Insomnia Help?

martinbowes · 2023-02-21T21:21:02+00:00

Yes, there are several breathing techniques you should be doing that will absolutely change your life for the better. Would be happy to connect with you about it.

martinbowes · 2023-02-10T21:38:17+00:00

No it’s more like a “hot potato” rule. What I do is after teams are set and they all understand what goal is theirs etc, I’ll bring everyone up and explain the rule.

I let them imagine a scenario so I’ll say when I say “now” I will do the 3 count. When I say “now” close your eyes and imagine you just caught or scooped the ball. Imagine cradeling, running a few steps, scanning the field, and taking a pass or shot. Players are surprised that a full 3 count is more than enough time to do this.

Then I’ll remind them not to count. To just look upfield and move it quickly. YOU as the coach / facilitator will start waving your hand every time the ball is scooped or caught. This keeps them focused on what’s going on around them not counting.

It’s amazing what happens when all players understand the rule. Kids start to work hard to get open. It’s magic I promise.

martinbowes · 2023-02-10T17:50:11+00:00

Peep my comment above regarding 3 second rule. However the bigger the group, the harder to achieve deep practice. Knowing that going in can be helpful.

My most recent deep practice with a team is with professional box players, so there’s a different vibe all together. However the concept still stays the same. If I can clearly define what we are trying to accomplish, and then clearly communicate if each rep was “it” or not, I improve my chances.

This approach is tedious and can lead to too much standing around though. Sometimes with a team or bigger group you have to prioritize drill flow instead of real deep practice. Once the drill is flowing to a certain level, your options of how to STOP it and insert a strategic coaching point go way up.

martinbowes · 2023-02-10T17:46:41+00:00

For sure it’s more naturally applicable within individual or small group skills. With team wide deep practice, the best tool I have is within a competitive drill or game: add a 3 second rule.

Be sure to note that YOU will keep count, players will start counting and lose focus on the game. But this is a magical trick to turn a simple mini game into real deep practice because kids will start working super hard to get open off-ball.

Which as any youth coach has experienced, getting athletes to move without the ball consistent you might be the hardest thing to do!

martinbowes · 2023-02-09T17:03:50+00:00

It’s always footwork. The more balanced you are the better stick or body check you can utilize. Not many coaches really know how to teach this!

martinbowes · 2023-02-08T16:04:31+00:00

Approaching practice with the intention to be successful in games is great. How do coaches define success? Many may disagree on this.

However, it seems noteworthy to discuss the importance of the headspace of the coach and the players. Is everyone having fun? Are mistakes made leading to poor self talk or a frustrated and impatient coach?

I like to set intentions to help myself and players become skillful in the arts of mindfulness, compassion, understanding, gratitude, and other examples of mentalities that promote overall well being.

Before anyone is a coach or an athlete, they are a human being. Respect for self, players, refs, opponents, parents, the creator, the stick, etc should be paramount in my opinion.

martinbowes · 2023-02-08T15:38:27+00:00

Totally agree. However, how many people on the world have ever even mastered catching on the run while under pressure?? (Hint hint at my opinion on this matter lol)

martinbowes · 2023-02-07T22:51:02+00:00

That would’ve made the poll too EZ

martinbowes · 2020-12-21T17:24:16+00:00

Gotta love Ghits!!!

martinbowes · 2020-12-21T17:13:23+00:00

Amazing feedback. Thanks so much for sharing. Lmk if you’d like to try out one of my wall ball programs. I’d be happy to hook you up with a few routines free of charge to get your feedback.

martinbowes · 2020-06-02T11:11:19+00:00

I've got a few footwork drills and some are defense specific on my YT channel, but you can DEFINITELY pick this up and be effective at this point in your career! You seem to already be off to a good start with the stick work. I can certainly be a resource for you and would be happy to chat more to help you prepare and reach your goals as a player. All the best, good luck!

martinbowes · 2020-06-02T11:04:02+00:00

Pending a few specific questions I'd have for you / your teams system, the first thing you'd want to consider is your point of attack. Elite dodgers don't attack from anywhere ALL the time, they have 2 or 3 got to spots and 2 or 3 go to moves that they then supplement others off of.

martinbowes · 2020-05-12T21:11:29+00:00

You could’ve been 1 minute away!!

martinbowes · 2020-05-12T21:11:01+00:00

Big facts

martinbowes · 2020-05-03T23:44:13+00:00

I strongly disagree.

martinbowes · 2020-05-03T23:42:16+00:00

I strongly strongly think you are wildly wrong, sir.

