Nick Garcia is sort of a horse whisperer, however for shotputters. He’s skilled 18 Southern Part champions at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame Excessive within the shotput and discus. When he speaks, athletes hear.
Lawrence Kensinger, a junior at Venice, began understanding with Garcia as soon as per week. He trusts him a lot that he adopted his weight-training routine and shotputting methods. Tougher was accepting Garcia’s edict that he’d have to attend till the ultimate two weeks of the monitor season to achieve peak type.
Which means when others is likely to be throwing high marks, he must chew his tongue, be affected person and look ahead to the Metropolis Part championships and state championships to do his finest.
“It’s for sure something you think about,” Kensinger mentioned of getting to attend to see the validation of his exercises. “I’ve focused on enjoying the process and being patient. When the time comes, I will throw far.”
Garcia believes Kensinger has a 60-foot throw coming this season. His finest had been 55 ft 5.5 inches going into this weekend. All of the coaching revolves round reaching peak type when it counts.
“That’s the plan,” Garcia mentioned. “And he will. He’s going to have a big throw soon. You can’t throw far every week. If you don’t plan for the end of the season, someone else will. You want to make sure you’re locked in for the end of the season.”
Kensinger comes from a household of achievers. His brother, Thomas, was a star soccer participant at Venice, went to the Air Drive Academy, gave up the game, grew to become a boxer and not too long ago gained the academy’s heavyweight title. Sister Daniella is a seashore volleyball participant at Arizona State after being the Metropolis Part participant of the yr at Venice.
Twins Daniella and Thomas Kensinger have been star athletes at Venice Excessive.
(Cliff Kensinger)
Lawrence, 5 ft 11 and 210 kilos, performed soccer his first two years at Venice earlier than dropping the game final season to concentrate on the shotput. “I started to love it,” he mentioned.
What’s to like about heaving a 12-pound ball of iron?
It’s the journey to win meets.
“It’s a mix of everything — technique, explosiveness, patience,” Kensinger mentioned. “If you try to do brute force, it’s going going to throw you off.”
Now that his large brother is boxing, will Lawrence take a look at himself?
“I’ve been provoking him a little bit,” he mentioned. “I’ve been telling him to teach me how to box.”
Lawrence nonetheless lifts weights with the soccer workforce, then heads to the monitor to coach by himself. He’s an A pupil making ready to be the Metropolis Part shotput champion, then perhaps shock folks on the state meet in Fresno.
He’s received his shotput Yoda instructing him, so who is aware of.
Venice has one among its strongest Metropolis Part monitor groups, with distance standout Paul Tranquilla and 400-meter runner Nathaniel Santa Cruz prepared to attain factors in a number of occasions.
Keep in mind, Kensinger is simply a junior and sticking with Plan A.
“It’s all about those two weeks, the City championships and the state meet,” he mentioned.
He’s a 17-year-old dedicated to the method of preparation and execution whereas ready for the large day to occur.
