End Zone Athletics

 Daniel Jahn, CSCS, USAW

Director of Training and Education

Have you ever heard the quote, "If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail?"  Unfortunately, the first time I heard that quote, I had already starting coaching at the UW, and my baseball career was over.  I thought to myself, I wish I would have heard that while I was still in high school.  I wish I would have known the proper ways to prepare my body and my mind for collegiate baseball before I started.  I still think that if I would have prepared properly, I would not have injured myself, and I might still be playing to this day.

Number 1:

              I wish I would have understood the amount of time and dedication it takes to fix a mechanical issue.  I pitched and played outfield at Washington, and this was true for pitching as well as hitting.  Depending on an individual's kinesthetic awareness (awareness of what their body is doing while moving) it generally takes 1500 reps while focusing on the exact part of the movement, and doing it correctly, to turn the movement into muscle memory.  I had a long swing and had trouble pulling the inside pitch with backspin.  While pitching, I had trouble finishing long in front, and often would not get all the way downhill.  To fix each of these issues took an incredible amount of time, concentration and dedication to improving (almost a year).  If I would have known how much time I needed to spend to correct a movement, I could have fixed issues in a much shorter amount of time.

Number 2:

            I wish I would have known how big and strong Division I baseball players are.  My first day in the locker room made me feel hideously small, and I thought there would be no way I could ever compete with any of them.  In high school I had no idea how much strength even played a role in baseball.  Strength, power, speed and quickness are things that ANYONE can improve.  If I would have known that, I would have been much more focused on developing my body and mind through strength and conditioning work.

Number 3:

            I wish I would have known how much self-discipline you need to be a successful collegiate athlete.  My first year in college, I struggled.  It was extremely difficult to manage school, baseball, and my social life (yes, your social lives are important too!).  It takes an incredible amount of discipline to stay task-oriented and focused, especially once the season starts.  I think that if I would have been in the habit of being well organized and understood time-management, the transition from high school to college would have been a little easier.

Number 4:

            I wish I would have known how important diet and nutrition are to recovery and performance.  When you play every day, train your body extremely hard, as well as deal with the stresses of college classes and your social life, you will drain your body's energy.  If you are putting things into your body that don't allow it to perform to its maximum level, you are hurting your chances of succeeding, as well as setting yourself up for injury.  I had no idea about how to eat before college.  Nutritional well-being is habitual, just like most things.  I wish I would have been in the habit of eating correctly prior to entering Washington.

Number 5:

            I wish I would have known that the only way to fix an injury is through rehabilitation.  Ice, heat, electronic stimulators, acupuncture, chiropractic work, massage, ice baths, ankle braces, and anti-inflammatory pills are all treatments, not cures.  Treatment is extremely important, especially immediately following the injury, but it will not fix the injury.  Rehab is the cure, and in most cases, a lot of rehab.  When I injured my back, I had to rehab close to ninety minutes per day, and in my opinion, it was still not enough.  You must hold yourself accountable to doing the things you need to do to get healthy.  Take control of your future, and do the exercises that have been prescribed to you by your doctor or physical therapist.