Umberger Performance is where Pittsburgh athletes seeking cutting edge sport performance training. Umberger Performance marries RJ Umberger’s 6+ year NHL hockey career that has taken him all over the world with Scott Umberger’s extensive research, (Soviet and Eastern Bloc Training methodologies) and in the trenches real world experience as a two sport, Division 1 athlete. Since his “official” athletic career ended, Scott’s explored the limitations of human performance as a “washed up meathead” for the past 12 years. Umberger Performance combines the industry’s latest strength/conditioning equipment and technologies(HRV and heart rate monitoring) with old school strength training tools (kettlebells, logs, sandbags, sledge hammers, tire flipping and dragging) to help athletes exceed their strength and conditioning goals and maximize sports performance. The focus is to use these tools in sports training to enhance athletic ability which will allow the athlete to become better at mastering their sports skill.
Speed kills. So does athletic ability and sports skill. It’s not about gym numbers it’s about in game performance improvements.
“I grew up with RJ and also had the opportunity to play at Ohio State with him. RJ was always the best conditioned and strongest athlete at the start of every training camp. This goes from the time we were 12 till we were 22. Some of his weight lifting records still hold today at Ohio State. The mindset and work ethic that Scott instilled in him were what set him apart from other athletes.”
-JB Bittner-Assistant Coach South Carolina Sting Rays of the ECHL
Former Assistant Hockey Coach at OSU & Pittsburgh Hornet Alum
Why Our Sports Performance Training is Different
We are different because we do not perform “sport specific” training on athletes that are not ready to be sports specific. Young children need to develop a physical fitness base for athleticism to be built upon(please see youth training for more information). Sports Specific training does exist in Energy System Training (cardio) for high school level athletes and older because each sport has specific bioenergetics demands. Our job is to:
#1. Improve athleticism(which leads to better skill acquisition… which leads to better sports performance)
#2. Correct the imbalances caused by to many games(prevent overuse injuries)
#3. Prepare the athlete for the specific conditioning demands of their sport(train the bioenergetics)
#4. Improve/teach grit(work ethic and strength of character)
#5. Dominate the competition
Complete Athletes = Increased Sports Performance
We produce complete athletes. A complete athlete possesses: An understanding with the goal to master proper sprinting, jumping, and change of direction techniques/skills. The general preparation characteristics listed below are the basis for which sport skill can be acquired as built upon.
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Speed
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Reactive/Elastic Ability
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Power
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Strength
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Balance/Coordination/Rhythm/Timing
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Mobility
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Stamina
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Suppleness (Moving and bending with agility; limber)
An athlete can be taught skill. High-level coaches want complete athletes. They are going to teach them the proper skills anyway. A highly skilled athlete is deadly!
These results can be seen on the field. After the sports science (decades of Soviet and Eastern Bloc Sports Science) has produced a training program that suites the specific needs of the athlete, the next step is to coach. Yes, coach. Through establishing personal connections with our athletes, we are able to have them commit to the system and buy into “sports training or working out.” Once the athlete reaps the fruits of their labor, they make it a part of their athletic lives. This is essential in order to seek consistent improvements that will lead to playing at the next level whether it be making the travel club team or earning a Division I scholarship.
Our youth are a generation of privilege and entitlement. In attempting to provide our youth with “what we didn’t have,” things have gotten out of control. More so now than ever, Umberger Performances strives to teach principles that not only breed success on the playing field but are also “must haves” as successful members of society!
