group on Wed, Mar 16, 2011 @ 07:03 AM

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They say there are things you just have to experience yourself. Mistakes you have to make on your own.

I remember when I was younger and my father imploring me not to make the same mistakes he made.  But I was smarter than him - no way I would make that mistake.

Boy, was I wrong. 

When it comes to patient care - even medicine isn't perfect.

Looking back from the time I was in undergrad to present time many things have changed - fascia and movement patterns have become prominent influences in both injury evaluation and rehabilitation.  I don't remember learning about either in my undergrad classes.  I guess it just wasn't important.

Boy, was I wrong.

See three pioneers in Movement and Fascia work this June 3/4 in Boston.

describe the image

 

Art Horne is the Coordinator of Care and Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Men’s Basketball Team at Northeastern University, Boston MA.  He can be reached at a.horne@neu.edu.

 

ooh la la
ooh la la, la la, yeah

I wish that I knew what I know now
when I was younger
I wish that I knew what I know now
when I was stronger

 

 

To listen to ooh la la by the The Faces click below and enjoy. Kinda makes you want to be young again.

 

 

Topics: Art Horne, basketball conference, athletic training conference, boston hockey summit

Can We Make It A Two-Way Street?

Posted by Boston Sports Medicine and Performance Group on Mon, Mar 14, 2011 @ 07:03 AM

athletic training resources

 

As an athletic trainer I provide regular and constructive feedback to my patients.  Statements such as “Relax your traps and pinch your scapulas together,” or “Maintain this position,” or “Nope, you need to contract this muscle first,” routinely roll off my tongue.  All these corrections and advice are focused on getting my patients better.  Without supervision, oversight, and criticism of a patient’s treatment or rehabilitation plan I am doing them a disservice.

Observing a strength and conditioning session performed by a colleague the other day, I was quite impressed with the enthusiasm, motivation, and feedback he provided.  Echoing through the weight room are words of wisdom like “Don’t let your knees go over your toes,” or “Head up, chest out,” or my all time favorite “Do it right and we will get bigger, faster, stronger today.”  Immediately reflecting back on that day, I took away how much attention, education, and constructive criticism went into that one session.  All of these qualities demonstrated during the training were essential for the improvement of the athlete.

We owe it to our athletes to be critical of their performance.  We need to educate them all the time on items such as proper technique and appropriate activation of muscle. Without these pieces of feedback their recovery will be delayed or performance progression inhibited.  Going to extreme measures to provide appropriate feedback to our athletes are what quality athletic trainers and strength coaches do.  So I ask myself, why do we walk down a one way street?

When is the last time you critiqued your co-worker?  Can you recall correcting their treatment plan with validated research?  Have you changed a peer’s practice pattern by suggesting a more appropriate exercise?

As athletic trainers and strength and conditioning coaches are we doing a disservice to our profession by not providing timely and appropriate feedback of each other.  Why are we so afraid to be critical of one another, yet in the next breathe assess our athletes all for their benefit? 

Challenge yourself to not be defensive when a colleague points out something you are doing wrong, or shows you a better way (I mean we can’t be right all the time).  Embrace that opportunity as a way to get better.  Take some ownership in educating the person next to you; demand them to be critical of you.  If feedback is so important to those we service every day, it must be important for our improvement as well.

So ask yourself, can we make it a two-way street?


Scot Spak EdM, ATC, CSCS
Athletic Trainer
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

 

Topics: basketball conference, athletic training conference, boston hockey summit, athletic training, boston hockey conference, Scot Spak

Learn and Earn

Posted by Boston Sports Medicine and Performance Group on Fri, Mar 11, 2011 @ 10:03 AM

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While many athletic trainers and strength coaches look to the summer as a time to relax, a few view this time to L-EARN. 

It’s not by accident that the most successful professionals that I know across both disciplines often spend their summers L-EARNing. 

They’re also the ones that EARN the most money.

 

Art Horne is the Coordinator of Care and Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Men’s Basketball Team at Northeastern University, Boston MA.  He can be reached at a.horne@neu.edu.

