Create a following

One way to draw coaches to you is to give potential college coaches a taste of who you are/what skills you possess. Because you are always improving a skills video is great, but what is another valuable strategy is creating a YouTube channel. Send your channel-videos to coaches and they can see your highlights from game clips, to practice drills, and skill highlights. In fact you can upload your quick clips right from your smartphone! 

A few tips and tricks to get started...

Create a gmail account at www.gmail.com this automatically registers you with a youtube login. Think about your username: babygirl@gmail.com doesn't really echo someone serious about her career, instead try something like JSmith101@gmail.com. This is also a convenient way to contact and track your communications with colleges. 

Next upload videos to your channel and share with coaches! www.youtube.com/upload 

You can also download the youtube app and upload videos to your channel right from your smartphone 

What's the goal? Realistically you only need to upload one or two videos every month or two. But share these videos with all college coaches that you might be interested in! This is a GREAT way for coaches to follow your progress without you updating your formal skills video each season. 

This is also a great place to upload your skills video!!

It's not necessary, but I encourage you to include your gmail email address, graduation year, and skillset in the description of each of your videos so coaches may contact you! 

These quick tips are provided by Pro Coach and parent, Jordyn Bibiloni. For more tips, drills, and videos follow @HivesportsCoach on twitter and Instagram

Spring training

Spring training tip:

You've just arrived in the heat. It's amazing because back home it's about 20degrees colder. But why are you so tired? 

First, travel takes a lot out of you in addition to the fact that you have encountered about a million germs from a thousand different people you've passed. So HYDRATION is key. Adding lemon to your water will give your immune system a boost. The best time is to drink first thing in the morning but all day is really great too!

Now that you're ready to compete, WAIT! How much water did you consume? I found a great article outlining how much to eat according to the time of day you are competing. For brevity- read here: http://www.cwu.edu/sports-nutrition/eating-competition

Have a great day!!

These quick tips are provided by Pro Coach and parent, Jordyn Bibiloni. For more tips, drills, and videos follow @HivesportsCoach on twitter and Instagram

Basketball just ended- now what?

So you may be wondering what to do with all that free time now that you've had a few weeks off since your last basketball  game. Taking a 3-week post-season break is a great way to rejuvenate, but then it is time to get into training for next season. 

What does the off-season training look like? In this regard let's take a standard high school schedule. 

March- post season break

April- off season training begins. No skill work simply building endurance and identifying areas of instability, time to set some strength/speed goals. I recommend two private sessions with a pro coach and an additional two training sessions with a buddy. 

May- add some general skill work to your training, one or two days a week. Such as foul shots, pickup game with a friend, shooting from your main position hot spots. 

June & July-continue with training- meet your goals set back in April. And set some more intense speed and strength goals for late summer. While your performance will span June and July in Sumer ball games, your main goals should be Centered around physical athletic ability- jump height, sprint speed, bench press. 

August- take one week off during this month after your last summer game. Spend the other three weeks in the weight room and running 30-minutes twice each week. 

September/October- Pre-Season! You are closer to your  season than you think. Now is the time to combine distance, explosive strength, and skills. Set some goals to be met the week before tryouts (mid November). 

November- sharpen your skills, while continuing in the training room. You don't want to take off training this close to the season and risk muscle loss before the season starts. We want to be at our peak in mid-December so it is important to make time for both skill AND PHYSICAL training. Set some game-specific goals for mid-December. 

December- begin to taper training outside of team practice time. But make the most of team time: put your best effort in at all times. Mid-December you can assess if you are reaching your game time goals. 

January- games are your sole focus right now- set some goals for the second half of the sealan based on yor performances in the first half of your season. Readjust goals where necessary; compete against yourself. Don't set goals that aren't attainable to YOU, challenge with a realistic perspective. 

February- lead by example. Focus on practices and keep motivatuon strong amid teammate. You're almost completed with regular sealan with the goal of reaching lost season play. 

March- Post-Season break 3-weeks off, you've earned it. 

