Scott interviews world-renowned snowboarder Shaun White about training, technique, and his new game Shaun White Snowboarding World Stage.
Subscribe to my Youtube channel and you’ll see parts 2 and 3 of this interview, which will be posted in the coming days.
Bill Walsh
I distinctly remember Bill Walsh and I discussing his concern about the underdevelopment of young lineman several years ago during a car ride from the NFL offices out to the NY Jets Training Facility in Long Island (at the time). The visit was arranged to videotape Bill’s coaching tips for our Junior Player Development video. He was very happy with the JPD approach but raised the subject that not enough was done for training lineman.
Bill expressed concern that lineman were getting too big and lacked an effective training regiment that reinforced technique, improved movement skills, and overall fitness at the youth through the high school level. I was recently reminded of that conversation, after reading several books on and by Bill Walsh (“The Genius: How Bill Walsh Reinvented Football” & “The Score Takes Care of Itself”) and during the launch of Trick It Out Football. Unfortunately skill competitions have typically been designed for skill position players. Often overlooked are larger players or lineman. Sadly I never had the opportunity to accomplish such a request, until now.
Over the course of the next several blogs I’ll present a series of workouts and skill competitions that are designed to enhance a lineman’s technique and fitness for coaches to apply to their practices.
Staying Low and Exploding Out of a Stance:
Let’s face it when it comes to all levels of football one of the largest technique issues that arise constantly are offensive lineman standing up at the snap of the ball. There are specific pieces of equipment, such as chutes, that help emphasize staying low out of a stance but may be hard to come by at the youth level. And then there is the issue of knowing how to best use this piece of equipment if you’re lucky enough to have access. Let’s first look at how you can replicate this piece of equipment with a little creativity and at a fraction of the cost. I use a set of large 2-foot high cones with holes placed on the top and sides. Each set comes with a set of three 4 – 6 foot poles that fit straight up and into the top of each cone along with plastic snap-on holders that connect and hold a third pole across the top.
Sets can also serve as hurdles to run and jump over. Perform Better the sports/fitness catalogue company carry this product here:
Set-up two sets of cones with poles approximately 5 feet apart at a height of about 3 feet and about 6 feet in distance apart. Ask each player to set-up in a stance in front of the first set of cones & poles, on a signal from the coach, the player power steps under the two sets of poles – stepping first with the left foot for a right shoulder block (replacing the heel to toe as a description of the length of each step) – head up skying their eyes, keeping the body square. When staying low young players have a tendency to not keep their upper torso square causing them to miss blocks. Check that every player is bending their knees & ankles while placing their chest to thigh. Continue to have each player march under the poles.
Progression 1: Objective is to replicate the movement while moving low and adding another game- like physical challenge we repeat the above drill with a slight adjustment. Place two half-foam rolls or two by four pieces of lumber under the poles that each player must power step on under your homemade chute. This drill challenges a player’s balance while keeping them in a low athletic position ready to block. This benefits the athlete’s ability to maintain balance while continuing to develop muscle memory of the basic technique of blocking, a skill invaluable to any athlete at all levels.
Progression 2: Objective is to continue to develop the movement and muscle memory of staying low along with the combination of thrusting into the block with power. In order to accomplish this replication we set-up the original placement of cones/poles and add a 4 pound medicine ball (remember I’m designing this for 9 & 10 year olds, some athletes may be able to handle a heavier weight, but I would avoid it due to the unfamiliar movement technique they are learning). Players are asked to begin in a stance as low as a 3 point stance but with arms up holding the medicine ball under their chin just above their chest. Once again they march/power step through the chute and explode upward after passing under the second set of cones and thrust the medicine ball up and out as far as they can. This forces the athlete to stay low, power step to get momentum, dip the hips and thrust upward (as though they are initiating a block with force).
