As the 2010 campaign for the World Series begins in the MLB world, millions of children are beginning a quest of their own to master everything from the dig at first base, the defense of the hot corner, and slapping the ball to the opposite field on a pitch down and away. The irony is that these kids are not being paid to do this, they are in fact paying to play a game they love and hope in many cases to continue loving for many years.
Baseball is a game which enlists very fond memories in my brain, and most assuredly in the minds of other 40 somethings. The different colored tee shirts to symbolize the team we played for now replaced by cutting edge uniforms, sliding pads and cleats where Chucks once were. The beaten and battered glove, reeking of vasoline, and the underside of your mattress where it stayed in hibernation all winter bound up with twine and housing a similarly beaten and battered baseball with a few stitches missing...now replaced by the latest and greatest "position specific" glove, a must in the age 7-10 brackets eh'? A volunteer coach, occasionally a father of one of the kids on the team trying to show you how to swing and get some contact with the ball, replaced by batting coaches at 75 clams an hour at indoor facilities.
The past time has changed for the youth of America, and the habits, like everything children learn, are passed down from the adults.
What got me thinking about baseball has been the talk this week in Boston about Nomah' retiring as a member of the Bosox. Why? What I can recall about that Friday night at a certain drinking establishment in Charlestown is hunkering down with a couple of compadres to watch the hometown 9 take on the dreaded pin stripers. Guess who walks in and takes a table in the corner with his buddy. You guessed it.
So with the kids spending bundles of dough on the "American Pastime" this spring to emulate their heroes in the big leagues and maybe one day be like them and "get paid" like them (becoming a catchy tattoo in professional sports), try to keep them on the path and don't get caught up in the major league hype. Stay rooted in what baseball is all about...colored tee shirts, plaid pants, Chuck Taylors and runny noses on the kids who are smiling and enjoying baseball for "the love of the game". Stay Gold.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Pearls for the Chiropractor, Trainer, and Weekend Warrior...
Chiropractor: When treating a patient with a primary subluxation, and a secondary muscle length discrepancy remember these tips for assessment...
1. Isolate the muscle to be tested by positioning the joints the muscle crosses in an alignment to maximally stretch the fibers in the direction they anatomically align.
2. If the muscle crosses two joints, affix either end of the muscle while you move the other attachment away in a super slow manner not to allow for any jerking movements to affect your assessment.
3. Try to get as much feedback from the patient during the muscle length assessment. They are your sensory input.
4. Muscle length restriction can be mistaken for neural tension, and vice versa. Know the difference!
(Thank You Dr. Janda, rest in peace)
Trainer: You cannot warm up your client too much! Especially during the cold winter months.
This includes conditioning apparatus, movement series (dynamic warm up), joint mobility, calisthenics, agility, etc. Take it from an "old bull" who loves to jump into the heavy stuff right off the bat, take the time to warm up the tissues. Use an extended warm up on the next visit, or have the client come in early and post their warm up to be done on their own until you are scheduled to take them. Safety and efficiency. Better than sliced bed!
Weekend Warrior: Don't ignore pain. It is a warning sign that something you are doing is wrong. Get it checked right away by a chiropractic sports physician, before it becomes an every day occurrence. Trust me, little aches are easier to get rid of than 6 years of big aches! To save time for your chiropractor, write down your workouts and the symptoms you had during the specific exercises. This can help determine not only what is wrong with you but also how to fix it and prevent it from coming back again.
Stay Healthy, Listen to Your Body!
Chiropractor: When treating a patient with a primary subluxation, and a secondary muscle length discrepancy remember these tips for assessment...
1. Isolate the muscle to be tested by positioning the joints the muscle crosses in an alignment to maximally stretch the fibers in the direction they anatomically align.
2. If the muscle crosses two joints, affix either end of the muscle while you move the other attachment away in a super slow manner not to allow for any jerking movements to affect your assessment.
3. Try to get as much feedback from the patient during the muscle length assessment. They are your sensory input.
4. Muscle length restriction can be mistaken for neural tension, and vice versa. Know the difference!
(Thank You Dr. Janda, rest in peace)
Trainer: You cannot warm up your client too much! Especially during the cold winter months.
This includes conditioning apparatus, movement series (dynamic warm up), joint mobility, calisthenics, agility, etc. Take it from an "old bull" who loves to jump into the heavy stuff right off the bat, take the time to warm up the tissues. Use an extended warm up on the next visit, or have the client come in early and post their warm up to be done on their own until you are scheduled to take them. Safety and efficiency. Better than sliced bed!
Weekend Warrior: Don't ignore pain. It is a warning sign that something you are doing is wrong. Get it checked right away by a chiropractic sports physician, before it becomes an every day occurrence. Trust me, little aches are easier to get rid of than 6 years of big aches! To save time for your chiropractor, write down your workouts and the symptoms you had during the specific exercises. This can help determine not only what is wrong with you but also how to fix it and prevent it from coming back again.
Stay Healthy, Listen to Your Body!
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