tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8508222163712640365Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:28:55 +0000Sports Medicine & Athletic Development BlogHelpful sports medicine & athletic development tips and tricks gleaned from years of experience in the field as an athletic trainer at the professional, collegiate, and high school levels.http://www.bornathleticstore.com/blog/noreply@blogger.com (T. Brooks)Blogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8508222163712640365.post-4349906044544791747Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:32:00 +00002008-11-03T19:36:54.999-06:00Screamin' deals...Hey everyone...with the month of November here, I have made a new committment to post to this blog daily starting today. We'll see how I do. I wanted to make you aware of some goings on that might be of interest to you. We have quite a bit of very lightly used <a href="http://www.bornathleticstore.com/Training-Equipment-p-1-c-311.html">SPARQ training equipment</a> (some of it is brand new) that we are clearing out. Simply put, we have more than we need and are selling it at awesome prices just to move it quickly. We also have some incredible deals on commercial fitness equipment that has barely been used. Although we hate to get rid of it, it really does need to go. Maybe you are looking for a good gift for the athlete in your life. You might want to check it out...http://www.bornathleticstore.com/blog/2008/11/screamin-deals.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T. Brooks)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8508222163712640365.post-1486337688862959138Fri, 11 Jan 2008 04:15:00 +00002008-01-17T16:29:20.640-06:00Baby Shower Blahs<h1>Sports-Themed Gift for Your Baby Shower</h1><p>I helped throw a baby shower for my cousin a few months ago. We were playing the quintessential baby shower game...Baby Shower Bingo. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the game (if there is anyone left who has not played this game thousands of times), the guests write the names of baby shower gifts they think the mother will receive in the squares of a bingo card. When the new mother opens a gift that you have written down, you get to mark off that square and hope you get 5 in a row before anyone else does. The problem happened when four of our guests shouted "Bingo!" at the same time.</p><p>It was then that I realized there is no mystery anymore at baby showers. Expectant mothers can assume they will receive bibs, pacifiers, diapers, wipes, baby lotion, and a cute little comb and brush set. EVERY mother will receive those items. There is no surprise.</p><p>How would you like to surprise the guests at the next shower you attend with a gift that is unexpected but totally adorable? <a href="http://www.bornathleticstore.com/Born-Athletic-BORN-WINNER-Newborn-Mini-Helmet-Gift-Set-p-16139.html">We have the perfect gift for you</a>. It is a mini football helmet that comes in blue or pink. The helmet looks just like the real thing and even has little vinyl stickers that say "It's a Boy" or "It's a Girl". To make this little treasure even cuter, it comes with an autograph marker so everyone who helps welcome the new baby to the world can sign their name. (Perfect for later when the parents are telling the little guy or gal about their birth and they can't for the life of them remember the name of that amazing nurse who brought an encouraging smile along with the buckets of ice chips.)</p><p>You know the new parents will receive more bibs than their little one could possibly spit up on, so give them a gift that will conquer the Baby Shower Blahs!</p>http://www.bornathleticstore.com/blog/2008/01/baby-shower-blahs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (C. Brooks)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8508222163712640365.post-5111456395725000633Thu, 03 Jan 2008 05:53:00 +00002008-01-02T23:56:44.040-06:00Free Open House at Born AthleticBorn Athletic in Marion will be hosting a FREE open house kick-off event on SATURDAY, JANUARY 5 from 10 am-4 pm at the Born Athletic Athletic Development & Sports Performance Center. Come check out the area’s only total athletic development center while you hit in the batting cage, shoot hoops in the basketball area, test your vertical leap on our digital jump mat, test your agility on our digital timing system, or check out our wide array of functional training equipment. You can also leave with more than you brought…we’ll have drawings and prizes for free t-shirts, hats, braces & tape, and even free training sessions. Born Athletic staffers including Ralph Santana of the Southern Illinois Miners, Paul Whittaker, Lloyd Whittaker, Josh Allen, and Toby Brooks will be there to show you what we do. Be sure to check it out, and bring a friend! Directions: Take Rt. 13 east of Marion. 3 miles east of I-57 (just past FS Fuel Stop), turn right onto frontage road and an immediate left. Just past Satellites & More, turn right onto Adams Drive. We are the second building on the right (1606 Adams Drive). Call 618.218.4423 for more information.<br /><br />Free Born Athletic T-shirt for any athlete who brings 10 people with them!!!!