Quote of the Day 12/31/07

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."

-Steve Prefontaine

-One of the most accomplished Distance Runners in American history

Ullucci Sports Med Minute to Air on TV

Exciting news from Ullucci Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy. We are going to be a sponsor of a 1 minute spot during the show Varsity Life. Our Ullucci Sports Med Minute will have different topics relating to injury rehab, prevention and Strength Training. The first spot will air on January 7th during the show. Varsity Life can be seen on Mondays at 7:30pm on Cox Channel Three. Varsity Life is a show that spotlights Rhode Island High School Sports. The show is available On Demand after it airs.

Quote of the Day 12/28/07

"Pressure is something you feel when you don't know what the hell you're doing."

-Peyton Manning

-Super Bowl Champion, 7x Pro Bowler & 2x NFL MVP

Quote of the Day 12/27/07

"You have to step up when your number is called."

-Reggie Lewis

-Former Celtics Captain

Quote of the Day 12/21/07

"Yes, risk taking is inherently failure-prone. Ortherwise, it would be called sure-thing-taking."

-Jim McMahon

-2x Super Bowl Champion & College Football Hall of Famer

More on the Mitchell Report

As a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), I belong to the national Strength & Conditioning Association. This association has the mission to be the worldwide athority on Strength & Conditioning by bridging research to it practical application. A week ago Major League Baseball released the Mitchell report. If you are not familiar with it you can down load a copy of it here. The NSCA sent an email statement out to all of its members. I thought that I would post it on my blog so that all could read it and get the message that this reputable organization has to say.

National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) issues position on the Mitchell Report into the illegal use of steroids and other performance enhancing substances by major league baseball players

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) - the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning - has issued the following statement in response to the release of George Mitchell's report to the Commissioner of Baseball on the illegal use of steroids and other performance enhancing substances by major league baseball players:

"The NSCA is unequivocally against the illegal use of steroids and other performance enhancing substances. We believe their use is unethical and contrary to the goals of competitive sports. The NSCA believes in and supports the premise that participation in an athletic event should always be based on the highest moral and ethical standards and promote, in every way, the concept of fair play. The NSCA will investigate and take appropriate action against any NSCA member or NSCA certified individual who engages in or facilitates the illegal use of steroids or other performance enhancing substances." - Dr. Lee E. Brown, NSCA President

Says Professor at the University of Connecticut and Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research Dr. Bill Kraemer, "We need to re-affirm the message to athletes and parents that certified strength and conditioning coaches are competent professionals who have the education and background to optimize a workout, which is effective at diffusing the temptation to use anabolic drugs." He adds that a top strength and conditioning coach will typically have a masters degree in a related field, be NSCA-certified, and have the necessary background to work with athletes.

"Players need to be educated that steroids are not the answer," agrees Dr. Jay Hoffman, Department Chair at The College of New Jersey and former professional athlete. "Major League Baseball now requires that its strength and conditioning coaches be certified by the NSCA, and that needs to be enforced. Certification helps to ensure that those coaches on the front line have the greatest depth of knowledge on strength and conditioning training, nutrition and the proper use of supplementation."

Those seeking additional information should begin with the NSCA's website: www.nsca-lift.org. NSCA Vice President and Board Member Jose Antonio, Ph.D. explains that, "The NSCA provides resources and training on natural and effective ways to enhance performance. That includes a comprehensive library of information on the subject, which the Association began compiling in the early 1990s."

The following links will take you to additional information and educational materials on anabolic-androgenic steroid use by athletes:

Special Report: Steroids - September 2006 Issue of Performance Training Journal

Nutrition - December 2007 Issue of Performance Training Journal

Podcast - Dr. Hoffman discusses illegal substance abuse in professional, collegiate, and High School sports

Quote of the Day 11/20/07

"Every great player has learned the two Cs: how to concentrate and how to maintain composure."

-Byron Nelson

-Golf Great

Great Free Publication

I always tend to surf the web looking for information on all kinds of subjects. One site I head to every now and again is biggerfasterstronger.com. I have to be honest, I have not gone through it as much as some of the others with I have bookmarked on the blog. But, when I come across something I think is an excellent resource I like to share it. On the site I came across a free download for a booklet on the Glute-Ham Raise. One of the most valuable pieces of equipment that I have hear at Ullucci Strength & Conditioning is the Glute-Ham Raise. You can train Glutes, hamstrings, back extensors abs and I even have a variation of a Back extension with a row.

This publication goes through the history of the machine and has some excellent abdominal and posterior hip exercises. I advise everyone how is serious on athletic performance enhancement to check this publication out. here is the link.

Quote of the Day 12/19/07

"Don't be too Proud to take lessons."

