Justin Strnad was playing at an all-conference level before a torn bicep ended his 2019 season. In just seven games, Strnad compiled 69 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 4 pass break-ups and an interception. A sure tackler, Strnad regularly takes sharp, but smart angles that stop offensive players from picking up big yardage when he's on the field. Check out the best of Strnad's 2019 season brought to you by the ACC Digital Network.
Clay Matthews: The Predator
What happens when you combine flawless football genetics with a walk-on's relentless work ethic? Clay Matthews, the NFL's best linebacker.
Power Up with BodyFit Plus
BodyFit is your solution to all things fitness. Join today and unleash the power of PLUS!
There's this kid you know. A high school senior. Plays football hard, but he's nothing special on the field. He's around six feet in cleats, maybe tops out at 200 pounds after dinner, and he's neither fast nor skilled enough to be anyone's idea of a big-time, blue-chip prospect. In fact, he didn't start a game until senior year, and although he holds down his position competently, it's obvious he doesn't have the size, speed, or strength necessary to get on the national college recruiting map.
You like the kid, though, and you're trying to figure out a plan for him to play ball in college, but pragmatism keeps taking over. Kids like this have their parents pay for school. Kids like this don't play on ESPN on Saturdays in the fall. What happens next, however, when the kid in question is William Clay Matthews III, the latest in an unbroken line of football royalty dating to the 1950s, is a declaration.
"I'm going to play football at USC."
Yes, that USC. The University of Southern California was, in 2004, home to Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, and dozens more future NFL players—a team that would win an eventually vacated national championship the year Matthews arrived armed only with a bad haircut and a dream. "I don't even think Clay shaved at that point," says New York Jets linebacker Joey Larocque, Matthews' high school teammate and best friend since grammar school. "But I was like, 'You do your thing, and I'll do mine, and hopefully we'll meet up in the end.' But seriously, who knew?"
Killer Combination
For Matthews, the 2010 NFC Defensive Player of the Year, making the NFL's All-Pro team twice in two years as an outside linebacker for the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers was far from preordained. "I knew I wanted to play at USC from when I was a kid," he says. "The rest is a product of just continuing to work hard and being recognized for playing hard." Despite his conviction and family background, however-his father, uncle, and grandfather all played in the NFL, and younger brother Casey is entering his rookie season with the Philadelphia Eagles—Matthews' vision seemed a tad far-fetched to his friends in Agoura Hills, a dusty northern suburb of L.A.
"I told him to go for it," says Charlie Wegher, who's coached football at Agoura High for the past 18 years, "but, honestly, I didn't think he'd get a chance to play much because USC doesn't typically have those kinds of kids."
Depends on your definition of those kinds of kids. In Matthews' unique case, it's the late-blooming type whose genetics suddenly kick in one morning late in his college career, supplying him with an NFL-ready body to go along with the work ethic of a player accustomed to fighting tooth and nail for what scant playing time he could secure. When it happens, it's football's version of the perfect storm. An undersized, devoid-of-hype nobody walks on to one of the premier programs in the history of college football and spends four years scrapping for special-teams action. Then he physically matures and has the same skills as everyone else, or better ones, but he also has that walk-on's motor that won't stop running. Ever.
"My dad was a late bloomer, too," says Matthews, "so I just kept working as hard as I could, getting stronger and faster, and I ended up growing."
At 6'3" and 255, Matthews' massive frame is virtually unrecognizable when compared with the self-described "skinny kid" who refused garbage-time game action in 2004 to preserve his redshirt status. "You get these walk-on, blue-collar guys," says Matthews' off-season trainer, Ryan Capretta, a former NFL strength coach and owner of ProActive Sports Performance in Thousand Oaks, CA, "and what makes them is that effort level. They're always going a hundred percent. Clay's got that mentality, and now his genetics have taken over and it's an amazing sight."
In addition to his Friday hill or stair runs and field work, Matthews performs two rigorous push-pull circuits per week under the supervision of trainer Ryan Capretta.
Already have a Bodybuilding.com account with BodyFit Plus? Sign In
What Comes With BodyFit Plus?
Instructional Videos
Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.
How-to Images
View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.
Suspended Disbelief
Matthews didn't start a single game at Agoura until his senior year, even though his father-Clay Matthews Jr., a threetime NFL All-Pro who spent nearly two decades with the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons-was the team's defensive coordinator. He simply wasn't ready, and he rarely saw the field.
"If you don't have a junior season, you don't get a lot of offers," Wegher says. "Clay hadn't developed into what he is now, so he didn't get much attention, but when I asked him whether he wanted me to contact schools for him, he turned me down. There was no doubt in his mind where he wanted to go."
