Soccer Game Changer: Thomas Pighin

At Champion’s QUEST, we are always excited to hear from our parents about how much their athlete has improved and the changes that they have seen in their athlete since beginning their journey at the Athlete Academy. Sometimes the improvements are physical, other times the changes are mental but it is always amazing to hear when it is both.

“I’ve seen Thomas become a more confident and competent soccer player. He only played one season when he was six and some loosely organized play at school. He wanted to try something other than baseball so we set him up with the CQ Soccer camp and a Coerver camp to help him at least have some soccer skills. I’m very happy with the conditioning Thomas is getting at CQ. His endurance has really increased and this is very important on the bigger soccer field. He has improved his speed, which had always been an issue for him. At school they are preparing for fitness testing and Thomas is well above most other kids. In fact he and Cameron (another CQ athlete) kinda leave the others behind.” -Chris Pighin

When Thomas comes to train at Champion’s QUEST, he attends the B.A.S.E, Soccer, and Baseball clinics to develop his athleticism along with the technical skills needed to excel in his games. Currently, Thomas plays forward, defender and goalkeeper for his AYSO-Cypress team. Thomas has short-term goals of improving his speed, strength and dribbling for soccer and a long-term goal of playing soccer professionally.

“He’s doing well so far with his team. Thomas has to play up because his birthday is three days before the cutoff so his friends are all U10 and he’s a U12. He’s hanging in there playing multiple positions, including goalie and forward and even scored the tying goal in a game. We will transition to baseball soon. One of the things I love about CQ is that he can get quality instruction in a variety of sports- along with conditioning. He’s excited to his re-testing this week and can’t stop talking about improving his scores!” -Chris Pighin

I’m also excited to see how much Thomas’ hard work has paid off and also to continue to follow his success on the soccer and baseball field. Keep it up Thomas!

Soccer Star on the Rise: Cameron Smalls

Cameron Smalls walked through the doors of Champion’s QUEST back in May of 2016 with goals of improving his speed, power, and agility. Cameron is a 10-year old multi-sport athlete, who plays soccer, baseball and basketball. His long-term aspirations are to play soccer or baseball in high school, college, and eventually professionally.

In just over 2 months of training, Cameron showed a 119% increase in his total athleticism. Cameron showed his biggest improvements in his agility, strength and speed. He lowered all three of his agility scores by 4 seconds. Cameron improved his linear agility from 15.39s to 10.69s and his lateral agility from 16.70 to 11.64, however his biggest improvement was shown in his single leg agility on his SST (shark skill test) by reducing his time from 12.59s to 7.88s! Single leg agility is crucial to soccer athletes as many technical aspects such as passing, trapping, dribbling, and shooting require one foot to be elevated off the ground while the other leg stabilizes the body.

Cameron also made huge strides in his strength as he improved his push up score from 45 to 51 repetitions in a minute and his pull up score from 4 to 7 repetitions! Cameron showed his biggest improvements in his core strength as he increase his plank hold time from 2:27 minutes to 4 minutes! Core strength is essential in soccer and other sports that require athletes to body up against opponents without losing their balance and center of mass.

All soccer athletes know how important speed is out on the field and it can be the difference between betting your opponent to the ball or gaining an extra step to be able to get off a shot on goal. Cameron improved his acceleration in his 10-yard sprint from 2.06s to 1.83s. He also showed improvements in his change of direction as he lowered his 5-10-5 test from 6.07s to 5.46s!

Cameron has recently joined the FC Premier club soccer team , where he plays for Coach Eddie Chavez’s 2005 flight 2 team. Cameron is a 2006 year birthday so he regularly plays against other soccer players who are a year older than he is to challenge him. At Champion’s QUEST, Cameron attends the B.A.S.E and Soccer clinics to develop his athleticism and skills out on the soccer field to compete against the older kids.

Keep up the hard work Cameron and I’m excited to watch your continued success!

College Prep: Will attending College Camps help me with exposure to College Coaches?

The most valuable outcome you should expect from a college camp is that you will become a better overall athlete.

College camps are strongly recommended for all high school level athletes to attend, as many benefits can come out of the experience. Athletes experience an increase in physical and mental aspects of their sport.

At some camps, college coaches are extremely involved in helping and teaching the athletes about their sport and position. Athletes will get better in their sports through the drills and instruction the coaches lead.

Check out our Champion’s QUEST Alumni competing in College and Professional Sports!

As athletes compete alongside their peers, athletes can get a sense of the competition and can compare their abilities to others at the camp. This helps athletes when being realistic about the college and if it is a “right fit” for them.

On the mental side, playing on a college campus is very valuable in increasing confidence in an unfamiliar environment. It can be very intimidating to play in front of college coaches. Camps give the athlete the opportunity to get used to being in front of coaches and interacting with them.

One of the best Recruiting Coordinators of all time, Bob Chmiel, has told families that he discovered only TWO players at summer camp in his 30 years of recruiting.

Many recruits attend college camps with the expectation of being discovered by the college coaches. Typically, the only athletes who receive “true” evaluations are the recruits that the staff was already aware of and actively recruiting.