For information regarding getting your own pro coach visit hivesports.org and find a strength coach near you!

These quick tips are provided by Pro Coach and parent, Jordyn Bibiloni. For more tips, drills, and videos follow @HivesportsCoach on twitter and Instagram

5 Core exercises

Five set #coreworkout with intern Richelle @RK_shell 👍

Do your core exercises include more than just your abs? It's so common to think core and really only focus on abdominal muscles. Remember core is the WHOLE center of your body meaning abs, sides, and back. Here is a great 5 set series. And bonus-- coaches use the sport specific equipment to add a nice meaningful touch. Like threading a softball between the legs in Bicycles...

Bicycles 

Scissor kicks

In and outs

Reverse crunches with Reach 

Supermans 

Our Trophy Case. Courtney Coppersmith.

​As someone who watches the Division I Women’s College World Series, Courtney Coppersmith has seen the best of the best collegiate softball players play for a school championship.  Her goal one day is to be one of those athletes in Oklahoma City playing on national television.  Her natural talent and great work ethic is something that Division I coaches look for, and she has the possibility of continuing to hone in on her skills in the next four years to be a DI prospect.

​Courtney began her training at the age of 11 with private hitting, pitching, and conditioning lessons.  Coach Jordyn saw her hit 58mph last year at 13 years of age, and she is now hitting 60 mph consistently at 14.  Courtney knows that hard work is important if she wants to make it to the Division I level; however, she sometimes struggles with keeping a positive attitude towards the work she has to put in.  She believes that you need to put the work in in order to get something out of it.  

​Courtney is continuing to work hard in order to reach her Division I potential.  She knows she needs to work on building speed in order to be effective on the mound.  She also realizes that she needs to build more strength and endurance in her arms, legs, and core so that she can become a stronger pitcher overall and she trains with the best-- Coach Megan to meet these Division 1 aspirations.   One thing Courtney is really focused on is becoming a more mentally tough athlete.  She understands that mental toughness is a huge part of pitching.  She hopes to improve her mental toughness through live-game situations and believes she will gain more, solely by maturing.  She knows she is pretty far away from reaching this goal, but she is continuing to work on building her mental toughness and becoming a more confident presence on the mound.

​Courtney is one of those athletes that puts in the work.  Any Division I coach would love to have someone like Courtney on their team because she busts her tail to improve her skills.  Keep working hard, Courtney, and good luck on reaching your dreams!

Our Trophy Case. Mackenzie Bedwell

This is the story of an up-and-commer, who is just now gaining confidence as an "I'm here now" kind of player. A story about a girl overlooked, a natural athlete, who needed to find a home.

Mackenzie “Mac” Bedwell started playing softball from an early age, she was traditionally an athlete so coaches could put her in any position. By 12 years of age she was playing travel ball, and by 14 years she was still being shuffled from position to position for her "ability to play anywhere." While it is a huge compliment, the struggle was internal - where was Mac going to really find a home? And it just didn't feel like she was being given the chance to be a star at any one position. It was Mackenzie that decided that pitching was where she saw herself growing - so she began training with Coach Jordyn at 13 years of age. This is often seen as a "late start" but with someone as athletic and hard working as Mac this was the perfect time to decide that the pitching mound was her home. Mac took two years of lessons before her travel coaches took notice of the amazing pitcher she was becoming outside of their practices. Mackenzie worked at home, before and after practices on her own, she took lessons and attended summer camps until she couldn't be overlooked anymore.

Three years later, Mac is playing on the 18u Delco Diamonds junior olympic team, showing off her amazing pitches, and is even more committed to her training.  Her poise, accuracy, and balanced skill set the tone on the mound.  Her past seasons seemed to be an uphill climb, but she never let herself get down. This has shaped Mac as a pitcher who has stamina and who can dig deep when things heat up. Mac has grown from an all-around athlete to a force to be reconed with on the mound. She is nearing the 60mph range with her fast and curve balls, her batting average doubled from last summer to this fall, and she holds the rotations-per-second (pitch spins) record with her pitching coach at 24rps. That's 24 spins every second her pitch travels to the catcher's mit. Try it - that's nearly impossible to hit.   

