Hello Blog Fans!

I just finished up my first FBU event in Southern Cali’s own, San Diego.  The camp was held at Cathedral High School, whose football team won the State Champs of last year.  The brand new campus was awesome as it had an Aztec look plus a monastery feel to it.  The camp started off great because I had the chance to individually meet every kid.  All seemed nervous, yet super excited  at the same time.

After the FBU introduction we went immediately down to the dynamic warm up.  Within minutes it was easy to tell who had been working out, and who hasn’t been doing anything but PS3 and nachos all month.  We then went to our “Speed, Burst, Acceleration” drills which included Dice Drills, Hurdles, 40 Yard Dash Technique and Drills, and Pro Agility Technique and Drills.  This went great, as we got a chance to show the kids what we do, and they in return got to show us what they can do. I had a chance to go over with the kids my “38 Yard Dash” technique, a technique which allowed me to run a 4.51 electronic time for NFL scouts at 250 pounds. One kid that immediately stood out was a kid named Kenny Stills.  After talking with Kenny I found out that his dad had coached me when I played in NFL Europe.  His dad played at Wisconsin and went on to play for the Packers. It seems like Kenny is following in his dad’s footsteps, looking to play some Big Ten football of his own in the near future, so I look forward to following his career.

Saturday came fast as it was time to see who can play some football and who is just “bells and whistles”.  The talent was great and the coaches did an excellent job emphasizing proper technique in everything they did.  The position coaches consisted of a group of Techmo Bowl All Stars, including Andre “Full Moon” Rison from the Falcons, and Lorenzo White of the Houston Oilers.  I remember playing as these guys on Nintendo back in the day so it was a great experience to meet them.

Now that the technique aspect was installed, Sunday was more of a competition day.  I had the chance to run into Eric Allen, who left Oakland soon before I joined them, so we had the chance to chat about some Raider football.  After practice we ran the kids through a grueling obstacle course and tested them out in the vertical.  I believe these kids were definitely ready for a long long nap after the camp was over.

Overall I thought the camp was awesome.  I have been to tons of football camps in my life and this had to be one of the best.  Having former NFL players as coaches was a huge plus because these guys have more knowledge about the game than anyone out there.  Plus the mix between technique and competition was a top notch combo.  Most importantly having Athletic Republic there separated the FBU camp from any other camp in the nation.  No matter how good you are at football, it doesn’t mean anything unless you are at your max potential in speed, agility and explosiveness.  Throughout my career, I’ve beaten out numerous football players who were WAY better players than me, simply because I was quicker, faster and stronger than all of them.

I really hope all the kids at the camp take what they learned from all the coaches and apply it to their everyday training.  FBU should just be the beginning of preparation for a successful 2009 season.  I encourage all FBU athletes (and all non-FBU athletes) to find your nearest Athletic Republic to improve your performance, continue to practice the proper techniques of football, and take your game to the next level!

Yours In Speed!

J.R. Niklos

Athletic Republic’s patented Hockey Treadmill and performance sports training programs gives hockey players the speed and separation needed to compete in the “new” NHL.  Each individual training program increases a player’s stride frequency, stride length, skating mechanics, edge control and stability, conditioning, shot velocity and puck control. Visit an Athletic Republic training center for one of our programs designed to “light the lamp!”

Are you football fast? Do you have the speed to separate from a defender or close the open-field gap? Athletic Republic has been the answer, for more than 500,000 athletes of all ages, looking to improve their speed, power and agility.

Fact is, with Athletic Republic’s help you can train your body to be faster on the football field. Our Acceleration Training program is focused on improving your speed and fundamental movement skills, on developing your explosive power to deliver a blow or gain that first step, and to be in condition to perform as well in the fourth quarter as you do in the first.

Get football fast with Athletic Republic.

What a weekend!  Athletic Republic was out in full force at the first Football University camp in Dallas last weekend.  Over 170 high school and middle school athletes who are serious about football attended the weekend-long event.  As a former collegiate player, the opportunity I had to learn from the FBU coaches was phenomenal.  Former NFL standouts who are passionate about teaching kids who are passionate to learn is a winning combination! The athletes were incredibly focused and attentive to everything the coaches had to say, from the beginning to the end of the camp.  Every parent I talked to was extremely happy with the experience their kids had over the weekend.

Athletic Republic was fully integrated into the curriculum—from conducting all dynamic warm-ups, to providing solid tips on improving test scores and football movement skills, to administering vertical jump, standing long jump, short-shuttle, and 40-yard dash tests.  We used our new SmartSpeed electronic timing system with RFID technology to record the 40 and short-shuttle tests and captured Dartfish video with every clip.   The system performed flawlessly!  We were able to automatically upload the tests scores and videos to AIMS shortly after the event.  Each athlete will be able to access their scores in the coming week and select which scores and video they want to include in their Rivals.com profile.

All in attendance were intrigued by the system and loved looking at the videos.  Using the most accurate electronic timing available at every FBU event makes it possible for kids to truly see how they stack up to some of the best football players in the country—there will be no question about the accuracy of the timing as the same system is used at every event. Plus, recording video with each test allows the athletes to better showcase their skills to college coaches.  A video also gives an Athlete Republic trainer a means to fully evaluate the athlete and find ways to make them better.

I would like to thank Shawn Dassie, Jerry Hill and Kyle Foster from our New Braunfels, Texas facility for all their hard work at the event.  They did a phenomenal job along with Tanya Porter and Tad O’Had from our corporate team.  We are very excited about the next FBU in San Diego on February 13-15 and the rest of the upcoming season. Come join us at FBU—it’s a blast!

Steve Swanson
Chief Science & Technology Officer, Athletic Republic

FSU's Derek Nicholson

Hi everyone, I’m Derek Nicholson. I played inside linebacker at Florida State University the past four years, and I’m currently training at All-Star Sports in Paisley, Florida, in eager anticipation of FSU’s Pro Day on March 15th.

Over the next several weeks, I’m looking forward to keeping you up to date on my training progress. Before we get started, though, here’s a little more background on my high school and college career.

I graduated from Mt.Tabor H.S. in Winston-Salem, N.C. in 2005. I was a second team USA Today HS All-American, and played for the east squad in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, where I led the team in tackles.

Moving on to FSU, I played in all 13 games for the Seminoles as a true freshman, including our ACC Championship victory over Virginia Tech and in the Orange Bowl against Penn State. I also led all first year players with 21 tackles. As a sophomore, I only got to play in five games before tearing my ACL. As a junior, I started all 13 games and led the team with 99 tackles. This past year, I started all 13 games, led the team with 81 tackles, and returned a fumble for a touchdown in my last game as a Semonole–a 42-13 victory over Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl!

All that is in the past now, as I focus on doing my best when the pro scouts visit Tallahassee in March. Between now and then, I’m working with Todd Robinett, All-Star Sports’ Director of Sports Performance, to improve my agility and 40-yard dash times specifically, while I also try to become a little leaner. Of course, I’d like to improve on everything I work on, but I think the agility and 40-yard dash tests are particularly important for linebackers seeking a high draft position.

Check back regularly as Todd and I update what we’re working on here in Paisley. And, thanks for reading!