Scenarios that provide a stimulus relevant to the sporting environment may help athletes develop better anticipation skills through the refinement of search strategies, response speed and accuracy, pattern recognition, and decision-making abilities.
There are five ways that a strength and conditioning position is typically structured in a high school. Each position structure has its own pros and cons that should be evaluated for your specific situation.
The purpose of this article is to strongly suggest and offer a pragmatic and stepwise approach that takes into account the ideas and concepts of shared decision making that allows for the “best practices,” pre-participation screenings, evaluations, and stratification flow charts for safe and effective return to play for athletes.
CoachesProgram designAcclimationHealth Risk ScreeningCOVID-19Resistance Training
Learn practical programming ideas to implement in youth speed training programs. In this session from the NSCA’s 2017 National Conference, Lance Walker explains how to leverage the differences between starting, acceleration, and maximum velocity dynamics (movement preparation) and plyometrics. Learn about the most common errors made by young athletes when training linear speed with practical tools, teachings, and contextual cues.
CoachesProgram designYouth Athlete TrainingLTADSpeed Training for YouthProgramming for Young Athletes
The purpose of this article is to show athletes and coaches how plantar fasciitis is diagnosed, treated, and transitioned back to athletic training for the athlete.
CoachesExercise ScienceProgram designTesting and EvaluationPlantar FasciitisRehabilitationOrthoticsPhysical Therapy
Identify methods of prioritization and individualization within the training week plans to make training specific for individual athletes within the team setting. In this session from the NSCA’s 2016 National Conference, Ashley Jones explains how to design effective week plans for each of three major phases of a training year, and describes the format and content of key training areas of speed, strength, and fitness within each training phase.
CoachesProgram designPower trainingperiodized training planperiodizationspeed training
In this practical session from the 2015 NSCA National Conference, Jimmy Radcliffe explains how to integrate strength and speed complexes and plyometric progressions into periodic progressions. Radcliffe is well-known for authoring “Functional Training for Athletes at all Levels” and “High-Powered Plyometrics.”
CoachesExercise TechniqueProgram designvelocity based trainingVBTPowerPlyometricsPlyometric progression
Once strength and conditioning coaches have a better understanding of some of the differences between coaching and training philosophy, they can build their coaching philosophy and ensure it is a combination of both the “why” and “how.”
CoachesProgram designProfessional DevelopmentCoaching PhilosophyTraining PhilosophyStrength and Conditioning Coach
Traditional lower-body resistance exercise alone may not be an optimal means of developing agility. Further, the effectiveness of straight-sprint training on agility performance has not been well established. In contrast, jump training, including loaded jump squats and horizontal and lateral jumps, holds promise.
CoachesProgram designTraining for AgilityAgilityLifting for AgilityProgram Design
From the 2021 NSCA’s Coaches Conference, Matthew Ibrahim, Co-Owner, Director of Strength and Conditioning, and Internship Coordinator at TD Athletes Edge, discusses how to help athletes develop the skills necessary to build the brakes in the athletic development process. Other topics covered include how to create a better understanding of the transfer from training in the weight room to sport performance.