Showing posts with label Strength and conditioning coach Personal fitness trainer NSCA IFPA ISSA personal trainer certification Exercise science degree strength and conditioning education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Strength and conditioning coach Personal fitness trainer NSCA IFPA ISSA personal trainer certification Exercise science degree strength and conditioning education. Show all posts
Triphasic Training one of the most widely Sports training system in the world currently. The Triphasic system became mainstream five years ago and had changed the Sports world and various training concepts within the performance community. This certification has the Triphasic Training: A Systematic approach to elite speed and explosive Strength Performance Book and 12 hours of lectures with two exams on the Triphasic Training System. Book this course.....
Strength and Human Performance Coach, Sport Science Consultant
Cal Dietz has been an Olympic Sports Strength and Conditioning coach for numerous sports at the University of Minnesota since 2000. During his tenure, Dietz has trained athletes that have achieved 540+ All-American honors, 11 NCAA Team National Champions, Teams that have won 34 Big Ten/WCHA championships teams, 29 Big Ten/WCHA Conference tournaments, 22 NCAA Final Four appearances, He has consulted with Olympic and World Champions in various sports and professional athletes in the NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB, MMA and Professional Boxing.
Cal Dietz has been the Head Olympic Strength and Conditioning coach for numerous sports at the University of Minnesota since 2000. Since Dietz’s return to Minnesota he has developed the Strength and Conditioning Programs and over seen the daily progress in Men’s Hockey from 2000-present, Men’s’ Basketball from 2004-2010, Women’s Hockey from 2003-present, Men’s Golf from 2000-present, Men’s Swimming from 2000-Present, Track and Field from 2000-present, Baseball from 2000-present, and Wrestling from 2000 to 2004. During his tenure, Dietz has trained: a Hobey Baker Award winner, two Big Ten Athletes of the Year, athletes that have achieved 400+ All-American honors, 30 Big Ten/WCHA championships teams and 7 NCAA Team Champions, and 13 teams finish in the top four in the nation. He has consulted with Olympic and World Champions in various sports and professional athletes in the NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB, and Professional Boxing.
Also, during his time at the university help founded and chairs the Sport Biomechanics Interest Group with its purpose to explore the physiological and biomechanical aspects of advanced human performance encompassing the various aspects of kinesiology, biomechanics, neuro-mechanics and physics. This will be achieved by utilizing extensive research theories and applied knowledge in the multi-disciplinary field of human performance. Utilizing through a collaborative effort which involving numerous professional perspectives from diverse areas of academia such also include professionals from Mechanical engineering, Biomechanical Engineering, Orthopedics, and Physiology. Dietz is also a member of the Gender Equity Committee at the University of Minnesota and currently represents the University as a member of the Big Ten committee to develop performance enhancing policy for anabolic and ergogenic aids.
Prior to returning to Minnesota, Dietz was the strength coordinator at The University of Findlay, overseeing 26 men’s and women’s sports, in addition to coordinating the university’s fitness center, coaching the offensive line with the football program and teaching strength and conditioning classes. He is no stranger to Minnesota athletics after serving as a graduate assistant strength coach while pursuing his graduate degree. During this time Dietz was the first assistant to football and assisted with a Majority of Olympic Sports. Book this course today!
If you are the one who loves to sweat it out in the gym, maintain a
healthy lifestyle, and also motivate others, then you can make a
successful career in the same. How? Well, the answer is quite simple, by
becoming a personal trainer.
As per IBISWorld - 2019, personal trainers are in huge demand, and
the total number of trainers have increased at the rate of 2.3% from
2014 to 2019. You can take your aspirations of training others to the
next level by enrolling in certified personal training online courses
from the best training providers. Although it is not as easy as it
looks, you can achieve your goals by getting registered with a reputed
organisation.
5 STEPS ON HOW TO BECOME A PERSONAL TRAINER
You can follow these five, steps to pursue your career in personal training:
Make Up Your Mind
Irrespective of the career you choose, making up your mind to choose a
particular profession is vital. If you enjoy staying fit and helping
others achieve great fitness, you should opt-in for a personal training
course. But every coin has two sides. You should know about the
situations and challenges involved in this profession. For this, you
have to dig a little deeper. Once you get the related knowledge and
expertise, making a firm decision will eventually become easier.