Topics: Art Horne, basketball training programs, athletic training conference, boston hockey summit, boston hockey conference

Indispensible

Posted by Boston Sports Medicine and Performance Group on Mon, Feb 28, 2011 @ 07:02 AM

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There are a number of ways to become indispensible.

Some more successful than others. 

Sure doing exactly what the boss says will get you started, but to be truly indispensible, you must challenge your boss, your co-workers, and of course demand that they challenge you in return.

Below Seth Godin outlines how you may become a linchpin in your organization.

 

A linchpin hierarchy

1. Do exactly what the boss says.
2. Ask the boss hard questions.
3. Tell the boss what your best choice among the available options is. Insist.
4. Have co-workers and bosses ask you hard questions.
5. Invent a whole new way to do things, something that wasn't on the list.
6. Push and encourage and lead your co-workers to do ever better work.
7. Insist that they push and encourage you.

 

Topics: Art Horne, basketball conference, athletic training conference, boston hockey summit, Seth Godin

George Mumford and the LA Lakers

Posted by Boston Sports Medicine and Performance Group on Thu, Feb 17, 2011 @ 07:02 AM

George Mumford, speaker at the 2011 BSMPG Basketball Specific Conference - June 3/4th in Boston, was recently featured in the LA times for his help with Laker big man,  Andrew Bynum and the Laker team hours before they took on the Boston Celtics in their recent east coast road trip.

Result: Lakers 92 Celtics 86

 

george mumford

"Sensing the need for a team pick-me-up, the Lakers coach asked longtime friend and sports psychologist George Mumford to talk to the players several hours before they took on the Boston Celtics..."

Read more by clicking HERE.

George Mumford also featured on orangecounty.com

 

Topics: basketball resources, basketball conference, athletic training conference, boston hockey summit

Do The Opposite - Part II

Posted by Boston Sports Medicine and Performance Group on Tue, Feb 15, 2011 @ 06:02 AM

I once heard Mike Boyle say if you ever want to get fit, simply go to your nearest commercial gym and do the exact opposite of what everyone is doing.  I decided to put his theory to the test at our general student fitness facility this past week. 

Number 4-6

 

4. Commercial Gym Choice: Bicep Curls in the Squat Rack

 

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Squat Racks are for squatting – not barbell curls!  Why must everyone feel the need to curl inside of a squat rack? I know, the weight is soo heavy that if you were ever to fail you’d have the safety bars there – gotcha.


Opposite: This one is easy – I squatted.
Side note: apparently squatting in a rack designated for arm curls is not appreciated at commercial gyms – if you choose to squat – avoid eye contact with the gym members; you’re interrupting their bicep time.

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5. Commercial Gym Choice: All Show – No Go.
If one thing became clearly evident during my squat time, it was the need to exercise and only exercise those muscles that can be seen in the mirror.  A quick survey of those around me included: cable cross-over, more bicep curls, overhead DB press, seated bench press and leg extensions. 

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Opposite:  decided to superset some scapular stabilization work with the squatting then finish up in the squat rack with some dead-lifts. (I know I’m not squatting in a squat rack but figured it was better than bicep curls – still getting weird looks)

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6.  Commercial Gym Choice: All Push – No Pull

If there is one exercise, ok, the one other than bicep curls that seems to dominate commercial gyms it’s the bench press.  I’m not sure why no one likes pulling, I guess it’s because there is not enough mirrors in the gym – maybe if gyms put in mirrors like at department stores where you try on clothes and can see all angles people would start emphasizing other body parts in their training?

boston hockey conference


Opposite: Pull-ups (not lat machine pull downs), inverted body rows and bent over DB rows.

It’s not by accident that I added three pulling exercises to contrast the one dominant pushing exercise that is most popular.  3:1 ratio seems to clean up a lot of dysfunction and sure makes your shoulders feel a lot better.

 

basketball resources

 

7-9 tomorrow....

