Blaise Majewski Releases ‘The Young Athlete’s Playbook’ to Boost Youth Sports Performance
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, May 5, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — As youth sports continue to grow in popularity and competitiveness, the demand for reliable, science-based resources for young athletes, their parents, and coaches has never been greater. Blaise Majewski, a performance coach and youth training specialist, has released a new book titled The Young Athlete’s […]
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, May 5, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — As youth sports continue to grow in popularity and competitiveness, the demand for reliable, science-based resources for young athletes, their parents, and coaches has never been greater. Blaise Majewski, a performance coach and youth training specialist, has released a new book titled The Young Athlete’s Playbook: Foundations for Strength, Speed, and Success. This detailed and accessible guide aims to bridge the gap between early athletic development and long-term performance through practical strategies and evidence-informed insights.
Blaise’s approach moves away from outdated or one-size-fits-all training models. Instead, The Young Athlete’s Playbook offers a customizable framework grounded in sports science, physical literacy, and the psychological components of high performance. Designed for athletes ranging from beginners to advanced youth competitors, the book provides actionable tools for enhancing movement, preventing injury, and fostering resilience.
A Framework for Every Stage of Development
One of the book’s central messages is the importance of long-term athletic development (LTAD). Blaise outlines how training should align with each phase of a child’s growth, including pre-adolescence, adolescence, and late-teen years. He emphasizes that early specialization in a single sport often leads to overuse injuries and burnout, and encourages cross-training and movement diversity to develop a broader athletic base.
The playbook includes guidance on how to implement LTAD principles in practical ways. Blaise walks readers through age-appropriate strength training, sprint mechanics, mobility drills, and warm-up protocols. He also addresses common misconceptions about youth resistance training, clarifying that, when properly coached, it is both safe and beneficial.
“Proper movement mechanics are critical for reducing injury risk and improving efficiency,” Blaise noted. “Teaching athletes to run, jump, land, and lift correctly pays off in both performance and long-term joint health.”
Combining Physical and Mental Performance
In addition to physical training, the book covers the mental side of sport. Chapters explore themes such as motivation, discipline, mindset, and how to set meaningful goals. Blaise provides tools to help athletes stay focused and confident, even when facing setbacks or pressure from competition.
“The mental aspect of performance often gets overlooked in youth training,” Blaise said. “But mindset influences everything—from how an athlete responds to coaching, to how they handle adversity. A strong, healthy perspective can help athletes thrive, not just in sports but in life.”
The book includes journaling prompts, mindset challenges, and examples of how to reframe failure as feedback. These exercises are intended to be simple yet impactful, helping athletes of all ages build habits that support emotional resilience.
Designed for Coaches, Parents, and Athletes Alike
What sets The Young Athlete’s Playbook apart is its versatility. The content is presented in a clear, structured format that caters to multiple audiences. Coaches will find programming ideas and cueing strategies, while parents will benefit from developmental timelines, safety considerations, and supportive communication tips. Young athletes, especially those in middle and high school, will discover easy-to-follow routines and self-check assessments.
“Whether you’re a parent trying to support your child’s passion for sports, a coach designing training sessions, or an athlete trying to improve your own game, this book has tools you can use,” Blaise said.
In addition to training protocols and mindset strategies, the book offers guidance on topics such as rest and recovery, nutrition basics, and sleep hygiene. Blaise emphasizes that optimal performance depends on more than just what happens in the gym or on the field, it also requires recovery, balance, and consistency.
Real-World Applications and Sustainable Results
Throughout the book, Blaise draws on his real-world coaching experiences. He shares stories from working with youth in various sports, highlighting the importance of meeting athletes where they are and adjusting expectations accordingly.
“You don’t need a fancy facility or expensive equipment to build a strong athlete,” Blaise explained. “What you need is intention, patience, and a willingness to invest in the process.”
By focusing on sustainability rather than quick fixes, The Young Athlete’s Playbook encourages readers to develop training habits that grow with them. The routines and principles outlined are designed to evolve over time, accommodating changes in strength, skill level, and individual goals.
A Professional Background Rooted in Science and Practice
Blaise Majewski’s coaching philosophy is shaped by a deep understanding of biomechanics, kinesiology, and behavioral science. His certifications and hands-on experience provide a well-rounded foundation that blends theoretical knowledge with practical application. His work spans youth development, injury prevention, speed training, and psychological performance support.
His motivation for writing The Young Athlete’s Playbook stemmed from years of observing confusion and inconsistency in youth training environments. “Parents and coaches are often doing the best they can, but without a clear blueprint, it’s easy to fall into patterns that don’t serve the athlete’s long-term success,” he said.