Getting into USC wasn't a problem for Matthews, a gifted student who'd always excelled academically. As predicted, however, playing time was nonexistent, except at the ends of blowout games, and he spent his freshman year on the scout team, the lowest rung of the collegiate football ladder. "That's typically where walk-ons end up," he says. "But I didn't think like that. I always knew I was destined for way bigger things at USC."
Matthews climbed steadily up the depth chart at linebacker and defensive end, backing up Houston Texans star Brian Cushing his junior year and sharing USC's Special Teams Player of the Year award two years running. But even before his final college season, nothing was a given-not playing time, not a starting job, and certainly not an NFL career that's off to as prodigious a start after two years as any in history.
Lambeau Leap
Ironically, despite his obvious limitations, Wegher says Matthews was better prepared for his future than any of his USC teammates. "Clay's parents have done a terrific job of getting him ready for his career by keeping his head on straight," he says. "And his dad and his uncle have totally prepared him for everything he's going to deal with."
Preparation is relative, however. His father, along with uncle Bruce Matthews—himself a Hall of Fame offensive lineman—could ready young Clay for the pressures of being a first-round draft choice and the psychological warfare of his first training camp. But you can't coax NFL size or speed out of a kid when it's just not there. Nature first has to take its course. And did it ever.
Matthews was the 26th player selected in the 2009 NFL draft, and the point could be argued that 25 teams made a serious mistake—but with only 10 career college starts going into the 2009 NFL combine, at which Matthews and Cushing dominated drills among linebackers, teams were seemingly put off by his lack of big-game experience. What nobody knew was that "The Claymaker" would hit the ground running, becoming the first Packers rookie named to the Pro Bowl since 1978.
"It wasn't possible to have seen any of this coming," says Larocque. "We were both little guys coming out, so for me to think he'd be one of the best players in the NFL wasn't something I could foresee. We just knew that if we kept working, good things would happen."
Matthews By The Numbers
Team: Green Bay Packers
Number: 52
Position: Outside Linebacker
Personal Information
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 255
Born: May 14, 1986 Los Angeles
Career Information
College: Usc
Nfl Draft: 2009 / Round 1 Pick 26
Experience: 3Rd Season
High School: Agoura Hs [Agoura Hills, Ca]
Career Stats
Games: 31
Tackles: 111
Sacks: 23
Int: 1
Yds: 62
Tds: 1
Ff: 3
Highlights And Awards
Super Bowl Champion [XlV]
2X Pro Bowl Selection [2009, 2010]
1X First Team All-Pro Selection [2010]
2X Nfc Defensive Player Of The Year [2010]
Butkus Award [2010]
On The Incline
Capretta calls them "Road Trip Fridays," mornings when he takes his clients on group training excursions to various scenic points in the greater Los Angeles area.
Sounds pleasant enough, only Capretta's client list consists primarily of NFL A-listers like Matthews and New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie, and his preferred destinations include spots like the sand dunes off the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu and the 189—stair Santa Monica Steps—places where Capretta can readily unleash conditioning hell on his charges.
"The road trips are something new I've been doing with Clay and the rest of the group this year," Capretta says. "We beat the crap out of them on Fridays, but that kind of intensity, running on an incline, has created a competitive environment that's surprised even me."
What Capretta realized is that it's not readily apparent how competitive professional football players are until their competitive outlet is taken away, which is precisely what happened this off-season, when the NFL's league-wide labor dispute and subsequent lockout barred players from contact with their teams. Remove their mini-camps and organized team activities and the only thing NFL players have left is their workouts. And when they're organized group-style, with a dozen antsy alpha males from different teams performing the same drills simultaneously, the way the group dynamic shakes out can be telling.
"We have a lot of different personalities in the group," Capretta explains. "We've got veterans like Keith Bulluck and looser young guys like Taylor Mays, but Clay's the big personality here. He grinds, he gets after it, and he calls people out and talks shit."
Just as Matthews maintained his own wildly divergent ideas about where his football career was headed, he also differed with Capretta initially when it came to training. At USC during the Pete Carroll years, the Trojans tended toward the basics, relying heavily on Olympic lifting, squatting, and benching. "That's what worked to get me stronger and to get me where I was by the time I left USC," Matthews says, "so I wanted to just keep doing that to get ready for the NFL."
Capretta, accustomed to preparing veteran players for an NFL season's potential six-month grind, had something else in mind. "Instead of doing a ton of volume and always going heavy," he says, "we incorporated a lot more push-pull at a faster pace. Clay had never trained with machines before, and we do a lot of that. We varied things with him and came from some different angles instead of just doing six or eight sets of bench and squat."
"I saw some good results with it my rookie year," Matthews says, "and we've had a great relationship ever since."
Year Three
For a kid from sun-baked Agoura Hills who spent five years at USC, life in Green Bay, WI-especially when the days are short and the ground turns to titanium is diametrically opposed to everything he grew up with. "You just have to forget how cold it is late in the season and do your job," says Matthews of the Lambeau Field experience. "You just want to win and get it over with."