Skill Competitions: “Tight Rope Drive” Take progression one and time how fast they get through the chute using proper form and not falling off the half foam rolls or 2×4 pieces of lumber. Each player must make a shoulder block into a blocking shield or blocking dummy. Clock stops when they make contact with shield or dummy. Allow each player to conduct the race six times recording the time of each one and then dividing by 6 for a score. The lower the score the better. If a player falls off the half foam roll or 2×4 or knocks down the poles the times still counts but they lose that run as one that is divided into their total score (in other words they might make it through successfully 5 times out of 6 without losing balance, then you would take the total accumulated time for all 6 runs and divide by 5 not 6). “Power Drive” Take progression two and time player through chute and measure the distance the 4lb ball is thrown. Combine the total distance of the throw and subtract the total time it takes the ball to leave the players hand for a score. If ball is not thrown within a six- foot area parallel down field from the chute an additional second is reduced from the total score. An accurate throw indicates that the athlete has executed correctly by squaring up their body.
If you’re a parent with kids involved in organized sports you have most likely experienced them complain about going to practice and even threatening to quit. You’re not alone, over 75% of all kids under the age of 12 quit organized sports. We have every right to be concerned that many youth sports leagues and organizations are doing nothing to improve the overall experience for kids. A recent study showed that over 90% of all youth coaches have no type coaches training, yet they instruct close to 25 million kids each year. The results are obvious; a majority of kids don’t like the experience they’re receiving when they play organized sports.
My mission through Trick It Out Sports and my radio show “The ABC’s of Sports” on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 122 & XM 143 is to improve youth coaching and the overall experience for kids. Through these two vehicles and this web site I provide content, coaching tools, and advice that are easy to use and will help overcome the lack of training most volunteer coaches never receive.
Youth sports skills have been taught primarily the same way for the past half-century. However the way kids receive information and learn has changed drastically. In a rapid pace era where information and technology are cornerstones to a kid’s lifestyle, youth sports instruction is outdated and no longer contemporary.
Kids are visual learners when it comes to physical activity. If the information and skills being introduced and taught to a child does not engage them, there is limited chance they will comprehend and retain it for any extended period of time. Information and skills must be presented to kids in a visual fashion that appeals and captures their attention. The other disadvantage most youth coaches have is their inability to adequately demonstrate skills and techniques. Video sports games can accomplish this while making a youth coaches job much easier and effective.
We strongly suggest using a handheld video gaming device such as the new Sony PSP GO or a Nintendo DSi and/or mobile/smart phone such as an Iphone or Blackberry to your next practice. Each hand held device can play different team sport video games with realistic graphics. The Nintendo DSi does not sport such picture perfect graphics as compared to the other available mobile phone technology. Though both feature replicas of professional athletes performing skills, the mobile/smart phones come as close to reality as you can imagine. However both do a great job visually replicating fundamental athletic moves, similar to that of an actual video recording. Web site access on a practice field can provide great instructional benefits as well. A new customized game and training tool I designed and just introduced is specifically designed for this purpose and can be found at www.trickitoutsports.com. The site highlights plays as tricks through video and virtual cards that visually explain the trick and how best to execute. Whether it’s watching the execution of turning a double play or the technique of foot and ball work on the soccer field, a video game image or web site is worth much more than a verbal or less than accurate demonstration by coaches.
If you think this is type of training is unrealistic, think again. Teams in the NFL have converted their entire playbooks over to video games in order to better engage their players into learning all the plays while better understanding the tendencies of their opponents. NASCAR drivers often will race their cars on the video game tracks in order to better learn the entire course they are about to race for real.
Unlike video recordings, hand held video game units allow the user to manipulate the athlete on the screen, allowing the operator (coach) to control all movements. Another teaching technique is to allow the athletes to manipulate the movement of the video game action, therefore further engaging them in the visual interactive learning process.
As an example, if you’re coaching a youth soccer practice and kids are becoming bored working on ball skill techniques, bring the handheld video game device and show FIFA Soccer 10. Have the athletes focus on the footwork of a particular ball-handling trick followed by challenging them to replicate the move on the field. This type of experiential learning that is both contemporary and so closely interactive will not only enhance your practices but will also develop much more engaged athletes in the learning process of the fundamentals.
By bringing the handheld video sports game or Iphone/Blackberry to practice you are also directly and subconsciously training each kid to focus on technique execution the next time they play the video game at home.