Consider the following points to make up your mind in choosing the personal training profession:
●Required Skills & Qualifications: To become an expert personal
trainer, you need to have a specific skill set. It is significant for
you to be patient as you will be teaching others. Also, the students
expect their trainers to be motivational and efficient. Along with this,
you need to be a good listener to understand what your students expect
from you. Other than this, the basic personal trainer qualifications
include knowledge of English, Maths and Information Communication
Technology (ICT). Also, a candidate should be seventeen years old to
enrol on the online personal trainer course. You can enhance your skills
and expertise by learning accredited and renowned personal trainer
certification online.
●Coping Challenges: Every profession has its hurdles, and the
situation is not different with an online personal trainer course. You
will have to handle different types of clients, adjust as per their
availability, listen to them, and work on their reviews. If you want to
excel in each of these circumstances, you should know how to overcome
them.
You need patience and prior experience in handling clients throughout
the training session. You need to learn techniques and style to deal
with different types of clients. An excellent personal trainer
certification course can teach you how to get through these
circumstances.
●Acknowledge the positive aspects: As we have discussed, every course
has a bilateral phase and you are aware of the hurdles involved. Now,
let’s have a look at the bright side. You enjoy staying fit, and that is
why you are willing to teach others. By pursuing a personal trainer
certification online, you will attain your first achievement.
Furthermore, if you want to be your boss, you can go ahead and open
your gym or fitness room and enjoy the flexibility and work-life balance
by choosing Personal Trainer as your profession. Also, you will get to
make good client relations and contacts in this line of work. How can we
forget the earnings? A personal trainer helps you earn a decent income,
even if you are a beginner.
Picking Up The Best Personal Trainer Course
After taking skills, hurdles and advantages of personal Training into
contemplation, the next thing to consider is selecting a renowned
personal training course. First, you have to look for a reputed
organisation to pursue a Personal Trainer Certification. For that, you
have to do some research.
You can choose the institute having good ratings. Reading the reviews
of the potential institute and some basic research on Google is always a
good idea. Do not forget to check the authenticity of the association
you are going to join. Also, you should always consider the universally
certified organisation for a personal trainer course.
The institute should be accredited by any of the below mentioned Personal Trainer Certifications:
A.The CPD Certification Service
B.Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs)
C.UK Active
D.ActiveIQ
Taking Speciality into Consideration
Personal training is not just about bodybuilding and reducing weight.
There are various aspects involved, and considering the same is
crucial. You should choose the speciality before selecting the course,
or you can do the same after having a little experience of the field.
However, if you choose the specialisation in personal training, in the
beginning, it will save your time and keep you on the right career
track.
While selecting the specific department, you can consider your area
of interest and the opportunity that it holds. You can consider these
specialities and make your selection accordingly:
●Medical: This department is best for those who are interested in
learning therapeutic techniques. Here you will deal with clients having a
variety of medical issues. The post-rehabilitation patients will be
your major clients.
●Orthopaedics: This department deals with patients suffering from
bone-related issues like arthritis, back pain, knee pain or patients who
have been prescribed physiotherapy.
●Athletics: If you are the one who is more into sports then you can
be specialised in this field too. It includes training the athletics in
their overall performance and personality.
●Nutrition: If you love to help others lose weight and eat healthy
food, you can pursue personal training in nutrition. However, with this
one, you need to attain adequate expertise and knowledge in health and
nutrition.
●Lifestyle Management: Those who want to inculcate a healthy
lifestyle in their clients can pursue their education in this
department. You need to work on the client's lazy and sedentary
lifestyle and help them stay fit, healthy, and happy.
●People Specific: This specialisation includes training populations
of different gender and age groups. The category covers women, men, kids
and older adults. You can become specialised in training a specific
gender or age group and become an expert Population-specific Personal
trainer.
