NERVOUS SYSTEM IMPORTANCE ON SPORTS PERFORMANCE

Nervous System is the Hidden Powerhouse Behind Elite Sports Performance (Youth & Pro)"

Most people talk about muscles. Most people Coaches/Trainers pretend they know what they are talking about...PRETEND.

When was 1st or Last time that Your coach talked about this...NEVER exactly.

Now if they have Level 5 Rowing license, they should know this... SHOULD but they are actually Clueless about Body/Physiology/ Anatomy/Biomechanics yet call themselves Coaches. Truth is Nobody talks about the real game-changer in sports performance—the Nervous System. So I AM... YOUR WELCOME :)

As someone who’s coached Olympians, NBA and NFL athletes, and was a World Champion myself by 16, I can tell you this: you don’t rise to the top on muscles alone.

You rise when your Nervous system is wired for speed, precision, and resilience.

Let’s break this down.

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What Is the Nervous System & Why Should You Care?

The nervous system is your body’s command center. It includes your brain, spinal cord, and every nerve in your body. It controls everything from movement to reaction time, coordination to recovery.

For athletes—especially youth athletes—it’s the difference between average and elite.

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WHY the Nervous System Matters in Sports

1. Speed & Reaction Time

You can train speed all day, but without a fast nervous system, you’re just spinning your wheels. Elite athletes have quicker reaction times because their neuromuscular pathways are more efficient. This is WHY thigs and stuff you guys see me post on my IG is SO crucial. Non Rowing training, drills are what makes YOUR Rowing better!

Proof:

Studies in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine show that reaction time and movement initiation are directly correlated with central nervous system readiness. (In other words: your brain’s ability to fire signals faster = quicker movement.)

2. Skill Mastery & Motor Learning

This is huge for youth athletes. The nervous system is most plastic (adaptable) during adolescence. If you train technique during this window—when motor learning is sharp—you lock in skills for life.

And no, CrossFit-style rowing doesn’t count, that's disgrace to Rowing!

I’ve seen too many athletes unlearn bad habits that came from rushing the process instead of respecting it.

3. Resilience Under Pressure

The autonomic nervous system (specifically the parasympathetic branch) plays a key role in how athletes recover under stress. The more balanced your nervous system, the faster you bounce back between reps, sets, and even matches.

Science check:

Heart Rate Variability (HRV), a common nervous system marker, is one of the best predictors of recovery, stress, and performance readiness in elite sport. High HRV = more readiness. Low HRV = danger zone.

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Why Most Coaches Get It Wrong

They train the muscles, not the nervous system. They train what Google can,

easy vs what is Hard!

I see youth programs hammering kids with volume and burnout. Rowing is Highly demanding as we all know, yet Coaches burn kids OUT left and right. No one is teaching them how to activate the right movement patterns or how to reset their system for optimal learning. They’re taught to grind, often PULL vs Push ad then Parents ask : Why does my kids have Lower Back Problem"?? How wouldn't they is better question.

They/kids are not wired for Overtraining naturally, they should be wired for excellence.

At the Pro level, recovery becomes a full-time job—but again, most focus on the body.

When I trained Dwight Howard NBA Hall of Fame we had to train different energy systems on same day so he wouldn't be overtrained, injured. This same principal Should be applied to Top Youth Athletes, is it?? Off course its not, because coaches Do Not have knowledge to apply it and use it.

The elite understand it’s the nervous system that dictates everything—from decision-making in-game to bounce-back between flights, games, and seasons.

In Youth Sports

• Relative Age Effect (RAE): Kids born earlier in the selection year are more physically mature and thus more likely to be selected, even if less talented long term.

• Biological Maturity Assessment: Increasingly used in elite academies (e.g., in soccer) to group athletes by maturity rather than age.

• Training Implication: A late-maturing 14-year-old might need a different program than an early-maturing peer.

  IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS

  • Most athletes have reached full maturity, so physiological vs. chronological age differences diminish.

  • However, early or late maturation can still affect:

    • Injury history

    • Career longevity

    • Peak performance timing (e.g., gymnasts peak earlier than marathon runners)

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What I Do Differently/ MY METHOD

I teach athletes how/ why to:

• Train their CNS (Central Nervous System) for explosiveness and control

• Optimize recovery with breathing, sleep science, and neural reset drills

• Build movement patterns that stick, because they’re taught when the brain is most receptive

• Handle pressure and competition like it’s just another day—because their system is calm under chaos

Whether I’m working with a 14-year-old rower or a 28-year-old NFL linebacker, the principles are the same:

Control the nervous system, and you control the game.

Chronological Age

Definition: The actual age of an individual based on birthdate.

Measurement: Calendar-based (e.g., a child born in May 2010 is 15 in May 2025).

Use in Sports: Most youth sports use age-group classifications based on chronological age (e.g., U12, U14, U16).

• Physiological (Biological) Age

  Definition: The maturity level of an individual’s body systems, especially the musculoskeletal and hormonal systems.

  Assessment Tools: Skeletal age (X-rays of growth plates), peak height velocity (PHV), Tanner stages (sexual maturity).

  Variation: Can vary by 2–5 years among youth of the same chronological age.

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Parents and Athletes

If you’re not training the nervous system, you’re leaving 50% of your performance on the table. This is WHAT separates Me from any other Rowing coach in the World, I understand the athlete inside and out!

If you’re serious about unlocking elite potential, especially at a young age, you need more than hustle. You need to be wired for greatness.

🧠 Takeaway

In rowing, physiological age is a much better guide for development and success than chronological age—especially at youth levels. Programs that monitor biological maturity can retain more talent, reduce injuries, and optimize long-term performance.

Let’s get to work. www.coachmishamethod.com