No longer a walk-on scrapper, he's a card-carrying superstar and one of the league's top commodities. In defiance of logic that had him pegged as a smallschool linebacker, Matthews roamed L.A. this off-season sporting a Super Bowl ring and a reputation as the most valuable member of a championship defense. And there's much more to come.
"His star status is something he's not really into," Wegher says. "He's not gonna 'big time' you. No matter what he's doing or where he's making an appearance, he always gets his work in because he knows what's important. He hasn't changed at all. He's just a great, great kid."
Both Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder are set to come away from their heavyweight championship rematch on Saturday in Las Vegas with the kind of money that's only tied to the biggest stages in the fight game. This is appropriate given the fight may not only be the biggest of 2020, but also stands as one of the biggest heavyweight fights of the modern era after their controversial draw in December 2018.
Step
into the ring with IFBB Figure Pro Nicole Wilkins for a powerful,
high-intensity workout that will get you lean and ripped in just minutes
a day.
Boxers and mixed martial artists are among the
best-conditioned athletes on the planet. That's because their workouts
combine strength, speed, stamina, balance, agility, and focus. Result: a
knockout body that's lean and sculpted.
We asked IFBB figure pro Nicole Wilkins
to demonstrate some of her favorite boxing and kickboxing moves in a
fat-blasting workout designed by mixed martial arts strength and
conditioning coach Rob Fletcher, founder of America's Next Great Trainer.
Warm-Up ///
(About 10-15 minutes) Do each of the following drills for 30-60 seconds; when you finish all three, you've done one round. Complete 3-5 rounds. Jump Rope: Either with a real rope or an imaginary
one, jump in place. Can do regular jumps with feet together, alternate
the left foot and right foot, bring heels to butt, or lift knees high
while jumping. Jumping Jacks: Fully extend arms and legs. Jog In Place: Stand tall and bring knees toward hips.
Shadow Box ///
(About 3 minutes) Maintain form throughout each punch (see "Boxing Glossary" below). Do all punches in a boxer's stance.
Jab
Jab, then jab again (same arm)
Jab, cross (optional: add whipping/direct elbow or knee-up)
Jab, cross, uppercut (optional:add knee-up)
Jab, cross, front hook
Back hook, lead uppercut, cross
Main Workout ///
(About 18-24 minutes)
Cardio Round: Jump Rope (see warmup for different types of jumps)
Boxing Round: Repeat Shadow Box workout, focusing on speed and intensity.
Strength & Conditioning Round: Do 5 reps of each exercise until the round is over.
Burpees:
Stand tall, then squat down, placing hands on floor; jump legs back to
full push-up position, hold one count, then jump legs back to start;
stand up and repeat.
Prisoner Squats: Stand with feet about shoulder-distance
apart, hands behind head with elbows out to sides. Squat down, keeping
hands in place; don't lean forward. Push up through heels to return to
start and repeat
Squat Jumps: Stand with hands at sides, knees slightly bent.
Jump up, landing in a squat; keep weight over heels and chest upright;
use arms to help you counterbalance. Immediately go into the next jump;
repeat.
Combinations: Repeat Shadow Box workout, focusing on speed and intensity.
Cool Down ///
(About 2 minutes) Finish your workout by doing a jab, cross, hook, and uppercut
combination, 5 reps per side. Focus on your technique, moving slowly
through the full range of motion. Printable PagePDF Document
Road Work ///
Boxers burn fat and increase their stamina by performing
high-intensity speed intervals. Try it for yourself on one of your
non-boxing training days (either outside or on a treadmill) to get that
lean look.
Jog: Maintain an easy, comfortable pace (20 minutes).
Sprint Drills: Run as fast as you can for about 1/8 of a mile, then rest for 1 minute. Repeat 5-6 times.
Boxing and kickboxing have their own vocabulary to describe the punch
and kick styles that turn you into a well-balanced fighter. Here's what
you need to know:
Boxer's Stance ///
Stand with one foot back, feet shoulder-width apart, back heel
aligned with front toes, toes pointed out 45 degrees, and body turned
slightly sideways. Keep your weight evenly distributed on the balls of
both feet, knees slightly bent, hands at eye level with wrists straight,
chin slightly tucked into shoulder, and elbows pulled tight into body.
Punching Power ///
Jab: Punch with lead hand, making point of impact
with the knuckles of your pointer and middle fingers. As you punch, turn
hips while pivoting on lead foot, keep opposite hand up near chin to
protect head and face.
Cross: Punch with the back hand, making the point
of impact with the two big knuckles. As you punch, turn hips in the
direction you are moving while pivoting on back foot. Keep opposite hand
up to protect head and face.
