In part 1 of this article, I talked a lot about the financial portion of starting a training facility. If you missed it, definitely give it a read before you move forward with this article, as this second installment won't mean much if you have no money when you start up!
With part 2, I'll focus more on the actual decisions we made with respect to planning our staff, business model, and actual gym space. We'll pick it up with point #4, as Part 1 included the first three. What's funny about these points is that I can distinctly remember sitting down for dinner at Applebee's with my business partner, Pete, and discussing them. We wrote our notes on a napkin.
4. We started small.
Cressey Sports Performance 1.0 could have been politely described as a dungeon. This is actually the view on the second day.
It was very rough on the eyes, so we had to put in a lot of renovations in the first few weeks to make it more aesthetically appealing.
Still, in spite of what we invested on this side of things, it still wasn’t what I’d consider a showcase location. Rather, it was our "test facility." We had to make sure that our business model was sustainable and profitable before writing checks our butts couldn't cash. In other words, we made a good decision by starting small.
That first facility was only 3,300 square feet. The rent and utilities were very reasonable, and it allowed us to get profitable quickly. Just as importantly, it helped to give the perception of "busyness" that you want in order to create good energy in the gym. Had we gone to 10,000 square feet right off the bat, we would have dug ourselves a much deeper hole – and I question whether we would have been able to establish a great training environment early on. Rather, it might have felt like a personal training studio – which doesn’t exactly get young athletes excited. While we longed for a larger facility, we resisted the urge - and instead opted to satisfy our temptations by getting panoramic shots of our ~1,500 square foot weight room to make it seem really big to us.
Only nine months later, we moved three miles east to CSP 2.0. It was 6,600 square feet.
Then, 18 months later, we knocked down a wall to bump it up to 7,600 square feet by taking on some new office space.
Finally, 2.5 years later, we essentially doubled our space again, going to our current 15,000+ square-foot space.
The other hidden benefit of gradually increasing your space is that you can get away with making facility design mistakes along the way, as you simply commit them to heart and then work them into your next expansion. You don't get that luxury if you start at 25,000 square feet, especially since you're usually more worried about paying rent than managing the "flow" of the facility and optimizing the client experience.
The moral of the story is to start small and give yourself room to grow. This might mean you need to sign shorter-term leases to allow for these adjustments, or just seek out a building that you know has room into which you can expand.
5. We purchased equipment our clients needed, not just stuff we thought would be fun to have.
This is a basic lesson, but an important one nonetheless. We all (hopefully) learn the difference between "need" and "want" at a young age. However, the ability to make this differentiation often escapes fitness entrepreneurs when they plan their new facilities and are perusing equipment catalogs and websites. Don't buy stuff you want to train yourself; buy stuff you need to train your clients.
Just like 25,000 square feet isn't necessary if you only have five clients, a $10,000 machine probably isn't necessary - especially right off the bat. You probably don't need a leg curl - let alone four different varieties of leg curls. It's much easier to add items later than it is to have to continually look at (and pay off) an unnecessary piece of equipment you never use.
As an interesting frame of reference, in our last facility expansion, we added about 7,500 square feet, but only two pieces of equipment: an extra set of farmer's walk handles and a Prowler. We just needed more space.
Remember that it's your expertise and the training culture and environment you create - not equipment bells and whistles - that brings people back.
6. We selected a sustainable niche.
I've written at length in the past about how we found and developed the baseball "niche" and expanded our business in this avenue. One of the key points I made what that we made a point of picking a population segment that was sustainable. You can't pick farmers in New York City and expect to thrive, nor would you be able to train surfers in Ohio. There are cultural, geographical, scarcity, financial, and logistical factors one has to consider in making this specialization decision.
Our "niche" came about somewhat by accident, but our development of it was absolutely, positively no accident. In fact, our approach to baseball training and growing our business in this regard is incredibly calculated. Believe it or not, by popular demand, we added a one-hour business development presentation from my business partner, Pete Dupuis, as part of our Elite Baseball Mentorships - and he received insanely positive reviews.
7. We complemented ourselves instead of replicating ourselves.
I've written about this in the past, so this will be brief. If you're going into business, don't just pick business partners and initial employees because they are "just like you." Pick people whose skillsets complement yours. If you don't, your entire staff is going to be standing around with hammers looking to smash nails when you really need a screwdriver.
As a quick example, my goal on a daily basis is to do zero administrative business tasks; we have a business director and office manager who handle these responsibilities so that I can best leverage my strengths.
8. We established a good network.
Your network may consist of professionals to whom you refer clients (physical therapists, massage therapists, pitching and hitting instructors), or those to whom you look for business advice (accountant, equipment supply company, business consultant). These are all relationships you can establish before your business is up and running, as they are important and must be trusted resources before you have already backed yourself into a corner where you're too busy to critically evaluate their role with respect to your business. Essentially, my recommendation is to not just establish a network, but be meticulous early on in making sure these individuals are a good fit for your business. If you don't do this up-front leg work, these individuals can make your business look very bad at a time (start-up) when you need to look very good.
Closing Thoughts
I hope that these last five points have complemented the three from part 1 nicely in order to give you a more comprehensive perspective from which to draw when starting up a fitness business. As you can probably tell, there are a lot of incorrect paths you can pursue if you don't critically evaluate important decisions in the planning stages. For more insights on this front, I'd encourage you to sign up for our Business Building Mentorship that's taking place September 22-24. For the first time, it'll be offered in a 100% online format. You can learn more HERE.
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This blog is a unique blend of fitness advice, baseball training discussion, nutritional information, and a host of other health and human performance concepts. That said, while I never really set out to do so, as Cressey Sports Performance has grown year after year, this website has also become a business development resource for those in the fitness industry who would ultimately like to have their own training facilities. So, that's the direction that today's post (and the follow-up) will take.
Typically, when a writer covers "lessons learned," it's based entirely on mistakes one has made - and we've certainly had our fair share of business blunders that become "teachable moments" at Cressey Sports Performance. However, I thought I'd use this two-part article to highlight a few things we've actually done correctly over the years. I think you'll be surprised to find that none of these points have anything to do with training; they are actually largely applicable to just about any business, regardless of industry.
I should preface these points with the note that I'll discuss my financial situation in a small amount of detail. I do this only to illustrate the importance of understanding opportunity cost and long-term financial planning, not to toot my own horn. When you start talking money, things always get awkward, and I don't want to come across that way. I'm not looking for applause by talking about myself; I'm just utilizing my own experiences to make some very important points.