Building Career
If you want to become an independent personal trainer, you need
relevant experience from a reputed employer. Now the next step is to
find out the type of employer that suits your interests and expertise.
Here is the list of possible employers aspiring students can work for:
A.Gym: For a stable job, fitness enthusiasts often consider the gym
as their first choice. If your interests lie working in a gym, you
should choose one that is popular and hone your skills.
B.Local Clubs: Several clubs allow you to become a trainer and serve their clients at the park or community centre.
C.Wellness Centre: Many Hospitals and therapeutic centres hire
personal trainers to improve their patients' physical health. You can
join them and offer your services to the patients.
D.Spa: Many high-end resorts and spas hire trainers to provide fitness and yoga training to the clients. You can join them too.
E.Personal Training Studio: This type of studio holds excellent
career opportunities for personal trainers. However, you should be a
certified personal trainer to kick start your career with a reputed
studio.
Attaining Success
The information mentioned above will help you start your career in
personal training and choose the speciality depending upon your area of
interest. Once you complete your personal trainer course, the points
covered below will help you achieve success smoothly.
●Grow your connection: Irrespective of the specialisation in personal
training, making good contacts with your clients is essential. You can
send fitness-related messages or emails to your clients and assure them
that you will guide them in staying healthy and having a well-balanced
diet.
Celebrating the success and achievements of your clients will also
strengthen your bond with them. Once the clients start appreciating your
efforts, they will also share the same with their friends and family.
This will not just help you make healthy contacts but also gain
potential clients.
●Learn from the experts: Even if you have personal trainer
certification, gathering knowledge and expertise in personal training is
always overriding. Many experienced and knowledgeable personal trainers
take seminars and conferences to teach beginners of the same
profession. You can also attain such online workshops and expand your
skill with the help of these engaging seminars.
●Review your client’s efforts: If you are working on a client's
weight loss project, wellness, or on an athlete’s daily routine,
providing them with regular assessment will help you and your client
track progress. You can share their growth report, which requires more
attention and the next steps in the fitness regime. This will build
trust among clients with your service and motivate them to associate
with the gym for long.
●Listen to your clients: To provide any client with a solution,
listening to the problem is essential. You need to be careful of your
client’s reviews from the first day of the training. Listening helps you
know the clients' feedback, suggestions, and requirements. This
eventually improves your skills and makes the bond between you and your
client stronger.
All the points given above will tell you how to become a personal trainer and help others improve induce a healthy lifestyle.
Final Thoughts
Personal Trainer is a profession with immense opportunities. By
joining a reputed personal trainer certification, you can see yourself
as a professional trainer. Lead Academy, a leading online education
platform offers aspiring students popular personal trainer certification
online courses and a range of other online courses. It also helps them
expand their skill-set and achieve great heights in their career.
Lead Academy’s Personal Trainer Course is accredited by International
Practitioners of Holistic Medicine (IPHM), Certified by CPD and
endorsed by the Quality Licence Scheme. After completing this course you
will be eligible for insurance. You just have to get enrolled with Lead
Academy and take a step towards achieving your career goals. All these
steps will help you achieve a successful career in this profession.
Lead Academy is a leading provider of online training, practical courses and professional training.
Our wide ranges of courses are certified by CPD and endorsed by
Quality License Scheme and are directed towards personal and
professional development. We are an approved member of RoSpa and a UKRLP
registered learning provider. Our courses are available anywhere and
anytime with 24/7 customer support. Online Personal Trainer Course: https://lead-academy.org/course/personal-trainer/
Access To A Wide Range Of Strength And Conditioning Programs. From Elite Fat-loss Programs To The Best Strength And Muscle Gaining Programs. All From Mike Boyle And The Gym Named #1 In America By Men's Health. Learn more.......
Watch as ACC men's basketball coaches and players 'participate' in the Whisper Challenge.
Atlanta Hawks Assistant Coach, Matt Hill,
recently completed a series of coaching clinics in Australia. The
clinics were staged by Coach Liam Flynn basketball services. This video
is from his first clinic, in Sydney, on the topic of 'Player
Development'. Matt is one of the best in the NBA in the area of Player Development.
