The Defining Sports Performance Blog

Middle school and high school athletes – looking for a place to train this summer? Head to St.Vincent Sports Performance for Summer Sports Specific Athlete Development Classes. Call 317-415-5747 to sign up!

These group training classes will work to improve speed, strength, mobility and flexibility for actions specific to your sport.

Schedule applies June 3 – August 9.

NBA Prospects DeShaun Thomas (Ohio State), Rotnei Clark (Butler) and Andrew Smith (Butler) training at SVSP

High School Basketball

St.Vincent Sport Performance’s own Dr. Joel Kary was featured in the Indianapolis Star’s Rising Star column. Read Dr. Kary’s interview with Jill Phillips.

Dr. Joel Kary isn’t a stranger to sports. A runner, he participated in cross-country in college and is training for a triathlon.

Kary tore a meniscus his freshman year of high school, causing him to need arthroscopic knee surgery. That experience helps him better understand his patients.

“My patients see that I am actually out there doing the things they are doing, trying to get in workouts every day, and can understand what they are talking about,” said the sports medicine physician at St.Vincent Sports Performance. “It helps them trust me.”

Prior to entering medical school at Southern Illinois University, he worked as a certified athletic trainer. The summer following his junior year of college, he worked with a physician who encouraged him to pursue medical school.

“I then squeezed all my medical school prerequisites into my last year of college,” he said. “The year after college, I took the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), applied/interviewed at medical schools, and audited a college course in biochemistry … all while working in a doctor’s office as a certified athletic trainer.”

Kary is also the team physician for Butler University Athletics and Roncalli High School and a consultant for USA Track & Field. He joined Butler the same year as head basketball coach Brad Stevens.

“I love working with athletes who are motivated to get better and reach their highest potential,” he said.

How did you manage to stand out in a crowd and advance quickly in your career?

It’s having passion for what I do. I think if you have a passion and enjoy what you do, it doesn’t feel like work. Since I decided this was the route I wanted to go, I have always looked for volunteer opportunities and the chance to work with people I admired in the profession. I have always had a passion for wanting to help people and help athletes reach their potential. I think success also comes from treating people the way I want to be treated.

What was your first job or entrepreneurial experience? How did it impact your future?

I grew up in central Illinois and in the summers would walk beans. Before there were a lot of fertilizers available, farmers would hire people to walk through the fields and pull weeds. That was called “walking beans.” We would use these tools with a hook on the end to pull the weeds.

That job taught me hard work and persistence. You get used to hard work and discover your body is capable of doing more than you thought it was.

What’s the toughest mistake you ever made, and what did you learn from it?

Hard to come up with a mistake per se. I regret that in high school I didn’t apply myself more when it came to schoolwork. I was active in student government, drama and sports, and I know I wasn’t living up to my potential as a student. It wasn’t until college that I figured out that I had to study. I learned that studying and working hard would open up doors and allow me to succeed.

How important is it to have a mentor? Did anyone in particular help you advance in your career?

I’ve had several. I don’t think you can come through medicine without having many mentors. Lots of people have helped guide me, but I don’t know if I can name just one.

In medical school, I did a sports medicine rotation. This was the first time I got a sense that this specialty was something I really wanted to do. A physician I worked with gave me opportunities to enhance my skills and learn. He also would ask me to help him write papers. In the end, the experience gave me something to put on my resume.

What advice would you give to other young people trying to get started in sports medicine?

It’s a broad field. There’s athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, etc. Realize there are lots of ways to utilize your talents. We are all trying to help athletes be the best they want to be.

Realize there is a lot of different ways to get involved. Find what your passion is about. Get revved up about the field you want to pursue. Never stop learning. Look for challenges and try to best help your patients. If you are a lifelong learner to do a better job, sports medicine would be a great field. Have a real interest in sports. It will endear you to your patients, know you understand them and will make you a better sports medicine physician, trainer or therapist.

All athletes, no matter the sport, can benefit from strong hips. The stronger the hips, the more able athletes are to display speed.

In this month’s edition of the Sports Performance Tip of the Month, Performance Specialist Jeff Richter demonstrates three loop band exercises that will work to strength the hips, improve speed and prevent injuries.

Seven weeks ago, Jake Query, of WNDE 1260’s Query and Schultz, was the heaviest he had ever been, eating whatever he wanted, and hadn’t run over a mile in two years. Flash forward to today, Jake is 30 lbs. lighter and is set to race in the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon this weekend in Indianapolis.

How did this happen? Patience, discipline, inspiration, and a little help from St.Vincent Sports Performance.

In an effort to raise money for Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58 and the Athletes Concussion Alliance, “Jake’s Journey” started seven weeks ago with a trip to the St.Vincent Sports Performance facility.

Jake met with various members of the SVSP team to put a plan together for training, nutrition and psychology in his road to the Mini.