Front or Back Hook: Transfer body weight to lead
leg and punch across body with lead hand, turning hips in the direction
you are punching. Your lead arm moves parallel to floor with elbow bent
about 90 degrees. Keep opposite hand up to protect head and face. For
back hook punch, transfer body weight to back leg and punch across body
with back arm parallel to floor, turning hips in the direction you are
punching.
Uppercut: Transfer weight to front foot and
slightly dip front shoulder, putting pressure on balls of feet. As you
punch, prepare to launch and explode upward, rotating hips in the
direction you are punching while pivoting on balls of feet. Keep
punching elbow tight to body. You can punch in or up (palm up),
depending on the target area (i.e., solar plexus, ribs, jaw, or
kidneys). Opposite hand remains up near chin to protect head and face.
Knee-Up: From boxer's stance, thrust hips forward, driving back knee straight up and in; lower back to boxer's stance.
Whipping/Direct Elbow: Move back hand as if
throwing a hook punch, but keep elbow in front and hand close to body.
Whip back elbow across front of your body to target area. Immediately
after throwing whipping elbow, lunge forward and drive the same elbow
straight into target.
If you're a serious lifter or athlete, are chasing gains or weight loss, or are just trying to eat healthier, Brain Gainz is here to teach you everything you need to know about protein.
► Enter the Scream Pre-Workout Giveaway (Password: Scream2020): http://bit.ly/3bvu9Bn
► BodyFit Training Programs: https://bbcom.me/2SscvHg
► BOGO 25-50% Off Sale: https://bbcom.me/2SqoN2T
Starting Your Transformation Off Right
o Whey Protein
• WPC
• WPI
• Hydrolyzed
o Casein
o Gainer
• Higher in carbs and calories
• enzymes
o Egg Protein
o Meat
o Collagen
o Plant Protein
• More difficult to hit protein macros
• No plant protein is “Complete”
• Taste and Texture are more difficult
o Amino Spiking
o Timing (Anabolic Window)
o Best protein is one that you will consume regularly
| Transformation Spotlight: Andrew Chilson |
Andrew Chilson's weight-loss journey started with food, but he didn't just swap burgers for salads or sugary drinks for more water. Instead, Andrew had to learn how to retool his entire diet to overcome his major hurdle: Crohn's disease. "Crohn's covers your entire gastrointestinal track—from the esophagus down into your colon, so I couldn't digest food properly."
Five years after being diagnosed with Crohn's, Andrew had gained over 100 pounds and watched his body fat balloon up to 33 percent. Andrew had several reasons to change, but in the end, aesthetics alone weren't enough to get Andrew to commit to a fit lifestyle—his family was. "It was difficult just to play outside with my kids," he says. "Being told by my doctor that I couldn't do anything active except walking really pushed me to make a change."
It wasn't until I got fed up dealing with things that I saw a nutritionist who revamped my meal plan. She stripped my meals down to find out what I could digest. There was a time when all I was eating was baked chicken. There was no variety at all. I could put it in soup, but broth and bird were it.
After following my own program and getting used to working out again, I followed "Kris Gethin's 12-Week Muscle-Building Trainer" and "Jim Stoppani's Shortcut to Shred." Both were rough, but I loved them. Whenever I push myself really hard at the end of a workout, I get this crazy euphoric feeling.
“I have a lot of work to do, but I want to compete in a physique competition. I love the way physique competitors look, and I've always loved competing.” He says.
“The biggest thing is to listen to your body. If you're paying attention, it pretty much tells you everything you need to know. And remember, you are capable of so much more than you think.”
Check out these awesome baserunning tips and drills for softball players. Practice drills and real lift game situations included!
Practice Base Running Drills
3-2-1
Place three balls equal distance apart about three fourths of the way from third to home. Have a runner (team 1) and have a fielder on third base and one one second base (team 2).
When you say "go", the runner must reach second base before the fielder fields and throws the balls to the fielder at second base. All throws must be accurate. If the fielders get all balls to second base before the runner gets there, the fielders get 1 point. If the runner gets there first, they get 1 point. Lots of fun!!
Submitted By: Coach Mike
Base
The runner is on the base in her ready position (ready for her lead off). Another player or coach is a short distance from her, in the basepath from first to second base. The coach holds a tennis ball at eye height. As the ball is dropped on a piece of flat wood, the runner leaves the base and attempts to catch the ball before it bounces off the wood a second time. The distance for this drill is determined by the skill level of the runners, but start out close so she can easily catch the ball and slowly move back to challenge her.
This drill was acquired acquired from a "Speed and Quickness" clinic in Phoenix by Don Lee.
Submitted By: Coach Mike
Baserunning Situation
I've been ending practices with this drill for many years. It works with either baseball or softball.
