Mechanics of Mechanics

As Sports Officials, you are well aware of the importance of officiating mechanics. Your capabilities in mastering the mechanics sets you apart in your profession.

As a Speed and Agility Coach, I also understand the importance of officiating mechanics---and how your mastering of movement mechanics contribute to your long-term career and success as an Official. 

One key aspect of officiating mechanics is moving to the right spot on the court or the field. During a game or match, being in position to make the right call builds trust among coaches, players and spectators. Your successful movement mechanics will make the difference in how quickly, safely and efficiently you can get in position.

On the flip side, poor officiating mechanics can be detrimental to the flow of a game. Similarly, incorrect movement mechanics affect how you perform physically. Learning and applying correct movement mechanics decreases your chances of injury, helps you expend less energy, and contributes to your agility on the field. 

Officiating mechanics and movement mechanics go hand in hand. They both require preparation, concentration, and technique. Increase your expertise in both officiating and movement mechanics and increase your performance longevity in the sport you officiate. 

Upcoming blog posts will address specific movement mechanics in various sports. Get in touch if you have any questions! 

Live long and Officiate. Stay GameReady.  

Know Your Body

     

Everyone has a different body chemistry and physical makeup. As a Sports and Fitness Trainer, I consult with clients to learn about their current health status and medical history. My job is to then take that information and create the most appropriate nutritional and workout plans.  

I have found that it's a relatively simple task to create workouts for clients without any physical limitations or unique nutritional needs. On the other hand, it is much more challenging to create exercise plans for clients who have various health limitations. In either case, I make sure that I work with them closely   to incorporate their personal observations as input to create flexible and adaptive plans. 

Whether you choose to work with a trainer, or go it alone, a good practice is to spend some time to get to know your body better as you continue on your fitness journey. Here are some ideas:

Nutrition
What is your food Kryptonite? Is it a plate full of chili fries? A bowl of cookies n' cream ice cream? As you decide what to eat before and after you exercise, monitor how it affects your energy level, hydration needs, bloating, cramping, etc. Observe how you feel after eating certain foods. Adjust your intake and frequency as necessary to maximize your training experience.

Training

Is your exercise routine delivering GameReady results? Do you have unusual aches, pains or soreness after training? Does the workout plan you follow leave you feeling like you have not worked out at all? Free workouts found on online fitness sites or in magazines are general guidelines. The more aware you are of your body the better you are able make adjustments to those general routines to make them work for you.

Sleep

Being well-rested is essential to your fitness plan. How many hours of sleep do you need each night? It's different for everyone but studies show that 7 to 9 hours of sleep are adequate for active adults.  Do you feel exhausted each morning, or well-rested? Monitor the number of hours that you sleep and your overall well-being, and make adjustments as needed. 

Learning about your body and staying fit are part of a lifelong journey that changes as you age and experience different health conditions. Trainers can help guide you through the process and give insight along the way. 

Get to know your body. Get GameReady.   

What's Your Heart Telling You?

Use Your Heart Rate in Your Fitness Training Program

Over the past few months, home workouts has flooded the Internet. Newcomers to fitness might wonder how to choose the best workout, appropriate intensity level and often, useful fitness equipment. Heart rate training might be a good choice for many.

Monitoring your heart rate is a good way to determine your level of conditioning as you progress in your fitness plan. Here's an example:

• You jog or run a half mile for the first time at a slow pace, let's say 40% of your capacity. Your heart rate will probably be fairly high when you finish---maybe 165 beats per minute (bpm).
• You do the same workout on a regular basis for several weeks and at the end of the workout, you check your heart rate. Now that your body has grown accustomed to the workout, your heart rate should be <165 bpm. 

Do you know your resting and maximum heart rate? Here's how to get that data.

Resting Heart Rate

Check your resting heart rate when you wake up in the morning. Simply check your pulse. Read the Mayo Clinic article on resting heart rate for more information.