There are additional applications for sports video games as they apply to your child’s future sports experience. Over the course of the next several weeks I’ll introduce those concepts as well as other portable technology tools that can be effectively used at practice.
Remember today’s kids are growing up in a fast paced environment where they need to be both entertained and engaged at all times. Using video game training at practice will not only improve the attention of each athlete and improve practice; it will also increase your legitimacy as a coach that understands their world.
Many have asked for my take on Serena Williams and her outburst during the Women’s Semifinal Match of the US Open. I’ve yet to comment on my radio program on Sirius/XM, nor did it prompt me to immediately begin blogging. What can you say? Serena’s behavior and the language she allegedly used to abuse a lines judge to dispute a foot fault was enough to make even John McEnroe blush.
Yes, pressure on a big stage, the stress of competition, momentarily lapse of composure have all been used to attempt to explain Serena’s behavior. Yet in my mind there is no explanation. It’s not as though she has never won a big match, a championship, or a major. Serena is truly a great tennis player and athlete. She’s been through it all.
The bottom line is that she couldn’t handle losing. Serena was considered the overwhelming favorite in this match. Her opponent, Kim Clijsters, who was making a comeback after having a child, had her on the ropes and was simply outplaying Serena.
What blows my mind is that someone of Serena’s talent, success, and the mind control she has displayed in the past resulted in such a meltdown. You can only imagine that something else may be playing into this or she simply was having a bad day. Bottom line, it was not good. But jumping on the bandwagon to slam her does no one any good either. So my take is — let it go and hope that Serena straightens this out on her own. The longer we talk about it, show it on television, and talk about it on talk radio, the more kids will have the opportunity to see her bad behavior – which it not good.
What’s up with up athletes losing their cool this past weekend? What ever happened to athletes being gracious? Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame Induction speech was not that of a champion or a hall-of-fame great. If you’ve not seen it watch it on YouTube, then let me know your reaction. Why would you want one of your last big appearances in basketball to be one that is still calling people out? There is no doubt that Jordan is the all-time best, but believe it or not Michael, there are kids today who have no idea who you are, now they know you as an angry man and an old washed up basketball player.
Hard to believe Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount will never play in the NFL. After all if he has any NFL type ability teams will line up to place him on their roster. On Thursday night after a loss to Boise State both teams met as usual at the middle of the field to exchange hand shakes, but rather than exchange pleasantries Blount hauled off and punched Boise State player Byron Hout in the face. In a league that allows convicted criminals (premeditated killing of dogs, beating women, DUI’s, etc.) to play due to their extraordinary talent to play football, I really don’t think a stupid decision by a college age kid will do much to curtail his NFL career.
However, the University of Oregon football team and their athletic department need to be applauded for their stance against this type of violence. The game is violent enough without extending it after the final whistle blows.
On Friday afternoon, Oregon Head Coach Chip Kelly announced Blount’s suspension from the team for the entire season. This strong and immediate reaction to this type of unsportsmanlike conduct should make all involved in sports sit up, take notice, and follow. It’s about time we witnessed a bad decision by an athlete result in consequences that every kid that puts on a uniform can understand.
Unlike the NFL, Oregon did not waste time meeting for weeks, testing the waters of public opinion, allowing themselves to be influenced by outside parties with their own agenda. Instead Oregon made an immediate and precise decision that should resonate throughout every locker room and playing field nationwide
Well, we are back for our second season as a youth tackle football team. To date there have been two weeks of preseason practices, one week of conditioning (which I’ll address in detail later) and now one week in pads.
In order to put this into perspective let me briefly review what the team experienced and achieved last season in 3rd grade. A total of 34 kids registered to “play” tackle football. Now I refer to the word “play” because in our society you sign up for youth sports to play. Did it ever occur to parents that we should register our children to learn how to play? This applies to all sports, especially football.
As I have recounted on my national satellite radio show on Sirius/XM Sports Nation Channels 122 Sirius & 143 XM, as well as on the NFL Channel 124, I was met with plenty of resistance with several dads on the coaching staff as it applied to running a so called “traditional football program”. In other words “traditional” is what Dads perceive the NFL and college football to be – the final product they witness every Saturday & Sunday in the fall. To make any comparison with NFL & college football to youth football is obviously ridiculous.