1. I made sure I didn't get buried under student loans and other debt.
I've spoken a bit in the past about how I actually started out at a business-oriented university with the intention of becoming an accountant. After two years there, it was clear to me that my passion was actually in the fitness industry, and I wanted to shift my business credits into a Sports Management program while double majoring in Exercise Science. While there were several options available to me, I opted to attend the University of New England. It was a program that had grown by leaps and bounds, but perhaps the biggest appeal to me was that my total tuition and fees bill would be about $15,000 lower each year - and I could live at home and commute to campus. Just as importantly, I could work to make money and gain experience (I worked at a gym) all through my last two years of undergraduate education. I had a full-time summer job all four years, and never spent a penny on alcohol in my undergraduate career. Very simply, I knew what I wanted - and over the course of the four years, these collective decisions probably amounted to a $60,000 "swing" in the direction of not beind buried in debt.
I opted to go to the University of Connecticut for graduate school thereafter, and there was not graduate assistant funding available for me in the first year. As such, I paid out-of-state tuition and got my own room and board for the first year. To cancel it out, I worked as a personal trainer and bartender on nights and weekends - all while volunteering in the human performance laboratory and in varsity strength and conditioning while taking a full course load. My hard work was rewarded with a graduate assistantship in year 2, and that included a tuition waiver and stipend for the year. I dropped the personal training, but continued to bartend. This two-year period was also the time where my writing career took off. When all was said and done, I left graduate school with more in the bank than when I arrived - and had a Master's Degree and countless valuable experiences under my belt, too. Had I not worked like I did, it would have been another $60,000 swing toward debt.
In spite of this apparent $120,000 swing, I still finished graduate school with student loans waiting for me - a lot of them. Where I think I'm different than a lot of kids nowadays (besides the fact that the cost of college have skyrocketed since 1999-2005) is that I worked hard to minimize the accumulation of loans and had a firm plan of attack for how to address them.
If you're going to take on a quarter-million dollars in student loans, you better be damn sure that the education you receive gives you a competitive advantage in the workforce. I've written about this at length in Is an Exercise Science Degree Really Worth It - Part 1 and Part 2.
The University of New England gave me a competitive advantage because I wanted a school that offered gross anatomy in its curriculum, was close to my home, enabled me to double major at very limited added costs, and put me in a position to work during my undergraduate career. I'd also had some health problems around this time, and wanted to be closer to some of the professionals to whom I'd become accustomed over the previous years. The University of Connecticut also gave me a competitive advantage because I had exposure to high level athletes, great coaches, cutting-edge research, and professors with tremendous expertise and professional networks - as well as the opportunity to receive a graduate assistantship.
If you can't name the competitive advantage your school provides, then you need to think long and hard about why you're there. And, even if you can find the competitive advantage, with today's college costs, you better make like Cressey and start personal training and mixing up Cosmopolitans at the bar so that you're not buried under student loans in a few years.
2. I got out of debt early.
Here's a quick and dirty lesson on debt: there is good debt and bad debt.
Mortgages can be good debt (if you can afford to pay them) because of the mortgage interest tax deduction, and the fact that if it's at a low enough rate, you can get a greater return on investing your money, as opposed to paying down the mortgage. Don't worry about that; you're looking to start a fitness business, not buy a house.
Credit card debt is bad. If you're not paying them off in full each month, it's a pretty good indicator that you're spending money you don't have - and paying super high interest rates on that amount. Taking it a step further, the interest isn't tax deductible.
Somewhere in the middle is student loan interest. You can write it off if you earn below a certain amount, so that's good. However, a lot of people exceed that income threshold quickly (sorry, doctors and lawyers), so it can also be bad debt that you want to pay down quickly, especially nowadays, with the rates being super high.
What does all this have to do with starting a fitness business? Two things:
a. I always tell people that if you're going to start a fitness business, you should have three months operating expenses handy in cash. Alwyn Cosgrove taught me this, and I remember him being really surprised when I told him I had it kicking around. Apparently, very few fitness professionals he'd encountered to that point had any savings - so they were a long ways from being in a position to start a gym up.
b. If you're carrying student loans - and certainly credit card debt - it's going to be virtually impossible to get a business loan. Banks aren't loaning money as easily as they used to do so; lots of financially stable folks with good credit scores get turned down for mortgages every single day in light of our current economic climate. So, if you think you're going to get a $50,000 bank loan when you're showing a balance sheet with $100,000 in student loans and $10,000 credit card debt - and no assets to back the loan - you'd probably be better off going back to school to sit in on some finance courses. Or, you'll need to have that awkward conversation with a spouse or other family member about putting your house up as collateral for the loan.
I was lucky to have approximately 5,897 accountants in my immediate family. Seriously, at our family reunions, they play cornhole with calculators instead of beanbags, and my first toy was an abacus. Those are mild exaggerations, but it would be an understatement to say that I had excellent financial advice handy whenever I needed it. I learned about good vs. bad debt at a young age, and resigned myself to getting rid of all of it as soon as possible.
In the year that followed graduate school, I worked absurd hours, had no social life, and lived well below my means. It was worth it, though, as on my 25th birthday, I wrote a check to clear my student loans - roughly one year after I'd finished graduate school. That was May 20, 2006. Cressey Sports Performance was founded on July 13, 2007. In those 419 days, I trained athletes over 70 hours per week, published my first book, co-created a DVD set with Mike Robertson, and continued to save - which was easy, since all I did was work. And, as a single guy, I really didn't have any major expenses.
What did this mean? When the time came to open Cressey Sports Performance...
3. I didn't have take out any loans.
This is a huge deal. Historically, when fitness professionals want to start gym and don't have the capital to do so, they do one of three things:
a. Try to get a business loan (generally problematic for the reasons above)
b. Ask family members for money (this couldn't possibly go wrong, right?)
c. Get supportive personal training clients to invest
I had the capital handy to start our gym because I knew this day would come at some point and therefore had years of financial preparation under my belt. That said, it didn't prevent five separate clients from approaching me about investing in me (which is a variation of "c"). It was absolutely flattering, as these were very business-savvy people who were effectively saying that they trusted in me as a fitness professional, business owner, and person. I politely declined in all five cases, though, for three primary reasons.