Split the team in half and form two lines at home plate, one staggered ahead and inside the other. The coach stands at the pitcher's circle with two bats. When he (she) hits the bats together, the lead runners in both lines take off. One runs straight through first base as if she is beating out a groundball, the other makes a turn and continues into second. You now have runners at first and second and two lines of runners still at home. At the next crack of the bat, the drill continues in the same manner but the runner on second now rounds third and scores while the runner on first takes third. Now every base should be occupied. It continues again, with the runner on third tagging up and scoring. Two runners will now score each time the bats are hit together. They will then return to the end of the opposite line and the bases will always remain loaded.
The coach can guage when the team has had enough and end the drill when the last player on line crosses home.
The drill allows for every baserunning situation, allows the coach to check running mechanics and proper turns and helps build stamina with short bursts. It's much more helpful than having the players continually circle the bases. You will find that the runner scoring from second will often chase the runner tagging from third home, making for a good game-type situation.
Submitted By: Hank Gola
Belt
Resistance Drills Equipment required: A belt and a short length of rope (about 10-12 feet long).
Put the belt around the waist of a runner and tie the rope to the back of the belt. Have another player grasp the rope and stand behind the runner with the rope taut. Have the runner lean forward while the other player holds the rope to keep her from falling. The proper running position is at about a 5-10 degree angle off vertical with her feet pointing forward, the back foot about 6 inches behind and 6 inches to the right (or left) of the lead foot. With the help of the rope holder, have the runner get into her running position and when she is, say "GO".
The runner runs about 10 yards with the rope holder applying resistance. You do not want too much resistance, just enough to keep the runner in the proper running position. Do this 2 times then have the runner "free" sprint over the same distance while the rope holder is putting on the belt. Then switch positions.
This drill was acquired acquired from a "Speed and Quickness" clinic in Phoenix by Don Lee
Submitted By: Coach Mike
Out Of The Box
Out of the Box Drill: This drill is similar to the base drill, but this time the runner is a batter. The dropper is lined up a short distance from home plate in the basepath to first base.
Have the batter take a normal swing with a "bat" (use a fake bat, or top of a batting tee). As the "bat" enters the impact or contact zone, drop the tennis ball and have the batter run out of the batter's box and catch the ball before it bounces on the wood a second time. Once again, start out at a short distance and increase the distance to challenge the batters.
NOTE: Make sure batter's weight is balanced and not leaning forward or backward or she will take unnecessary steps to regain her balance before running for the ball. Also, watch the right arm and elbow (right-handed batters). The proper movement is to drive the elbow back and outside the hip to initiate the running sequence. Finally, watch the "bat" to make sure she does not "whip" the bat back to the right side and then run. The "bat" should be dropped by the left hand after the right hand has released it.
This drill teaches two things. The first is to get out of the batter's box quickly and with the least amount of steps and wasted movement. The second thing it teaches is to hit the ball and run. Not to HIT THE BALL, ADMIRE YOUR HIT AND THEN SAUNTER TO FIRST BASE.
This drill was acquired acquired from a "Speed and Quickness" clinic in Phoenix by Don Lee
Submitted By: Coach Mike
Running Skills
Done everyday as part of warm up:
Flexibility
High knees- quick feet
Long Strides
Form run
Submitted By: Toby
Thunder Ball
Have a fielder on first base and one on third base (team 1). Place a ball on a tee or soft toss it to a hitter (team 2). The hitter hits the ball and runs to as many bases as she can reach before both fielders have touched the ball. For each base she reaches before the fielders touch the ball, her team gets 1 point. They all like this one!
This drill was acquired acquired from a "Speed and Quickness" clinic in Phoenix by Don Lee.
Submitted By: Coach Mike
Game Situations Base Running
First And Third
Split up your team into two teams and have the catcher on each team make up signs for her players. One of the teams will play defense in the field, while the other team runs the bases. The team running the bases will begin with a runner on both first and third, with the object being to score a run.
This becomes a game of competition, with the team scoring the most points winning. The runner on first has only three pitches in which she must attempt to steal second base. A successful steal of second base will be worth one point, and a run scored will be worth three points. If the girl scores at second base and the other is out at home then they get one point and have one out. However, if the runner scores at home and the girl is out at second, the out does not count because the girl scored.
Defensively, the object is to stop the runner from scoring while also attempting not to give the runner second base on an easy steal. The catcher calls the play before the pitcher pitches the ball. Usually we play one or two innings and the losing team has to run sprints.
This drill really helps during the games and the girls feel more comfortable about the steal when there is a runner on third base. Additionally, the catcher feels more comfortable throwing the ball down with a runner on third base
Submitted By: Jessica Hunt
Leap Frog
We use this game to start the practice almost every night. It is fun and gets the blood moving.
Have your players lay on the ground in a circle with their heads toward the middle of the circle. Designate a player to start the action. When she starts, she gets up and runs over every player in the circle until she gets to an open spot (vacated by the first player she has run over)and then she lays down on the ground (usually falls down). After the starter has run over the FIRST player on the ground, SHE gets up and runs over every player until she finds an open spot (vacated by the FIRST player SHE has run over) and then lays down.
