DRIP OR DROWN

YOUR MOST LIKELY NUMBER 1 OVERALL PICK IN FANTASY, CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY, IS A GREAT RUNNING BACK TO LEARN FROM WHILE YOU’RE WATCHING THE NINERS GAMES. ONE OF HIS KEY SKILLS THAT YOU CAN INCLUDE INTO YOUR GAME IS HIS PATIENCE AND ABILITY TO HELP HIS OFFENSIVE LINEMAN SET UP BLOCKS.

OFTEN A MISTAKE WE SEE IN YOUNG RUNNING BACKS IS GETTING TO ANSY AND NOT ALLOWING FOR THE PLAY TO DEVELOP AND A HOLE TO OPEN.

WHEN CMC SEES A HOLE OPENING AND A PULLING GUARD COMING TO LEAD THROUGH TO BLOCK A SECOND LEVEL DEFENDER, HE SLOWS BEHIND THE PULLING GUARD AND GETS ON THEIR OUTSIDE SHOULDER. THIS CAUSES THE DEFENDER TO MOVE TO THAT OUTSIDE SHOULDER AND HELPS PUT THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN IN A BETTER POSITION TO BLOCK AND CREATE A HOLE TO THE SECOND AND THIRD LEVEL OF DEFENDERS.

ONCE HIS LINEMAN ENGAGES THE BLOCK, HE STICKS HIS FOOT IN THE GROUND AND GETS VERTICAL OFF THE INSIDE SHOULDER OF THE GUARD. THIS IS A SIMPLE BUT VALUABLE SKILL FOR A RUNNING BACK. SETTING UP BLOCKS IS A KEY SKILL TO MAKE THE PLAYERS AROUND YOU PERFORM BETTER.

ESPECIALLY UNDERSIZED OR SLOWER BACKS RUNNING THE BALL. TO BETTER YOUR ABILITY TO DO THIS, HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE BLOCKING SCHEME OF YOUR LINEMAN AS WELL AS UNDERSTANDING THE BOX OF DEFENSIVE PLAYERS AND THEIR CONTAINMENT ASSIGNMENTS. IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN CHECKS AND WHO THEY ARE DOUBLE TEAMING TO, PULLING TO, AND REACHING TO, IT WILL HELP YOU DEVELOP A PICTURE BEFORE IT OCCURS.

IV DRIP

SPEAKING OF CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY, ONE TIME IN HIGH SCHOOL HE CRAMPED IN A GAME. AFTER THAT, HIS DAD, ED MCCAFFREY PUT HIM ON A REGIMENT TO RECEIVE IV DRIP BEFORE EVERY GAME SO HE WOULDN’T CRAMP AGAIN. HIS DAD ALSO DIDN’T ALLOW HIM TO WEAR JEANS, SCREAM AT PEP RALLIES, OR EVEN SQUINT ON GAME DAYS TO PRESERVE ENERGY FOR THE GAMES. HES A DISCIPLINED MONSTER AND I LOVE THE ENERGY.

OUTSIDE OF THAT, HYDRATION PRIOR TO GAMES IS IMPORTANT. THERE ARE TALKS ABOUT IV DRIP AND IF THAT IS HELPFUL. ABOUT 75% OF NFL TEAMS UTILIZE IV INFUSION OF FLUIDS. ITS GIVEN 2.5 HOURS BEFORE GAMES TO PREVENT MUSCLE CRAMPS.

SIDE NOTE → IF YOU DO GET A MUSCLE CRAMP IN GAME, THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO MASSAGE, RUB, AND DO SOME LIGHT STRETCHING OF THE MUSCLE. THIS WILL RELAX THE MUSCLE. THEN, DRINK WATER AND ELECTROLYTES TO PREVENT FURTHER MUSCLE CRAMPS. A MISCONCEPTION IS THAT DRINKING WATER IMMEDIATELY WILL GET RID OF YOUR MUSCLE CRAMP.

NOW SOME OF THESE PLAYERS REPORTED THEY FELT GREAT. BUT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT IV DRIP AND NORMAL ORAL HYDRATION (DRINKING WATER/ ELECTROLYTES) HAVE THE SAME IMPACT FOR HYDRATION.

SO IS IV DRIP WORTH IT?

I WOULD SAY SO IF YOU’RE BEHIND ON YOUR HYDRATION AND YOU HAVE THE MONEY FOR IT BECAUSE ITS NOT CHEAP. IT’S A FAST WAY TO GET HYDRATED, SO IF YOU NEED SOMETHING LAST MINUTE, THIS COULD BE GOOD FOR YOU. BUT IF YOU ARE TRYING TO TAKE A BETTER STEP IN YOUR HYDRATION ROUTINE, THEN I DON’T BELIEVE THIS IS FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU’LL GET THE SAME RESULTS WITH REGULAR ORAL HYDRATION. AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT THE RESEARCH IS SAYING RIGHT NOW.

IF YOU’RE HAVING TROUBLE WITH KEEPING UP WITH YOUR HYDRATION, CARRYING AROUND A GALLON JUG OF WATER AND FINISHING IT EVERYDAY DURING THE WEEK CAN BE A VIABLE APPROACH. YES, YOU HAVE TO CARRY AROUND A JUG IN THE HALLWAYS IN SCHOOL. BUT ITS BETTER THAN CRAMPING IN FRONT OF ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ON FRIDAY NIGHT!

HAVE YOU INJURED YOUR SHOULDER THIS SEASON AND YOU’RE IN A SLING? SLEEPING WITH IT IS PROBABLY TERRIBLE! I FEEL IT. MY CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR CREATED THE SHOULDER SLEEPER FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. CHECK IT OUT! WE’VE HEARD SOME GREAT REVIEWS FROM ATHLETES WITH SHOULDER INJURIES.