<br /><br />Joel Sambursky is now part owner of Born Athletic...he'd be there too, but he's getting married that dayhttp://www.bornathleticstore.com/blog/2008/01/free-open-house-at-born-athletic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T. Brooks)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8508222163712640365.post-8481739619090890250Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:39:00 +00002007-12-06T16:54:46.866-06:00New FREE SHIPPING on all CTi/Ossur braces!In our continued attempts to get you the absolute best deals around, we have decided to cut an unbelievable deal for anyone looking for a <a href="http://www.bornathleticstore.com/CTi-Ossur-mid-14-p-1.html">CTi</a> brace. Whether you are into motocross, football, baseball, basketball...whatever...you know you can't beat the CTi. Even though our prices are already the best around, we've decided to offer free shipping on any order that includes a CTi product. If you are looking to buy the <a href="http://www.bornathleticstore.com/CTi-Off-The-Shelf-Ligament-Knee-Brace-p-16250.html">OTS</a>, the <a href="http://www.bornathleticstore.com/CTi-Morph-Off-The-Shelf-Knee-Brace-p-16263.html">Morph</a>, the <a href="http://www.bornathleticstore.com/Flex-Off-The-Shelf-OTS-Knee-Brace-p-16264.html">Flex</a>, the <a href="http://www.bornathleticstore.com/CTi-Morph-Off-The-Shelf-Knee-Brace-p-16263.html">C180</a>, the <a href="http://www.bornathleticstore.com/Flex-Off-The-Shelf-OTS-Knee-Brace-p-16264.html">Paradigm</a>, or the <em>supercool </em><a href="http://www.bornathleticstore.com/CTi-Off-The-Shelf-OTS-Wrist-Brace-p-16265.html">OTS wrist brace</a>...do yourself a favor and quit looking around, because our prices will not be beaten anywhere!http://www.bornathleticstore.com/blog/2007/12/new-free-shipping-on-all-ctiossur.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T. Brooks)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8508222163712640365.post-2326339735291252980Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:49:00 +00002007-12-05T00:55:26.070-06:00Sports ConnectionNew Partnership with Southern Illinois Sports ConnectionHey everyone! Sorry it has been so long since my last blog entry. Things have been crazy. We have been working feverishly to open our new sports performance center in Marion, Illinois. Former Southern Illinois Miners second baseman Ralph Santana is on board and assisting with football, baseball, and speed and agility training. We have over 6000 square feet of training space complete with indoor batting cages, indoor basketball, optical timing systems, and state of the art Ivanko and Legend strength equipment. We also recently formalized a deal with the new Southern Illinois Sports Connection magazine. I'll be developing the website for the group and will also be contributing a regular column regarding speed and agility to the magazine. All in all, it is an exciting time for our company. Be sure and check out our hot Christmas specials, including free shipping on all CTi products! Until next time...<br /><br />tbhttp://www.bornathleticstore.com/blog/2007/12/new-partnership-with-southern-illinois.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T. Brooks)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8508222163712640365.post-7465135505827631042Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:01:00 +00002007-09-29T23:30:27.574-05:00Spatting for footballI have had some requests lately for some "how-to" content, so I put together a little lesson on the ever popular "spat" <a href="http://www.bornathleticstore.com/Spats-Shoe-Spatting-sp-10.html">here</a>. If you are not familiar with spatting, we aren't really sure who started it, but it has been around since at least the 50's. Simply put, it is ankle taping that is performed <em>over</em> the shoe, and it may be used in combination with regular ankle taping and/or ankle braces. I don't like doing any type of heel lock or anything...just figure 8's and closure strips. That helps keep it clean and wrinkle free, which is critical, because a majority of players who have it done do it primarily for the look, not the function. The most famous athlete I have ever spatted was Jerry Rice. I have also spatted Lance Briggs, Bobby Wade and Jordan Palmer (among others). While at UTEP, we were an adidas school, but Jordan always got free Nike cleats from his older brother, Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer of the Cincinnati Bengals. Due to our adidas contract, players couldn't be seen wearing anything other than adidas shoes, so every game I would spat Jordan's Nikes all the way past the swoosh, then he'd take a marker and draw three stripes on the tape. If you've never spatted, you might give it a try. While it's ability to increase ankle stability is questionable, it will make your shoes fit tighter, which does give some measure of added support and comfort...not to mention <em>style</em>.http://www.bornathleticstore.com/blog/2007/09/spatting-for-football.