When played right, you will have 3 or 4 girls running over players and falling down at all times. The players love this game and it is a good warmup exercise.
Submitted By: Coach Mike
Pickle
Place two bases 40-60 ft. apart. Only three people are needed. One at each base and one to be the runner. I recommend using tennis balls to avoid getting hurt.
The fielder with the ball should begin at the bag opposite the runner. Starting with his foot on the bag, the runner gets a 3-to-5 second lead toward the base in front of them. After they touch the first base and get a start back to the other base, the fielder they just ran from throws the ball to the other fielder to try and tag the runner out. If the ball gets past the fielder or they drop it, the runner can turn around after touching that base and run back to the other.
The runner would just go back and forth as many times they can until they get into a pickle. If the fielder catches the ball, they can run the runner back to the base like a real pickle situation in a game. The runner cannot get credit for this base because they didn't touch the other base, yet.
The goal of this game is to touch the bases as many times as you can without being tagged out. The runner must keep track of how many times they touch the base before a fielder tags them out. When that runner gets out, they rotate positions so that the fielders can be the runner. After everyone has ran, they compare their scores (bases touched).
Submitted By: Kate
Pickoff
This is a good drill for all aspects of stealing. Put players at each of the infield positions. Have the rest of the team put on helmets and line up at first base. The baserunners will each run the bases in this pattern: lead off, steal. Only one runner on the bases at time. The first runner gets ready on first. The pitcher pitches the ball and the runner takes a lead. The catcher attempts a pick-off at first and the runner tries to get back in time. On the next pitch the runner attempts to steal second and the catcher tries to throw her out. The runner proceeds with a big lead at second, stealing third and big lead off at third. The final pitch for that runner is a deliberate passed ball/wild pitch which gives the catcher and pitcher a chance to practice this play.
To encourage the runners to take big leads and to teach them what they can get away with we will place little pieces of candy in the dirt as a challenge. If they can grab the candy and get back safely, they can keep the candy. After they have done this drill a couple of times, allow the runners to do a "delayed steal" on their lead-offs. If the catcher throws to first, the runners can attempt to go to second. This way the catchers learn to recognize the delayed steal and run the baserunner back.
The drill gives the catcher a lot of practice throwing to the bases, allows the infielders to practice positioning themselves for and putting on the tag, and allows the baserunners a chance to practice leading-off and sliding before practice officially started while the coaches were taking care of some paperwork. The coaches decided to just sit a watch them coach themselves.
Submitted By: Gary Anderson
Scrambled Eggs
I got this one from Minnesota FastPitch. It is a great drill for sliding!!
Have 1/4th the players line up behind first base, 1/4th the players line up behind second base, 1/4 the players line up behind third base, and 1/4th the players line up at home. You will need to have a dozen or so eggs (not hardboiled). Give 2 eggs (one for each hand) to the first player in line at home. She has to run to first base and slide, with her hands up so as not to break the eggs. The first player in line at first base gets the eggs from the runner and runs to second base and slides. This continues until all the players have run and slid.
You will be amazed how few (if any) eggs are broken. We have never broken one!!
Submitted By: Coach Mike
Sprinting
This drill is for conditioning and control.
Player set-up A catcher stands between first and second base with a discard bucket. The rest of the team stands between third base and home with gloves.
Ball set-up Place three balls on the first baseline, spacing them a few feet apart. Do the same on the second baseline. Place 5 balls in the center of the field, vertically between catcher and player.
Drill This drill should be run one player at a time. The player sprints to any ball on the field, and throws it to the catcher. (If the throw is not good, the ball is replaced by another player for a second try.) They then sprint back to where they started, and go after another ball. This goes on until all of the balls are in the bucket. This drill should be tiring, and should be run at a sprint. Time the players if they need motivation. The other players on the team should be cheering on the runner.
Submitted By: Coach Mike
The Running
My daughter calls this game, "The Running Game". It is also as old as the hills, but we use it almost every night in practice.
Have half of the team line up at second base and half the team line up at home. On the signal, one player from each team runs the bases until she reaches the base she started out at. When she gets there, she tags the next runner in line and she runs the bases. This is done until all the runners have run. Whoever reaches their base first wins. The other team has to pick up the bases.
This is usually the last thing we do at the end of practice.
Submitted By: Coach Mike
Thunder This game has been played ever since the start of softball time. It is played with 2 teams. One team is at bat with a tee or soft-toss, the other team has one fielder on third base and one on first base. The batter hits the ball off the tee or from a soft-toss as hard as she can and runs as many bases as she can until BOTH fielders have touched the ball.
Keep score by counting bases reached before the ball is touched. After all batters have batted, switch sides.