First, you never want to give away equity in your business unless you absolutely have to do so. It always muddies the water long-term, particularly in the case of a silent partner. It's easy to forget the initial financial risk an individual put forth when you may be cutting him/her a check 4-5 years later for double or triple what that initial investment was, so resentment can build. Plus, the more you dilute the ownership, the less long-term profitability you have the potential to attain. You never want to kill your upside entirely just to protect against the downside.
Second, when someone has an equity stake, he/she will obviously have suggestions on your business. You need to be prepared for the relationship to go from client to adviser - and an established friendship can often be a complex part of that interaction. Nobody will ever understand your business as well as you do, so it can be difficult to take outside perspectives from those who weren't there putting in the long hours from Day 1.
Third, as I noted, I didn't need the funding. You might not be in this situation, but there is still an important lesson to learn: only borrow as much as you need, not as much as you want.
Part 1 Wrap-up
Now that you've finished reading this piece, I'll clue you in on something: none of this is information that is "exclusive" to starting a fitness business. This is just 100% solid business advice that should demonstrate for you that being financially responsible and independent is of paramount importance to starting any successful business - and that includes one in the fitness industry. It doesn't matter how good a trainer or strength coach you are; if you don't have your financial ducks in a row, you're playing from behind the 8-ball from the start.
Sadly, very few fitness professionals who approach me for business advice have put themselves in this position and are therefore much further away from their dream facilities than they realize. It's unfortunately quite the coincidence, as fitness professionals are constantly working to make clients aware of how each and every choice they make in terms of training, nutrition, sleep, and other factors impacts their fitness progress. Meanwhile, they may be overlooking the fact that their own short-sighted financial decisions and inability to manage debt and save money effectively are taking away from the long-term success of their fitness businesses.
I'm incredibly proud of what we've been able to accomplish at Cressey Sports Performance, with substantial growth that was undoubtedly fueled in large part by our training expertise and the culture and environment we've created. However, I'm also very proud of the fiscal responsibility, hard work, patience, and focus that my business partners and I demonstrated in the initial planning stages in 2007.
With all that said, I apologize for rambling on with stories about myself. I hope that it came across not as narcissistic, but rather as a case study you can use to help guide your path to fitness business success. In part 2, I'll discuss some of the more fitness-oriented topics we managed well during the start-up period.
In the meantime, if you'd like to learn more about starting a fitness business, I'd encourage you to consider attending our September 22-24 Business Building Mentorship. For the first time, it'll be offered in a 100% online format. You can learn more HERE.
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I’m psyched to announce that on Sunday, September 22, we’ll be hosting our second annual fall seminar at Cressey Performance. As was the case with our extremely popular fall event last year, this event will showcase both the great staff we're fortunate to have as part of our team. Also like last year, we want to make this an affordable event for everyone and create a great forum for industry professionals and fitness enthusiasts alike to interact, exchange ideas, and learn.
Here are the presentation topics:
Cracking the Crossfit Code - Presented by Eric Cressey
Let's face it: Crossfit is here to stay. With that in mind, it's time for someone to take an unbiased look at how we can make coaches and fitness enthusiasts successful within the scope of this training system. In this presentation, Eric will look past the emotions people have with respect to this approach, and discuss rationale ways to accentuate the positives while offering solutions for the shortcomings. In short, the goal is to bring people together, not drive two sides further apart.
Training Joe vs. Jane: Do Women Need to Train Differently Than Men? – Presented by Tony Gentilcore
Should women avoid lifting appreciable weight? What are the most effective strategies for training women through pregnancy? Is there such a thing as an ACL-Prevention Program?
In this presentation, I will discuss many of the common misconceptions and "myths" relating to training female athletes. I intend to provide extensive responses and feedback to some of the most frequently asked questions I have encountered relating to the art of strength training for women.
Insulin:The Hormone, The Myth, The Legend – Presented by Brian St. Pierre
Carbs spike insulin and insulin causes fat gain. So, cut the carbs and you'll end up lean and healthy. End of story. Or is it?
While the Paleo and low carb camps loudly proclaim that carbs and insulin are the enemy, the latest science suggests otherwise. In fact, we're starting to learn that high insulin is an effect of being overweight, not a cause. In this session, Brian will explore the real relationship between carbs and insulin, discussing some of the common myths about insulin, and sharing some practical eating strategies you can put into action immediately.
Integrating Corrective Exercise for Performance Enhancement – Presented by Mike Reinold
Often times, muscle imbalances, alignment issues, and movement impairments can lead to injury and decreased performance. However, corrective exercises are often unsuccessful for various reasons. By focusing on several key principles, you can maximize your ability to apply corrective exercises to optimize movement and enhance performance.
Getting To Know Your Athlete: Understanding Learning Styles to Be a More Effective Coach – Presented by Chris Howard
In this presentation, I will discuss the different learning styles and how knowledge of this information is helpful in becoming a more effective coach. I will also delve into the differences between introverted and extroverted clients and how it is necessary to coach and assess them differently.
Excellence In Group Training – Presented by Greg Robins
Group training, small group training, and bootcamps are here to stay. Let me help you understand how I manage the variables associated with group training to optimize a less than ideal scenario. The information presented will be sure to help everyone from the strength and conditioning specialist to commercial fitness professional alike.
The Role of Physical Therapy in a Strength and Conditioning Facility – Presented by Eric Schoenberg
Physical Therapy earns little respect in strength and conditioning circles due to the inability of traditional PTs to properly progress a patient from injury to high-level activity. This lack of versatility has contributed to an increased role of the strength and conditioning professional in the care of the injured athlete. But, is there a role for Physical Therapy in the training world? Physical therapist Eric Schoenberg will share his thoughts on why partnering with the right physical therapist can add great value to your business and improve results for your clients.
Location:
Cressey Performance,
577 Main St.
Suite 310
Hudson, MA 01749
Cost:
Regular – $149.99 Student (must present current student ID at door) – $129.99
Date/Time:
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Registration 8:30AM
Seminar 9AM-5:30PM
We’re really excited about this event, and would love to have you join us! However, space is limited and each seminar we’ve hosted in the past has sold out quickly, so don’t delay on signing up!
If you have additional questions, please direct them to cresseyperformance@gmail.com. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Today's guest post comes from my business partner, Pete Dupuis.
I’m pleased to say that tomorrow marks the 6-year anniversary of Cressey Performance being in business. This also happens to be the 5th consecutive year that I have brought the upcoming date to Eric’s attention, only to learn that he was completely unaware of the occasion. I guess time flies when you're having fun!
