🥇 The Athlete Development Journal

Simple solutions for complex athletic problems.

For the full story, listen to this episode on your way to practice. ⬇️

You can also listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

If you just want the quick-hitters, you can read the summaries below. ⬇️

What’s going on at GT?

Dylan Shaffer hit a 10′ 7″ approach vert… He started at 9′ 10.5″ in October of 2025.
Trent Stanek (aka the fastest offensive lineman in the WPIAL) hit a 1.28 sec X/10 fly, down from 1.35 sec. PUT THAT MAN AT FULLBACK! 😤

Training deep dive: Why we spin…

Dynamic balance is dependent on your visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular systems. By challenging these systems on the more extreme ends of the continuum, we force them to adapt and improve.

Do I expect our athletes to have game day situations where they have to do two 360° spins and then immediately dive to catch a ball?

Of course not.

But, do I expect them to have to lift 500 lbs off the floor on game day? Also, no.

In the same way that challenging the neuromusculoskeletal system to get generally stronger allows for more specific strength on game day, challenging the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems to get generally stronger allows for more specific balance on game day.

What’s going on through my sports parenting lens?

Grace did a skin-the-cat all the way through AND all the way back at gymnastics!
Evie loves the obstacle course and beam at gymnastics… bars not so much.

Mental deep dive: The “Doing and Done Matrix”

The more you can fill your days with things you love doing and love having done, the more fulfilled your life will be.

Let’s wrap it up with a couple of important things…

This newsletter and podcast are completely free. I spend many hours each week researching, writing, illustrating, recording, editing, and uploading. The best way you can support them and allow them to continue is to share it with people you know. You can just send them to gtperformance.co/newsletter and they can subscribe there!
Everything in these newsletters and podcasts, on social media, and on our website is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice for you or your athlete. Consult directly with a healthcare professional.

Thanks so much for your help in spreading the word about athlete development!

Go be great out there,

Zach

Dr. Zach Guiser, PT, DPT, CSCS