It is imperative that athletes contact coaches ahead of time via email and a phone conversation. Each camp can hold between 50 to hundreds of athletes. If contact with the college coaches is not established before the camp, it is likely that they will not know who you are and you will become a number instead of a name at the camp.

Don’t know what to write or say?… Email Coach Brittany for guidance

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The Importance of Sports Performance Testing

Sports performance testing and evaluation is the first component of designing an individualized training program for an athlete. Speed, strength, agility, power, endurance, balance, coordination, and biomechanics in an athlete can all be assessed through testing. The testing provides the sports performance coach with immediate information and feedback on the individual’s baseline athleticism that can be used to create an optimal training program.

At Champion’s QUEST,  all of our athletes go through our benchmark testing and assessment within their first two sessions. This initial testing session gives the athlete an idea of where their current fitness levels are at, so that all future testings can be compared to this and changes can be noted. When athletes enroll at Champion’s QUEST, they begin a custom program that is specific to their athletic needs and goals.

One of the many benefits of sports performance testing is to establish the strengths and weaknesses of the athlete. Testing results can be compared to other athletes of the same or similar sport to distinguish areas for improvement. Also, by repeating tests at regular intervals, the sports performance coach can see the effectiveness of the current training program or what adjustments need to be made.

Every 3 months, all Champion’s QUEST athletes are re-tested and evaluated to see their progressions and also determine if any changes need to be made to their current training program. Our athletes also review and set their goals for the upcoming months and formulate new game plans to help them reach those goals. Goal setting is a very important component of our testing as it is used to give the athlete incentives as they put in the hard work to reach their goals and also positive reinforcement when their goals are accomplished.

October is re-testing month at Champion’s QUEST and all athletes will be going through their testings with their counseling coaches. All soccer athletes can email Coach Kyle by clicking the image below to schedule their re-evaluations.

 

Video: College Prep Highlight Videos

Check out the next video in the College Prep series… what should your Game Highlight Video include when you email college coaches?

Watch the video below to see a Highlight Video that showcases the skills and team work in a highlight video. Take note of how this video was made with an iPad on the sideline. No fancy cameras, just game footage, a movie making app, and a YouTube account.

Check out our Champion’s QUEST alumni who are now playing in college and professionally around the nation. Their dedication in the gym and competition combined with their greatest strengths has earned them the right to be a collegiate student-athlete.

Email Coach Brittany if you need help with your highlight video!

 

 

Testimonial:”A Parent’s Excitement”

The Confidence of Jacob Ahumada:

We are always excited when we have a parent share the success of their child here at Champion’s Quest Athlete Academy. Alicia was so excited about her son’s Jacob’s  confidence that she decided to share. See below and experience “A Parent’s Excitement”:

“Hi Coach Reggie!

“Omg you have no idea how much your message meant to Jacob! He had the biggest smile on his face & he rarely smiles that big lol. It really means a lot to us as well! He says Hello & thank you so much & he does remember UCLA & says he wants to continue a Bruin all the way!

He says you have an invite for any of his games forever! Lol! We really were blessed to have spent time & get to know you! Thank You because in a very short time you made a big impact in Jacobs life! You should see his confidence & his drive & that was thanks to you! Thank you!! Thank You!!

May God Bless you & your family because God really did put you in our paths when we needed it the most. Many Blessings! Stay Real! It is an honor to know you! Keep in touch & I hope one day if you have a chance Im sure Jacob would love to see you. If u are ever in wilson Jacob plays at 3pm on Thursdays! Stay Blessed!

Sincerely,
The Ahumadas!
Jacob, Alicia , Cruz & Michael too lol!

Wow these words were uplifting, strong and shows the power of teamwork between the athlete, parent and the Coach.  So, I say bravo to this family for allowing Champion’s Quest to help Jacob believe in his abilities on and off the field.”

“Keep Living Like a Champion”

Coach Reggie Ward

Champion’s Quest Academy

Athletic Director

reggiew@championsquest.com

562-598-2600

 

 

Parent Testimonial: Maya Gonzales

“Hi Brittany! This is Manny, Maya’s dad. I wanted to thank you for everything you and your staff do for Maya! I had a dad approach me this weekend and was amazed on how much faster Maya had gotten from the last time he saw her play! He asked what she was doing and I gave Champion’s QUEST all the credit! I thought you and your staff would like to her that! Keep up the good work!” – Manny Gonzales
Maya Gonzales, now a Sophomore at Rosary High School in Fullerton, California plays an attacking role on her Varsity high school team for Coach Sean Melendez and her club soccer team, FC Premier formerly known as Cypress FC for Coach Dave Sabet. Whether it’s playing forward or outside midfield, Maya always wants to add to her team’s attack and pursuit of the goal

Although Maya and Coach Brittany joke she started training at Champion’s QUEST because they have the same last name, Maya’s true goal was to become the best soccer player she can be for her team and for her self. That is exactly what sets Maya apart from her opponents, she wants to push herself to be her best and at the same time, push her teammates to become their best. In order t do this, Maya would drive from South Orange County to train once a week at Champion’s QUEST with her FC Premier teammates. Maya knew that in order to be better, you have to make sacrifices.