In years past, Eric has been thankful for the reminder and eager to pull together his annual “lessons learned” blog post. This time around, he told me that our 6th anniversary is “just about as cool as turning 22”, and that I was welcome to take the annual write-up off his hands. I’ve decided to run with it, but will be taking a different approach.
Instead of presenting a collection of lessons learned, I’d like to highlight the six moments and/or accomplishments I am most proud of during CP’s brief history. Please note that this list is absolutely not prioritized in any specific order. I’d be perfectly fine with each and every one of these six topics being #1 on this list. Here goes!
1. 2,320 in 2,190
CP has worked with 2,320 different athletes during the 2,190 days we’ve been in business. This means that I’ve had the pleasure of outlining our price points and training model so many times that I can effectively give the pitch on auto-pilot. I have also spent a considerable amount of time fine-tuning the answer to the question “so what do you do?” that pops up every time I sit down next to a stranger at a wedding. You’d be surprised how difficult it can be to articulate what we do without just taking the easy way out and saying “I own a gym”.
Most importantly to me, this statistic means that we have managed to generate more than one lead a day over a 6-year span without ever spending a dollar on conventional advertising. Instead, we focus on results, and never say no when someone asks if they can get their hands on a CP t-shirt to wear around their baseball clubhouse. I couldn’t tell you what the industry standard is supposed to be for successful lead generation, but I am proud of this number.
2. Our Dream Facility
As we’ve mentioned before, our first facility was smaller than the footprint of our current offices. Upon opening our doors during the summer of 2007, we were in a space that could be best described as “bare-bones”. The windows were broken, the space was dusty, and the bathrooms were questionable at best. With this being said, I was every bit as proud of that first unit as I am of our current facility.
On August 26, 2012, we opened the doors to a training space that fits our needs perfectly. I spent the majority of the three months leading up to this event preparing the layout for the space, installing carpet tiles for the warm-up area with our resident handy-man Pickles, and painting accent walls in the office. During that same time, Eric, Tony, Chris, Greg and Michelle were keeping CP cranking at a record-setting pace so that the bank account was getting replenished while I spent aggressively at Home Depot and Perform Better!
I think I speak for our entire team when I say that we are thrilled with our new-look gym.
3. Productive Internship Program
At last count, CP had had the pleasure of working with over 70 different interns. These 70 individuals not only worked hard to become better coaches during their time with us, but they also helped to create a training experience for our clients that kept them excited about training, and eager to be part of the CP community.
It seems that all of our former interns have gone on to be great professionals within our field, and many have successfully transitioned to being influential contributors to the world of health and fitness. I am pleased every single day to see them doing big things throughout this constantly evolving industry.
In six years, I have reviewed more than 500 internship applications, executed roughly 200 telephone interviews, and sent out over 400 emails notifying applicants that they have not been accepted (least favorite part of my job). When all was said and done, the 70 accepted applicants rose to the top of the list, and we’ve been very fortunate to have their help in cultivating the CP Family. Which leads me to…
4. CP Family
A couple of years back, we had an intern who was truly flustered when I told him that my biggest piece of advice for making the most of his experience with us was to focus on creating relationships with our clients. He had just completed an internship at a strength & conditioning facility where he’d been specifically told, “you’re not here to make friends…you’re here to coach."
This couldn’t possibly be further from the mentality we have when it comes to creating a family atmosphere within the walls of CP. I am fortunate enough to wake up excited to go to work every single day, and it is because I’m going to a place where my job is to make friends and facilitate an environment that people are excited to visit. We take this component of our business very seriously, and there are many CP clients who I consider to be part of my inner circle of friends.
Most importantly, this type of environment is one that can’t exist without employing a staff that truly cares about its clients. While I haven’t gone ahead and given the CP team it’s own spot on this list of achievements, I can say with confidence that you will not find a staff in this industry that cares more about being great at what they do.
5. Seeing the System Come Full Circle
Following the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Eric wrote a fantastic post about the accomplishments and work ethic of current Chicago Cubs prospect, Kevin Brown. Kevin has been a regular at CP since the end of his sophomore year of high school. In the time since we’ve been working with him, we’ve watched Kevin transition from scrappy middle infielder on his high school varsity baseball team, to a division one baseball player who set multiple school records at Bryant University, to a 22nd round draft pick who has since signed his first professional contract.
Kevin is, in fact, one of just a few athletes we have seen make this progression in their baseball careers (Travis Dean being another), and it has been rewarding to be able to observe the process first-hand. I am proud of the fact that both of these athletes have been with us since the very first few months we were in business, and I’m proud of the fact that they both made it a priority to get a training session in at CP on the day that they each left to report to their first day as professional athletes. As you can see, they did not hesitate to sign the Pro Athlete Autograph Wall at CP.
6. The Fact that We're Just Hitting Our Stride
In a way, I’m more excited about what we’re going to accomplish, than what we have so far. I’m excited about the career prospects of the 40 CP athletes who have been taken in the last three MLB First-Year Player Drafts. I’m excited about the coming 2014 Draft. I’m excited about our relationship with the good people at New Balance Baseball. I’m excited for our college ballplayers to return to fall-ball ready to reap the benefits of a summer of hard work. I’m excited to chat with the next person who calls to inquire about our services.
When finally stopped to think about it, I realized that I’m just plain excited about what we’re doing here. And that’s pretty exciting.
To learn more about Cressey Performance, check out our website, or watch this video to learn more about our Elite Baseball Development Program.
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It's been a while since I updated the free bonus I give to all my baseball-specific newsletter subscribers when they sign up for this free mailing list, so I figure now is as good a time as ever. With that in mind, by entering your name and email in the opt-in below, you'll be emailed access information so that you can watch my 47-minute seminar presentation, Individualizing the Management of Overhead Athletes. I've given this presentation to more than 10,000 coaches, players, sports medicine professionals in the past 18 months, and it's been a big hit.
In this free presentation, you'll observe a lot of our Cressey Performance athletes training and learn:
Why different athletes need different approaches to power development
Why it’s essential that you learn to train outside the sagittal plane
Which medicine ball and plyometric variations I use with baseball players
Why not all throwers have identical deceleration patterns or training needs
How your arm care programs can be improved to reduce the risk of injury and improve throwing velocity
Hope you enjoy it. Thanks for your continued support - and please don't hesitate to share this page to those who you think might be interested in and benefit from the information I present.