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T. Brooks)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8508222163712640365.post-5079697973819466544Fri, 21 Sep 2007 15:52:00 +00002007-09-25T09:46:51.487-05:00Schutt Ion pictures up!Hey everyone! The pictures I promised of the Schutt Ion are up! Check them out <a href="http://www.bornathleticstore.com/Schutt-Ion-sp-9.html">here</a>.http://www.bornathleticstore.com/blog/2007/09/schutt-ion-pictures-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T. Brooks)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8508222163712640365.post-5999278425033045362Fri, 14 Sep 2007 03:16:00 +00002007-09-25T09:48:04.709-05:00Prewrap or Pre-wrap? What's the difference?It seems that there is little debate...the cool colored foam stuff is great for just about everything. Depending upon who you ask, it is called prewrap, pre-wrap, underwrap, j-wrap, m wrap, pre-tape, taping foam...you name it. Regardless of what you choose to call it, it has been used by professional athletic trainers for well over two decades as a way to prevent irritation to the skin from the wear and tear of daily taping. I have taped a few players who insist on the old school shaven-ankles-no-prewrap-ankle tape job because they said it felt better. While working in the NFL, about 25% of the players I taped insisted on "going commando," but the rest insisted on the prewrap. Some enterprising and creative souls have discovered that it can be used for more than just ankles, though. It makes a handy and cheap replacement for a jumper's knee strap. It can also replace <a href="http://www.bornathleticstore.com/Prewrap-Hairband-sp-8.html">hair bands</a>. It can be used to wrap ice bags in place. Heck, I even ran a few laps around my head one day during a brisk 6 am conditioning session I was covering to keep my ears warm...until the running backs coach looked at me like I was a fool :) Whatever you choose to use it for, <a href="http://www.bornathleticstore.com/Prewrap-p-1-c-260.html">check out our great selection</a>...we have every color available and even some unique multicolor packs you can't find other places.http://www.bornathleticstore.com/blog/2007/09/prewrap-or-pre-wrap-whats-difference.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T. Brooks)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8508222163712640365.post-6639091382372661741Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:47:00 +00002007-09-25T09:47:14.199-05:00New Schutt Ion helmet is super cool!Hey there! It has been a while since my last blog, but I wanted to fill you in on an exciting new helmet being tested and soon-to-be-released by <a href="http://www.schuttsports.com/">Schutt Sports</a>. I currently serve as the head athletic trainer for <a href="http://www.salemhigh.com/">Salem High School football team</a>. It just so happens that Schutt Sports has a manufacturing facility in Salem, and they provided four of their new Ion helmets to our team for testing. The helmets are not scheduled for release until next year, but several teams are piloting them this season (<a href="http://www.bornathleticstore.com/Schutt-Ion-sp-9.html">see them here</a>). They are, dare I say, revolutionary. The facemasks are mounted in an encapsulated urethane pocket on each side for shock absorption and quick, easy emergency removal. You can literally have the facemask off in a matter of seconds with no screwdrivers or expensive, specialized cutting tools required. The chinstraps are completely different, threading through the facemask and mounting nearly vertical and the interior is lined with the same skydex padding found in their DNA helmet. I'll take some pictures tonight and post them next week. I like what I see so far!http://www.bornathleticstore.com/blog/2007/09/new-schutt-ion-helmet-is-super-cool.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T. Brooks)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8508222163712640365.post-1978466986001691672Thu, 30 Aug 2007 03:05:00 +00002007-09-21T13:36:14.663-05:00Guard Your BrainFootball season is finally here. Like every contact sport, the risk of injury is high. NCAA injury data cites fall football as the third highest injury rate sport per exposure, following only spring football and women's gymnastics. One injury that has long been overlooked is the concussion...now commonly referred to as a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI). Recent research has shed some important light on the significance and severity of concussions; particularly multiple concussions. Gone are the days of athletes getting "dinged" or having their "bell rung." Recognizing MTBI for exactly what it is, potential brain damage, is an important first step in understanding the importantance of concussion prevention. Most look at helmets as the most important line of defense, and undoubtedly, a properly fit piece of headgear is critical. However, a number of studies have consistently demonstrated the importance of a properly fit custom mouthguard. While it is common practice for football players to shell out $100 for a pair of cool cleats, most will stick a .35 cent, standard issue team mouthguard in their head and never give it a second thought. I was first exposed to custom fit mouthguards while working at the University of Arizona, where we (the athletic training staff) fit and manufactured guards for each and every player ourselves. Our athletes loved the great fit and newfound ability to speak on the field, and we loved the added injury protection. A properly fit mouthguard prevents the jaw from jarring the skull on impact. Although my children are too young to be competitive athletes yet, the first piece of protective equipment both of them will get when they begin play is a custom mouthguard. Trust me...they are that important. The Gladiator guards we carry are the finest I have found anywhere. I wear one myself. <a href="http://www.bornathleticstore.com/Custom-Mouthguards-p-1-c-263.html">Check 'em out!