He has worked with NBA All-Stars Victor Oladipo, Nikola Vucevic and
Vince Carter, as well as, NBA First Team All Rookie Trae Young. In this clinic, Coach Hill takes the audience through the Atlanta
Hawks' philosphy on Player Development and how they instill this
'working' culture through their 'daily vitamins'. He conducts workouts
for both guards and bigs which feature ball handling, finishing,
shooting and decision making. He then takes questions from the audience
on a wide range of subjects. The simplicity of the teaching and drilling makes this video a must
watch for coaches from the youth level all the way up to the
professional ranks. Book this course.....
Matt Hill is entering his second season as an Assistant Coach with the Atlanta Hawks. Since
being hired by Lloyd Pierce, Hill has overseen and implemented many of
the Player Development processes the Hawks currently employ while
remaining actively involved in the Hawks’ opponent scouting efforts. Prior
to his tenure in Atlanta, Hill spent six seasons with the Orlando
Magic, where he worked with three different head coaches: Jacque Vaughn,
Scott Skiles and Frank Vogel. Hill began his career with Orlando as
Video Analyst/Opposition in 2012. Hill was promoted to Manager of
Advanced Scouting/Player Development in 2015 and ultimately to Assistant
Coach during Vogel’s tenure. During his time in Orlando he worked with
such players as Victor Oladipo, Nik Vucevic, Evan Fournier and Aaron
Gordon. Hill’s roles and responsibilities varied from on-court player
development to preparing and delivering opponent scouting reports. Following
a decorated high school career at Southeast High School in Lincoln,
Nebraska, Hill was named Nebraska’s Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Player
of the Year. Hill played basketball at The University of Texas from
2006-2011, where he served as team captain during the 2010-11 season.
Hill earned a bachelor’s degree in corporate communications from UT in
2010. Book this course......
Strength coaches are the worker bees of every college football program.
They build more than muscles -- they build character … which makes
sense, since most of them are characters themselves. Gene Wojciechowski
explores the evolution of the strength coach, and why they terrify
every college football player.
#CollegeGameDay (Video below)
What Is The Best Workout For A Football Player? from Bodybuilding.com members
What
is the best workout for a football player? Our forum members have put
together powerful proven workouts for those interested in furthering
their football training. Check it out!
TOPIC: What Is The Best Workout For A Football Player?
The Question
Football can require strength, speed, agility, endurance and
explosiveness. To achieve all these different qualities one needs a
complete workout. What is the best workout for a football player looking for maximum
strength, speed, agility, endurance and explosiveness? Be specific. Is this workout too intense for the average person? Who else would benefit from this type of workout?
Bonus Question
How does football training differ from other sports training? Which sport has the most similar training to football? Show off your knowledge to the world!
What Is The Best Workout For A Football Player Looking for Maximum
Strength, Speed, Agility, Endurance, And Explosiveness? Be Specific.
Football players require all around athleticism no matter what
position they play. Certain aspects may be more important to one
position than another, but still plays a large role in the abilities of a
player. Everyone always say things like linemen are all about size and
strength (both defensive and offensive), but when you see a big play by a
lineman it's usually because they show what they can do with other
talents as opposed to simply using size. Football is played as an explosive sport; plays often last between
2-and-15 seconds. In most cases all the strength and power is put out in
a few shots then you get a chance to rest up and do it again. For this reason, the best system to use is a 5x5 program allowing the
body to exert maximum force in multiple sessions. In addition, I aim
toward getting between 20 and 40 seconds of rest between each set. It is
important to make sure you work every muscle, when athletes avoid this
they often end up seeing injuries and torn muscles. The following workout is what I used over the past off-season and I
also plan to use this year to prepare myself for semi-pro football
tryouts. I would not suggest doing this routine during season as it may
be too taxing on your body and CNS, which would result in overtraining. Before beginning, I always suggest doing a proper warm-up consisting
of dynamic stretching to get the muscles warmed up and running; and
also, always workout with a partner. The basic set up of this workout is to incorporate 3 days of weight
lifting, upper body, lower body and full body/explosiveness, one day of
plyometrics and another day for speed and agility work.