Submitted By: Coach Mike
Trees
We play at a location that has 1 field and quite a bit of open space. The open space had may trees spread out. Some were 15-20 feet apart while there were 2 trees that were 60-70 feet apart. The trees I picked were in a circle but they could be in any order. Get enough trees to make even teams. Get a stopwatch and time how long it will take to go 2-3 times around. On the second go-round players position themselves to locations where the throws they would make in a game. You would be surprised on the improvement in time.
1. Static Jump: Have two players hold the rope LOOSELY in their hands at a height of the jumper's knees. From a stationary position facing the rope, have the jumper, jump over the rope using her hands and legs to propel her over it. If she does hit the rope, instruct the holders to drop it. Next raise the rope to half way through the thigh. Then to the top of the thigh. Do this twice.
2. One Step Jump: Have the holders hold the rope at knee height and have the jumper take a step and jump over the rope with both feet (jump rope style). Raise the rope to halfway through the thigh and to the top of the thigh.
3. Two Rope Jump: Have two sets of players hold two ropes. The first one is at the jumper's knees. The second rope is at mid thigh. Have the jumper stand in between the ropes and stretch out her arms. This is the distance between the two ropes. The jumper faces the first rope and takes a step and jumps over the first rope and immediately upon landing, she jumps over the second rope without taking a step. Do this twice. This drill improves vertical leap which is directly related to speed and quickness.
4. Lines on The Field: Equipment Required: Strips of cloth, small pieces of wood or chalk to make marks on the field (outfield). Have an area of about 60 feet to run in. Make lines (like hash marks) on the field indicating where players' feet should be hitting as they leave the base or batter's box. The first 10 feet should be short, but get longer as they build up speed. Place a marker at about the halfway point and tell the players that when they reach the marker to focus on pumping their arms faster. This drill will teach the proper way of defeating inertia by taking short steps at first and then pumping their arms to reach optimum speed.
NOTE: Watch for the proper arm position of 90-degree bend in the elbows. The hands go from chest to pocket. KEEP THE HANDS OUTSIDE THE EYES. Also, there is a direct correlation between the speed of the arms and the speed of the feet. As an instructional demonstration, have the players try to run slowly while pumping their arms as fast as they can. It doesn't work! The runner runs about 10 yards with the rope holder applying resistance. You do not want too much resistance, just enough to keep the runner in the proper running position. Do this 2 times then have the runner "free" sprint over the same distance while the rope holder is putting on the belt. Then switch positions.
This drill was acquired acquired from a "Speed and Quickness" clinic in Phoenix by Don Lee
Submitted By: Coach Mike
Balls Of The Feet
I get a lot of e-mail asking how to improve speed to first base.
First of all, you must realize that the game of softball is played entirely on the balls of your feet, regardless of what position you play. There are only 2 times when your heels should hit the ground.
In between pitches when you are relaxing
In the dugout in between innings.
To generate more speed you must realize the dynamics of running. If you are running with your heels hitting the ground first, you are actually pulling the ground toward you. This is not generating any speed. When you run on the balls of your feet and leaning forward, you push the ground away from you and this generates power and speed.
One of the best drills I have ever seen to improve strength in your stride (running stride) is to do static jumps. This is done by stretching a length of rope between two chairs or people (hold the rope very loosely). Hold the rope about waist high and from a standing start, on the balls of your feet, jump over the rope. You may have to start out lower, but get to the point where you can jump over a rope at waist high, then add a second rope a couple of feet away from the first. Jump the first rope and when you hit the ground, immediately jump over the second. This will improve your speed the first day you do it. Every day after that, you will see more and more speed.
The first few steps toward first base should be short, choppy steps and you must be still in a bit of a crouch and leaning forward. After about 10 feet, begin to straighten up just a bit and lean forward. When you reach almost halfway to first base, begin to pump your arms as fast as you can. This will make your legs move faster, and don't stop until you go past first base.
The key to faster times out of the box and to first base is to run on the balls of your feet. Do the drill and I am certain your will be a faster runner.
Well Athletes and Warriors; it fascinates me when I find all of the unique reasons why everyone must become better tactical athletes. These police officers, and citizens never know when you either have to help protect the public, or pull a horse weighing 3-4 times more that you out of a ditch. -Coach Nate ** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
Muldrow, Oklahoma — It was a cold, windy morning in Muldrow on Thursday, when at around 10 a.m., Matt Goodson, a local mail carrier, called the PD and said that there was a horse in the ditch, wrapped up in barbed wire, and didn't look like it was doing very well.
When police arrived they found a horse lying on its side in a muddy, watery ditch. Police officers used their combined strength to get the horse secured in ropes and rolled out of the ditch. Police were able to untangle and rescue the horse, an 16-year-old named Mars MC.
