RITTER Sports Performance

- How to Use Imagery & Mental Training - The Tale of the Two Muscle Beaches - Learn more at RITTERSP.com - Subscribe in iTunes Olympians Use Imagery as Mental Training - NYTimes The Mundanity of Excellence Muscle Beach

- Developing an elite mindset through belief, drive & empowerment - Discover what the “X” factor is in coaching - Learn more at RITTERSP.com - Subscribe in iTunes                                This is a classic speech given by the great "Doc" Counsilman. If you haven't come across this yet during your swimming journey it's a must read. And from time to time it's a great piece to come back to. Enjoy! The X FactorFrom a talk given by Dr. James “Doc” Counsilman at Montreal, 1971 Condensed and Edited by Bob Ousley Is there any one factor or trait that determines a successful swimming coach? If there is, could we educate a coach to have this particular trait? The business world has long wondered what makes a good executive, a good administrator, or a good salesman. Research into this ingredient of success has led to the use of multi-million dollar testing bureaus. For example, the executives of U.S. Steel are given personality tests, intelligence tests, leadership ability tests, and others in every possible measurable area. So far they have had very little success in identifying any single trait that their subjects have in common. For instance, they sometimes find the lowest paid filing clerk to have more basic intelligence than the highest paid executive. They have determined that once a person reaches a level of intelligence somewhere above average, that higher intelligence by itself is not necessarily a determinant. So, we cannot give all coaches intelligence tests and determine that the most intelligent will be the best coach. If this were true, then all we would have to do to select a good coach is hire the man with the highest I.Q. It might be just the opposite, a man with a high I.Q. might be too smart to get involved in coaching. Let’s get back to the business world. I personally feel that intelligence has a lot to do with success in coaching, in business, in almost any field of endeavor. However, the type of intelligence I am speaking of is not the type that can be measured by academic testing; it could better be called a type of "perception." The business school at Indiana University has found their search for a common denominator from which to predict success to be rather fruitless. They have, however, isolated an unidentifiable factor which they have named the "X" factor. They can’t sharply define this factor, but they talk about, and they feel they are closing in on a definition. I would like to apply this "X" factor to swimming coaches. They know a little about this factor in business, and I would like to mention a few of the dangers encountered by business in attempting to build a perfect administrator. Business has sent its top administrator to training courses — very much as you have come to this clinic — they send them to universities and sometimes to the Menninger Foundation in Kansas. The most outstanding business training course is given in Kansas at the Menninger Psychiatric Clinic. Here, three times year, a course is offered to top executives at a fee of $1200. Entrance is limited to 20 per group in three groups,

- Why Recovery is Important for Maximizing Training & Performance - How to Practically Monitor and Implement Recovery Strategies - Learn more at RITTERSP.com - Subscribe in iTunes