*Note: We respect your privacy and won't share your information with anyone. Instead, we'll deliver you awesome content on a regular basis!
A few weeks ago, I was chatting with an athletic trainer friend of mine who used to work with one of our athletes. He was joking with me about how when he'd brought up the concept of postural awareness to this athlete years ago, the athlete had really shrugged it off as being unimportant. Now, years later, that athlete is taking posture more seriously and reaping the benefits in terms of health and performance.
This conversation got me to thinking about what it takes to get athletes to "buy in" to what you're saying to them or doing with them. Obviously, in this instance, it's likely heavily influenced by this young athlete simply getting older and more mature. However, I often wonder how we can accelerate the process of having athletes commit 100% to the approach we're employing. Below, I've listed a few areas I've found to be particularly important in expediting the process of athlete "buy-in."
1. Deliver a consistent message.
Remember when you were a kid and wanted something you know you didn't have a chance of getting? First, you'd ask your Mom and get shot down - and then you'd go to your Dad and try to sell him on it (or vice versa). If your Dad didn't back your Mom 100%, it usually meant that Dad was sleeping on the couch you thought you still had a fighting chance to get your way. The message had to be consistent for them to get you to buy in to their rules.
In the gym, it has to be the same way - and not just in terms of rules. There needs to be a consistent message in terms of programming, nomenclature (i.e., what you call exercises), coaching cues, and what is deemed "acceptable" technique. If any of these factors don't line up along all members of your staff, athletes get mixed messages and begin to second guess you.
2. Start off with one-on-one interaction.
Every notice what happens when a coach yells at an entire team at once? Usually, the entire team "wears it" - and then proceeds to gossip about the coach after the fact and shrug off the message he was trying to deliver. In fact, he usually loses them a little (or a lot) more with each tirade.
Conversely, think about what happens when a coach pulls aside a player individually and lets him know his conduct, attitude, or effort level hasn't been satisfactory. Usually, that turns out to be a big kick in the pants for an athlete to step up his game and carry himself the right way.
This one-on-one interaction doesn't have to just be reserved for when something is going wrong, though. It's tremendously important when you first meet with an athlete to discuss his/her goals and go through an evaluation. I often video scapular screens with my baseball guys and discuss how their shoulder blades move relative to how we want them to move. It educates them, but also makes them realized how individualized their programming and overall training experience will be.
3. Individualize coaching cues to the athlete's learning style.
Taking the individualization theme a bit further, it's important to realize that all athletes have different learning styles when it comes to acquiring new movement pattern. Some are kinesthetic (need to be put in a position), some are auditory (just need to be told what to do), and others are visual (need to watch you demonstrate it). Being able to taylor your coaching style to their learning style - and not the other way around - is a great way to build rapport with athletes early on.
4. Overdeliver.
My good friend Pat Rigsby always talks about how the most successful long-term businesses are built on the concept of value addition rather than value extraction. In other words, it's always best to find ways to go above and beyond to improve a client or athlete's experience. As an example in the Cressey Performance world, I have a very good network in the college baseball world. And, while we would never advertise that we help kids find schools, I've lost count of how many times I've put kids in touch with coaching staffs at schools that interest them. Having a go-between expedites the recruiting process and helps them to get their questions answered. We've donated training sessions to charity auctions, hosted BBQs for clients, and even written letters of recommendation for jobs, college, and med school for clients. We aren't expected to do so; we're happy to do so. And, doing nice things for others makes you feel a lot better about yourself than just sitting around trying to figure out ways that you can raise your prices.
5. Build a team.
Building a team is the ultimate sign of humility, which is a quality that I think just about everyone on this planet admires. In surrounding yourself with people who have complementary skill sets to your own, you're recognizing that you aren't a genuis on every single topic, but will always go out of your way to find the best possible answer to their questions. People who try to "go it alone" often think that they're offering a superior service, but in reality, they just haven't recognized how much better their offering could be if they surround themselves with bright people who can bring the collective "brain power" up a notch. Athletes don't want to hang out with people who think they know everything; they'd rather be surrounded by a team that'll help them get to where they want to be.
6. Be a friend - and that means being accessible.
I once heard a story about a training facility owner telling one of his staff members, "You're not here to make friends." It made me want to vomit.
If you want to be successful in the world of training athletes, don't just expect to be a guy who can punch the clock and still thrive. Remember that in the training world, we work while others play - so that means others work while we play. In other words, you might get phone calls, text messages, or emails from athletes with questions when you don't think you're "on the clock." And, while you don't need to be available at 3AM every night just in case, you should appreciate that making time for athletes outside of your normal "hours" can often pay off 100-fold down the road in terms of their buy-in to your programs. If they know you're heavily invested in their success, they'll be invested in it, too.
These are obviously only six thoughts that first came to mind on the topic, but I'd love to hear your comments below. What other ways can coaches and trainers increase the likelihood that athletes and clients "buy in?"
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Late Saturday afternoon, the 2013 MLB Draft wrapped up, with a record 15 Cressey Sports Performance athletes having been taken over the three days. It's always a great time of year, as being drafted is a dream come true for just about anyone who has ever picked up a baseball. While I'm proud of all 15 guys, there was one guy in particular whose story is particularly valuable for up-and-coming baseball players to read. Kevin Brown was drafted in the 22nd round by the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, and you can learn a lot from him - but need to hear his story first.
This was the first time I ever saw Kevin play baseball.
No, Kevin wasn't among those celebrating. He was the unfortunate sophomore who struck out looking while down a run in the ninth inning with men on base to end the Massachusetts Division 1 State Championship game. I was there to see a bunch of other guys I trained from the other team, including the pitcher, who was the Massachusetts State Player of the Year in 2007. They celebrated right in front of him.
Two weeks later, Kevin started training at Cressey Sports Performance - right alongside most of the guys from the winning team. It was somewhat of an awkward moment, to say the least (particularly when Kevin recognized the other team's catcher in the middle of a set of push-ups). Our entire staff quickly realized that this kid meant business, though. Whether it was the way he was "wired" or just that he was extra motivated from the tough loss and the way that it ended, Kevin quickly became a "facility favorite" for his outstanding work ethic. He was a kid who would always show up on time with a smile on his face, and then he'd flip a switch and get after it. In fact, I'm pretty sure that even as a 16 year-old, Kevin would have run through a wall for me if I'd asked him to do so.
