Mecca

Athletes' Performance's main facility is here in Tempe, but there are other branches, too. We've had interns transfer from the other facilities to Tempe and it's interesting to hear their stories and compare the locations. Las Vegas attracts the NBA players (I haven't seen any in Tempe) because the facility boasts plenty of basketball courts. Los Angeles is popular with some baseball players like Chase Utley and Nomar Garciaparra in the off-season because of the proximity to their vacation homes. Because the site is in The Home Depot Center where the LA Galaxy (MLS) train, the physical therapists have rubbed elbows with David Beckham. The Gulf Breeze, Florida facility is a favorite for rehabilitating athletes (The Andrews Institute is on-site). When a recent intern arrived from Las Vegas, he was amazed by our workout room, our cafe and our outdoor rubber court. Having been here for nearly two weeks, that new car smell has worn off a little. Of course, we're blessed to be using the newest equipment and to be learning from great coaches and interns. But we shuttle between only a few main rooms: the workout room, the lounge/cafe and the locker room. There isn't a ton of acreage. Joe likes to say, "There's everything here an athlete could need." He's right and that's a credit to the efficiency of the facility.

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On Thursdays, I have two physical therapy sessions. The first was a good ol' scraping. Jeremy realigned my scar tissue for the second time in as many weeks. It's still a painful procedure, but it hurt less than last week. Scott worked out some neural tension in the afternoon session. Thanks to their help, my arm is feeling better.

The workouts was the same I had last Monday and Thursday. Now that I understand each exercise's technique, my focus is channeled into perfect execution. Easier said than done, especially when it comes to core stability.

Tomorrow is my final workout of the week. It will also mark the halfway point of my experience.

Thanks for reading,
Ben