So how did Mac grow from an "athlete" to someone college coaches are fighting over? She surrounded herself with people who could help her get better, not just applaud her efforts. Mac took lessons from pro coaches, who knew to look beyond her capabilities, to her future. Coach Kelly Sylvester is one of those coaches- she sees potential yet untapped in Mac as a hitter.  Coach Sylvester has seen the work that Mac has put in to get better in the past years.  She sees how Mac is able to make quick adjustments when her mechanics are starting to break down or when she is working on different drills and isn’t seeing the automatic success.  Coach Sylvester also notices that Mac is very coachable and takes instruction well.  She is very focused and mechanical; she can take what she learned and transform it into muscle memory fairly quickly.  Coach Sylvester catches glimpses of the well-rounded athlete that Mac can become because she sees part of Mac that a highlight video doesn’t show:  the maturity and work ethic.

Mackenzie's story isn't complete...  she wants more from next season. Her coaches want to see her ERA below 2. in high level travel ball tournaments, and batting average above .300; she has committed herself to a vigorous winter training schedule of hitting and pitching lessons, high school and travel ball practices, and it will all prove once again that this uphill climb is surmountable by athletes like Mackenzie who strive to truly be the best!

Here's Mackenzie's Recruit Video: 2017 Recruit Mackenzie Bedwell - YouTube

Our Trophy Case: Mackenzie Bedwell

This is the story of an up-and-commer, who is just now gaining confidence as an "I'm here now" kind of player. A story about a girl overlooked, a natural athlete, who needed to find a home.

Mackenzie “Mac” Bedwell started playing softball from an early age, she was traditionally an athlete so coaches could put her in any position. By 12 years of age she was playing travel ball, and by 14 years she was still being shuffled from position to position for her "ability to play anywhere." While it is a huge compliment, the struggle was internal - where was Mac going to really find a home? And it just didn't feel like she was being given the chance to be a star at any one position. It was Mackenzie that decided that pitching was where she saw herself growing - so she began training with Coach Jordyn at 13 years of age. This is often seen as a "late start" but with someone as athletic and hard working as Mac this was the perfect time to decide that the pitching mound was her home. Mac took two years of lessons before her travel coaches took notice of the amazing pitcher she was becoming outside of their practices. Mackenzie worked at home, before and after practices on her own, she took lessons and attended summer camps until she couldn't be overlooked anymore.

Three years later, Mac is playing on the 18u Delco Diamonds junior olympic team, showing off her amazing pitches, and is even more committed to her training.  Her poise, accuracy, and balanced skill set the tone on the mound.  Her past seasons seemed to be an uphill climb, but she never let herself get down. This has shaped Mac as a pitcher who has stamina and who can dig deep when things heat up. Mac has grown from an all-around athlete to a force to be reconed with on the mound. She is nearing the 60mph range with her fast and curve balls, her batting average doubled from last summer to this fall, and she holds the rotations-per-second (pitch spins) record with her pitching coach at 24rps. That's 24 spins every second her pitch travels to the catcher's mit. Try it - that's nearly impossible to hit.   

So how did Mac grow from an "athlete" to someone college coaches are fighting over? She surrounded herself with people who could help her get better, not just applaud her efforts. Mac took lessons from pro coaches, who knew to look beyond her capabilities, to her future. Coach Kelly Sylvester is one of those coaches- she sees potential yet untapped in Mac as a hitter.  Coach Sylvester has seen the work that Mac has put in to get better in the past years.  She sees how Mac is able to make quick adjustments when her mechanics are starting to break down or when she is working on different drills and isn’t seeing the automatic success.  Coach Sylvester also notices that Mac is very coachable and takes instruction well.  She is very focused and mechanical; she can take what she learned and transform it into muscle memory fairly quickly.  Coach Sylvester catches glimpses of the well-rounded athlete that Mac can become because she sees part of Mac that a highlight video doesn’t show:  the maturity and work ethic.