In these pictures of Maya, you will notice her intensity and her fearless attitude going towards the ball and into traffic with her opponents. This upcoming high school season at Rosary will be one to watch as Maya joins forces with two other Champion’s QUEST athletes, Katie Searle – Senior Defensive Midfield verbally committed to Cal State Monterey Bay, and Naomi Dodd – a Sophomore transfer ready to contribute to the Rosary soccer program.

 

Video: Improve your balance, reduce injuries

Balance, coordination, body control and flexibility are integral to the successful athlete. Often times too much emphasis is put on how much weight an athlete can lift, or how high they can jump. However, it is the little things such as balance that can make the greatest impact on their performance.

At Champion’s QUEST, our athletes work on their balance and coordination in their dynamic warm-ups, strength, speed, and power clinics. It is important that an athlete is well-rounded and doesn’t have any weaknesses because any imbalance that an athlete has can also put them at a higher risk for injury.

This video below goes over some simple balance and coordination exercises that your athlete can be doing on their own to reduce their injures.

For more information on injury prevention or to schedule an athletic evaluation, contact Coach Kyle Ertel via email at Kyle@ChampionsQUEST.com or by phone: 562-598-2600.

Natalia Banos: “A Swimmers’ Pursuit of Greatness”

 

Natalia is a 14 year old exceptional athlete that has been at Champion’s Quest for only 4 short months.  Her performance is moving at record pace on land and in the pool. Natalia is an outstanding swimmer, student and person. She exhibits confidence, gives respect to all coaches, fellow athletes and friends at Champion’s Quest.

I asked her Dad what is Natalia’s strongest quality and he responded with a smile and an answer that I had never heard before during my coaching my experience. He replied her ability to have very strong time management skills. This time management quality is an invaluable asset especially at such a young age.

Natalia applies this skill at The Oxford Academy in Cerritos.  This school provides a highly competitive academic environment where she is challenged each and everyday. She takes multiple high level courses, studies for hours daily, while still making time to do her dry land training and complete chores at home. You would think,she has no extra time at all for anything else. But, she takes a deep breadth, smiles and then she does what she loves to do, and that is, getting in the swimming pool.

Natalia’s hard work is truly paying off and it was on full display at the Junior Olympics Competition in Arizona. She posted personal best in all of her swimming events:
– 200 meter freestyle: seed time 2:16.76 (dropped 0:03.39) final time 2:13.37
– 400 meter freestyle: seed time 4:44.63 (dropped 0:01.13) final time 4:43.50
– 100 meter butterfly: seed time 1:07.3 (dropped 0:01.34) final time 105.96 1st place
– 200 meter butterfly: seed time 2:29.74 (dropped 0:03.38) final time 2:26.36
– 200 meter individual medley: seed time 2:33.58 (dropped 0:02.70) final time 2:30.88
– 400 meter individual medley: seed time 5:23.87 (dropped 0:07.13) final time 5:16.74.  Keep up the great work in school, keep training and pursuing greatness in the pool.

Congratulations and we are proud of you at Champion’s Quest!!!

Coach Reggie Ward

Assistant Athletic Director

Champion’s Quest Athlete Academy

reggiew@championsquest.com

562-598-2600

 

“The Athlete’s Law of Appreciation”

Why is the law of appreciation important for today’s athlete?

It is important to today’s athlete because it is a constant reminder of balance, perspective and how valuable opportunities are during competition. In the world’s largest online dictionary—Wikipedia states the meaning of The Law of Appreciation below:

“The Law of Appreciation is yet another New Age so-called “natural law” that basically states “What you appreciate gets bigger, what you don’t appreciate gets smaller. Appreciation builds, evolves and creates harmony. Lack of appreciation motivates self consciousness, self depreciation and self destruction. There is nothing to change, only something to appreciate. You cannot change, you can only appreciate yourself as you are. Appreciation is an attractive force, depreciation is a repulsive force.”[1] In other words, if you appreciate something, you get more of it.[2]”

Now let’s take a closer look at “The Law of Appreciation” through the eyes of an athlete.

A    Approachable Personality
P    Powerful Behavior—“Actions speak louder than words”
P    Purpose Driven—Knowing why athletics are important
R    Respect yourself,the game and others
E    Excellence—Essential to achieve Success
C    Calm Confidence—Internal Belief
I     Inspired Life-style—Be a role model to others
A   Accepting of challenges and role on & off the field
T   Thankfulness filled with gratitude
I    Inviting/open to critical teaching and correction
O  Optimistic Viewpoint —always looking at life in a positive manner
N  Never-ending quest to pursue dreams and goals

Each athlete must remind themselves of these unique qualities to be more than an athlete, but a better human being and by doing this, they can be greater than they could have ever imagined.  Therefore, young athletes, embrace “The Law of Appreciation”and remember, the more you appreciate, the  more life will offer you on and off the field!!

“Keep Living Like A Champion”

Coach Reggie Ward

Champion’s Quest Athlete Academy

Assistant Athletic Director

reggiew@championsquest.com

562-5898-2600

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