Pitchers and Infielders Report to Rochester
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If you were hanging around the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center in Rochester last Wednesday and thought, “Those two guys that just walked by looked a lot like Brian Duensing and Brian Dozier of the Minnesota Twins,” you’re right. The pitcher and second baseman came to town last week to “give baseball tips to dozens of kids … as part of the annual Twins Winter Caravan,” as the Rochester Post-Bulletin and KIMT-TV report. The two Brians put on a baseball clinic, all sponsored by Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center and EXOS, a company that works with Mayo to provide endurance training.
The Twins duo did more than just give hitting, fielding and throwing pointers. Both media outlets report Duensing and Dozier also helped the kids understand there’s a lot more that goes into playing baseball (professional or otherwise) than grabbing a beat-up glove, saying “put me in, Coach,” and taking the field. “It’s not like we just run out and play,” Dozier told the kids. The players said they both do “plenty of work away from the park” -- before, during and after the season -- to make sure they get the nutrition and rest they need to keep them healthy throughout the season. “Your body has to rest,” Dozier says. “The physical aspects are demanding, but so are the emotional aspects.”
It was only fitting then that the backdrop for the visit and clinic was Mayo’s new Sports Medicine Center, where a dedicated team of “doctors, specialists, physical therapists, athletic trainers and strength coaches” work to teach baseball and softball players of every skill level. The program begins with “a thorough examination” of each player’s individual strengths and weaknesses, along with video analysis “to uncover any mechanical flaws that can affect your performance or put you at-risk for injury.” From there, the center’s staff help players create “a personalized plan” to take their performance “to the next level.” Things like “throwing or hitting mechanics; corrective exercises for balance, control and injury prevention; sports nutrition and hydration; and proper warm-up, cool-down and recovery” techniques.
If diamonds aren’t your best friend, the center also offers programs for hockey players, golfers and runners, as well as comprehensive performance training, injury prevention and return to sport training, along with clinical services and more.
For more information on the Sports Medicine Center’s program offerings, click here. Then pitch us your comments and share this story with others via the In the Loop blog.