Mark Verstegen founded Athletes’ Performance in Tempe, Az. in 1999. Previously a coach at Washington State University, Verstegen also worked as Assistant Director of Player Development at Georgia Tech, where he built and implemented performance programs for football, men’s basketball and golf. He started the International Performance Institute in Bradenton, Fla. before moving to Arizona. Athletes’ Performance’s clients include numerous NFL players, professional golf, tennis, and basketball players, multiple amateur athletes, and an array of Major League Baseball players, including Nomar Garciaparra, Pat Burrell, and Adam Dunn. Verstegen recently chatted with BP about training methods for baseball players, the importance of injury prevention for athletes, and the challenges facing young athletes.
It’s a good week. I’ve got the MLB Extra Innings package, and after a long day of tinkering and swearing, my TiVo can now record up to 220 hours of baseball. I’ve seen so much fine baseball I feel like I’m in a pleasure coma–being able to sit down and watch NL teams I hardly ever got to see, while knowing that every Mariners game will be archived for my off-season amusement.
Monday, the Red Sox picked up the option on Pedro Martinez’s contract.
The move, which Martinez had been agitating for since last winter, guarantees
Martinez $17.5 million in 2004.
To understand just how far through the looking glass we are on this issue,
consider the headline on ESPN.com’s baseball page: “Red Sox finally pick
up Pedro’s 2004 option.” Finally. An option with a deadline
of November 5 gets picked up on April 7, and the word used to describe this is
“finally”?