Winter Break Training

Since my last post, not much has happened. For practice, we have been given the time off because finding time at a pool was challenging. So for me, I have been doing exercises from my IRP book in order to try and stay in shape for when we come back in January.

Shoulder Exercises with Band

I have been doing many exercises with bands to strengthen my shoulders and legs. The books states that "strengthening your shoulders allows for better shot selection and passing abilities" (Minami 373). In other words, it is basically saying that when your shoulders become stronger, there are many more different types of shots that you can perform, for example a skip shot, and are able to pass the ball faster and with more accuracy. This helps because the more shots you have at your arsenal, the more that you can beat a goalie because they do not know what to expect. Also, since passing is faster and more accurate, you can confuse the goalie and defenders much easier. 

Athletic Tape on Shoulder

Since I have been using my shoulders so much with the band and have been swimming for Kentridge's high school team, I have been having soreness and aches in my shoulders. Minami says that "overusing your shoulders can lead to injury and can lead to a lot of time out of the water" (Minami 367). It also says that there are many ways to prevent injuries like these. Using athletic tape in the photo above can help relieve pain in muscles. You must also do a ton of stretching in order to loosen your muscles (Minami 368). 

After doing many of these things, my right shoulder has felt better, but still tenses up during swim practice. Now, I have to look forward to practice starting on January 3rd and the upcoming tournaments. 

If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please let me know. 

Thanks,

Milo Andersen

Bibliography:

Minami, Takahisa. Japanese National Team Training. Vol. 1. Shinchosha, 2012. Print. 

Question:

Should athletes practice through injuries or take time off in order to recover?