The next year, as a junior, he led the state in home runs. Still, he didn't get many looks on the college recruiting front. Even some of the bigger name schools in New England alone said that they didn't think he was good enough to play for them. Fortunately, Bryant University - which had just made the move up to Division 1 from the D2 ranks - saw something in him and offered him a scholarship. A few weeks after he accepted it, he went to play down South for the first time. In a fall ball tournament, he went 8-14 against some of the best high school prospects in the country at the World Wood Bat event in Jupiter, FL. Quite a few college coaches came out of the woodwork to ask, "Who is this kid?" Uh, he was the kid you either ignored or overlooked.
At Bryant, Kevin went on to be named Northeast Conference Freshman of the year, and was one of only 15 freshman All-Americans in the country. He started all 56 games and hit .355. He was one of the better hitters in the New England Collegiate Baseball League the following summer, and eventually went on to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League. This year, Kevin hit .367 with a .498 on-base percentage. In the process, he set a bunch of hitting records at Bryant, and this year, he reached base safely in 16-straight at-bats, falling just two short of the NCAA record. The team advanced to their first ever NCAA Regional and won a game in the process. In addition to being named Bryant's Male Athlete of the Year, "Brownie" was awarded the Omar Shareef Spirit Award, which is voted on by student-athletes themselves. In short, Kevin was tremendously successful - and he did it the right way, earning the respect of coaches and teammates/peers.
I also should note that in a game this year against a college that refused to recruit him, Kevin went 3-3 with a 3B, HR, 2BB, 4RBI, a SB, and 2 runs scored. I guess they didn't see what we did.
As an interesting aside, we had another player, Carl Anderson, commit to play baseball at Bryant two years after Kevin did. When he left for school, I told Carl to just follow Brownie around and do everything he did. They trained together at CSP and in the cages all winter. Carl went on to hit .341 with a .405 OBP and stole 20 bases this year. I guess he picked a good training partner.
If you walked in to Cressey Sports Performance, you'd never find a person who could say a bad thing about Kevin. They'd rave about his work ethic and unconditionally positive and polite demeanor. And, they'd tell you that Kevin was a "do-er" and not a "talker."
I see far too many kids that worry about what others think of them. They'll post on Twitter about how they're in "beast mode." And, they'll make sure that all their baseball "eyewash" - flat brims, upside-down sunglasses, silly bracelets, necklaces, and arm sleeves - are all in place before they walk in to the gym...only to take them off to train. And, they'll check their cell phone for text messages between sets. Then, they'll complain when people don't recognize their "talent." It's like they expect things to be handed to them on a silver platter. They'll insist that they have to attend a big-name Division 1 school when they really ought to be picking a school where they can actually play and develop. They'd rather "talk" than "do."
Meanwhile, there is a very small minority of players out there who are busting their butts, appreciating that they need to work to earn what comes their way. They're the Kevin Browns of the world who have experienced failures, been overlooked, and flown under the radar. They don't want to draw attention to themselves because they are too modest and, frankly, they don't want any distractions. It's a lot easier to run through the wall if there isn't anything in the way. They absolutely love the game, so the hours of training feel a lot more like "fun" than "work," as they enjoy the process as much as they covet the destination. In fact, just listen to what Kevin's Dad had to say at the 5:23 mark of our Elite Baseball Development video.
They're guys like Steve Cishek and Tim Collins, who've made it to the big leagues and played for Team USA when nobody even thought they could play D1 college baseball.
And, guys like this are why you can be sure that I just became a little more of a Chicago Cubs fan - and you probably ought to be a little more of one, too. And, it's why you should think long and hard about whether you're more of a "talker" or a "doer." You might just realize that you aren't working quite as hard as you could be.
Congratulations, Kevin, and bust of luck...not that you need it.
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Today, Greg Robins is back with five tips for your nutrition and strength and conditioning programs.
1. Regress TRX fallouts.
At CP, we often use TRX fallouts in our programming. They are a phenomenal choice for training the anterior core in an “anti-extension” fashion. That being said, they can also be quite difficult for many people. The good news is that these bad boys are easily regressed by moving to your knees, rather than the feet. In order to do these seamlessly make sure to adjust the straps so the handles hang to just below your waist, or slightly further for those with longer arms.
2. Do paused deadlifts.
Paused deadlifts are an awesome way to work on proper technique. I’ll be honest with you, though, the first time I saw them my initial reaction was “that can’t be safe!” In fact, I chalked it up as one of those powerlifting staples that would definitely make you brutally strong, but only at a very high risk of injury. In reality, any exercise has a high risk if done incorrectly, and this variation is not something I would advocate just anyone try, or prescribe to their clients/athletes.
That being said, I don’t think it’s inherently dangerous. In fact, I don’t think it’s dangerous at all when executed well. In an effort to correct my own bad habit of coming forward in the deadlift, I decided to give them a shot. I was frustrated because my deadlift had seemingly regressed, and weights that generally felt fast were becoming a grind.
My very first rep sent me way forward and I bailed out and dropped the bar. I was only using about 45% of my 1RM. Reality check; my initial pull from the ground was awful. Through training this variation I was able to re-learn where my weight needed to be upon breaking the bar from the ground, and in about three weeks of using this lift after my regular work sets I was right back to pulling the weight I had before my technique relapsed.
If you have issues staying back in the deadlift, hit a sticking point around mid shin, or just want to do “authenticity” check to your deadlift, I highly recommend these. Here is a video of a set of three from a recent training session.
3. Use a bar pad when incline pressing.
Putting a bar pad on to squat is foolish. If there is a good reason you can’t have steel pressing into your back, then choose a better way to load the exercise. There is, however, a good use for this cylindrical piece of foamy goodness. One would be to pad the hips during barbell supine bridges; that’s old news. Another is to cut out a little range of motion on the bench press, specifically an incline barbell bench press.
Before you call me as soft as the foam pad of which I speak, hear me out. Incline pressing is a great pressing exercise, but there’s one thing I don’t like about it: it tears apart the front of my shoulders. Because the inclined torso position increases range of motion, you won’t find to many people barrel chested enough to pull the lift off, chest to bar, without getting a considerable amount of humeral anterior glide in the shoulder joint. See the picture below:
One way to avoid this is by creating an arch in the back to meet the bar before this becomes a player, in a similar fashion to the flat bench press:
My problem with this is that: 1) the more you arch on an incline press, the less it becomes an “incline press,” and 2) the incline press can be strategically used to supplement the bench press because it removes some of the added help from leg drive and hard arching.