After many weeks of dissent among these few coaches we finally agreed that winning a football game was no way to approach a football season for 8 & 9 year olds. Instead we agreed to develop every player’s skills through fundamental technique using a creative approach in order make it fun and engage players in the learning process. At the same time we also dealt with the false expectations of parents and their desire to see their sons replicate what they see on television, overemphasizing the need to win games.
It amounted to a great experience for our players and coaches. Despite the fact that we did not win a game, we finished the season with 33 players (and an average of 28 players every practice), all playing equally every game. Our fundamentals were sound, executing great stances and technique with all blocking and tackling skills, along with impressive on-field organization and teamwork.
Now the following season has begun. All coaches from the prior year return and 44 kids register. After analyzing the past seasons accomplishments and mistakes we made as a coaching staff, I decided that we needed better practice flow, with a faster pace that more effectively kept everyone’s attention. Though we were well organized in our first year we still had a tendency to stand around and chat, not providing a 100% focus on the players and not allowing practices to move along at a fast pace.
In addition youth sports do not provide a significant amount of time on athletic development or movement training. When you combine the diminishing quality and quantity of physical education in our schools and the fact that athletic development is non-existent in our organized youth sports programs, we place a majority of kids at a distinct disadvantage throughout their athletic childhood.
With this in mind I made a point of including athletic development into all pre-season and in-season training. Now we incorporate agility, balance, coordination, strength, speed & stamina into our practices – followed by extending that experience into specific fundamental skill training. For example when we are teaching stances, and blocking & tackling techniques we will also incorporate a balance component on ½ foam rolls that challenge each player’s stability coming out of a stance. Then we include a reaction component that reinforces the importance of firing off the snap of the ball. All of these are non-contact, providing a less stressful learning environment while developing their motor skills as it relates to specific fundamental executions.
In order to execute this I brought everyone together as a staff to practice practicing. Yes it sounds odd, but it’s actually very helpful if everyone participates and understands that a well-choreographed practice is a much more productive. During this session my plan is to introduce athletic development & movement skill training (agility/footwork, balance, coordination, etc that involved tennis balls, cones, hurdles, agility ladders, etc.) in conjunction with related football fundamentals. Football conditioning is useless if you don’t apply it to the execution of fundamental skills. One area that all many young athletes struggle is the lack of effective footwork in combination with other motor skills such as hand/eye coordination. Often in sports and especially football, footwork, body awareness, and the execution of other skills such as catching & throwing a football, taking a hand-off, blocking a defender, etc. includes the coordination of both the lower and upper body. Do we ever practice or provide training to prepare athletes to perform those skills? For the most part the answer is no. Therefore this year I introduced a training routine that included functional movement skills that directly applied to the basic execution of all football skills.
It may sound simple but the fact that young athletes are never taught how to repetively get into a basic athletic position before and during the execution of athletic skills is a huge opportunity missed. There is no way an athlete can effectively and consistently execute a tackle or block if he does not get into a basic athletic position prior to making a play. The ability to keep the entire body square and not off center but well balanced is essential to becoming a good football player.
In order to introduce this skill while progressing to keep the body square while in motion I introduced the coaches to a unique training technique that involved cones and tennis balls yet seemed very foreign and non-traditional to my group of coaches, due to the fact that there were no footballs being used and this was something they never experienced. The overwhelming response from our coaches was that our player’s parents would not accept this because it was not “traditional football”.
Now here’s the question “What is traditional football training? ” For many it’s wind sprints, push-ups, laps around the field, up and downs, etc. Is that any way to engage a kid’s passion to play football? Kids don’t worry about what’s traditional, they’re more interested in what’s fun and authentic. Authentic is not a 1950’s football practice but rather an innovative experience that enhances their skills and improves performance. If we all took a more creative approach, using contemporary methods that engage a kid’s interest to learn in today’s fast paced information environment, we may find that less kids would leave sports and become more interested in athletic & fitness oriented activities.
