The Infinity Insider is a monthly newsletter to all members of the Infinity family. We hope it allows you to get to know us better and to assist with staying up-to-date with all of the excitement.
A Note From Coach Mark
Happy March! and (hopefully) Happy Spring!! Spring is for new beginnings and that is fitting for tumbling and cheer as we plan and prepare for a new season to begin in May.
I am often asked why we don't have a formal stretch routine to warm up before competitions or tumbling class so I am happy to share some insight via an article in the "Expand Your Knowledge" section of this newsletter. Stretching research clearly shows that stretching is not an effective "warm-up". Instead, the best way to warm up is to start by doing a kinder, gentler version of the activity you have in mind (i.e. walk before you run). I hope this article helps you understand our approach, including the premise involved in the design of our Stretch & Strength Class this year.
We are (sadly) moving into the final phase of our Season 10 competitive cheer season. The photo above is yet another EXTREMELY proud moment - all THREE national allstar teams took 1st Place at the American Championships in Detroit bringing home the coveted pink championship jackets! Each of these teams went to Detroit with increased difficulty and recently changed routines (not to mention dedicated substitutes for athletes who were unable to compete). We are boasting with pride with the hard work and dedication our athletes put in every day!
Coach Mark
|
|
March 2
GLCC Rockin' Hall of Fame Nationals - Sandusky, OH
(Unity, Envy & Icon)
March 10
CCC - Painesville, OH
(Harmony, Virtue, Integrity, Unity, Envy & Icon)
March 22
NERF Night (6-8pm)
|
|
SPRING BREAK REMINDER:
Please note, Infinity will be closed from Sunday, April 21 through Saturday, April 27. All teams attending D2 Summit WILL HAVE PRACTICE on Sunday, April 28.
|
|
|
WEATHER CLOSINGS:
During periods of bad weather, Infinity does NOT follow the school closing schedule and makes the decision to close based on many factors.
To check to see if we are closed, visit our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages or visit the News Channel 5 webpage where they list School Closings. We will be listed as "Infinity, closed for evening classes".
|
|
|
|
Infinity Cheer & Tumbling's website is in the process of being updated. Please visit ictohio.com and feel free to share pages with friends. There is a page to catch up on missed newsletters, a form (for new members) to fill out to receive a free class, etc.
|
|
|
Why Don't We Have a Stretch Routine Before Tumbling and Cheer Practice to "Warm-Up Muscles"?
|
|
Many of us grew up in cheer and dance with a 15-20 minute warm-up routine to "stretch our muscles". At Infinity, we try to stay on top of the latest information and research in order to ensure a safe, healthy and injury-free environment for our athletes. We've adapted our Tumbling and Cheer Classes, as well as, Stretch & Strength Class over the past few years with a focus on the long-term health of muscles instead of the bursts often associated with formal warm-ups.
Below are a few excerpts from an article that explains this in more depth:
Stretching just doesn't have the effects that most people hope it does. Plentiful research has shown that it doesn't warm you up, prevent soreness or injury, enhance performance, or physically change muscles...
...Instead, the best way to warm up is to start by doing a kinder, gentler version of the activity you have in mind. (i.e. walk before you run)...
Nothing about static stretching is more clear. A basic quick (static) stretch warm up is one of the most studied topics in all of musculoskeletal health care and exercises science. For instance, a huge 2011 review of all the research found "overwhelming evidence that stretch durations of 30-45 seconds...imparted no significant effect" and even some evidence of harm. Um, harm? Slight harm, yes: a 2014 test found that a nice pre-run stretch causes "a reduced capacity of the skeletal muscle to produce explosive force." As Alex Hutchinson put it for Runner's World, "I can't see anything good about something that makes me slower but feel like I'm trying harder."
Metaphorically, "warming up" also refers to readiness for activity or body awareness. You are "warm" in the sense when you are neurologically responsive and coordinated: when your reflexes are sensitive and some adrenaline is pumping. Warm up for its own sake (i.e. without following it up with more intense exercise) is fairily pointless - the goal is to prevent injury and enhance performance. And those goals may be realistic. For instance, research has shown that a warm up routine focused on these goals actually does provide decent insurance against the number of severity of both accidents and over-use injuries."
Everything we do in cheer is EXPLOSIVE - this explains our process behind our cheer warm up (marking through the routine three times) and our tumbling warm up which is considered more dynamic stretching, really meant to warm up the body and muscles we are about to use.
Click here to read the entire article, "Quite a Stretch: Stretching Hype Debunked."
|
|
|
|