-Jack Nicklaus

-Golf Great

-18 Major Championships

-113 Tournament Championships

Ullucci Strength & Conditioning School

The Strength & Conditioning School at Ullucci Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy is designed to educate High School Athletes in the basics of Strength & Conditioning. The goal of the program is to empower Athletes to know how to become better athletes by utilizing the many different forms of Strength & Conditioning. The Strength & Conditioning Program at Ullucci Sports Medicine has created its S.T.R.O.N.G. Philosophy around the basis of educating young athletes about Strength & Conditioning. The S.T.R.O.N.G. Philosphy is Smart Training Results in Optimal Natural Gains. In a nut shell by training with techniques that have been researched and proven to improve athletic performance, eating right, recovering appropriately and putting in the hard work young athletes will see the benifits associated with Strength & Conditioning without relying on other means for sports performance.

The School Director Jason Price is the Director of Strength and Conditioning at Ullucci Sports Medicine. He is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, Athletic Trainer, and Personal Trainer. He also holds a certificate as a Club Coach from the United States Weightlifting Federation. Jason has worked with athletes from all levels of sports from Youth Sports to Athletes that have competed professionally.

Tuition for the Ullucci Strength & Conditioning School is $250.00 for the five day session. This tuition includes lunch daily, a t-shirt, and instruction manual that has all the information from the course.

The Ullucci Strength & Conditioning Facility located at the clinic is filled with thousands of pounds of some of the most elite equipment in the Strength & Conditioning Field.

To recieve a brochure on the school email Coach Price at jprice@risportsmed.com

The New Athletic Supporters

If you go to google and type in Athletic Supporter you will most likely be referred to a website offering you the best in Jock Strap Technology. But, the term Athletic Supporter means so much more today than it did many years ago.



Today the term Athletic Supporter refers to the many different professions and people who are out there to support Athletes in the quest to improve performance, prevent injury, recover, be health, and etc. It is not uncommon for some of the youth athletes I work with to have in their arsenal of support a Physical Therapist, Orthopedic Surgeon, Primary Care Physician, Sport Coach, Skill Coach, and myself as a Strength Coach. I think back to myself as an athlete and When I was Thirteen or Fourteen I had my Pediatrician and Coach. If I got hurt I sat out. Lifting weights didn't happen because back then "kids don't lift weights, it will stunt their growth."

Now a days it is difficult for Athletes and Parents of Athletes to sift through all of the information out there for performance enhancement, rehabilitation, recovery, health care, etc. Between Athletic Trainers, Physical Therapists, Chiropractors, Massage Therapists, Orthopedics, Osteopaths, Strength & Conditioning Specialists, Personal Trainers, and then all of the different coaches out there selling their clubs, teams, programs it gets confusing quick.

What is important for Athletes and Parents of Athletes to know is that it important to build your Athletic Support Team with people who are credible and are willing to work with you and other members of your Athletic Support Team. It can be very counter productive if you have one person telling you one thing and another telling you that is wrong do it this way. Many of the professions I outlined overlap each other with the skills and expertise they have. What you the consumer need to know is what each professional is capable of doing and how that can benefit your athletic performance.

First step to establishing a credible and well rounded Athletic Support Team is to have a Primary Care Physician that understands that you are an Athlete. This person should be more than just the person you go to when you have the sniffles and need a physical. What you are looking for is a Physician that is willing to refer you when you need to be referred. I can't tell you how many times during my Career as an Athletic Trainer I had trouble getting an athlete in to see an orthopedic because their Primary Care Physician would not refer them because they wanted to see them and then treated them. Unless your primary care physician has a specialty in Sports Medicine or Orthopedics then they should not handle an orthopedic injury. Having a PCP that will refer you when referral is needed is important. No how the PCP can help you is to have annual Physicals and be able to see you quickly when you are ill or need referral to a specialist. With injuries and illnesses and athletics time is crucial. If you sprain your ankle you want to begin the process of treatment ASAP not waiting a week to see the PCP to then get a referral and then wait another week to get in to see the Orthopedic. Having a PCP who has relationships with other physicians in other specialties is invaluable and the foundation of the Athletic Support team.

Then next person on your Athletic Support Team should be an individual who will help your when you are injured. This will be your Athletic Trainer or Physical Therapist. If you are lucky and have an Athletic Trainer that works with your team you are fortunate. If you don't know what an Athletic Trainer is go to http://www.nata.org/ to find out. Athletic Trainers are allied health professionals who are trained to work with the physically active population to Prevent, Evaluate, and Rehabilitate injuries. Athletic Trainers are found in many different settings from the Professional Sports level down to youth sports. These individuals are trained in how to handle situations that occur in athletics from something as simple as a nose bleed or sprained ankle to the emergency situations such as a Severe Head or Neck injury or joint dislocation. If you are an athlete at a setting which has an Athletic Trainer or a Parent of an Athlete in this setting you should get to know your Athletic Trainer before you are injured and need them. Developing a relationship prior to injury is a good way to get better care when you are injured. Not all Physical Therapists are created equal. It is important that your PT has background in Athletics. Treating a patient who is a physically athletic individual is much different from treating the sedentary patient. If you are going to be seen by a PT make sure that they treat athletes and not just say they do. If you are being treated and you are the only person there who appears to be an athlete there is a good chance you are. There are plenty of quality PTs out there who work with Athletes. Don't just go to the PT around the corner, find the PT who is going to serve your needs.