This year I took a strong stance against focusing on X’s & O’s during the first several weeks of practice and spending more time focusing on athletic development, then football fundamentals before ever considering what plays and formations should be installed. As I told the parents and the coaches, I’m not going to be so short sighted to prepare these kids for a 9 game schedule, but rather a 5 to 6 year progression of learning the correct way to play football through fun and engaging skill training that produces passion to want to continue to play football through high school and live a active lifestyle well into adulthood.
The NFL would like you to just keep loving football and forget they allowed a despicable human being, Michael Vick, play for their beloved League.
Do people deserve second chances, of course they do. Should we forgive and move on, of course we should. But there are just some cases where we need to reconsider our second chance and forgiveness policies. Millions of kids follow the NFLand now we have a hardened criminal coming back to play in League that is suppose to be a privilege not a right.
But now that the decision by Roger Goodell has been made, to allow Vick to play again we must move on but can we forget. Let’s now play out a scenario we’ll soon see parents in Philadelphia faced with and possibly elsewhere.
Hey Dad can you get me that Michael Vick jersey?
Now of course Michael Vickhas to perform well before anyone ever considers buying his jersey. But for arguments sake let’s assume he does play well as a Philadelphia Eagle. Do we forget and therefore forgive by letting in and purchasing his likeness and apparel for our kids? Ultimately forgetting what Michael Vick actually did. Allowing our kids to basically worship a habitual criminal.
In order not to forget, let’s recap some of the gory details of Vick’s crimes.
Personally electrocuted dogs with car batteries
Personally drown dogs by holding their heads under the water
Personally allowed his pet dogs to fight and be mangled while watching them fight.
Remember this was not a one-time mistake of judgment. This was a crime that he continued to illegally partake in and fund for years.
I’m not advocating that people go out and protest, give up their tickets, refuse to purchase from Eagle sponsors. That is totally the wrong thing to do; other parties should not be punished because of Vick. Fans should cheer when he’s on the field, when and if he scores a touchdown. However, I would never celebrate Vick as a person and purchase his jersey or likeness on anything, let alone my kids.
What will it say about a parent that allows a kid to wear a Vick jersey?
The case is over, he’s done his time in jail, and he’s been allowed to continue his career, that’s all behind us. But can we and should we allow ourselves to ever forget what he did? As parents we cannot and should not allow our kids to forget, nor should we give in and enable this person as any type of hero.
John Cloud the author of the Feature “Health” Article in this week’s (August 17th) issue of Time Magazine “Why Exercise Won’ Make You Thin” is totally written out of context. Cloud attempts to explain that exercise not only doesn’t help you lose weight it actually causes you to gain.
Now let’s dive into why this article is misleading and actually could do more harm to people who read Time Magazine and actually believe everything they read. Cloud claims that he exercises all the time (like we care), he’s 163 pounds and still has a gut that hangs over his belt when he sits. What we never find out in this article is Cloud’s actual height. If he’s 5 feet 2 inches tall then 163 pounds is fat, if he’s 6 feet he ‘s most likely thin. Due to his description of his bulging belly we’ll assume he’s on the shorter side. Which leads me to believe that this information, like so many other sources have no clue about fitness and the benefits it provides to weight control and overall well-being (though he does acknowledge “people who regularly exercise are at significantly lower risk for all manner of diseases”).
But let’s debate the main issue of this article, exercise and weight loss. Cloud wonders why Americans work out so much and still one third of all Americans are still obese, while another third count as overweight by the Federal Government’s definition (why we would consider our government as the source to determine who is overweight is beyond me). He cites that 45 million plus Americans now belong to health clubs up from 23 million in 1993. We spend $19 billion a year on gym memberships.
All figures that are true for the most part but the point Cloud misses and many Americans do as well is the fact that we have no idea how to workout. Have you ever really paid attention to what other people do at a gym – you would think the most popular piece of equipment were the mirrors. Cloud does concede this fact from a Minnesota Heart Survey – that found, more of us say we exercise regularly. The fact is we don’t work out correctly. There are lies, damn lies, fishing stories, golf scores & gym workouts. We are not honest with ourselves. We are lazy. We stand around at the gym and look for anything to do, but actually be physical. Our jaws move more than our legs and arms at gyms – it’s a place to socialize.
