The Elitefts™ Sports Performance Coach Education Series is a comprehensive educational resource for coaches in the collegiate, high school, professional, and private settings. This series will take a fundamental approach to various topics that will enable coaches the additional skills to enhance their coaching abilities, improve marketability in the industry, and drastically increase the impact they have upon their athletes.
A Better Way to Train High School Athletes?
About six months ago, I wrote an article entitled,"A Better Way to Train High School Athletes." This article was inspired by the simple fact that most high school coaches are not equipped with the resources to train their athletes in a manner to elicit year-round success. There are multiple reasons why high school athletes around the country are not getting the most out of their training. It's easy to place the blame one specific entity but the truth is, it is a combination of many factors. For every high school that has a state-of-the-art weightroom, a full-time strength coach, and strength training classes during the school day; there are just as many with no program at all. When looking at the problem, there are a few key components that influence the possible solutions. This presentation will look at some common obstacles that most high schools face and formulate some possible anecdotes to put our athletes in a better situation to succeed. The essence of this presentation explores the process of:- Discouraging specialization in one sport.
- Encouraging training for all sports year-round.
Presentation Outline
The Tweet
Sharing this for all you football players who take off the winter/spring to "work out."
pic.twitter.com/tThJAo03eB
— Ohio Varsity (@ohiovarsity)
January 18, 2015
The Question
Does playing multiple sports make me a better athlete and increase success at all of them?—OR—
Do the better athletes play multiple sports because they are simply good enough to do so?Take-Aways
- Don't discourage athletes from playing multiple sports.
- Make sure it is the athlete's decision.
Possible Solution
Create an athletic development curriculum within the physical education department at each high school that will facilitate a year-round comprehensive training for every athlete in every sportSport Coach Reservations
1. My athletes can train without being sore for games?
2. My athletes will physically develop and improve during the season?
3. My athletes will not be fatigued for games during the season?
Can high school athletes training in an in-season template and still develop physically for all the sports played?
Obstacles
- Money
- Cooperation
- Education
- Commitment
Curriculum
-
Elementary School
- Motor Learning
- Sports Education
- Self-Worth
-
Middle School
- Non-Co-Ed
- Self-Efficacy
-
High School
- Life Skills
- Learning
Scheduling
Class Time
- In-Season = in the AM
- Off-Season = in the PM
The In-Season Template
Three-Day In-Season Template
Systems
- School-Wide Methodology
- Two-Day per Week Programming
- Speed Training in Lager groups on Different Days
- Staggered Starts
- Complexes and Circuits
Two-Day Movement Split
Exercise Pool
Two-Day Split
Equipment Based Split
Summary
- Encourage athletes to play multiple sports.
- Educate coaches on the benefits or the training template.
- Expect improved performance.
High School Strength Coach Podcasts
Interview with Dan Stevens
Interview with Gary Schofield
Interview with Tobias Jacobi
Interview with Fred Eaves
Youth Training Podcasts
Interview with John O'Sullivan, Changing the Game Project
Interview with Mike Boyle
Interview with Mark McLaughlin
Interview with Dr. Michael Yessis
Interview with Nick Showman
Mark Watts' Articles and Coaching Log