“They told me, ‘It’s not so much that you are out of shape, it’s that you aren’t running with the proper techniques, and it’s making your muscles tight.’ The trainers took me through a stretching regimen and gave me a series of stretches to do on my own. The stretches would loosen me up and increase my flexibility so that I was maximizing each stride.

I met with Lindsay to talk about what I should be eating throughout the course of the day, how much of it, and when exactly to eat it. Starting on that day, I haven’t put a single thing in my body that isn’t an efficient fuel. Everything I eat is to contribute to the end goal of running the Mini.”

Dr. Carr gave Jake advice on overcoming the psychological hurdles that come with training for a long-distance race. He armed him with techniques to calm himself down, clear his head and start fresh each day.

Patience and discipline played a key role in Jake’s training and transformation.

“You start working out, and after two days you want to see that you are in shape. Well it doesn’t work that way. You walk into SVSP and see elite athletes training there everyday – they obviously know what they are doing. I just had to be patient in my own efforts to eventually start seeing the results.

To be given a road map is one thing, but to execute it is another. You have to have your own personal discipline to do the work.

And you have to believe in yourself. You have to trust in the guidance you’ve been given. Do what’s best for you. Don’t worry about how long it took other people to lose weight or what pace other people are running. You are the only person you need to worry about.”

With the help from SVSP and his own training efforts, Jake has decreased his body fat, drastically changed his diet, and is ready to run the Mini this weekend.

After

Before

“The best way I can explain what I got at SVSP is like a game of Trivial Pursuit. You have to get the blue triangle, yellow triangle, red triangle; you have to get all the colored triangles. Everyone at SVSP offered their color of triangle, and I was able to put it all together. Then it’s only a matter of making it to the center of the board.”

This Saturday, Jake will compete the annual race in an effort to improve elementary education and raise awareness for concussion research. 100% of the sponsorship proceeds from “Jake’s Journey” will benefit Ralph Waldo Emerson School 58 and the Athletes Concussion Alliance, an Indianapolis-based non-profit organization specializing in concussion research.

There is still time to donate to the cause. Click here to donate to Jake’s Journey and tune in to Query and Schultz weekdays from 3pm – 7pm on 1260 AM.

The Spirit of Sport Committee is excited to announce that the 2013 Spirit of Sport Awards has garnered the largest turnout of nominations ever!

186 nominations, including 19 teams, from 36 different schools and community groups make up this year’s nominees. After reviewing the nominations, four finalists were selected for each award.

Visit the Spirit of Sport Awards Facebook page now to view the complete list of finalists.

Now that the finalists have been chosen, the 2013 Selection Committee, made up of influential members of the Indianapolis sports community, will vote to select this year’s award winners. Winners will be announced live at the Spirit of Sport Awards.

It’s not too late to get your school or an athlete involved in the Spirit of Sport Awards! Submit a video of a great play to the Play of the Year contest on the Spirit of Sport Awards Facebook Page and see the winning video chosen live on June 11.

If you have any questions about the Spirit of Sport Awards, email SpiritofSport@definingsportsperformance.org or call Rashelle Stearns at 317-660-7772.

A common question in youth sports continues to be, “should male and females athletes be trained in the same way?”

Hear from Performance Specialist Greg Moore, CSCS, and Performance Medical Coordinator Darrell Barnes, MS, LAT, ATC, CSCS, as they discuss the truth behind this question.

Now that spring is here, distance runners are coming out of hibernation and preparing for their big races.  With the Carmel Marathon, Mini Marathon and the Geist Half happening in Indy within the next month, runners need to keep their bodies in check to help prevent injuries.

Jamey Gordon, DPT, ATC, CSCS, performance Specialist at St.Vincent Sports Performance, gives distance runners tips on keeping their bodies healthy while training for their upcoming races.

Listen to your body. If an injury causes you to limp during running, stop. You can take a walk break and attempt to run again, but if pain and limping return, call it day. If pain persists for more than 2-3 days, seek out an injury assessment. 

Take a day off. Running everyday is tough even for the most seasoned runners.  The body will heal and build itself up during the rest time.  Training tells the body what it needs, rest builds it.

If you have swelling, stop running until it is resolved. Apply ice directly to the swollen area for 20-30 minutes, no more.  Intermittent icing is okay, as long as you make sure the area returns to normal temperature before reapplying.  If swelling persists or is recurrent, contact a health professional.

Sharp pain is the body’s danger signal. This should not be “worked through.” At the very least, take a break and walk if sharp pain occurs. Dull aches in the absence of limping or swelling are okay to continue through, as long as it does not worsen during the run.

There are common injuries that many distance runners face. Be aware of your body if these symptoms become present.

Plantar fasciitis

• Feels like: Pain on the bottom of the foot/heel, especially first thing in the morning.
• First line treatment: Stretch the calves; roll the foot on a golf ball or rolling pin.  Gradually warm up for running with walking or light jogging.