Cloud tries to make the argument that we eat more after we work out therefore we are actually consuming more than we are burning, which could very well be the case but it’s not because exercise does not burn calories. He and others claim that you don’t have to conduct strenuous exercise in order to lose weight, simple things like walking at a slow pace may be more beneficial. Great, let’s give Americans another excuse to take it easy. Again this points to the fact that Americans don’t understand how to workout. This microwave society wants everything fast with quick results without the effort. Why do you think gym memberships soar after the Christmas and New Year Holidays – everyone is looking for quick fix to lose the pounds – that’s how Americans approach fitness and weight loss.
What makes me so uneasy about this article is that now parents will take this to heart and be less concerned about their kid’s exercise habits. The main fact is this – if you exercise and are active consistently over extended periods of your life (childhood-teens-college-adulthood) you’ll most likely develop a metabolism that burns calories much more efficiently and keeps weight off. Is that not the goal for most parents to achieve with children? Unfortunately our generation grew up uninformed about exercise, we were lazy, we were interested in quick results or we lost interest. So it’s not surprising we have developed poor metabolisms and poor fitness habits that add up to limited weight loss when we try, and when we do it’s for the most part half-heartedly
What we should be focused on as adults for both ourselves and for our children is making fitness something that is fun to do, that allows us to grow a passion to want to do it. Rather than giving up on exercise and downgrading it’s benefits we should take that energy to create innovative ways to make it part of our lifestyle through contemporary methods.
This blog takes a perspective on sports with a focus on how it affects kids. If we think for one second that kids are not watching and listening to what happens in the sports world we are kidding ourselves. With sports news and information just a click of a mouse or remote away, kids are just as (if not more) informed than adults. With Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth meeting with the NFL yesterday to discuss the status of his indefinite suspension, according to an ESPN.com & Cleveland Plain Dealer report, does Commissioner Roger Goodell understand this? Apparently Roger has no clue, despite the fact that he’s a parent.
Between his wishy-washy decisions to maybe let Michael Vick back into the NFL, and today meeting with Donte Stallworth, who fatally struck a 59-year-old Florida construction worker with an elevated alcohol level above Florida’s legal limit in addition to marijuana in his system, has he really taken any serious stance on personal conduct at all? In other words, by not taking a clear and strong stance in regards to Michael Vick’s conduct of behavior, and now possibly Stallworth, has he weakened his overall position on this issue. When the Commissioner first took his position as the new guardian of the NFL he pledged that he would uphold the integrity of the game. Yet when it comes to making high profile decisions on punishments, he waivers and weighs the financial ramifications rather than considering the millions of kids that closely follow the league.
Does the Commissioner really want convicted criminals to rehabilate themselves on the job, on national television and the worldwide web no less? This was and is a golden opportunity to take a serious stance on personal behavior.
Roger, how do you explain to your children the reason why you allow convicted criminals second chances? Remember it could have been your loved one that was struck down on the street by a drunk driver.
Roger, if you’re going to reconsider decisions, why don’t you bring back the Junior Player Development program that you cancelled, a free instructional football program that benefited hundreds of thousands of inner city kids? Yet you opened the door for a convicted criminal, who lied to you, to come back?
We continue to watch and judge you. Your legacy could very well be determined by decisions such as these.
Interactive Fitness Program for Younger GuestsLaunches at Select Fairmont Hotel & Resort Properties
TORONTO, July 29, 2009 – In its continued quest to offer guests opportunities to integrate health and wellness into their travels, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is pleased to introduce RU Ready?, an innovative, interactive fitness program for ouryounger guests aged 7–17 which fusesa kid’s contemporary world of computers, video games and interactive web communication together with outdoor play.
Available seasonally at select resort properties,RU Ready?, a partnership with Trick It Out Sports, offers a fun fitness challenge designed to improve kids’ athletic skills for baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, skateboarding, snowboarding, soccer and more.