Once you have your Physician Network and ATC or PT in your Athletic Support Team you should discuss with them your options of professionals to aid in recovery. Massage Therapy, Chiropractic Medicine and other forms of manual therapy are great ways to aid in recovery and treat some of the more nagging injuries or correct imbalances. Having a Massage Therapist or Chiropractor who knows how to manipulate your body back into shape is a great tool. As an athlete from time to time you are going to feel a knot or ache and pain that are hampering your performance. Being able to have someone who knows your body and what you do to it will help you keep your body in alignment and in good working order.

Lastly, Strength Training and athletes has increase so much over the last twenty years. Especially in the Youth age group population. But, there are lots of options out there. It is very important to know who you are training with. All Personal Trainers are not created equal. There are many certifications out there. Many of them are NOT credible. Who would you rather train you? Someone who took a weekend course and passed the exam and became a Personal Trainer or someone who graduated from an accredited college and passed a national certification exam. There are several credentials you should be on the lookout for when searching for a Personal Trainer or Strength Coach. First, the gold standard for Strength and Conditioning is the CSCS credential. CSCS stands for Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and is the Gold standard for Strength Coaches. These people have been trained in the art and science behind performance enhancement. CSCSs are certified by the National Strength & Conditioning Association. To find out more on CSCS and the NCSA go to http://www.nsca.com/. There are also several Personal Training Certifications out there. But, the best ones are Certified Personal Trainers by the NSCA and also the National Council on Strength & Fitness. CPTs are certainly qualified to work with you and are college educated and have passed a national certification exam.

Now that you know more about your Athletic Support Team you are one step closer to reaching your goals.

Here at Ullucci Sports Medicine you can complete your Athletic Support Team by utilizing our Staff of Physical Therapists, Athletic Trainers, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialists, Personal Trainers, Massage Therapists and much more. From Standard Physical Therapy to Performance Enhancement we have it all.

About the Ullucci Strength & Conditioning Facility

The Ullucci Strength & Conditioning Facility is located in the Ullucci Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy Clinic at 1235 Wampanoag Trail in East Providence, RI. Conveniently located minutes from Providence, RI and just of I-195. This location is perfect for people located in Providence, Eastern Rhode Island, Metro West Massachusetts, and Southeastern Massachusetts.

What our facility offers is quality coaching and use of elite equipment. The mission of Ullucci Strength & Conditioning is to provide every client, athlete and rehabilitation patient with an individualized program to help them reach their goals. Our programs focus is helping our clients become stronger, faster, and more functional than when they walked through our door. Our facility has equipment which is specifically geared towards the achiving the mission of our program. Highlights of some of the equipment we have to offer:

• Thousands of pounds of International Powerlifting Federation competition grade Eleiko free weights.


• International Weightlifting Federation approved competition Weightlifting plates and bars


• Plyometric Boxes


• Two 8x8 Weightlifting Platforms


• Agility ladders, cones, hurdles


• Vertec jump training and testing system


• Glute Hamstring machine


• Lat Pulldown


• Pull up and Dip station


• Cardio Equipment
  

We offer a wide variety of programs for people who want to utilize our facilities. For more information please refer to our website http://www.risportsmed.com/ on all of the services we provide.

Quote of the Day 12/18/07

"Take pride in exactly it is you do and remember it's okay to fail as long as you don't give up."

-Dan O'Brien

-1996 Olympic Gold Medalist in the Decathlon

Hot Topic: The Mitchell Report Part I

The Mitchell Report has been on every major news outlet. It has been on ESPN. It is all the rage on sports talk radio. But, what exactly is the Mitchell Report. Well officially it is the "Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball". It is my hope to bring my educated opinion upon this document and shed some light into it and what it means, not only to baseball but for all of Athletics. It is my hope that Baseball and all sports can learn from this and we can get back to a level playing field where Athletes are clean and Athletic feats are honest.