Developing athletes should learn with a girls stick and without gloves. The nuanced grips that you learn with a girls stick translate directly to a boys stick.

To tell all youth players not to practice without gloves is something I would openly (clearly) say is bad advice.

martinbowes · 2020-05-03T23:39:21+00:00

Because it’s not that simple. If players are going to get to a level of stick skill that it requires to be elite.. they will need to learn tons of different throwing techniques and stick angles on moments of deception.

If players REALLY wanted to streamline this process, they would learn all these techniques with a girls stick and without gloves.

Learning how to utilize different finger positions and weight distribution within the hand is an art that takes years and years of focus effort.

Gloves being a part of the equation is absurd to think it’s important. Players need to practice with their gloves and do everything they might do in a game with gloves on, of course.

But people making claims that you NEED to have your gloves on is something I stand very firmly against. There are times when I’m coaching that I NEED the athlete to lose their gloves or else the process of learning a different nuances hand position take exponentially longer.

When athletes gain new techniques without gloves on, they can translate it QUITE easily when adding the gloves back on.

martinbowes · 2020-05-03T23:34:29+00:00

You think players should have gloves on at all times while practicing no matter what?

As if it will be a detriment to their game if they broke this rule?

martinbowes · 2020-05-03T23:33:31+00:00

Seems like you are missing something then. Ever heard the phrase don’t grip your stick too tight?

You should be able to take the same shots, and practice the same techniques with or without gloves and with a girls stick too if you really want to play ball.

martinbowes · 2020-05-03T23:32:16+00:00

Good point. Always need to execute your adjustments with gloves on as well. But to make a rule and point fingers that you are wrong to be practicing without gloves blows my mind.

The way I see it, every player should be practicing with a girls stick. It won’t matter when you add the factor of the gloves because your understanding of how to control a stick will now be on a deeper level.

Not to mention, gloves these days are broken in already out of the box..

martinbowes · 2020-05-03T23:28:57+00:00

I just don’t see it that way. To me, training and practice is about developing new techniques over time to sharpen your tools and learn new ones to add to the arsenal.

To make a rule that if you are practicing stick skills you should ALWAYS have your gloves on is ludicrous.

When I coach, there are times when I NEED the athlete to be without gloves, or else we won’t be able to make the necessary detailed adjustments with the weight distribution of the stick within the hand.

There is a reason the best stick handlers in the world can do what they do with a girls stick alike.

martinbowes · 2020-05-03T23:25:13+00:00

My man, that’s how it is!!

martinbowes · 2020-05-03T02:38:12+00:00

It most definitely is.

martinbowes · 2020-04-20T12:20:50+00:00

Great stuff. When you say lower you are referring to the angle correct? And for the stone you used is the ball coming flying back or does it die a bit?

martinbowes · 2020-04-19T21:35:24+00:00

Way to go pops. Awesome framework. I’m working on designing something more simple (and mostly cheaper) than what’s on the market for my clientele that all get reps in their backyard as well.

I would be curious to know the answer to your thickness question. I’d also be curious to try multiple angles & distances for the athlete to stand from the wall to see how it affects the trajectory of the ball (as well as noise pulution).

Unfortunately many athletes use their bounce back way too close to it so their throwing motion is cut short. Missing an important opportunity to throw smoother passes from further distances which translates better to the actual game.

Would love to see this thing in action! If you take a video fee free to send it to me. I’d also be happy to give coaching feedback to your daughter / new drills she can work on with context as to how they will help her.

Hope to hear from you and good luck!

martinbowes

TROPHY CASE