Warm up with a 5-minute jog and dynamic stretching. **It is important to have proper rest between sets when working on
speed and acceleration. Always rest until you can run the sprint again
between 90-100% of what you accomplished on the previous run. We first start with acceleration sprints; these focus on shorter distances focusing to hitting top speed.
Acceleration
3x10m Sprints
2x25m Sprints
2x20m Uphill Sprints
Now we focus more to maintaining that speed and trying to build on
it. I don't really suggest using more than 60-meter sprints, because
realistically, it's not everyday you will be running the length of the
field at full speed.
Speed
4x40m Sprints
3x60m Sprints
Agility plays a large role in many positions. Agility is the ability to
make cuts and run side to side on the field, and preferably without
losing balance.
Agility
4x20m Shuttle
Never do multiple speed and agility training one day after the other
as it will be very taxing on your body. Also, refrain from doing cardio
after a speed workout as they are opposite working forms of running, and
doing long distance cardio may slow down the progress of your speed
training. Click Here For A Printable Log Of Speed/Agility/Acceleration Workout.
Plyometrics
Finally, plyometrics, this can be done on the same day as another
workout, just not the same day as the speed training, nor the day before
or after. So what can plyometrics do for you? Plyometrics help build
elasticity within the muscles; they play a large role in improving
strength, explosiveness, speed and jumping ability.
Depth jumps
Vertical jumps
One leg jumps
Power skips
Double leg jumps
Squat jumps
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Plyometrics Workout. *One thing to note with plyometrics is to not perform them until
failure. Also just as in speed training, do not perform cardio after a
plyometric session. The best way to set up this routine is to do upper body on Monday,
lower body on Wednesday, full body on Friday and speed training on
Sunday.
Intensity
Is This workout Too Intense For The Average Person? I personally believe there is no workout too intense for the average
person. The only situation is, can the average person benefit from this
entire workout? Probably not, because the average person is not
concerned with speed and agility.
Who Would Benefit
Who Else Would Benefit From This Type Of Workout? Any athlete can benefit from a workout like this. Almost every sport
will require most of these abilities, some may be based more on
strength, where others would be for speed, but it definitely offers a
variety of core abilities.
Bonus Question
How Does Football Training Differ From Other Sports Training? Which Sport Has The Most Similar Training To Football? The biggest difference in football training in comparison to others
is that most other sports will require more training in the endurance
department. Although a football game often can last 3 or more hours,
there are not only 20-second breaks between plays, but times when you
are on the bench while the opposite part of the team (offense vs.
defense) is on the field. The sport with the most similar training style to football would be
rugby. I play both the sports, so I have always looked for a way to
train for both sports, and it did not take me long to find that almost
everything I did to prepare for rugby prepared me for football and
vice-versa. Vivak P. (AKA Veeshmack)....keep reading.....
Enter Code USSports to save 10% Off the annual subscription Learn more...Game Planner Pro takes football coaching preparation to a whole new level.
59 year old Former NFL / University of Washington Strength and
Conditioning Coach Bill Gillespie sets new World Bench Press Record at
915 Pounds ( via OpenPowerlifting.org - All Drug Tested Lifters)
What is the THSCA Coaching School &
Convention? The THSCA Convention & Coaching School is the most
comprehensive athletics conference in the state of Texas. This four-day
annual conference offers a wide range of education sessions on both male
and female sports, athletic administration, as well as health and
safety topics, multiple networking opportunities, rules meetings, an
on-site job room, an awards luncheon, and an astounding array of
exhibits. On average the THSCA Convention draws an attendance of over
12,000 coaches, athletic directors, exhibitors and fans of
athletics. The THSCA Convention and Coaching School is open to anyone
who would like to register and pay the conference tuition fee. You do
not have to be a member of the association to attend.
