Message from the Director:

My last message focused on movement, specifically that it is a lifelong learning experience to be able to perform the most efficient movements with the least amount of energy. I spoke of how my movement experiences in dance, yoga, core training, and running are contributors to help me achieve this goal. What is interesting to me is that the same movement patterns in one sport often crossover to other sports.

I started taking tennis lessons from an amazing teacher a few months ago (his name is Tom Krukiel, and he instructs at Holiday Park.) He is able to break down the complex movements of a tennis stroke and really teach them to his students. He goes through how to first turn your body sideways, lift your racquet upward, loop the racquet, and swing all the way through. Your forehand stroke does not just come from you arm or shoulder, but actually your entire trunk.

In dance, when performing a turn (pirouette), many dancers utilize their arms only when they spin around. Dancers spend years perfecting this, and even more years to do 4 or more pirouettes at one time. The secret to performing a pirouette is to integrate the trunk with arms during this movement.

Although the two sports are completely different, a person studying these two sports can begin to appreciate the similarity in the movement patterns, even though the actual movements don’t look quite the same in the end. In my mind, athletes that cross over and touch upon other sports, can only improve their abilities in their choice sports.