FITNESS FOR AGILITY HANDLERS

As an agility handler, you participate in this fast-paced canine sport because you love your dog. You want to enrich their life with fun, meaningful activity that satisfies their physical and mental needs. It also provides you with the perfect opportunity to bond with your dog. As a result, agility handlers sometime forget to focus on themselves and instead pour their attention and training into improving their dog's skills. However you would be remiss if you left yourself out of this equation since you and your dog are a team. Agility handlers need to be in shape in order to keep up with their canine companion. If you are not moving quickly or using your body correctly, you will slow your dog down. Morris K9 Campus has workshops to help handlers maximize their strength and speed using Nike SPARQ training methods taught by Coach Rick Scarpulla. Though the drills and exercises are geared towards agility handlers, anyone hoping to work on their fitness level will benefit from Coach Scarpulla's seminars and are encouraged to attend as well.

Intro to Biomechanics (Level 1)

In sports, biomechanics refers to the science of understanding the body in order to maximize athletic performance while preventing the least amount of injuries. This Level 1 Seminar is geared for all levels of fitness. It will provide basic instruction or serve as a great review on how to move and run correctly while on the agility course. Handlers will learn how to develop a basic level of fitness for moving and maintaining posture during the event (and everyday life). Coach Scarpulla will teach you how to turn and accelerate and decelerate correctly. It will cover weight distribution while executing a change of direction and maintaining speed. Coach Scarpulla will show you drills on how to continue improvement while working on your own. This session will answer all your questions about how to improve you and your dog's performance when dealing with your movements.

When

Monday, 6/18/2012, 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM  Thursday, 6/28/2012, 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM  Sunday, 7/8/2012, 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM  Sunday, 7/29/2012, 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM  Sunday, 8/19/2012, 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Click here to sign up for Level 1.

Power and Speed Drills (Level 2)

This Level 2 seminar will be for those who have completed a Level 1 course and are ready for the next step. Level 2 will show you how to further the skills learned in Level 1 and will utilize drills geared toward improving your strength, coordination and speed. Coach Scarpulla will go over proper body positioning and balance. This session will provide more strength enhancement and provide instruction on how to help you remain injury free so you stay on the course.

When      Monday, 6/18/2012, 9:00 PM - 10:30 PM 
Thursday, 6/28/2012, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM 
Sunday, 7/8/2012, 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM 
Sunday, 7/29/2012, 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM 
Sunday, 8/19/2012, 10:45 AM - 12:15 PM
Click here to sign up for Level 2.


These fitness seminars will help you, the handler, stay in tip-top shape! Don't forget to stretch before you work out, especially your ankles and knees which receive the most strain from the quick darting motions of agility such as front and rear crosses. The USDAA has some good exercises and stretches for agility handlers.

In the sport of agility, your fitness level is just as important as your dog's fitness!