The
Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) is the principle advocate
and leadership organization for Texas high school coaches. THSCA
provides the highest quality representation, education, and services to
Texas high school coaches and affiliate members, and enhances the
professionalism of coaches and the schools they represent. Our mission
statement is simply this: To help and serve our Texas high school
coaches as they work to help and serve our student athletes. "HELPING
COACHES TO HELP KIDS." Book this course.....
Putting a consistent winner on the field each fall starts in the spring.
KSAT 12 Sports got a behind the scenes look at how the UIW Cardinals
are getting their athletes primed and ready for another bid at the
Southland Conference Championship.
UConn Football's new strength and conditioining staff has brought a
fresh enthusiasm to the weight room. Matt King, a Mass. native, returns
to the east coast from the Washington Huskies. King brought in Marcus
Wasliewski from the University of Minnesota to help him out. The pair
have a four month period of strength and conditioning with the team
following the spring football season to make the Huskies bigger, faster
and stronger.
Perhaps you didn’t have the year you were expecting last season, or maybe you’re coming off a historic run! In either case, the summer is a reminder that the past is past, and that next season is right around the corner.
The summer is often the best time for athletes to develop. As a young athlete, there are few times throughout the year where school responsibilities can take a back seat to your performance. Commit yourself to a consistent routine over the summer, and you’ll show up to tryouts/pre-season camp with more power, speed, and control than ever before. Our top 3 steps to your best summer ever (yes, really) are below…
Step 1: Paint the Big (Clear) Picture
This is important. Motivation is fleeting. You might be pumped and ready to train now, but it’s common to lose motivation over time. There are going to be days where you don’t want to go to the gym, friends will invite you to events that get in the way of your training, and lifting might get boring and monotonous. This is why we must keep our sights focused on the big picture, the end game, the WHY behind your commitment to training.
Here’s a simple exercise with a big payout:
Grab a pen and paper.
Write down a description of the athlete you want to be.
Describe how that athlete behaves -- both in practice and competition.
Create a plan to hold yourself accountable to become that person.
Step 2: Commit as a Team
You don’t have to put all the pressure on yourself. Creating team goals, or goals with a training partner can be a useful method for staying consistent through the ups and downs of the off-season. The teams that we’ve seen do this most effectively typically understand the importance of consistent training, establish participation goals for the team, and have captains/leaders/training partners in place to keep teammates accountable to those goals all before leaving campus for the summer.
Remember, it’s the expectations we fulfill - not the expectations we set - that determines our team culture.
Step 3: Start Now!
What’s the best way to stay consistent with your summer training?
It often takes several weeks to establish a new behavior as part of your “normal” routine. Cortex will automatically keep track of the number of workouts you complete in a row, so you can begin building confidence and momentum going into the summer. Stack your workout streak up to double-digits, and you’ll be more likely to think twice about skipping a workout and breaking your streak to go hang out at the beach. For what it’s worth, we absolutely recommend going to the beach...after you’ve made time for your workout.
The Takeaway
It’s pretty simple, each day is an opportunity for you to get closer to becoming the athlete you want to be. The decisions you make now will either take you closer or further away from your goal. Summer brings no shortage of distractions to an athlete’s life. However, unlike school, these summertime distractions are, for the most part, optional. By making decisions that align with your goals, you take control of your current situation and your future opportunities.
How will you use the summer?
Join over 1 million coaches and athletes using Volt's AI-powered training system. For more information, click here.
Here at the U of A, we have students help out and gain experience in the Sports Performance center in a number of different capacities. One of the more recent projects set in motion is that of an internship in which we selected a number of third year students that had a keen interest in strength and conditioning. Each student was then placed with each one of our lead coaches to work directly with them and the varsity sports that they manage.
One of the projects that I wanted to try with my student was to start gathering some jump data for monitoring purposes.
This is something I have wanted to get off the ground for sometime, but struggled with the logistics of how it would work. Some of the problems that I have encountered include: one jump mat to use, sporadic workout times in-season and the fact that I would have roughly 90 athletes to gather data on. With the help of a student, a couple of times a week, I figured it was as good of time as any to just start doing jumps and see how it worked.