- Innovative & Unorthodox Swim Training - Athlete-Centered Coaching Philosophy - Learn more at RITTERSP.com - Subscribe in iTunes            Follow Coach Salo on Twitter - @SprintSalo Coach Dave Salo's bio from USC: Dave Salo came to USC more than seven years ago as one of the most successful club and national coaches in the country. Now in his eighth season as the Trojans head men's and women's swimming coach, Salo is firmly entrenched among the NCAA's top collegiate coaches. Additionally, his wildly successful Trojan Swim Club has made him a go-to coach for top-shelf swimmers around the world who are seeking to propel their careers even further. With both program's competing at an elite level and in the hunt for national championships, it was no surprise that Salo received a five-year contract extension in the summer of the 2011. "I am proud of the improvements we have made and quite eager to continue progressing in this direction," said Salo. "The vote of confidence from Pat Haden and (senior associate athletic director) Donna Heinel on the job that we are doing is greatly appreciated. It's great to be a Trojan!" Salo, who has more than 25 years of collegiate, club and national level coaching experience, replaced Mark Schubert in 2006 when Schubert assumed USA Swimming's head coach position. Though far from complete, Salo's remarkable career was honored in 2010 when he was inducted into the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Further validating his strength as a coach, he recently completed his third U.S. Olympic staff coaching assignment, serving as a 2012 U.S. Olympic women's swim team assistant coach. Salo had the Trojans rolling again in 2012 as the USC women's and men's teams repeated their third- and seventh-place finishes at their respective NCAA Championships. For the women, that marked the fifth year in a row USC either improved or matched its previous year's NCAA finish and it was the fourth in a row for the men. The 2012 women's team was led again by Katinka Hosszu, who completed her Trojan tenure with her fourth and fifth NCAA titles (200y fly, 400y IM) while earning a max seven All-American honors (including a second in the 200y IM) to give her 20 for her career. Hosszu was one of 12 All-Americans for the Trojans. Haley Anderson won her first career NCAA title in the 500y free in addition to taking third in the 1500y free. Both Stina Gardell and Meghan Hawthorne reached the final of the 200y IM while Gardell also did it in the 200y breast and Tanya Krisman did the same in the 200y fly. Kasey Carlson and Christel Simms joined Anderson as three-time All-Americans thanks to strong work on relays. The Trojan women also won seven Pac-12 titles, including three by Hosszu and two by Anderson. Salo's men's team featured six All-Americans, led by Vladimir Morozov, who continued his rise as one of the NCAA's top sprinters with a second in the 50y free and a third in the 100y free. In a meet marked with close calls for the Trojans, Dimitri Colupaev was second in the 200y free while Cristian Quintero was second in the 500y free. Alex Lendrum also reached the final of the 200y back. Morozov also won Pac-12 titles in the 50y and 100y free while Colupaev won the 200y free. Morozov was the first Trojan since 1977 to double up in the sprint events at the Pac-12s. Following the 2012 NCAA season, Salo saw many of his swimmers flourish on the international stage. A whopping 13 swimmers from USC competed for a combined 10 countries at the 2012...

- Innovative & Unorthodox Swim Training - Athlete-Centered Coaching Philosophy - Learn more at RITTERSP.com - Subscribe in iTunes            Listen to Part 2 of the interview with Coach Salo Follow Coach Salo on Twitter - @SprintSalo Coach Dave Salo's bio from USC: Dave Salo came to USC more than seven years ago as one of the most successful club and national coaches in the country. Now in his eighth season as the Trojans head men's and women's swimming coach, Salo is firmly entrenched among the NCAA's top collegiate coaches. Additionally, his wildly successful Trojan Swim Club has made him a go-to coach for top-shelf swimmers around the world who are seeking to propel their careers even further. With both program's competing at an elite level and in the hunt for national championships, it was no surprise that Salo received a five-year contract extension in the summer of the 2011. "I am proud of the improvements we have made and quite eager to continue progressing in this direction," said Salo. "The vote of confidence from Pat Haden and (senior associate athletic director) Donna Heinel on the job that we are doing is greatly appreciated. It's great to be a Trojan!" Salo, who has more than 25 years of collegiate, club and national level coaching experience, replaced Mark Schubert in 2006 when Schubert assumed USA Swimming's head coach position. Though far from complete, Salo's remarkable career was honored in 2010 when he was inducted into the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Further validating his strength as a coach, he recently completed his third U.S. Olympic staff coaching assignment, serving as a 2012 U.S. Olympic women's swim team assistant coach. Salo had the Trojans rolling again in 2012 as the USC women's and men's teams repeated their third- and seventh-place finishes at their respective NCAA Championships. For the women, that marked the fifth year in a row USC either improved or matched its previous year's NCAA finish and it was the fourth in a row for the men. The 2012 women's team was led again by Katinka Hosszu, who completed her Trojan tenure with her fourth and fifth NCAA titles (200y fly, 400y IM) while earning a max seven All-American honors (including a second in the 200y IM) to give her 20 for her career. Hosszu was one of 12 All-Americans for the Trojans. Haley Anderson won her first career NCAA title in the 500y free in addition to taking third in the 1500y free. Both Stina Gardell and Meghan Hawthorne reached the final of the 200y IM while Gardell also did it in the 200y breast and Tanya Krisman did the same in the 200y fly. Kasey Carlson and Christel Simms joined Anderson as three-time All-Americans thanks to strong work on relays. The Trojan women also won seven Pac-12 titles, including three by Hosszu and two by Anderson. Salo's men's team featured six All-Americans, led by Vladimir Morozov, who continued his rise as one of the NCAA's top sprinters with a second in the 50y free and a third in the 100y free. In a meet marked with close calls for the Trojans, Dimitri Colupaev was second in the 200y free while Cristian Quintero was second in the 500y free. Alex Lendrum also reached the final of the 200y back. Morozov also won Pac-12 titles in the 50y and 100y free while Colupaev won the 200y free. Morozov was the first Trojan since 1977 to double up in the sprint events at the Pac-12s. Following the 2012 NCAA season,