Road Accident Claims Investigation
By: Andrew Sallmen
Today if you were to ask an
emergency service worker if they attend Road Traffic Accidents, they
will say no but we do attend Road Traffic Collisions and the difference
may seem subtle but it is profound as it means that the authorities no
longer accept accident as a reason for any incident involving vehicle
collisions and wish to apportion culpability.
If you are
involved in an incident and find yourself facing this mentality of
others wishing to apportion blame , then you would be wise to take the
step of hiring an investigator to work on your behalf to help establish
the facts and absolve you of any culpability. The reasons for
vehicle collisions are too numerous and varied to list but as an example
you can have it range from factory defects on new cars through to being
hit by another driver who was under the influence of drink or drugs. Finding out which matters affected you is paramount when building a case against a third party in an accident claims process. Therefore hiring a professional accident investigator will give your claim the best chance of success. The idea behind getting an accident investigator involved is that you
may be totally overwhelmed by the whole experience of what you have
witnessed and what you have just been through. Couple this with
the fact you may be injured or at the very least suffering from the
effects of adrenaline (which can cause, amongst other things,
uncertainty and an inability to think properly), understandably your
priorities are not on evidence gathering for future determination of
blame and compensation. Even after the initial occurrence a top
investigator can make sense of the crash location and be able to look
past the removal of the vehicles, the lack of eyewitnesses and the chaos
caused by those at the scene who were rendering assistance.
Of
course there is a limit to their abilities when attending a site for the
purpose of gathering information and it is imperative that you employ
someone as soon as is practicable. When it comes to determining what has happened at the scene of an RTC an investigator will: Photograph and create a plan of the scene, inclusive of road measurements. Interview the witnesses and other parties involved. Conduct Police interviews and collect statements. Submit a report based on their conclusions. An example of just how an accident investigator can aid you in a claim. This case involved our investigator ascertaining additional information
about the driver of the convertible car that had struck our client and
discovered that the driver had in fact been standing on his seat just
prior to the incident. As you can imagine this piece of
additional information proved invaluable in our clients compensation
claim against the other party. No one else, not even the Police, had got that information from the witnesses. Making things right again after being involved in a collision whilst driving your car is important.
You owe it to yourself to get the best assistance possible and getting
the right accident claims investigator is a step in the right direction.
US Sports Network News! Having fun and helping the peeps'. Using Sports as a platform to Inform, Educate, Inspire, While Entertaining you with the best of sports, talk, music, and fun. Be on the lookout for our frequent 'Teachable Moments' This will be a sports and media experience like you never expected. We always welcome your feedback. If you like us or even if you don't, we are always going to love you! Thanks for stopping by!
There's this kid you know. A high school senior. Plays football hard, but he's nothing special on the field. He's around six feet in cleats, maybe tops out at 200 pounds after dinner, and he's neither fast nor skilled enough to be anyone's idea of a big-time, blue-chip prospect. In fact, he didn't start a game until senior year, and although he holds down his position competently, it's obvious he doesn't have the size, speed, or strength necessary to get on the national college recruiting map.
You like the kid, though, and you're trying to figure out a plan for him to play ball in college, but pragmatism keeps taking over. Kids like this have their parents pay for school. Kids like this don't play on ESPN on Saturdays in the fall. What happens next, however, when the kid in question is William Clay Matthews III, the latest in an unbroken line of football royalty dating to the 1950s, is a declaration.
"I'm going to play football at USC."
Yes, that USC. The University of Southern California was, in 2004, home to Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, and dozens more future NFL players—a team that would win an eventually vacated national championship the year Matthews arrived armed only with a bad haircut and a dream. "I don't even think Clay shaved at that point," says New York Jets linebacker Joey Larocque, Matthews' high school teammate and best friend since grammar school. "But I was like, 'You do your thing, and I'll do mine, and hopefully we'll meet up in the end.' But seriously, who knew?"
"We have a lot of different personalities in the group," Capretta explains. "We've got veterans like Keith Bulluck and looser young guys like Taylor Mays, but Clay's the big personality here. He grinds, he gets after it, and he calls people out and talks shit."
Just as Matthews maintained his own wildly divergent ideas about where his football career was headed, he also differed with Capretta initially when it came to training. At USC during the Pete Carroll years, the Trojans tended toward the basics, relying heavily on Olympic lifting, squatting, and benching. "That's what worked to get me stronger and to get me where I was by the time I left USC," Matthews says, "so I wanted to just keep doing that to get ready for the NFL."
Capretta, accustomed to preparing veteran players for an NFL season's potential six-month grind, had something else in mind. "Instead of doing a ton of volume and always going heavy," he says, "we incorporated a lot more push-pull at a faster pace. Clay had never trained with machines before, and we do a lot of that. We varied things with him and came from some different angles instead of just doing six or eight sets of bench and squat."
"I saw some good results with it my rookie year," Matthews says, "and we've had a great relationship ever since."
.jpg)