Thecurriculum combines the use of playing cards and a web-based experience to provide instructional and competitive participatory skill challenges. Kids are trained in the development of seven essential fundamental fitness skills (agility, balance, coordination, flexibility, speed, strength and stamina) by doing “tricks” similar to skateboarding and snowboarding.
The kids are asked to perform drills of specific tricks that sharpen their skills in different ways, then compete against others or against their own scores of previous sessions. Kids will also receive a special RU Ready? adidas t-shirt to take home.
E-mail updates and customized web pages allow participants to engage and continue their training after they return home. They can compete virtually against other kids or just test their own progress, incorporating online media with outdoor fun.
The program forFairmont was designed by Scott Lancaster, a youth sports expert, with over 20 years of experience developing player and coaching programs for the National Football League, US Soccer, and Arena Football.
RU Ready? is currently available at The Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Canada; The Fairmont Kea Lani and The Fairmont Orchid,Hawaii; the Fairmont Mayakoba, Mexico; The Fairmont Southampton, Bermuda; the Fairmont St Andrews, Scotland and The Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club nearMiami. The program will soon be available at The Fairmont Acapulco Princess, Mexico and the Fairmont Singapore.
Specific program details, including pricing, session times and registration instructions are available on Fairmont.com, under property listings.
With a strong company-wide focus on health and wellness RU Ready? joins other programs and servicesFairmont offers guests, from complimentary BMW Cruise Bikes and golf clubs at select locations to the Fairmont Fit program. Offered to members of Fairmont President’s Club (FPC), the brand’s guest loyalty program, Fairmont Fit provides guests with easy access to adidas training gear during their stay, delivering exercise apparel and footwear directly to guestrooms for use in room, in the gym, or to enjoy outdoors. Free to join, Fairmont President’s Club provides guests with special benefits and privileges designed to reflect individual travel preferences and offer an enhanced level of service. Guests can enroll at time of booking or online at www.fairmont.com/fpc.
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ABOUT SCOTT LANCASTER
Scott Lancaster is the founder and President of Athletic Fitness, Inc, Trick it out Sports, and author of Fair Play: How to Make Organized Sports a Great Experience for Your Kids (Prentice Hall Press, September 2002), and Athletic Fitness for Kids, (Human Kinetics, January, 2008). Lancaster has 20 years of experience in developing youth sports programs in soccer and football, yet his innovative approach can be implemented to improve all youth sports. Over the 12 years he worked for the NFL, Lancaster developed a youth sports philosophy with an innovative turnkey structure that has reinvented football, providing a more family-friendly way to play and attracted more than four million players (ages 5 to 17) nationwide into his programs. The structure incorporates a progression of skill development, allowing more sensible path for young athletes to play traditional football in their later years.Lancaster is also Sirius Radio’s Youth Sports Expert hosting his own national radio programs and appears weekly as a guest on the NFL Channel’s “Movin the Chains”. Prior to joining the NFL, Lancaster spent six years developing grassroots programs for USA Soccer. For more information and to follow Scott Lancaster visit www.scottlancasteronsports.com.
ABOUT FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS
A leader in the global hospitality industry, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a celebrated collection of distinctive hotels, which includes iconic landmarks like Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec City, Kenya’s Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, and London’s The Savoy, reopening later this year following an extensive restoration program. Fairmont hotels are one-of-a-kind properties where sophisticated travelers can discover culturally rich experiences that are authentic to the destination. Situated in some of the most exclusive and pristine areas in the world, Fairmont is committed to responsible tourism and is an industry leader in sustainable hotel management with its award-winning Green Partnership program. Fairmont’s portfolio includes 56 world-class hotels, with plans to develop over 30 new properties in the coming years in destinations as diverse asShanghai, The Philippines and India.
Fairmont is owned by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, a leading global hotel company with 91 hotels worldwide under the Raffles,Fairmont and Swissôtel brands. The company also managesFairmont and Raffles branded Residences, Estates and luxury private residence club properties. For more information or reservations, please call 1-800-441-1414 or visit www.fairmont.com.
CONTACT:
LoriHolland
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
212/715-7098/lori.holland@fairmont.com
