Month: April 2015

This is my first blog post in awhile. So here goes. I usually post once a week, but this last year, I’ve let writing go to the back burner while really focusing in on training the snatch and clean and jerk. I’ve made some great improvements to my lifts, which in turn has helped me become a better coach and person. I learn best by actually being involved and participating hands on through trial and error. I’ve pushed my training volume up and while also maximizing my recovery sessions for each workout. Which means I’ve had to organize my time to allow for the proper recovery from each workout. As the weights and sets have gone up so has the need to be on point for the right amount of sleep, nutrition, mobility and mental focus. I only have few more years to train at an intense state. Or really I’m giving myself this time to see what I can get my weightlifting total up to. During these last 2 years I’ve been at my most consistantent with the snatch and clean and jerk, but my greatest consistency has been in the game of life. Yes I think life’s a game that I see as daily, weekly, monthly and yearly challenges. I grew up with a belief in myself that I can do anything I put my mind to and believe 100% in. Growing up I taught myself how hit a baseball at 10 years old or I should say I started the process of learning and a deep desire to hit left handed. I watched my little league coach crush the ball right handed then turn around to the left side of the plate and proceeded to hammer the ball to all fields. My jaw dropped in awe for what my coach just did. I then asked him what do I need to do to hit left handed. He said take 100 swings everyday and I did. The next two years I did just that. It felt wrong and almost hurt sometimes. I even started to brush my teeth left handed so I could start training my brain to fire the muscles in coordination with movement of my left side of my body. Yes a coach suggested that I try it out. Did it help? Well I like to think it kept me focused on my goal of being a legit left handed hitter. I can now brush my teeth from both sides. At the age of 12 my gramps sent me to a Sacramento City baseball camp and I loved every minute of it. I was there from 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday. Baseball everyday was awesome. After that camp I learned a lot about baseball and how to get better. Nothing fancy but good old fundamentals. I also was given a handbook with drills and technique work for hitting, throwing, catching and base running. The drill I used to hit left handed was a towel drill used for hitting. It trained my swing to be compact and hit through the ball with my body. So I used a towell under my arm or elbow for 100 swings a day practice. After three years of practicing on my own my step dad purchased cage and casey pitching machine. I hit everyday non stop, because it was fun. I crushed the ball right handed, I could hit the ball anywhere I wanted on command. Then I would turn to the left side and hit the ball hard, but I was inconsistant. I questioned myself but I never gave up. It just was not an option. My stepfather knew the grounds keeper at Sacramento City college, and my step dad’s friend mentioned that he can ask the baseball coaches if they gave hitting lessons. They did offer hitting lessons and I learned the fundamental steps to hitting a baseball. This was when I was 12 by the time I was 14 I could crush the ball to all fields with any pitch. I was a legitamate left handed hitter now all I needed was the confidance use my left handed swing in a game. I felt some pressure within to wait for the right time. So waited and waited. Well the next thing I know I have a strained hip and could not hit righ handed. I played every in every game since I was 8. The only way I could play wasto hit left handed while hobbled around for defense. So my 1st time up I hit hit hard single to left field which surprised me, but not really. One off the reasons I was hesitant to hit left in a reall game was because I didn’t want to give up at bates while learning how to hit in a game and I didn’t want to let my teammates down by not performing at my best or just not trusting my swing. So anyways let’s get to the point. The next year was high school try outs and I was going into the season as a switch hitter. 1st at bat as a lead off hitter I doubled to left field. I made the varsity team and started in left field which I didn’t know how to play, yes lft field is tougher than it looks. I made second team all metro which back then was a rough league. I played against Geoff Jenkins, Dereick Lee and Harvey Hargrove who hit 28 homers at Sacramento state. I played against a lot of future minor leaguers and Collge standouts. This foes to show you that a belief in one’s self is very important in anything in life. Trusting and believing in hard and continuous work pays off. Some goals take days, months and even many years to reach. I enjoy the rigors and challenges of weightlifting as I once did in developing my baseball skills. I’m learning to take a new approach on life which will enable me to reach my goals and help others reach theirs. This one my reasons for believing in people, if I can do it so can You. The only real talent I have is my abilty to believe in myself , my work ethic,focus and in not giving up. These are all characteristics traits that we all have inside it’s just up to us to realize them or develop them so we can create the accomplishments we want out of life.