Instead, adding the bar bad to the middle of the bar will effectively cut a good 1.5 inches off the range of motion. This way, we can press a little more safely. It’s nice to not have to think about cutting it short, and focus on pressing the weight, knowing that when the pad touches the chest we have hit an appropriate distance. If you have a “fat” bar this would also be a nice choice to use when you incline press.
4. Remember that mayonnaise can actually be a solid condiment.
Mayo gets a bad rep. Somehow, it has become synonymous with being fat. That might be because, well, it is fat! That’s also why I like it as a condiment. Most condiments are packed with sugar, and if you’re looking to keep the sugar to a minimum, you might be running out of ways to sauce up your grub.
Unfortunately, store bought mayo is generally full of crap. Additionally it’s usually made with less than ideal ingredients. However, with a little searching you can find some brands that keep the ingredients very basic (egg yolks, oil, lemon, vinegar). Alternatively, you can easily find a solid recipe online with a quick search for “real mayonnaise recipe.” I suggest you find one that uses olive oil.
5. Make sure you have the right bench height for hip thrusts.
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The summer baseball travel season is almost in full swing, and that means more and more of our athletes will start 1-2 week trips to play all over the country. This is a really important experience for the majority of players, as it's when they get in front of the most college coaches for the sake of recruiting, and they often head south to face more talented opponents. There are more college camps taking place, as well as tryouts for the East Coast Pro and Area Code teams. In short, summer ball is important, and you don't want to screw up in how you approach it, as doing so can mean that you'll miss out on both skill development and opportunities to get "seen" by a coach who'll have you playing at the next level.
Unfortunately, though, this is also a time of year when a lot of things change for young baseball players. Instead of five minute drive to school for practice and games, they're hopping on 15-hour bus rides to get to a weekend tournament. Instead sleeping in their own beds and eating Mom's home cooking, they're staying in hotels and stopping for fast food. Instead of having a predictable weekly schedule of MoWeFr games, they might play five in three days. Instead of enjoying moderate Northeast spring weather of 50 degrees in the morning and evening and 75 degrees in the afternoon, they get East Cobb in July, when it's 95 degree weather with 95% humidity. In short, they get a taste of what minor league baseball will be like if they make it that far in their careers!
The end result, unfortunately, is that many players wind up coasting into July and August on fumes because they've lost weight, strength, throwing velocity, bat speed, ninja skills, and overall manliness. They expected their biggest challenge to be "simply" pitching against a 5-tool hitter or hitting a 95mph fastball, but instead, they get absolutely dominated by the lifestyle off the field.
Guys who don't handle the summer season well are the ones who stumble back in to Cressey Performance at the end of August, making their first appearance since February. And, in spite of the great off-season of training they put in before the high school season began, they usually look like they've never trained before, and they're often asking me to help them bounce back from some injury. Sound familiar? If so, read on.
Below, I've listed seven tips for avoiding this common summer baseball deterioriation. You'll notice that many of them are completely to do with maintaining body weight; as I've written before, weight loss is a big reason why performance drops in baseball players both acutely (dehydration) and chronically (loss of muscle mass). Also worthy of note is the fact that the majority of these tips could also apply to professional baseball. Anyway, let's get to it.
1. Make breakfast big.
When traveling, breakfast is the only meal over which you have complete control. You can wake up earlier to make sure that you have a big and complete one, or you can sleep in and grab a stale bagel on the way out the door. When I travel to give seminars, I intentionally pick hotels that have all-you-can-eat breakfast buffets and I absolutely crush them. Basically, I'll eat omelets (with veggies), scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit until I'm so full that I contemplate renting a fork lift to get me back to my room.
This is because things always get hectic at mid-day. Seminar attendees want to ask questions, get assessed, or just "pick my brain" during the lunch hour. So, if I get something, it's usually quick and not really that big. Does this sound similar to how you eat prior to games? You don't want to eat too much, but know you've got to have something or else you'll be dragging by the 7th inning.
If I've packed away a big breakfast, I can power through the day pretty well regardless of what lunch looks like. Traveling baseball players with day games can do the exact same thing.
As an interesting aside to this, I'm always amazed at how many young baseball players talk about how nobody outworks them, and how they're always in "beast mode." Yet, across the board, very few players will be "beastly" enough to wake up a few minutes earlier to eat a quality breakfast, always complaining that they don't like to get up early, or that they aren't hungry at that time of day. Well, just because your stomach doesn't like food at that time of day doesn't mean that it won't benefit from having it. You think your shoulder and elbow like throwing a baseball? Nope...but they do it.
[bctt tweet="Working hard isn't just about the hitting cage or weight room; it's also about the kitchen."]
I'll get off my soap box now.
2. Appreciate convenient calories.
Remember that in the quest to keep your weight up, your body doesn't really care if you're sitting down for an "official" meal. Rather, you might be better off grazing all day. Mixed nuts, shakes, bars, and fruit will be your best friends when it comes to convenience foods out on the field - or on a long bus ride when you have no idea when you'll be stopping for food.
3. Make the most of hotel gyms.
Let's face it: most hotel gyms are woefully under-equipped. You've usually got dumbbells up to 40 pounds and a treadmill, if you're lucky. That should be plenty, though, as you're not trying to make a ton of progress in these training sessions; you're just trying to create a training stimulus to maintain what you already have. Here's an easy example of a hotel gym workout you can use in a pinch:
A1) DB Bulgarian Split Squat from Deficit: 3x8/side
A2) Prone 1-arm Trap Raise: 3x8/side (can do this bent-over if no table is available, or do it off the edge of your hotel room bed)
B1) 1-leg DB RDL: 3x8/side
B2) 1-arm KB (or DB) Turkish Get-up: 3x3/side
C1) Yoga Push-up: 3x10
C1) 1-arm DB Row: 3x10/side
D1) Prone Bridge Arm March: 3x8/side
D2) Standing External Rotation to Wall: 3x5 (five second hold on each rep)
Another option, obviously, is to try to find a gym near your hotel while you're on the road. That can obviously be tough if you don't have a car handy, though, so it's always good to have these "back-up" minimalist equipment options at your fingertips. And, of course, you can always rock body weight only exercises.
4. Have portable training equipment.
You aren't allowed to complain about the lack of equipment in the typical hotel gym if you haven't put any thought into what training implements you can bring on the road with you. Things like bands, a foam roller, a TRX, and a number of other implements can make your life easier. I've brought my TRX on numerous vacations with me and it always proves useful. The scenery usually isn't bad, either.