- How to Improve Your Performance Even as You Age - Modifying Any Exercise for More or Less Difficultly - Learn more at RITTERSP.com - Subscribe in iTunes            Episode Resources: Jack LaLanne RITTERSP ONLINE Programs - ATHLETE & TEAM SURGE STRENGTH 9-week Training Program

- Does early sport specialization create better athletes? - Develop a strength & conditioning program from 1-page - Learn more at RITTERSP.com - Subscribe in iTunes                                Episode Resources: The Detrimental Effect of Early Sport Specialization | Changing the Game Project ESPN - The best all-around athletes List of Multi-Sport Athletes Athletes Who Played in the MLB & NFL Daniel Coyle Blog Post on Early Sport Specialization 1-Page Programming PDF

Dr. Marsha Hamilton discusses nutrition and the best strategies when it comes to eating for better training and performance. Learn more at RITTERSP.com Dr. Marsha's Recommended Books on Nutrition:                                         Dr. Marsha's Website - Flow Natural Healthcare Dr. Marsha's Bio: I graduated from the National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM) in Portland OR – the oldest accredited naturopathic medical college in the United States. In addition, I completed a three year advanced gynecology/women’s health mentorship and a nineteen-month midwifery/pediatric externship. My passion for natural medicine stems from being raised in the Canadian Rockies by a long matriarchal lineage of botanical healers. My additional training in pediatrics and midwifery complimented my women’s health specialization and laid the foundations for a strong family medicine practice. I am deeply connected with my botanical roots, and enjoy utilizing them along with biotherapeutic drainage, nutrition, homeopathy and lifestyle counseling for personal and family wellness. The physical, emotional and spiritual are not independent, but rather flow into one another, creating the soul of the individual. By acknowledging the interdependence of the physical and emotional, I am able to focus on root causes of disease rather than merely treating symptoms. Through my medicine and philosophy, vitality and wellness for every individual is attainable.

Dr. Marsha Hamilton discusses the benefits of strength training, naturopathic medicine and how most people can improve performance. Learn more at RITTERSP.com Dr. Marsha's Website - Flow Natural Healthcare Dr. Marsha's Bio: I graduated from the National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM) in Portland OR – the oldest accredited naturopathic medical college in the United States. In addition, I completed a three year advanced gynecology/women’s health mentorship and a nineteen-month midwifery/pediatric externship. My passion for natural medicine stems from being raised in the Canadian Rockies by a long matriarchal lineage of botanical healers. My additional training in pediatrics and midwifery complimented my women’s health specialization and laid the foundations for a strong family medicine practice. I am deeply connected with my botanical roots, and enjoy utilizing them along with biotherapeutic drainage, nutrition, homeopathy and lifestyle counseling for personal and family wellness. The physical, emotional and spiritual are not independent, but rather flow into one another, creating the soul of the individual. By acknowledging the interdependence of the physical and emotional, I am able to focus on root causes of disease rather than merely treating symptoms. Through my medicine and philosophy, vitality and wellness for every individual is attainable.

- Are We Getting Stronger & More Athletic? - What Muscles are You Working? - Learn more at RITTERSP.com New science, strategy may halt rate of arm injuries on MLB.com When 772 pitches isn't enough

- What is Strength Training? - Running & New Year’s Resolutions - Learn more at RITTERSP.com Did you enjoy this podcast by RITTER Sports Performance? Rate us in iTunes.

- Asking Better Questions Instead of Having the "Right" Answers - The BEST Way to Improve Performance - Learn more at RITTERSP.com