NFL kicker Younghoe Koo of the Atlanta Falcons has been working through our program for the past 10 months.
What makes Younghoe an exceptional athlete is his ability to perform such a specialized motion kicking with a high level of consistency – 97% field goal success for the 2020 season to be exact.
What makes Younghoe a wise athlete is understanding how his specialized movement on the field needs to be address off of the field so he can continue to have stellar seasons.
Every pro athlete I’ve worked with wants to be the best, but few pro athletes have longevity on their minds.
On the surface, that might sound dumb, who wound’t want to be their best for as long as possible at the pro level?
An athletes dedication to longevity shows up in their approach to recovery, maintenance, and function.
For most, recovery is about ice baths, the occasional adjustment, a stretching routine, or soft tissue work, then it’s back to the gym or field to put in the work.
Few take it upon themselves to dive deeper into movement therapy and recovery.
When we started working together (swipe left), you can see the adaptation from his powerful kick show up in the way his body was positioned.
That left shoulder elevation, offset torso lean, trunk rotation, elevated left pelvis, and rotated left foot, are all adaptations from kicking.
These adaptations, if left unchecked, can limit an athletes potential, ability, and impact longevity.
Why and how?
Think of that adaptation showing up when running for cardiovascular training.
Think of that adaptation showing up when squatting or lunging for strength.
Think of the adaptation showing up just walking around the house in between two practices a day.
If an athlete can’t get out of that unilateral position and return to a bi-functional position, it’s a matter of time for the adaptation to turn into dysfunction affecting how hard the athlete can train and how long it takes to recover.
Learning how to unwind adaptation so your body still has the option to move the same on both sides ensures the athlete off the field can continue to show up to the field.
Great work Younghoe, cheers to many more seasons like 2020.