By publishing this book, Blaise hopes to empower families and communities to make informed decisions about training and development, ones that put the athlete’s wellbeing at the center.
About the Author
Blaise Majewski is a certified performance coach and movement specialist dedicated to youth athletic development. He has worked with athletes across a wide range of sports, levels, and age groups. Through his coaching and writing, he advocates for sustainable growth, injury prevention, and mental wellbeing in young athletes.
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Devin Javens Named Assistant Swimming & Diving Coach at Bucknell
Courtesy: Bucknell Athletics LEWISBURG, Pa. – Devin Javens, most recently the head swimming and diving coach at Smith College, has joined Dan Schinnerer‘s staff at Bucknell as an assistant coach. Javens, a former team captain and Division III NCAA qualifier at Denison University, helped rebuild the Smith program during her three seasons with the Pioneers. “We are […]
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Devin Javens, most recently the head swimming and diving coach at Smith College, has joined Dan Schinnerer‘s staff at Bucknell as an assistant coach. Javens, a former team captain and Division III NCAA qualifier at Denison University, helped rebuild the Smith program during her three seasons with the Pioneers.
“We are very excited to welcome Devin to the Bucknell Swimming and Diving family,” said Schinnerer. “She brings a very strong set of experiences both as a coach and in her own career as a student-athlete. Throughout the interview process, it was clear that Devin placed a tremendous value on creating a strong, positive team culture and helping each member of a team reach their fullest potential. Devin also demonstrated a strong knowledge of our sport and a good eye for technical details. We know all of these things will help our program continue to improve.”
Javens earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and educational studies from Denison in May 2022. She helped the Big Red women’s swimming and diving team to a third-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Championships, and she was the North Coast Athletic Conference silver medalist in the 200 breaststroke as a senior. A native of Hermitage, Pa., and a graduate of Hickory High School, Javens was a CSCAA First Team Scholar All-American in 2022 and was a three-time member of the NCAC Academic Honor Roll.
Javens began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Smith in June 2022, and the following February she was named interim co-head coach. In May 2023, she was appointed as the full-time head swimming and diving coach, and over the last two seasons, her student-athletes recorded 201 personal bests, three team records, and 56 program top-10 marks. The Pioneers compiled their highest point total in eight years at the 2025 NEWMAC Championships.
In addition to her time on deck at Smith, Javens served as an assistant coach at Harvard Swim Camp last August, and she has worked with Coronado Swimming Team Elite in California, the QT2/Outrival Racing Open Water Swim Clinic, and CycleLife Studio as the youth sports performance head coach.
Javens joins a Bucknell program coming off a successful 2024-25 season. The Bison women finished third out of 10 teams at the Patriot League Championships and then captured the team title at the ECAC Championships for the first time. The men’s squad finished fourth at the Patriot League meet, and both teams combined for seven school records and 69 new entries on the Bucknell top-10 lists.
Help Our Community Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. None of the responses will be shared or used for any other purpose except to better serve our community.
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Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. None of the responses will be shared or used for any other purpose except to better serve our community.
The survey is at: www.pulsepoll.com
$1,000 is being awarded. Everyone completing the survey will be able to enter a contest to Win as our way of saying, “Thank You” for your time.
Thank You!
Column: recording memories and making relationships | Sports
With the end of the school year also comes the end of the competition season for the year 2024-25. The last two months since becoming the Sports Editor for the Times-Journal have flown by for me. Spring is a hectic time in the world of sports. You have so many sports happening at the same […]
With the end of the school year also comes the end of the competition season for the year 2024-25. The last two months since becoming the Sports Editor for the Times-Journal have flown by for me. Spring is a hectic time in the world of sports. You have so many sports happening at the same time, and on top of that, a coaching change or two.
Since March 17th my job has been to cover sports in DeKalb County and I can tell you that this has been the most fun and this is the most rewarding job that I have ever had. You don’t cover sports as a job but you record memories for kids and their families that they will cherish for the rest of their lives. As I sat here in my office, I looked at the sports page from the September 10, 2006, weekend edition of what is now the Jackson County Sentinel where a photo was taken of me pouring water on my head coach Freddie Tidmore after we defeated Arab. Things like that make this job fun, having the opportunity to capture a moment for kids now that will last a lifetime.