IT Band Inflammation

• Feels like: Pain along the outside of the hip/thigh.
• First line treatment: Use a foam roller and stretch the IT band and quadriceps, and strengthen the glutes.

Achilles Tendonitis

• Feels likes: Pain in the calf  to the heel on the back of the lower leg .
• First line treatment: Ice and stretch the calves, with a gradual warm-up.

Knee pain is also a common occurrence in runners and can be caused by a number of factors. If swelling is present, seek an evaluation from a healthcare professional for a gait assessment.

If you are transitioning from running inside on the treadmill to running outside, dress appropriately. Dress for an outside temperature that is 15-20 degrees warmer than the actual temp. This will accommodate for rise in body temp during running.

Layer your clothes. The innermost layer should be a moisture wicking material and outermost should be wind/rain proof if weather dictates.

Transitioning to running outside from the treadmill should be done gradually over about two weeks. Mix up inside and outside running for those two weeks to get your body used to the differences without sacrificing your hard-earned training.

Follow St.Vincent Sports Performance on Twitter and Facebook for more tips on training and performance.

For synchronized swimmers of all skills levels, it’s important to activate muscle groups prior to multi-joint movements that occur during routines.

St.Vincent Sports Performance Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach Brian Thompson, CSCS, CSPS, who trains the U.S. Synchronized Swimming Team, provides a few simple exercises for athletes to do during the warm-up prior to a pool or dry-land workout. These exercises emphasize the glutes and hamstrings, activate the posterior chain, improving hip mobility and efficiency in the pool. With minimal equipment and only five to ten minutes, these exercises can effectively reduce common injuries synchronized swimmers often face.

Adduction with Foam Roller or Medicine Ball – Band Around Foot Arch

Lie on the ground in a supine position, “brace” the core, activate glute(s), and drive through the heel(s) with dorsiflexion. Hip extension must come from extending the glute and hamstring, not from the lumbar spine.  Exercises can be performed for time, or sets and reps.

Leg Locked with Tennis Ball

Place a tennis ball into hip “pocket” to lock leg in position, drive through the opposite heel extending from the hip. The goal is to minimize movement from the “locked” leg.  This exercise will recruit more hamstring involvement than the previous glute bridge exercises.

Clams with T.A.

This exercise works the external rotators of the hip while teaching to activate the transverse abdominis at the same time. The bottom leg has to stabilize the core while the top leg uses the external rotators of the hip to perform the exercise.  \Maintain a neutral spine position, minimizing compensation for the low back.  Knees should be aligned with the hips, and the heels aligned with the tailbone.

Quadruped Extensions

Start with a PVC pipe resting on the back, parallel to the spine.  Extend one leg backward, then bring it back to its starting position.  Follow by extending the opposite arm outward, then retract back to its original position.  Repeat with the opposite set of limbs. With improvement, add movement through the opposite arm and leg at the same time.  Continue the progression by placing the pipe perpendicular in relation to the spine.  Lastly, add a band to the arch of the foot after has successfully completing the previous progressions.

Are you bored with your same old brown bag lunch with a sandwich, chips, and an apple?

Switch up your mid-day meal with these nutritious options from St.Vincent Sports Performance Sports Dietitian Lindsay Langford, MS, RD. CSSD.

Check out SVSP’s Instagram for more performance tips and pictures.

The IZOD IndyCar Series season kicks off this weekend in St. Petersburg, Fla., and certified strength and conditioning coaches Jeff Richter, CSCS, USAW and Aaron Feldman, CSCS, USAW lead the motorsports training at SVSP, and have been training drivers and pit crews this past off-season, with the goal to take the checkered flag on race day.

Like all athletes that train at SVSP, each driver and pit crew member go through the Functional Movement Screen to identify movement pattern restrictions. Using this information, Jeff and Aaron create individualized, corrective exercises, mostly dealing with improving joints’ mobility and stability and preventing injuries. Then they move on to working on strength training, anaerobic power and racing-specific drills.

For drivers, improving endurance, mental focus and strength are the main elements of their workouts. They need to endure the powerful forces their bodies sustain while in the car, and still be able to make lightning quick decisions.

For pit crew members, focusing on strength, power and speed help to prepare them for the quick bursts required to successfully make a pit stop. In the weight room, they complete upper and lower body exercises to work on pushing, pulling and having a good hip hinge. They also do different crew-specific drills for a fueler, air-jack and a tire changer.

The pressure on the pit crews to perform when fatigued during races is an added element that Jeff and Aaron try and emulate during workouts. It only takes one person’s mistake during a pit stop to cost the entire team the race. The pit crews quickly transition from intense cardio workouts to strength training drills, to practice performing at a high level despite their fatigue and added stress.

Watch for all the drivers and teams training at SVSP this weekend and throughout the rest of the IZOD IndyCar Series.