In sports, there are two distinct categories of play: the season and the off-season. It’s the off-season when Eliseo Munoz and John Malinowski really shine.
Munoz and Malinowski are athletic trainers. They’re also friends and colleagues (both work full time at Sim’s Physical Therapy). But here’s where it gets exciting: In their scant free time, these two men train athletes and regular folks to become stronger, faster, and more agile.
This isn’t your typical personal training. These guys aren’t interested in helping people shave off that last 10 pounds, though that may well happen anyway. No, this unique training focuses on making athletes quicker off the mark.
The training likely won’t improve anyone’s time on the mile, but it may make the difference between getting to the ball or not, between sliding in at home or getting called out.
“This type of training has existed for a long time, but not in this area,” Munoz said.
He and Malinowski want to change that, and they’re qualified to do so. Both men are certified athletic trainers; Munoz is also an American Red Cross instructor, and Malinowski is certified with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. They’ve banded together to introduce strength and agility training to Central Coast athletes.
Their first joint effort will be a clinic held at Hancock College on July 19, hosted by the Nipomo Titans Youth Football League and the Orcutt Youth Football League. The two-hour event will focus on techniques that work best for football players, but if all goes well, the two men plan to host more clinics next spring or summer.
A few of the young football players have already started to train with Munoz, which means that they’ve started to see the results. Dale Okpik’s 13-year-old son, Dale, Jr., has been working with Munoz for about three months. Okpik estimated that his son’s speed has increased by 30 percent in that time.
When the football season starts, “these kids will be ahead of the pack—easily,” Okpik said.
That’s why he and other parents wanted to host a clinic and bring this kind of training to the rest of the league, he said.
The off-season is the ideal time to start agility training, Munoz explained, because it’s not like a regular practice. Munoz won’t teach a softball player how to hit better, or a football player how to tackle—he leaves that to their regular coaches. What he will do is get them lighter on their feet, more flexible, and better able to move with grace and speed.
The first step to getting these results, according to Munoz and Malinowski, is assessing the way an athlete runs and walks. From that, they’ll be able to tell if athletes are running inefficiently or have something in their gait that’s holding them back. The trainers also assess posture, and notice if any muscle groups are too tight.
“That one hamstring pull can linger for years if it’s not treated properly,” Malinowski said.
They usually work with kids who are very into their sport, Malinowski said, but that’s not a requirement for the training.
“They definitely do not need to have prior experience,” he explained. “It’s actually a little bit better, in my experience, if they don’t.”
A clean slate means that Malinowski can teach the athlete the right way to move straight from the get-go, he said. Some of the more common problems that he and Munoz see with kids who didn’t have a clean start are athletes who run with heavy feet, who don’t use their arms to their advantage while running, and who always take one step back before running forward.
That’s a tough habit to break, Munoz said, because athletes don’t even realize they’re doing it. Munoz has his ways, though, to bring about the desired results.
“Typically, we can see biomechanical changes in two to three sessions,” he said.
The upcoming clinic may not last too long, but Munoz and Malinowski hope to teach participants a few drills that they can do on their own to improve speed and agility. Or, if they want to, athletes can request an open slot in these guys’ busy schedules. As long as they work quickly, athletes should get faster in no time.
INFOBOX: Speed and agility clinic
Central Coast Youth Football is in charge of the inaugural speed and agility clinic to be held July 19 at the Allan Hancock College football field. Athletic trainers and speed and agility experts Eliseo Munoz and John Malinowski will host the clinic.
The clinic will focus on techniques to help football players, but is open to kids in any sport—just bring shorts and cleats for running around. The young kids start first, from 9 to 11 a.m. for ages 7 to 8. From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the 9- to 11-year-olds take over, and 2 to 4 p.m. is for the 11 to 13 age group. Cost is $40 per child.
For more information, contact Dale Okpik at 478-2240, Eliseo Munoz at 922-6966, Ext. 3478, or John Malinowski at 922-6966, Ext. 3478.
Sports Editor Sarah E. Thien is even fast asleep. Contact her at sthien@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 10-17, 2008.