Maximum Heart Rate

Calculate by subtracting your current age from 220. For example, if you are 40, your maximum heart rate would be 180. Check out the article from Men's Health for other methods to determine your maximum heart rate based on your age and other factors.

Tool Up

Do you have a wearable fitness device or mobile app that you use for fitness tracking? Read  PC Mag's fitness tracker comparison for some ideas. 

Using your resting and maximum heart rate data helps you to find your target range for heart rate training. In addition, understanding your normal heart rate during exercise can also help determine nutritional deficiencies, fatigue and illness. Did you know that your heart might beat faster when you are dehydrated? Or that thyroid disorders can also affect your heart rate?  For general heart information, check out this Harvard Health article.

Listen to your heart and stay GameReady.

Mix It Up A Bit

Years before Covid-19 transformed our lives, I used several methods to prevent and/or fight colds and viruses. During the flu season I would increase my intake of supplements and foods known to boost resistance to illnesses. Our household motto during the winter: try not to get sick. 

I always remind my clients who hit their weight loss goals that they should not return to their pre-training diet in order to avoid the risk of regaining the lost weight. The goal is to always maintain the training and diet routine. Similarly, I needed to maintain my nutritional routine to help fight infection and strengthen my immune system. Today, part of my routine is to mix superfood power ("superpower") drinks and shakes before and after I exercise.

When winter ended, I would return to my normal nutritional routine. However, after my last bout with a cold after the flu season ended, I decided to incorporate the so-called superfoods into my diet year-round. 

Mix Up a Nutritional Drink

Want to create your own natural, pre-workout superpower drink? Here are some tips:

1. Get a durable water bottle or drink container. Vacuum-sealed bottles are the best bet to keep your drink cold. Metal bottles are more durable in case they are dropped on the floor at the gym or outside on the field. Sadly, I've lost more than a few plastic bottles to the concrete gym floor. 

2. Add some superfoods and water to your bottle and shake vigorously. Drink it throughout your workout. 

In addition to water, my superpower drink contains:

• 1/4 cup of fresh or frozen raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries
• 1-2 tablespoons of honey as a sweetener
• 1 tablespoon of lemon pulp or juice
• For an extra workout boost, I add beets, beet powder or beet juice supplement to my mixture.

This pre-workout drink is better than anything I can buy from the store and I know what is (and also what is not) contained in it. 

Superpower Drink Bonus: Superpower Shake

There's always some fruit left at the bottom of the bottle at the end of my workout.  Not letting anything go to waste, I add a scoop of my favorite protein shake mix, refill the bottle with water, and mix it up for a superpower post-workout shake. 

Boost your workout and health naturally with your own superpower pre- and post-workout drink creations!

Stay Healthy. Stay Energized. Stay GameReady. 

On or Off the Field

Several years ago, a client challenged me to get him in shape for a high school reunion that would take place within 3 months. We discussed his training goals to lose weight and tone his muscles. I then asked, "When you reach your goal and show off to your high school friends, what's next?" Awkward silence followed.

My message to him was that beyond getting fit for a specific social event, his goal should be training for lifelong health and wellness.


At the end of my professional Track and Field career, I had to ask myself, what's next? What would motivate me to stay active after retiring? My choice was to continue to train as if I was still competing. To this day I do sprints, lifts and power exercises as if I have an upcoming meet---although I may not be as fast or can jump as high as I did before!

As officials you train hard in preparation for a successful season of officiating at all your scheduled games, making the right calls and maintaining your health. As we near the opening of the football season, you might be pondering the question of when (or if!) the season will begin. With the current uncertainty, what is keeping you motivated to continue your training? 

As your virtual trainer, my primary job is to work with you on health and wellness, with career-related officiating training secondary. Stay motivated by your training, thinking beyond the upcoming season and even beyond the end of your officiating career. You can hang up your whistle but never hang up the the training gear. Your body will thank you.

GameReady for life.