The Mitchell Report was released last Thursday at 2pm. It is 409 pages long and I will break it down over a series of posts. At first glance my opinion of the Mitchell Report is that it is a very flawed document. For what is supposed to be an independent investigation in to Performance Enhancing Drugs or PEDs by Baseball Players how can it be independent when the guy running it is on the Board of Directors of one of the teams in MLB. Senator Mitchell is a Board member for the Boston Red Sox. So I ask how can something be independent when this is the case. Also, I am not very happy with the fact that players names were released. I don't see how this is going to help solve the problem. If anything I think it glorifies the use of PEDs because kids look up to these Athletes. I just hope that because Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds are linked to PEDs that young athletes view PEDs as the way to the Majors.



In beginning the document the first section goes over the purpose of the document. Again, I don't see how it is an independent investigation because of my explanation above. Also, it is only an investigation between 2002 and 2006. The 2002 Agreement between the MLB owners and the Players association initiated the MLB Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Basically this was the first time that PEDs were tested for and banned by MLB. But, everyone knows that the game of Baseball was infiltrated by PEDs way before 2002. Bud Selig the Commissioner of Baseball did give Senator Mitchell the freedom to investigate out side the 2002 to 2006 time period. But, it was only if it was deemed necessary.


To sum up the opening to section II PEDs are dangerous to ones health, Pro Athletes who use PEDs are a bad role model for youths, MLB Players who use PEDs and it is rumored is a blackeye for MLB, and finally it is unfair for those who don't use PEDs.

Mitchell Breaks down the the effects and side effects of Anabolic Steroids very nicely from page 5 to of page 17. I think that every coach, athlete, and parent should read his synopsis of the effects of steroids and Human Growth Hormone. It is laid out simply and it is very easy to understand. He describes how Steroids aid in Muscle Growth and Recovery from workouts and why this would benefit an athlete. Then he breaks down the side effects. Basically Steroids effect every system of the human body. lets just say increase risk of psychiatric problems, Cardiovascular problems, Liver Damage, Stunted growth in youths, risk of tendon tears, and last but not least it can damage the reproductive organs. When he describes HGH he indicates how it is not that much of a performance enhancer. But, that it aids in recovery. Also, the side effects of HGH use is laid out again in very plain and easy to understand english. Mitchell explains the main attraction to HGH for athletes is that it is relatively undetectable by conventional methods of testing and that it aids in recovery and repair from injury. Like steroids there are severe side effects. Some of them are as follows: gigantism, cancer, impotence in men, cardiomyopothy, arthritis, and hypothyroidism.

In closing section II the Mitchell Report discusses in detail how the use of PEDs is considered by the office of the commissioner for MLB as Cheating. It also talks about how the impact of the use of PEDs by MLB players effects the use of PEDs by youths. An example of Mark McGwire using Androstenedione in 1998 when he was trying to break Roger Marris' Home Run record for a season. Sales of that supplement sky rocketed by 1000% after it was proven that McGwire had used it. The sales increased even though it was well documented that there were health risks associated with its use.


There will certainly be more on this topic from me. Stay tuned for more.

Quote of the Day 12/17/07

"The Efforts you make will surely be rewarded. If not, then you are simply not ready to call them efforts."

-Sadaharu Oh

-Professional Baseball Homerun King with 868 in the Japanese League

Quote of the Day 12/14/07

"Forget about style; worry about results."

-Bobby Orr

-Hockey Hall of Famer

Quote of the Day 12/13/07

"It's not that Difficult to win. It's more difficult to win consistently and stay on top."

-Jim Otto

-Pro Football Hall of Famer

Quote of the Day 12/12/07

"Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter."

-Satchel Paige

-Baseball Hall of Famer & Pitched from 1926 in the Negro Leagues to 1953 in the Major League with and pitched one last Major League game at age 59 in 1965

Quote of the Day 12/11/07

"The intelligent man is one who has successfully fulfilled many accomplishments, and is yet willing to learn more."

-Ed Parker

-Kenpo Karate Master

Quote of the Day 12/10/07

"Remeber, tomorrow is promised to no one."

-Walter Payton

-Pro Football Hall of Famer

Quote of the Day 12/7/07

"Every disadvantage has its advantage."

-Johan Cruijff

-Former Dutch Soccer Player and Manager

New Ullucci Sports Medicine Commercial

This new Commercial for Ullucci Sports Medicine & Physical Therapy focuses on our Strength & Conditioning Program.

Quote of the Day 12/6/07

"Be more interested in finding the best way, not just in having it your way."

-John Wooden

-Hall of Fame Basketball Coach and Player

Quote of the Day 12/5/07

"If you think you cannot do it, there is no chance you will."

-Henry Cotton

-British Golf Champion

Quote of the Day 12/4/07

"How Strange to use "you only live once" as an excuse to throw it away."

-Bill Copeland

-Australlian Cricket Umpire

Quote of the Day 12/3/07

"You have to find it. No one else can find it for you."

-Bjorn Borg

-Tennis Champion