{"id":203366,"date":"2026-03-24T02:52:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T02:52:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/203366\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T02:52:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T02:52:10","slug":"your-child-deserves-the-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/203366\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Child Deserves the best"},"content":{"rendered":"

As parents, we all want the best for our children \u2014 especially when it comes to their health and well-being. Making sure your child receives the right care at the right time helps lay the foundation for a lifetime of good health.<\/p>\n

For Move, Jump, Play!\u00a0, we turn to Diesel Optimization<\/a> for expert guidance on exercises that keep kids active and build strength. Further down in Meet the Doctors, we feature two of Tampa Bay\u2019s leading smile specialists, who help children and teens maintain healthy, confident smiles at every stage of life. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Move, Jump, Play!
\nFun, structured workouts help young athletes grow, move better\u00a0and prepare for sports at every level.
\n\"\"Christian Rentas Director of Sports Diesel Optimization-TAMPA<\/p>\n

In an era where classes are increasingly online and many hobbies revolve around screens, it\u2019s more important than ever for kids to get moving\u2014whether at home, outdoors, or at the gym.<\/p>\n

We consulted with Diesel Optimization, which offers foundational training for youth athletes as well as advanced programs for teens and adults, to highlight some of the best exercises for keeping kids active and building strong, healthy bodies.<\/p>\n

\u201cStarting with \u2018Power\u2019 we emphasize moving fast and explosively,\u201d says Christian Rentas, Internship Coordinator and Director of Sports Science with Diesel Optimization-TAMPA. \u201cThis helps improve speed and overall athleticism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Exercises in the Power block:
\n\"\"Box Jumps<\/p>\n

Box Jumps: Builds explosive leg strength and power while engaging the core.<\/p>\n

\"\"Kneeling 10-Yard Sprints<\/p>\n

Kneeling 10-Yard Sprints: Short, explosive sprints that activate the lower body and core.<\/p>\n

\"\"Half Kneeling Medicine Ball Rotational Throws<\/p>\n

Kneeling Medicine Ball Rotational Throws: Develops rotational strength and core power. From a half- or tall-kneeling position, rotate the torso to throw a medicine ball against a wall while keeping the hips stable.<\/p>\n

\"\"Ali Shuffles<\/p>\n

Ali Shuffles: Fast, scissor-like footwork that improves speed, agility, and coordination.<\/p>\n

After the Power block comes the Full-Body Strength block, which, according to Rentas, is \u201ccomprised of upper and lower body exercises meant to support performance and lower risk of injury.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEach core exercise will be sandwiched in between two main lifts. These core movements are important for younger athletes to create a strong foundation in longevity in terms of stability. This allows their body to move and transfer force efficiently when playing their given sport,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

Exercises in the Full-Body Strength block:
\n\"\"Goblet Squat<\/p>\n

Goblet Squats: Builds lower-body strength and core stability while reinforcing proper squat mechanics.<\/p>\n

\"\"Bear Crawl<\/p>\n

Bear Crawls (F\/B): Full-body movement that enhances strength, coordination, and shoulder stability.<\/p>\n

Seated Close-Grip Lat Pull-Down with Ball: Engages back and core muscles while maintaining stability through a small ball.<\/p>\n

\"\"Single-Arm Single-Leg Bench Press<\/p>\n

Single-Arm Single-Leg Bench Press (SA SL): Develops upper-body strength and balance while challenging core stability.<\/p>\n

Half-Kneeling Cable Lift: Trains rotational strength and stability through the torso and hips.<\/p>\n

Wall Goblet Side Lunge: Strengthens legs, hips, and glutes while improving lateral movement and balance.<\/p>\n

Finally, the Finisher uses a 150-yard shuttle to improve stamina and teach young athletes how to change direction under fatigue.<\/p>\n

\"\"Half Kneeling Sprint<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is one of many ways we program for youth athletes, but more specifically, athletes in general. As individuals get older and gain experience in training, more specific adaptations to their sport are needed,\u201d Rentas says. \u201cHowever, this training method is very important as a solid foundation for youth athletes to develop as they get older.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meet the Doctors
\nMcIlwain Dental Specialists<\/a> Delivers Expert Care from First Tooth to Forever
\n\"\"McIlwain Dental Specialists<\/p>\n

At McIlwain Dental Specialists, patients receive expert, compassionate care at every stage of life. With offices in South Tampa and Wesley Chapel, the practice is home to some of the best children\u2019s dentists in the area, Dr. Kara Ford and Dr. Jerry Copeland.<\/p>\n

Their open-concept pediatric bay allows families to be actively involved in their child\u2019s dental care, fostering a welcoming and reassuring environment.<\/p>\n

In addition to children\u2019s dentistry, McIlwain Dental Specialists provides comprehensive general dentistry (Dr. Becky Warnken and Dr. Justin Mitchell) and specialist orthodontic care (Dr. Matt Ahrens and Dr. Mary Awadallah). For patients with dental anxiety, sedation options\u2014including oral, inhalation and IV sedation\u2014make visits comfortable and stress-free. Dedicated to excellence and with a nearly 50-year legacy serving Tampa Bay, McIlwain Dental Specialists is committed to keeping smiles healthy for a lifetime.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As parents, we all want the best for our children \u2014 especially when it comes to their health…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":203367,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[18380,93559,93560,93561,93562,135,137,136],"class_list":["post-203366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-childrens-health","tag-diesel-optimization","tag-goodnight-orthodontics","tag-healthy-kids","tag-mcilwain-dental-specialists","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203366\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/203367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}