 

Art Horne is the Coordinator of Care and Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Men’s Basketball Team at Northeastern University, Boston MA.  He can be reached at a.horne@neu.edu.

Topics: Art Horne, basketball performance, basketball conference, boston hockey summit, athletic training

Do The Opposite

Posted by Boston Sports Medicine and Performance Group on Mon, Feb 14, 2011 @ 07:02 AM

I once heard Mike Boyle say if you ever want to get fit, simply go to your nearest commercial gym and do the exact opposite of what everyone is doing.  I decided to put his theory to the test at our general student fitness facility this past week. 

 

1. Commercial Gym Choice: Laying down and lumbar flexion

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I think this exercise choice can be summed up best when I heard one kid ask another,”Are you sure this is suppose to hurt like this?”


Opposite Choice: anything not involving lumbar flexion including front bridges and McGill’s Big Three.

 

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(ahhh, sweet back relief)

2. Commercial Gym Choice: Slow Paced Jog

 

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What’s the definition of crazy? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.  I’ve never understood why people continue to jog at a slow pace for hours on end and then act surprised when they haven’t lost any weight or end up injured.


Opposite Choice: it was a nasty Boston day with snow and sleet so elected to stay inside and join the herd of runners on the treadmills except choosing to ramp both speed and incline upwards while jumping on and off in 30:30 second sprint intervals. 

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3. Commercial Gym Choice: Partial Body Weight Movement

During the aforementioned sprint rest intervals I couldn’t help but notice on the woman on the treadmill beside me. Her treadmill was set to the highest incline possible with both hands on the front rail holding on for dear life!  I’ve never seen anything like it before – it was as if she was in a hurricane and the rail at the front was her lifeline! Not to be outdone, the guy on the stair climber just down from her had the reverse-extended-elbow lock on each hand rail suspending his body weight overtop of the moving stairs below.  If you choose to utilize any type of “cardiovascular” equipment be sure to move your own body weight and not have the machine help you out.

 

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(ok, so she's not hanging on for dear life, but why is she hanging on at all? Is it that hard to walk?)


Opposite: I was still sprinting without holding on so I figured this one was covered.

 

More tomorrow....

Art Horne is the Coordinator of Care and Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Men’s Basketball Team at Northeastern University, Boston MA.  He can be reached at a.horne@neu.edu.

Topics: Art Horne, basketball resources, basketball conference, basketball training programs, athletic training conference, boston hockey summit, athletic training books

If you're not fired up with enthusiasm...

Posted by Boston Sports Medicine and Performance Group on Fri, Feb 11, 2011 @ 07:02 AM

 

.... you might just end up being fired with enthusiasm.

 

T.G.I.F - Thank Goodness I'm Fired-Up! 

athletic training conference

Topics: Art Horne, basketball conference, athletic training conference, boston hockey summit, athletic training, boston hockey conference

Texting While Working by Seth Godin

Posted by Boston Sports Medicine and Performance Group on Thu, Feb 3, 2011 @ 07:02 AM

athletic training conference

 

Texting while working

Yes, you shouldn't text while driving, or talk on the cell phone, or argue with your dog or drive blindfolded. It's an idiot move, one that often leads to death (yours or someone else's).

I don't think you should text while working, either. Or use social networking software of any kind for that matter. And you probably shouldn't eat crunchy chips, either.

I don't think there's anything wrong with doing all that at work (in moderation). But not while you're working. Not if working is that the act that leads to the scarce output, the hard stuff, the creative uniqueness they actually pay you for.

You're competing against people in a state of flow, people who are truly committed, people who care deeply about the outcome. You can't merely wing it and expect to keep up with them. Setting aside all the safety valves and pleasant distractions is the first way to send yourself the message that you're playing for keeps. After all, if you sit for an hour and do exactly nothing, not one thing, you'll be ashamed of yourself. But if you waste that hour updating, pinging, being pinged and crunching, well, hey, at least you stayed in touch.

Raise the stakes.

 

Topics: basketball conference, athletic training conference, boston hockey summit, Seth Godin