Catch the Vision
Is there any reason we cannot or should not teach flexibility exercises to seventh graders? How about fourth graders) AbsoluteJy not' But do we 7 In the United States we do not generally stress flexibility at the junior high or elementary level. In many high schools, flexibility exercises arc minimized in importilnce or taught incorrectly. This past year, 16 NBA hopefuls came into a special Utah Jazz rookie tryout camp. Eight of the 16 couLd not tOllch their toes! These were not the super elite collcge players but they were some of the better players in the country hoping for a shot at the big time. I asked them, "Would you like to know ,1 state-of-the-art flexibility progr,lm 7 "
They all unanimously agreed that it would be a good idea. My point is: why, with all the knowledge we have now, should any athlete, regiHdless of elge, wait any 111nger to have a flexibility program. Why wait until you're 22 to leMn, when you ca n be ex perienci ng a correct flexibility program. at 9 years of i1ge. Celtch the VISION' The BFS 1-2-3-4 flexibility program utilizes the static method. We hilv€ chosen this method because we do not h,lVe to find a knowledgeilble partner as in the PJ\F method. Since flexibility must be done everyday illl-year round, the slatic method seems to be the best cboice. Therefore, an athlete is free to stretch anytime and anyplace.
We have creilted a stretching program which takes only 911~ minu tes per session. It thorough Iy stretches every ma jar ,lrea of the body, especially the legs, hips and trunk area. We SilY it's as easy as 1-2-3-4. These numbers are keys to help everyonc understand and remember the prograrn. Onc of the most important exercises is shown on the right. II is called the CLUTE STRETCH. Most people are very IMy with this exercise and most coaches say this stretch is For the lower back. You must work hard and bring the up-knee way over. This is a state-of-the-art tip which will stretch the gluteous maximus and thus help improve jumping and speed abilities.
Our total BFS Flexibility Program is beautifully illustrated on a new video (see pages 14-15) and on our own Upper Limit Posters (see Page 97). The BFS Flexibility Program is guaranteed to: Improve Specd, Increase Joint Range of Motion, Improve Performancc, Decrease In jury PossibiJi ties, Decrease Seriousness of Injury Occurrence and Improve Jumping Ability. For those subscribers who expected to see Part 8 of our series of articles on flexibility, we will continue it with the j,lIluary 1988 BFS Journal.
Whether you're in the 5th grade, 7th grade or in college, flexibility exercises should be a routine done daily. My son, Matt, is shown in the middle. His little league football team of 12 year aIds does the BFS 1-2-3-4 flexibility program. They do it every day on their own. They just had to be taught Catch the VISION!
From BFS Magazine — November/December 1987. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