The ongoing frustration with wellness surveys also added to my initiation of the jump monitoring. I am pretty much convinced that these types of surveys are not the best thing to use when dealing with a large number of athletes. It is a never-ending battle with the teams I work with to keep their compliance up with the surveys and there always seems to be issues with them not receiving notifications, or not being able to log on to the platform (a whole other can of worms).
Also, when I think back to times when the responses were somewhat consistent, I still wasn't seeing much value out of it. If something came up that was concerning, that lead to a conversation with said athlete, I asked myself, why do I need this survey to tell me when to have a conversation with my athlete?
Why not just have a conversation with them every week?
“How are you feeling after the weekend?”
“How is school going?”
“How are you liking the workouts?”
All these questions can give me the info I am looking for with the surveys and allow me to connect with the athletes more often as an added bonus. With that being said, I need to do a better job moving forward, making sure that these talks happen regularly and that I am writing notes about them as well. My stance on this was also supported after reading Jace Delaney's article on Invisible Monitoring. Do yourself a favor; read it. It is very informative. Join StrengthCoach.com today for only $1 to keep reading.....
Sean Skahan - Minnesota Wild Strength and Conditioning Coach
As I reflect on my career as a Strength and Conditioning Coach, I realize that I have been very fortunate to be able to work in the sport of Ice Hockey. When I was a college student and decided upon this profession, I never would have imagined that I would have had the opportunity to work in one sport for the majority of my career. I have been able to work with 3 Division 1 men's college hockey programs and 2 professional teams. In each situation, I have been able to work with several good teams which included outstanding players, coaches, athletic trainers, scouts, Athletic Directors, and management personnel.
I think it is important to share my learning experiences because there are several coaches who may want to work with hockey teams at the collegiate and/or professional level. My goal for this piece is to share my observations and experiences.
There are many aspects that can be compared in both scenarios. I want to highlight some of the major differences that I have seen over the years.
Paid Professionals vs Students:
This is obvious but the major difference is that in the professional ranks, the players are paid professionals. A professional player doesn't have to juggle the demands of being a student. Their hockey skills and their body is the avenue for providing for themselves and their family. However, professionals also have to deal with the chance of them being traded, being put on waivers, or being sent to the minors. Although they get paid a substantial amount of money, these are stressful situations especially for those with families.
The collegiate player has many areas that they must juggle. Attending class, attending study hall, communicating with professors, and attending summer school are all important When you combine that with being a player on a highly competitive team, this can be stressful.
Scheduling:
When it comes to strength and conditioning, the collegiate player is in a better situation to develop physically. With the smaller amount of games played in college (college hockey will have less than half the amount of pro hockey regular season games), the collegiate player will have more time to get adequate strength and conditioning on a year-round basis. For example, in the collegiate hockey environment, we would have 2-3 training sessions per week on a consistent basis in-season. As a team, we would train on Mondays and Wednesdays. The players who don't dress in games would get 1 more session in during the weekend. This allows the strength and conditioning coach to plan their training effectively.
In the off-season, many division 1 hockey programs will have a period of time when the team is together for summer school and strength and conditioning. They will also have the benefit of a 4-5 week pre-season period. We would train 3 days per week during the post-season, 4 days per week during the off-season, and 5 days per week during the pre-season.
At the professional level, the Strength and Conditioning Coach will have an exit meeting at the end of the season and then sometimes not see some players again until a few days prior to training camp the following. Players don't have to be around their team in the off-season. My approach has always been to provide a program for them to follow and to be clear in what we will be conducting for physical testing at training camp for the next season.
The reality is that most players at the professional level will have their own Strength and Conditioning Coach/Personal Trainer with them during the off-season. In the past, I had a tough time accepting the fact that other trainers would be working with our players in the off-season. It may have taken me a few years to not be upset and realize that 1- They will do whatever they want to do and work with whoever they want, and 2- I would rather have them be in a structured program with daily coaching versus being on their own. That being said, I usually work with some players on our team during the off-season........... Join Strengthcoach.com today to access this and more educational gems for only $1!
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