5. Pack quality training into short bursts.
If you know you're going to be on the road for week-long trips here and there throughout the summer, it's important to get your quality training in when you're at home in your "consistent" environment. Think of it as managing a bank account. You make deposits when you're at home with good equipment and quality nutrition, and you're taking withdrawals when you're on the road and the circumstances are less than stellar.
6. Bring noise-canceling headphones.
There's nothing better than when you're dreading a long flight or bus/train ride, and then you fall asleep the second the trip begins, and you wake up to find out that you're at your destination. That's awesome.
What's not awesome is that every single team in the history of baseball has at least one schmuck who likes to blare music, yell, and dance around at 6AM when everyone else is trying to sleep. Dropping him off and leaving him for dead in the middle of nowhere isn't an option, so you're better off rocking some noise-canceling headphones.
7. Bring a neck pillow.
Falling asleep on a plane or bus and then waking up with a stiff neck is no fun. Doing so and then having to go out and throw 90 pitches the next day will be absolutely miserable. And, this cool article about research at Vanderbilt University on the negative effects of fatigue on strike zone management over the course of a baseball season should get hitters' attention, too! A neck pillow will cost you less than $20. It's an absolute no brainer. Besides, you probably spent double that amount on the 15 silly Power Balance bracelets you own.*
8. Hydrate!
You know the old saying about how if you sense thirst, you're already dehydrated? It's especially true when you're out on the field at 1PM in the middle of July in Florida. So, drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. We know that dehydration reduces strength and power - so you can bet that fastball velocity and bat speed will dip - but did you know that it also negatively affects cognitive performance? In a 2012 review in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Adan wrote,
[bctt tweet="Even 2% dehydration impairs performance in tasks requiring attention, psychomotor and memory skills."]
So, if you're a guy who is always missing signs, ignoring your cutoff man, or forgetting how many outs there are, it might be wise to evaluate your hydration status.
Wrap-up
These are just eight tips to guide you as you approach this important summer season, and there are surely many more strategies athletes have employed to make it as productive a time of year as it should be. That said, I'd encourage you to monitor your body weight on a regular basis to make sure that it's not dropping. If it is, it's time to get in more calories, hydrate better, and hit the gym. Good luck!
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Today’s guest post comes from my friend and colleague, physical therapist Eric Schoenberg. Eric is an integral part of our Elite Baseball Mentorships.
One of the topics that came up most commonly in the course evaluations and feedback from our first Phase 1 Elite Baseball Mentorship in January was “how lucky” Eric, Matt, and I are to have such a great facility (CP) to work in and “how nice it must be” to have strength and conditioning, pitching instruction, and physical therapy all under one roof (or in very close proximity to each other).
The truth is, professional relationships do not just happen unless you make them happen. Coaches, business owners, medical professionals, and athletes themselves don’t let just anyone into their circle. People are skeptical by nature and need to know that you care and are not a threat to their goals, reputation, or career. However, once trust is established, then the foundation for success in any partnership (i.e. coach/player, strength coach/physical therapist) can be built.
At the center of every great performance team must always be the athlete. I suggest making this the first criteria you look for when building a great network of performance coaches, medical professionals, and athletic coaches.
The success of any coach or medical professional is measured by the success of the athletes or teams with whom they work.
It is important to surround yourself with people that understand and follow this very simple concept. High level athletes have had people trying to latch onto them from a very young age. They are very skilled at seeing right through people with egos who don’t have their best interest at hand. This is the quickest way to lose credibility in our field.
In response to the feedback from our last mentorship, I've outlined five principles (non-clinical) below that you can use to help build a strong network to ensure better results for your athletes.
1. Communication: Be clear and concise. Don’t leave anything to chance or assume that everyone is on the same page. I have seen countless examples of athletes failing in physical therapy, training, or following a throwing program because any combination of the doctor, PT, strength coach, skill coach, or parent were unclear with their communication. In addition, it is a simple courtesy to keep referral sources current with the progress of their athletes. Failure to communicate is a sure way to end a professional relationship.
2. Time:
Donate your time: Show that you care. Ask and expect nothing in return. Have the best interest of the athlete in mind (always). Understand that it is not about you. Show that you can add value and provide a service that is not currently being met. Along the same lines…
Respect other people’s time: Don’t just “show up” unannounced at someone’s office, gym, or field and expect them to give you time. Be professional and set up a meeting that works for the person you are trying to work with. Better yet, ask them a good time that you can come by and observe and then go out of your way to offer your services to one or their athletes on the spot. This goes a long way to establish selflessness and credibility.
3. Understand and respect each person’s role: Don’t try to be all things to all people. Be good at what you do and don’t try or claim to be an “expert” at everything. Surround yourself with people that challenge you and know more than you in certain areas (but make sure you know more than them about something or you will be phased out!) Understand the strengths and weaknesses of yourself and the people in your immediate network. Observe often and learn as much as you can about each person’s role. Eric Cressey and Matt Blake know more about physical therapy and human movement than the vast majority of licensed physical therapists on the planet. However, they don’t claim to be a PT, they understand ethical boundaries, and they respect scope of practice.
4. Know your role (really well!): Never stop learning. Stay open minded on things you have yet to learn. You owe it to your athletes and your network to be an authority and trusted resource in your field. However, it’s critical to have the confidence to know when to refer out. You don’t need to be the hero all the time. At the end of the day, if the athlete succeeds because you had the humility to refer them to someone that could help them more than you, then you did your job. Remember, you will gain respect if your athletes get better, regardless of who gets the credit at the end.
5. Swing for the fences: Once all your hard work and patience finally pays off and you “get your shot” to work together with a particular coach, PT, or athlete, knock it out of the park. In our fields, we have moments (successes or failures) that allow us to either gain or lose the confidence of the people that we are trying to impress. Be prepared for the situation and get results. Remember to always be confident and overdeliver.
A founding mission of the Elite Baseball Mentorships is to develop a national network of qualified professionals in the baseball community that share a similar philosophy in managing baseball players. This is pivotal in keeping athletes healthy and allowing them the best opportunity for success in their careers.
If you would like more information regarding the mentorships, please visit our website, www.EliteBaseballMentorships.com. The early bird registration deadline for the June 23-25th Phase 1 Mentorship is: May 23, 2013. Click here to register.
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