Better Performance Through Reflex Coaching

When most people think of a coach, the image of a hard nosed individual with a worn out lanyard around his/her neck carrying a chewed up tarnished whistle comes to mind and perhaps, rightly so even.  Those more involved in the games themselves and/or those involved in the coaching of said games, however, see things more realistically.  Coaching is teaching, managing, correcting, developing, goal setting, preparation, encouraging...and the list goes on and on.   The protocol developed by Balance Etc that effectively increases reaction by 12%-32% is simply performance coaching. No whistle, no orange cones and no sports equipment but it still coaching.

Teaching (coaching) a goalie to control a rebound is viewed as pretty standard stuff, all part of the job right. But, try this at home... go ahead…I'll wait...have someone hold a quarter about 16 inches in front of your nose. Then, touch your nose then touch the exact center of the quarter. Now, close your eyes and try it again. Now, move to a different spot…and try it again, but as fast as you can. Chances are on the first try you came very close to the quarter. How about the second? Proprioceptors will always have a sense of where you are in space and also where other relevant objects are in the same space and all the components must work together to create a picture of where the object sits in space. Athletes competing in the super-fast sports, hitting a baseball, tennis ball or stopping a puck, must rely on these components to do the same thing. However, the human body is inefficient. The fact that we give off heat, that we discharge oxygen, or water etc are all examples of inefficiencies.  Similarly,  our balance centers are also inefficient. There are blind spots, overlaps and even inner confusion between the different components of balance and this happens all the time. To a goaltender, these inefficiencies will manifest themselves in rebounds. To a baseball hitter, it’s a foul tip or swinging strike, in tennis it is an ace or wide/net return. In other words, you are not right on it-off by just a bit or just a tad late. Performance coaching is all about being right on it and being right on it as often as possible. Increasing that reaction time by 20% or more can mean touching that quarter, controlling that rebound, slowing that fastball down. What would a 20% increase in reaction time mean for an NHRA driver or a sprinter? Reacting to the green light or gun faster than your opponent(s) is the difference between winning and losing. Even NASCAR drivers must make split second decisions. The world of athletics is filled with precision movements and split second decisions that can benefit from trimming inefficiencies.

Balance Etc has years of research and development in these areas. Developing protocol designed to minimize inefficiencies and help sharpen and increase reaction time has been proven to help with human balance and human performance. Athletes make money using their bodies as tools. It stands to reason that this tool needs to be kept prepared and ready to go. This is not to suggest a work out and/or a preparation flaw, but rather an opportunity to help athletes sharpen their tools, a sharpening stone, if you will.

I will readily admit that this protocol was not developed for the athlete. This protocol was designed to help the elderly who are experiencing ongoing balance problems. As the body ages, the ability to react to stimuli slows. It is very much a use it or lose it proposition. The problem is that when a person feels they may fall over if they get up is not going to get up and this inactivity only exacerbates the problem. The ultimate catch-22. This protocol helps the body react to stimuli faster, it’s that simple. An aging citizen has a different set of stimuli to react to than a professional athlete. My goal has always been to help the elderly with this balance and falling problem that affects nearly 1 in 3 people and that goal has not wavered a bit. But if this protocol can help you as a professional athlete achieve your goals then I am all to happy to help you do it also.