Oxford’s senior softball team is looking to get a leg up on the competition this season.
But first the team wants to make sure that leg is properly stretched and remains injury-free.
Twelve members of the team, all in their 50s and 60s, spent a few hours Saturday afternoon working out at HealthQuest Physical Therapy on S. Washington St. in downtown Oxford.
HealthQuest is the team’s proud new sponsor.
‘We’re two years old now and we want to get more involved in the community,? said Dan Garr, physical therapist and owner of HealthQuest. ‘Our goal is to get more rooted in the community.?
Garr and his employees, Julie Sebesta and Keri Dockery, showed players new stretching and strengthening techniques designed to keep the body perfectly aligned so the muscles can work the way they should.
‘Our main goal today is to be try to have these guys understand where perfect alignment is for everything you do from work to sport,? Garr said.
‘Everything you do is based on a solid foundation. Weight on the heels, butt back, abdominals tight and you’re ready for anything,? he explained. ‘It’s when you get twisted that the muscles can’t work the way they should.?
Garr explained that most of the physical activities we do in life involve the body moving ‘straight ahead.?
‘It’s when you start turning and rotating that things get all out of alignment,? he said.
He reviewed many of the so-called ‘old school? stretching and strengthening techniques the players had been doing, showed them why they’re harmful and taught them some new, easier ways to loosen up before practice and games.
‘A lot of people stretch and strengthen the wrong way, which can lead to more injuries,? he said.
Muscles work much like rubber bands ? if your overstretch them, they can tear.
‘It’s amazing how simple and how easy the motion and movement has to be for you to improve flexibility and strength,? Garr said. ‘It’s not about how much you can stretch. It’s about can you stretch with balance. It’s really all about balance, finding your center.?
These new techniques will hopefully result in a lot few injuries than last season. ‘I can count seven or eight (players) that were actually out of the game for several weeks,? said Bill Devine, the team’s coach and manager.
The most common injuries were quadricep (thigh muscles) strains, which Devine attributed to the ‘jack rabbit starts? which often occurred when players hit the ball and took off for first base.
Last year’s team captain Roger Ruggerio told everyone how working out regularly at HealthQuest made his play better and enjoy life more.
Prior to playing for Oxford last season, Ruggerio played two seasons for Shelby. During those years, he pulled a quadricep muscle, injured his groin muscle twice and hurt his rotator cuff.
Then in December 2005, he joined HealthQuest and ‘I didn’t have an injury last year ? knock on wood.?
‘I really attribute that to what I did before the season,? Ruggerio said. ‘Doing this stuff makes your life a lot more pleasant and makes the game a lot more fun.?
Oxford will definitely need to stay healthy this season as the team will face much tougher competition.
‘Because we finished so well last year, the league has decided to move us up (from the White to the Red Division,? Devine said.
Last year, Oxford went 21-7 during the regular season and finished second in the White Division, losing out to first place Birmingham, who’s also moving up to the Red Division.
‘The Red Division is pretty fast softball,? he explained. ‘Very good fielders, very good runners, good throwers.?
‘That just makes it all the more important this team get off to a good start in terms of training well in advance of the season,? Devine noted.
Oxford will begin indoor practice March 1.
League play begins May 1.