Another aspect of this job is the people you meet and the relationships you make. In the last two months, I’ve met people from every community in DeKalb County and made relationships that will last a lifetime. I’ve had a lot of positive feedback from parents and coaches about how excited they are to see someone covering sports in DeKalb County like it should be covered. Every sport, every school, and every athlete should be covered by the Times-Journal, DeKalb County’s oldest enterprise.
The job so far has been full of outstanding stories in just a short period of time. The state championship run of the Collinsville Panther soccer team, Fort Payne’s run in the baseball playoffs, and the soccer match of the year in my opinion. The match between two rivals Collinsville and Crossville that went to double overtime and needed penalty kicks was outstanding to see.
When I took this job there were certain things and people that I looked forward to covering. And two of the coaches that I was looking forward to the most stepped down my first seven days on the job. First, Glen Hicks at Sylvania and most surprisingly, Robi Coker at Fort Payne.
As spring has ended and school is now out for summer. I turn to cover summer play dates that begin in two weeks for our county basketball teams and then all eyes will begin to focus on the date August 21. That is the Thursday of week zero and the first DeKalb County football game of the season. Geraldine will host Sardis and Fyffe will travel to Montgomery to take on Maplesville. I can’t wait.
Football season this fall will be new to me. I will cover games for the first time as a writer and will also be on the airwaves with the Friday Night Football Blitz for the second year. I look forward to recording special moments and telling stories for our country.
More than a game: youth basketball program thrives in Santa Ana
With decades of history and a growing partnership with the LA Clippers, Santa Ana’s youth basketball program continues to bea pillar of the community—offering quality coaching, character development, and unforgettable experiences to hundreds of young athletes each season. The City of Santa Ana’s Boys Basketball Program, active since the early 1980s, serves nearly 500 youth […]
With decades of history and a growing partnership with the LA Clippers, Santa Ana’s youth basketball program continues to be a pillar of the community—offering quality coaching, character development, and unforgettable experiences to hundreds of young athletes each season.
The City of Santa Ana’s Boys Basketball Program, active since the early 1980s, serves nearly 500 youth ages 3–14 each year. Designed to be both accessible and impactful, the league provides a supportive environment where players develop basketball fundamentals and life skills that extend far beyond the court.
“Basketball brings me peace” shared participant Hugo Garcia, who attended his first NBA game this year thanks to the program.
The program expanded in 2008 to include Jr. Mighty Mite and Mighty Mite divisions for children as young as three years old. In 2015, the Boys Basketball Program was revamped and modernized into the one that exists today with an active Jr. Clippers division thanks to a partnership with the LA Clippers. In 2019, the Santa Ana program was even named a Jr. NBA Program of the Year finalist. In recent years, the partnership has expanded and now provides uniforms, clinics, camps, and game tickets for participants.
With the LA Clippers set to return as an annual Title-Level Partners at the upcoming Fiestas Patrias 2025, Santa Ana’s basketball program continues to build community, grow champions, and create lifelong memories for its youth.
2025 Season Highlights
The program emphasizes affordability and inclusivity while fostering a love of the game. Younger divisions focus on fun and teamwork without scorekeeping, while upper divisions—C, B, and A (Grades 3–8)—compete in a 10-week season that culminates in playoffs and championship games during the season’s closing ceremonies. Division winners go on to represent Santa Ana in the Orange County Municipal Athletics Federation Tournament.
2025 Division Champions:
Division C: Team Bulldogs, coached by Fred Olmos
Division B: Team Trojans, coached by Sam Macias
Division A: Team Wildcats, coached by Mark Mondragon
Each player received a jersey, shorts, and trophy. This season, the partnership focused on a larger community impact beyond just the youth basketball program. The Clippers hosted 3-on-3 tournaments, giveaways, fan experiences, and attended multiple city-wide events. 40 program participants attended an NBA game at the new Intuit Dome. The LA Clippers even extended discounted ticket offers for additional Santa Ana residents to attend the NBA game as well. Over 200 Santa Ana residents cheered on the Clippers against the Dallas Mavericks on April 5, 2025!
At the annual All-Star Day in February, held at Godinez High School, the Clippers set up a community photo booth and more than 140 youth took part in a Jr. NBA Skills Challenge. The event also featured team photos and exciting matchups for each division.
Additional Program Highlights This Season Included: • A motivational talk from Police Chief Robert Rodriguez about responsibility and teamwork. • A Sportsmanship Award, with 13 skateboards donated by Suavecito and presented to players chosen by their coaches for positivity, hard work, and dedication. • The fan-favorite Coaches vs. Staff Game, a fun, music-filled event at Jerome Center celebrating volunteers with friendly competition and community spirit.