</a>http://www.bornathleticstore.com/blog/2007/08/guard-your-brain.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T. Brooks)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8508222163712640365.post-2679022152762073731Tue, 28 Aug 2007 16:38:00 +00002007-09-21T13:36:32.295-05:00Born Athletic Store Adds J & JYou asked for it...we got it!<br /><br />Since opening our store two years ago, my contacts have said time and time again..."great store, but where's the Johnson & Johnson tape?" When we opened, we had a contact with Jaybird (Todd Sperber) who really took care of us and let us carry their product even though we were just starting out. Todd and Jaybird continue to offer us great service and product, and we will always carry Jaybird products for those reasons. I fell in love with their stretch tape working with the Oakland Raiders, who use only Jaybird all the time. But some athletic trainers are a very particular sort...they won't tape with anything but J & J. Always being ones to listen, we have added the Johnson & Johnson Zonas, Coach, and Elastikon lines. You can rest assured that BAS will only carry top quality products that we ourselves would use in the field. If there is a product or brand you need, want, love, or use, just let us know. We'll check it out and chances are if we don't have it, we can get it!http://www.bornathleticstore.com/blog/2007/08/born-athletic-store-adds-j-j.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T. Brooks)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8508222163712640365.post-5521881488127851098Sun, 26 Aug 2007 04:01:00 +00002007-08-29T21:50:06.171-05:00Your patience is appreciated!Hi all...We have been working feverishly the past few weeks to get this new site up and it is getting close. Unfortunately, it was impossible to complete the new site before it had to go live and we had to pull the old site down sooner than we would have liked...but we will be tidying up and adding all our previous products and bunches more over the next week. We think you'll like some of the new functionality and features, and we look forward to giving you the best possible shopping experience while always giving you the best value for your sports medicine dollar on the 'net. In the meantime, if there is <em>anything</em> we can do to help, don't hesitate to call at 618.218.4423 and a representative or I will do our best to take care of you!<br /><br />Have a great Sunday!http://www.bornathleticstore.com/blog/2007/08/your-patience-is-appreciated.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T. Brooks)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8508222163712640365.post-7410203494559306664Fri, 24 Aug 2007 17:11:00 +00002007-09-21T13:36:55.139-05:00Help for shin splintsTrue story...I was covering one of our sports medicine contracts last season at Shawnee Community College in Ullin, IL. One of the athletes reported to me with a screaming case of bilateral shin splints. She had had a full work-up before reporting to school, including a bone scan and some other tests. The physician suggested custom orthotics, but she could not afford them. The school was unwilling to pay $300 for them, either. I informed the coach that we carry a product that might help in the form of the <a href="http://75.126.169.142/~upzrxcjf/SOLE-Ultra-Softec-Custom-Footbed-p-16135.html">SOLE Ultra</a>. I have used them myself for two years and I have yet to have an athlete with shin pain who tried them tell me that they did not help dramatically. The athlete tried them and after about a week break-in period, she said she could not live without them. Her pain, although not completely gone, went from a 6-7 out of 10 to a 1-2 out of 10 in the span of seven days. If you or an athlete you work with is having shin pain, I highly reccomend them!http://www.bornathleticstore.com/blog/2007/08/help-for-shin-splints.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T. Brooks)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8508222163712640365.post-1720664061862166339Wed, 22 Aug 2007 03:47:00 +00002007-08-24T12:08:55.030-05:00New store finally up and running!After months of planning, designing, and redesigning, our new store is finally up and running! In the coming days we will be continuing to add all our existing products back in, as well as some exciting new offerings. I can tell you, this whole process has been way bigger than I ever imagined, but I know the new site is far and away a better tool than the old one. In the meantime, if you need to make a purchase and don't see the product you'd like listed, please call or email and we will get you taken care of right away. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!http://www.bornathleticstore.com/blog/2007/08/new-store-going-live-soon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (T. Brooks)0
