Author Archive

  • The Thinker: Sport Training Program Management – The Criminal Nature of its Absence

    The Thinker: Sport Training Program Management – The Criminal Nature of its Absence

    The problem must be identified before the solution is drawn. If you are currently employed in a capacity that is contributing to the problem it is your choice as to whether you will recognize and perpetuate the problem or change your course in favor of long term athlete development and the improvement of your sporting organization.

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    By James "The Thinker" Smith

  • 2012 NFL Scouting Combine Report for Rep 1 Sports Group Athletes

    2012 NFL Scouting Combine Report for Rep 1 Sports Group Athletes

    What is important to recognize is that the careful management of all fundamental components of preparation is the most significant difference maker in an environment when athlete talent is abound.

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    By James "The Thinker" Smith

  • Is Sports Practice Rationally Constructed?

    Is Sports Practice Rationally Constructed?

    Attention coaches: consider the athletes you coach and how they move during contests.

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    By James "The Thinker" Smith

  • Youth Sport Training Considerations

    Youth Sport Training Considerations

    Setting the stage for sport success when it counts- begins when it doesn’t.

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    By James "The Thinker" Smith

  • Club Sports Conundrum: Part II

    Club Sports Conundrum: Part II

    In Part I of this series, we established the problem (s): Excessive annual volumes of same sport technical-tactical practice Insufficient physical preparatory foundations and coaching qualification standards Incongruent process of long term athlete development Lack of sports physiology academic curricula in CONUS Only the most gifted athletes being the exclusive survivors/beneficiaries of the flawed system [...]

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    By James "The Thinker" Smith

  • Club Sports Condundrum

    Club Sports Condundrum

    The current climate of club sport, in combination with school sport, in Southern California is one in which the majority of athletes are being placed under a degree of physical stress that their bodies are unsuited to handle.

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    By James "The Thinker" Smith

  • Military Special Operations Physical Preparation Concepts

    Military Special Operations Physical Preparation Concepts

    The paradigm of military special operations training poses an ironic problem.

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    By James "The Thinker" Smith

  • Ask the Thinker with Bonus Video Interview

    Ask the Thinker with Bonus Video Interview

    The perceived weakness is actually fibers that are impaired from contracting.

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    By James "The Thinker" Smith

  • Ask The Thinker

    Ask The Thinker

    This is why I have long since abandoned the debate over exercise selection that does not fall within the realm of special physical preparation.

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    By James "The Thinker" Smith

  • In Honor of Dr Yuri Verkhoshansky

    In Honor of Dr Yuri Verkhoshansky

    Dr. Yuri Verkhoshansky lost his life due to health complications this past Wednesday the 23rd of June.

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    By James "The Thinker" Smith

  • In Honor of Charlie Francis

    In Honor of Charlie Francis

    It is my personal feeling that Charlie is the most important coaching figure to have emerged from the Western Hemisphere.

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    By James "The Thinker" Smith

  • How We Use The Prowler

    How We Use The Prowler

    A few weeks ago, we decided to put together a roundtable-style article about the use of the Prowler. The idea was to get some kind of dialogue going with several members of the Q&A – along with selected other contributors – in order to see how some of the best coaches, trainers and athletes in the world are using this amazing piece of equipment.

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    By James "The Thinker" Smith

  • The Thinker Discusses Olympic Lifts

    The Thinker Discusses Olympic Lifts

    Question 1: I’d like to thank you for all of the helpful tips, but this is where we’re going to crash. As an athlete, I’ve been performing the Olympic lifts since middle school. I use them with the athletes I train from day one and haven’t had any problems.

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    By James "The Thinker" Smith