Athletes raising their game this week

Baseball

John Paca (Jr/Alhambra High) – In the Alhambra Easter classic John pitched a no hitter and held St Joseph N.D. scoreless for six innings. He also had 12 strikeouts in the teams 10-0 rout.

Glad to see John’s off season work paying off. He’s also one of the very few who still comes in during season for arm recovery, power adjustments, and balance work. He’s definitely ready for the season as well as setting the tone for the summer.

Track

Garrett Voigtsberger (So/ Granada High) -In a dual meet against Amador Valley he posted personal bests in 100m 11.51. and 200m 23.06. He may have even run a sub 50. 400 split in the 4×400 relay. Garrett was a member of our Sunday track class where he worked on speed drills and fatigue management techniques. This is the second time this season he has had personal bests.

Softball

Johanna Grauer (Amador) fired a one hitter with nine strikeouts and no walks to […]

Athletes raising their game this weekGame2016-12-09T00:03:14-08:00

Update: Coach Thigpen Track Exploits

Sorry its taken so long to get this update out here’s a recap of my latest races.

San Deigo, Worlds Fastest Man Over 40.

Had a great time in San Diego. First rate operation. Had a little hiccup on the scheduling of the race which resulted in only 25 minutes to warm up. Not good for guys of my age. So as a result I wasn’t as comfortable as Id liked and it showed, poor reaction out of the blocks. However I was able to keep my composure and work my way up to a second place finish 11.14 (albiet a hammy twinge at 70m). But I survived. Actually not a bad opening time. I ran that at last years workld championships. A great field of runners easily five of the top over 40 racers in the country were there. I’m glad to see guys like my good friend Jeff Laynes and newcomer Chris Williams particpiating at the masters level. Masters sprinting is only going to get more exciitng when you have those guys and add in east coasters Lonnie Hooker and Reggie Pendand who also were in the race. To […]

Update: Coach Thigpen Track ExploitsGame2016-12-09T00:03:14-08:00

GS: College Times: Nick Candau: ” Pepperdine Celebrates Student-Athletes at Annual Honors Banquet”

Nice job to Gamespeed’s Nick Candau. Nick has been a fixture at Gamespeed for years and we always enjoy having him around when he trains in the off season. He’s taken that sparkling personality and charisma to Pepperdine on a waterpolo scholarship . Looks like he’s really immersed in the college experience and having a great time. . Look forward to seeing you soon Nick.

April 3, 2013

Photo Gallery

MALIBU, Calif. – Student-athletes and coaches from Pepperdine’s 15 intercollegiate athletic teams, as well as staff members, gathered on Wednesday night to celebrate Pepperdine University’s Sixth Annual Student-Athlete Honors Dinner in Firestone Fieldhouse.

Director of Athletics Steve Potts was the master of ceremonies. Krista Lopata, the Athletic Chaplain and former women’s volleyball player, gave the invocation. Following a dinner catered by Marmalade Cafe, each head coach in attendance introduced their seniors.

The Wave of the Year honors student-athletes for outstanding contributions in spirit and service to the athletics program and the university community. Associate Director of Athletics Karina Herold presented the award and this year’s winners were Caitlin Racich(Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos HS) of sand volleyball and water polo’s Nicholas Candau (Danville, Calif./San Ramon Valley HS).

Racich and Candau are fixtures at all of the […]

GS: College Times: Nick Candau: ” Pepperdine Celebrates Student-Athletes at Annual Honors Banquet”Game2016-12-09T00:03:15-08:00

Gamespeed Spring Break Hours

There will be No change in hours for Gamespeed during the Spring Break. Regular Hours are as follows:

Sunday: 9am-Noon
Monday: 3:00pm – 7:00pm
Tuesday: 3:00pm – 7:00pm
Wednesday: 3:00pm – 7:00pm
Thursday: 3:00pm – 7:00pm
Friday: Closed
Saturday: Specialty Classes Only

All regular scheduled team and group activities will remain at their regularly scheduled times. If interested in private one to one sessions please give me a call to schedule at (925) 513-8676.

Gamespeed Spring Break HoursGame2016-12-09T00:03:19-08:00

GS: Merritt college basketball make trip to state final four

Congratulations go out to coach Maurice Compton and the Merritt college men’s basketball team. It was just a few months ago that these guys would drive up from Oakland in the evening to Gamespeed for off season basketball training. A great group of athletes who had a lot of energy and drive and were a pleasure to work with. They eventually lost their next game to Mt Sac but had a great season especailly down the home stretch. At the sessions we always said the training was money in the bank for the later part of the season. While others faltered you stepped up, great job guys.

Small college notebook: Merritt College’s surprising men’s basketball team is still alive as playoffs reach final four

By Matt Schwab

mschwab@bayareanewsgroup.com

Posted: 03/13/2013 06:39:30 PM PDT

Updated: 03/13/2013 09:32:27 PM PDT

The Merritt College Thunderbirds have taken their fans on quite a ride.

