After teaching the first two PRI Vision Integration for the Baseball Player courses in back-to-back weekends before Thanksgiving, I don’t know where the month of November went! But I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Ron and I really enjoyed writing and presenting this course for many reasons.
First, I LOVE baseball, and Ron gained a new appreciation for the sport as well. Having the Royals in the World Series during some of our heavy prep time was a bonus, giving us some exciting games to watch as we fine-tuned our day of material. Second, because it’s only a one-day course and it’s geared for the not-so-seasoned PRI practitioner, we got down to the plain and simple approach to a complex subject and just had some fun with it. No time for all the neurological discussions (which you ALL know we are geeky enough to enjoy way too much!); demonstrations and step-by-step guides dominated. Third, it gave us a chance to tie our information into another course, which took place the two days preceding ours. It was great to learn so much about the proper mechanics of the sport from Allen and James in their PRI Integration for Baseball material as we were preparing the course. Hearing them present some of it was a gift; they truly love teaching and they make a great team!
Our courses were a nice mixture of practitioners from the baseball arena and those in more general modes of practice. Having that mix gave us the opportunity to not only learn more about applications to the sport of baseball, but it allowed us to hear from those thinking outside the sport as well.
We want to again thank our hosts, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Philadelphia Phillies, for all they did to make these courses go so smoothly. The team at the Diamondbacks of Ken Crenshaw, Neil Rampe, Andrew Hauser, Ryan DiPanfilo, and Nate Shaw has been an instrumental part in helping us over the past year to develop this course. Andrew was invaluable as the one trialing these concepts, communicating with me regarding outcomes, and helping me “see” what they do in players’ performances. Many in the sport benefit from their “big picture” integrated approach. James Ready, our host from the Phillies, is another great thinker who has a passion for integration, as I got the privilege of learning over the course of our day with him.
As a Florida-born girl, I enjoyed the relative warmth of Phoenix and Clearwater while it was really cold back here in Nebraska. Since my favorite things include beaches, baseball, and being around the #PRInation, these were weekends that couldn’t have been better! Already looking forward to the next one, which is right after the New Year!
To go with the great people pictures James posted in his course reviews, here are a couple of my must-see places:
Part of the Dbacks’ Complex at Salt River Fields
Phillies’ Spring Training Stadium
Course Testimonials:
“Great course! This course was an excellent introduction to the role that vision plays, not just in sports or rehab, but how it’s integrated with and influences the performance of the entire human system. Ron and Heidi presented the course in such a clear way that I was able to begin applying many of these visual techniques in my rehab programs the next day. This definitely changed the way I look at rehab programming for all of my athletes, but especially in baseball, where visual skill is so directly related to their success. Thanks for a great experience.”
Josh Ogden, MS, LAT, ATC, CSCS, CES
“Fantastic course! I have been involved in baseball for 25 years and have utilized PRI concepts, with much success, in treating my collegiate baseball players for almost 15 years and the PRI vision course was unbelievable. It changed how I look at treating my athletes, as well as how I look at baseball and baseball players in general when it comes to treating their complaints both on and off the field. Thanks Heidi and Ron for an eye opening experience!”
Jeff Wood, MS, ATC, LAT
"I just participated in the PRI Vision Integration for the Baseball player, held in Clearwater Florida. I consider myself a connoisseur of PRI courses. I learn so much from every seminar--even if I have taken it before. As such, I was blown away with the concepts that I was able to grasp during this one day course.
This seminar was an amazing starting point for understanding the role of vision in the PRI evaluation and treatment model. I work with a very varied clientele, and all principles/skills taught apply to all populations, not only my athletes. Heidi and Ron presented very complex material in such a systematic and logical manner that I was able to apply the techniques with patients the very next day (literally). I also believe that practicing and integrating the materials from this one-day program will enable me to learn at a deeper level, when I am able to take the 2-day vision course next year."
Donna Behr PT, MS, DPT, PRC
