Squeeze the Sponge! [My Favorite Coaching Cue]

Written By: Ryan Bishel, BA, PES

Ok, so what does "Squeeze the Sponge" mean? 

Well I'm talking about "Effort." All to often I see athletes just going through the motions, which will cause a plateau in their performance. In order to progress as an athlete, all of the quick & explosive movements need to be pre-programmed into your neuromuscular system at 100% effort. Let me explain, if you perform 5 20yd sprints at 75, 80, 78, 95, 89% effort, then that is what you have pre-programmed into your system for "Game Day." You can not expect to be the quickest athlete out there if you haven't trained your body to do so on a consistent basis. 

We as humans are creatures of habit, I know, you have heard this before. But... We really, are. Our bodies by nature, are wired to "Program" all motions into our neuromuscular system so they become "learned." Think of every rep and movement your body makes is just the same as writing your name over and over again when you were little. Why were our parents and teachers so pushy about it... so we could one day write our name faster than say it. Well cutting on the field to change direction before your opponent beats you on the play, needs to be "Programed" just like writing your name, tying your shoes, walking, saying the alphabet, ... ok I'll stop there, but you get the point. Multiple reps a week aren't enough if you want to prevent injury and become faster than you have ever been... those reps aren't just reps, they are vital programming sessions and should be taken seriously. Every angle your joints make are very important for biomechanics & movement efficiency, so those reps, need to be Perfect Reps and Repeated Perfect Reps. Expect more from yourself, and squeeze the mental sponge.... because you have more potential than what your old self told you yesterday. 

So the moral of the story is ...
A) "Train your body at the speed at which you want it to perform on "Game Day" and except nothing less!"
B) "Train your body for perfect athletic movements, you are programming speed, not just working out!"

By: Ryan Bishel, BA, PES
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