Timing is everything, and in the sports world, success is only a fraction of a second away from a mistake. Missed shots, passes, tackles, or being one step too early or too late, being just a centimeter away from where you need to be to receive, or being able to move off the mark at the precise moment can all be critical to the outcome of a match.
The moments in sports that are truly amazing are when athletes move with such fluidity and effortlessness that it seems they are in fact unrestricted by the constraints of time. Some call these moments the “zone”.
Athletes whose bodies remain calm within the pace of a hard game possess a brain and spine fueled with accurate prediction and firing capabilities. These athletes have no movement restrictions, and their movements are enhanced, their vision is optimized, they can process information faster and more accurately, and their decision making is optimized. These are the athletes that can reach that fraction of a second difference that put themselves above their opposition.
The most game changing moments happen in the blink of an eye. The sports world count in fractions of seconds. The moments in sports that matter the most, happen in these fractions of time. But how an athlete spends their minutes, hours, and days before these moments is what can make an athlete elite.
And with the countless amount of performance trainers and modalities working to enhance the performance of an athlete. Are there other ways that we can maximize our athletes performance levels? The answer is yes, and the way is through performance neurology.
Performance Neurology is the study and practice of improving brain function to achieve a higher level of athletic performance. Everything you experience in your body from high performance to pain is a direct result of how your brain is functioning.
Performance Neurology in practice is similar to a restructuring process of the Central Nervous System for an athlete. We build a better foundation neurologically to maximize what an elite athlete can already do physically. Neurological performance training will improve the athletes overall speed, strength, power, decision-making, position specific skills, posture, gait, agility, vision, and fluidity of movement. Everything from a performance level can find a new peak when the messages from the brain to the muscles are clear, accurate, and fast. Our training system is based on the concept that the end result of every form of training is a reflection of whether or not we have improved neurological function.
Your nervous system uses three systems to orient you in your environment. Similar to a GPS system.
In the order of importance these systems are:
1. Visual System
2. Vestibular System
3. Proprioceptive System
In order to function and perform at an athlete’s highest potential, it is vital to assess and train all three systems, and to train these systems in an integrated fashion. Visual system training is about evaluating and then optimizing an athlete’s visual system for high performance. We eliminate visual deficiencies to increase overall visual accuracy. The ability to perform at a high level greatly depends on how quickly and accurately an athlete can interpret visual information. Sports that take place in a changing environment particularly team sports, place huge demands on the athlete’s ability to make decisions in complex situations under acute time and pressure. Elite athletic performers must have an elite ability to process visual data quickly and make accurate predictions about what is going
to happen.
The vestibular system is designed to maintain clear vision and balance during body movements and head motions. As a result, the vestibular system has a strong influence on visual activity. We evaluate the vestibular system in regard to our reflexes and our ocular muscles. Integrating vision training with the correct amount of vestibular system training drills is vital because the two systems are so heavily interlinked. The vestibular system contains some of the fastest reflexes in the human body, even small inconsistencies within will impair an athlete’s performance.
Proprioception by definition is your body’s ability to sense movement, action, and location. Proprioceptive training is highly recommended in addition to the sports specific drills athletes are already doing in team trainings. Specifically for athletes with movement problems, injuries, old injuries, and those whose bodies often feel stiff and tight. Targeted proprioceptive training reduces the athrokinetic reflex response to athletic moves, reduces the incidence of pain and injury, corrects posture, and allows the body to utilize its full potential for speed, strength, and power.