Mackenzie's story isn't complete...  she wants more from next season. Her coaches want to see her ERA below 2. in high level travel ball tournaments, and batting average above .300; she has committed herself to a vigorous winter training schedule of hitting and pitching lessons, high school and travel ball practices, and it will all prove once again that this uphill climb is surmountable by athletes like Mackenzie who strive to truly be the best!

Here's Mackenzie's Recruit Video: 2017 Recruit Mackenzie Bedwell - YouTube

8 Glasses a day keeps the Fat away

Water is quite possibly the single most important factor in losing weight and keeping it off. Although simple, water may be the answer to losing weight and keeping it off.  Here’s why: 

Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When the kidneys don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. If the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it can't operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body, and weight loss stops. 

The overweight person needs more water than the thin one. Larger people have larger metabolic loads. Since we now know that water is the key to fat metabolism, it follows that the overweight person needs more water. Water helps maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss - shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy, and resilient. Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of - all the metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste. 

How Much Water is Enough?

On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day. That's about 2 quarts. However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. Some evidence suggests that drinking cold water can actually help burn calories.  When the water is colder than body temperature, the body actually has to burn calories (energy) to raise the temperature of the water in order to use it.

Morning Workouts for Fat Loss

Working out and not losing the body fat that you want?  Try a morning workout.  Upon waking in the morning, try working out for at least 30 minutes to an hour.  Studies show that working out in the morning burns up to 3x more fat as opposed to working out later in the day.

During the day your body’s main source of energy is the carbohydrates that you get from eating your meals.  When you sleep at night your body uses up all those carbohydrates as energy for vital bodily functions.  When you wake up in the morning your body has depleted your carbohydrate stores and will look to burn fat instead for energy.  

If you decide to take advantage of this morning fat burning session, do not eat breakfast before the workout. If you do, it will just replenish the carbohydrates in your body and will burn those instead of the fat that you want to burn.

Another great thing about working out first thing in the morning is that your metabolism gets revved up after your morning workout.  Morning workouts keep your metabolism elevated throughout the day, another important factor in fat loss.

If you workout at night you may still burn fat while you workout but as soon as you go to sleep your metabolism will slow down and you’ll miss out on all the extra fat that you can burn during the day if you had exercised in the morning.  

I’m not saying that you must only workout in the morning to lose fat, but switch it up.  Take one of your evening workouts and switch it to the morning and watch the fat melt off!!

Our trophy case. Megan Conrad.

​Coach Megan started out like many current athletes today:  she began playing sports at an early age, and by high school, focused solely on one sport to take her to the college level.  She played soccer, softball, and tennis in high school until deciding on soccer as her highlight sport.  Megan went to Wesley College because of their sports medicine program, but also because of their renowned athletic teams.  

​Coach Megan always knew she wanted to combine athletics and science in her career, so she studied sports medicine because it seemed the most logical route.  She has practiced exercise physiology/sports medicine since graduating from Wesley in 2003. She began in a physical therapy clinic and undertook the challenge and rewards of independently training her own clients.  Her coaching career was sparked when she started researching why there were so many more females with ACL injuries.  With the help of mentors, she developed an ACL injury prevention program and started doing ACL prevention camps, speed and agility camps, and sports camps in 2005.  Megan began to notice that she had more influence, respect, and results on these athletes than when she saw them post-injury.  Her coaching philosophy now has to deal more with breaking down movements, finding weaknesses and improper form, and fixing them before it becomes a traumatic or overuse injury.

​Megan is the primary Strength and Conditioning Specialist with Hive Sports.  She is certified through the NCSA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) to train all of their athletes to improve cardio, strength, endurance, and find any weaknesses that may affect their particular sport or position.  Not every organization has a strength and conditioning specialist, and Hive Sports understands how much more these athletes get out of working with one.  We really appreciate all you do for us, Coach Megan!

Learn more or schedule an appointment with Megan:

http://hivesports.com/megan-conrad/