The heart of the program lies in its volunteer coaches—many of whom are former players who’ve returned to give back.
“The youth sports program let me become the coach I never had,” said Coach Andres Morales, who has been involved for 23 years and currently coaches six teams across the boys’ and girls’ leagues.
“What’s taught on the court—trust, respect, loyalty, commitment, communication—can be used in life.”
To support these coaches, the City provides background checks and training to ensure a safe, encouraging environment for all youth.
Burke receives Twins grant to help with youth baseball, softball field renovations – Mitchell Republic
BURKE, S.D. — The youth baseball and softball fields in Burke are receiving a significant, and much-needed facelift, thanks in large part to a $15,000 matching grant from the Minnesota Twins Community Fund. Burke received the grant from the Twins’ Fields for Kids program. According to the Twins, “The program makes matching grants for renovation […]
BURKE, S.D. — The youth baseball and softball fields in Burke are receiving a significant, and much-needed facelift, thanks in large part to a $15,000 matching grant from the Minnesota Twins Community Fund.
Burke received the grant from the Twins’ Fields for Kids program. According to the Twins, “The program makes matching grants for renovation projects that will make community ballfields safer, more accessible, and a better home for youth baseball and softball teams to play on.”
Before receiving the matching grant, Burke had to raise $15,000 on its own, with renovations aimed at building new dugouts, building new fencing and doing concrete work for the dugouts.
Amber Horn, in charge of economic development for Burke, said discussions for renovations began in early 2024 and work started after the summer play ended in 2024. She said renovations needed to happen because of the age of the diamonds and said the Twins grant was a way to help with the project.
“We had not done anything at our baseball and softball fields since the 1980s,” Horn said. “It was a needed project. I was going through a list of grants, and that one popped out to me because we had the capability of doing it.”
Horn said that since the ballfields were built, little work has been done to modernize the facilities. While smaller projects have aimed to improve limited aspects of the diamonds, no large undertaking was done before this round of new renovations.
Initially, the original plan was to renovate the dugouts and fencing, but then it became clear that new concrete pads needed to be poured for the dugouts. To help raise some of the funds for the renovations, Burke came up with a plan to get the community directly involved with the project.
The new dugouts feature a block facade and members of the community had the option to become a permanent part of the dugout.
The back of the new Burke youth baseball and softball dugouts shows engraved bricks purchased by community members to help with renovation costs.
Submitted / Amber Horn
“We got engraved brick that we installed on the back of the dugouts so community members could purchase a brick for a set cost that was then installed on the dugout,” Horn said. “So we have a really nice memorial or (tribute) on the back of all four of our dugouts.”
Horn said former school classes, families, past players and other community members have purchased bricks. Renovations are also almost complete, with new roofs currently being installed on the new dugouts.
The projects are part of a renewed effort to improve access to baseball and softball in the town of about 600 residents in Gregory County. Horn said she hopes these new renovations will encourage more youth to get involved with baseball and softball in Burke.
“We’re hoping to continue that on into the older ages. We’re very lucky that last year, our amateur team started back up again,” Horn said. “We’ve not had an amateur team in town for quite a few years, so we’re just trying to continue the life that we have down in those fields, because it is a true joy to have in the city. And it’s always fun to have something going down at the field pretty much every day in the summer.”
Nathan Swaffar is a sports reporter for the Mitchell Republic. He joined the Mitchell Republic in July 2024 after graduating from the University of Kansas in May of 2024 with a degree in journalism and a minor in history. He covers a variety of prep and collegiate sports throughout South Dakota including USD Football.
Aquatic and Youth Sports Director Deb Mortonson, from the Sterling-Rock Falls Family YMCA, announces once-a-week, Youth Swim Lessons will be offered in June and July, at Morrison High School, 643 Genesee Avenue, Morrison, IL. Call today to register. The fees are $27 for YMCA members and $47 for nonmembers. Contact Mortonson at 815-535-9622 or […]
Aquatic and Youth Sports Director Deb Mortonson, from the Sterling-Rock Falls Family YMCA, announces once-a-week, Youth Swim Lessons will be offered in June and July, at Morrison High School, 643 Genesee Avenue, Morrison, IL. Call today to register. The fees are $27 for YMCA members and $47 for nonmembers.
Contact Mortonson at 815-535-9622 or email dmortonson@srfymca.org.
Dates are Tuesdays, June 3, through June 24; Tuesdays, July 1, through July 29, 2025.
Pre-K Swim Lessons will be held from 5:15 to 5:45 p.m.
School Age Swim Lessons will be held from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m.
