USA TODAY
April 30, 1991, Tuesday, FINAL EDITION
The Marinovich Plan reaches its goal
BYLINE: Denise Tom
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. 9C
LENGTH: 1124 words
Chalk one up for parents and athletes embracing Marv Marinovich's child- rearing game plan.
The conditioning coach's philosophy: ''If you're in a position where there's no pressure, then you're not in a position to succeed.''
He offers no better example than his son, Todd. Despite problems earlier this year, Todd Marinovich fulfilled a carefully planned destiny when the Los Angeles Raiders drafted him in the first round last week.
Three months ago, when Todd was arrested on a misdemeanor drug possession charge, Marinovich's unusual parenting techniques once again were questioned. Speculators said Todd, who last season was suspended from the Southern Cal team twice, was rebelling against a well-publicized background that didn't include a Coke or Big Mac under his father's training and conditioning regimen.
But all along, Marinovich said his son's problems were merely the stuff of life, and that ''Todd will come back with a vengeance.''
And all along, parents of other athletes who work out at Marv Marinovich's Performance Training Institute in Anaheim, Calif., and adopted some of his training methods never wondered if Todd's mistakes were a byproduct of his uncommon background.
''Marv has gotten his share of negative publicity, and I think most of it is undeserved,'' said Lori Felix of Brea, Calif., whose stepson Chad, 10, trained with Marinovich.
Tom Ainsworth, a furniture salesman in Grand Rapids, Mich., called Marinovich two years ago and the two have kept in close contact. ''I consider Marv a valuable resource,'' said Ainsworth, whose 1-year-old son, Grant, began stretching exercises when he was 2 weeks old, just like Todd Marinovich.
Ainsworth, who played baseball at Aquinas College (Mich.), wants his son to be an athlete. He ignores criticism from friends. ''As long as the child is willing to work and goes along with it, how can any parent question that?'' he said.
Marinovich, 51, refuses to let criticism interfere with his job of training athletes. At his institute, athletes from age 10 to professionals are taught to maximize individual ability through conditioning and nutrition. The institute has about 100 enrolled; membership fee is $ 375 a year.
Marinovich's latest personal project: Todd's half-brother, Mikhail, 3. Mikhail has the ''temperament'' to be a linebacker, said Marv, who gave him 10 kinds of balls for Christmas.
Marinovich, a former Raiders lineman and assistant coach, said of critics: ''A lot of these people are negative because they wish they had spent more time with their kids.
''Fifteen years ago, I was a nut because I didn't feed Todd Gerber's baby food and I went to the trouble of buying fresh food. At least I was looking for better ways to feed him, not just going to the supermarket. And now, doctors are saying it's better to eat foods without preservatives and chemical additives.''
While other children were weaned on TV and hamburgers, Todd took music lessons, watched only Sesame Street and trained for the day when he would become an NFL quarterback. That day is here; Friday, Todd will participate in his first NFL training session when he joins the Raiders' three-day rookie mini-camp.
''I didn't want to do what everybody else does and hope that things work out,'' said Marv. ''It was really an endeavor to be a better parent. I don't think a guy has to be crazy to want a better environment for his children. Sitting in front of a TV until they get hardening of the arteries is not my idea of doing a better job.
''When you spend a lot of time with someone, and love is the main aspect of the relationship, you can't make too many mistakes.''
Sports psychologist Bruce Ogilvie of Los Gatos, Calif., disagrees. ''My goodness, what a distortion of love,'' said Ogilvie, who spent 12 years as psychologist for the U.S. figure skating team and is a retired professor from San Jose State University. ''When you love someone, you extend them total freedom in what they want to be.''
Marinovich is no different from other parents of athletes who similarly push their children, said Ogilvie, 70.
''You must remain a guest in your child's life,'' said Ogilvie. ''Emotional distance is essential. When parents begin vicariously to live through their children, there is the inherent danger of stunting their children's growth. The parent starts failing to discriminate as to when the child's life begins and ends.''
Marinovich maintains that he and other parents like him are providing guidance.
Said Lori Felix: ''Some people have misconceptions about what we're trying to do - that we're trying to turn Chad into some kind of super athlete. When they hear the name, Marv Marinovich, they assume that we're thinking about Chad playing professional sports some day, and that's not really our intention. We're providing our child with the best tools and the best teachers and letting him take it as far as he wants.''
Vernon Vedder's son, Justin, will be a sophomore quarterback at Laguna Hills (Calif.) High School in the fall. Justin has been training since the sixth grade to be a quarterback like Joe Montana. He adheres closely to Marinovich's diet program. And he had his hair, blood and urine tested to analyze the mineral content to make sure he's getting the nutrients he should.
Though critics say Marinovich is obsessed with Todd, Vernon Vedder said, ''If you're a person like Marv, and you didn't give your kid the best opportunity to develop, it would be a waste.''
With that in mind, Marinovich is trying to expose Mikhail to as many things as possible. ''I'm looking for excellence,'' said Marv. ''The thing that would disappoint me is if my child decided he wanted to be a garbage disposal guy.''
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Marv's formula for bringing up baby
Some dos and don'ts Marv Marinovich used in raising his son Todd to become a professional quarterback and is now using to raise another son, Mikhail, 3. Tom Ainsworth of Grand Rapids, Mich., adopted some of the methods in raising his son, Grant, 1:
- No white sugar, white flour, processed foods, sodas.
- Eat fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish, grain-fed turkey and chicken, hot dogs that have no fat or preservatives. Drink fruit juices, bottled water, raw skim milk.
- Eat one-third more carbohydrates than protein to control high insulin levels, which interfere with growth. Eat very little red meat.
- As an infant, nurse on mother's and goat's milk. No commercial baby foods.
- Watch only educational television (i.e., Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow ). No cartoons.
- Begin daily stretching and flexibility exercises when baby is 2 weeks old in a quiet area with soft music playing.
- Encourage infant to crawl as long as possible to help hand-eye coordination.