Four teams remain in the state men’s basketball playoffs, and Merritt, which finished third in the Bay Valley Conference and was seeded No. 15 in the Northern Regional playoffs, is still playing.

Merritt (18-12) will face favored Mt. San […]

GS: Merritt college basketball make trip to state final fourGame2016-12-09T00:03:21-08:00

GS: Cheyenne Cordes Pac 12 Player of the week

3/12/2013

From Cal Softball Website

Pac-12 Player of the Week – Cheynne Cordes:

Cordes is coming off an impressive five-game week for No. 6 California, in which she provided several key hits to help raise the Golden Bears to a 20-2 record and a 19-game win streak. The Golden Bears hosted their home opener on March 6 against Pacific, and in the leadoff spot Cordes shined in the Bears’ very first at-bat at home in the 2013 season. She hit a solo home run at the bottom of the first to give the Bears the lead, then followed with a two RBI homer at the bottom of the fifth to total three RBI in Cal’s 7-2 win over Pacific.

Against Iowa State, Cordes took advantage of three passed balls to score at the top of the first to give the Bears an early lead, but her real contributions came with her bat once again. The sophomore doubled in her next at-bat, then came back and with bases loaded hit a long ball to left field to clean the bases. She accounted for four RBI in Cal’s 11-0 run-rule win against the Cyclones.

On Sunday […]

GS: Cheyenne Cordes Pac 12 Player of the weekGame2016-12-09T00:03:21-08:00

Willie Davenport Olympian Track and Field Clinic

Track & Field Athletes

Coming this Saturday. Meet and work with former Olympians and elite coaches.

This is one of the best clinics in the Bay area. It is very rare you will see the level of expertise that’s presented at this clinic in such a broad range of events. But just as important as the technical gems are the wisdom and guidance that these former greats use to teach and inspire the attendants. Ive been speaking at this clinic for over 15 years and its always a lot of fun. Its where old school meets new school.

Willie Davenport Olympian Track and Field Clinic 2013

Learn-by doing clinic for all ages

February 2, 2013
at James Logan High School

8:00-9:00 Registration

9:00-4:00 Events

Registration costs:

Individuals $20.00
Youth $10.00 (10 and under)
Team $350.00
Team of 50+ $500.00
Click here to register

Special Guests:

Rink Babka-Olympian Discus
Reynaldo Brown-Olympian High Jump
Mike Powell-World Record Holder Long Jump
Eddie Hart-World […]

Willie Davenport Olympian Track and Field Clinicqckstep22016-12-09T00:03:21-08:00

Track Athletes Open Season: Given lesson in perspective

OK its that time of year. Early track season. For those who have been toiling the last couple months getting ready for the 2013 season all comers meets provide an early competitive opportunity to test your mettle. With that said inevitably comes the question; how fast should I run? I understand my job as a coach is not only to train but also provide perspective for my athletes concerning their performances and expectations. So here goes. In my book I consider an athlete look at their performance through this list of perspectives.

If you can beat your last seasons opener your on the right track. That is, given close to identical race conditions. You cant compare running in 75 degree weather with a performance in 60 degree rain.
Were you able to execute all of the technical points you trained on and learned during your pre-season training? Maybe you ran fast, but did you run right? Running fast in January with poor execution means nothing. Running correctly will win championships in May.
Given good conditions a personal best should come within the first 3-4 meets of the year.
Early season consistency will likely result in a nice drop later when its more important.
Get early […]

Track Athletes Open Season: Given lesson in perspectiveqckstep22016-12-09T00:03:22-08:00

Gamespeed’s Aaron Thigpen interviewed by Jair Fory 4D sports

I talk sports with Jair Fory of 4D sports San Jose. We talk about a variety of sports subjects for about 25 min. Take a look see.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6ZO4Pjx1hLQ]

Gamespeed’s Aaron Thigpen interviewed by Jair Fory 4D sportsqckstep22016-12-09T00:03:22-08:00

Energy Drinks

Common sense article on Energy drinks. I’m not a big proponent of them because they are generally overused by athletes. Like anything else moderation and occasional use would be the way to proceed. I prefer athletes use carbohydrates to fuel their workouts. Carbs will give an evenly paced, longer lasting form of energy. Instead of paying $3-4 for the next quick fix try popping a handful of almonds or dried fruit during a workout. “Beware the man selling magic beans”.

Scant proof is found to back up claims by energy drinks

By Barry Meier

New York Times

01/01/2013 08:43:20 PM PST

Energy drinks are the fastest-growing part of the beverage industry, with sales in the United States reaching more than $10 billion in 2012 — more than Americans spent on iced tea or sports beverages like Gatorade.

Their rising popularity represents a generational shift in what people drink, and reflects a successful campaign to convince consumers, particularly teenagers, that the drinks provide a mental and physical edge.

The drinks are now under scrutiny by the Food and Drug Administration after reports of deaths and serious injuries that may be linked to their high caffeine levels. But however that review ends, one thing is clear, interviews with researchers […]

Energy Drinksqckstep22016-12-09T00:03:22-08:00