TIP FROM THE TRENCHES
Galvanizing school and community support for your S&C program. I had the privilege of coaching at the high school level for the first 10 years of my career and those were some of the most enjoyable and reward- ing years of my life. Nevertheless, as the designated “weight coach,” I was often centered in the administra- tive brushfires of financial difficulties, facility/equipment limitations, time constraints, scheduling chaos and a general lack of support from certain parents and administrators. Permit me to offer some trouble- shooting suggestions to high school coaches who may be dealing with some of the same situations: • Schedule a meeting with all administrators and coaches to discuss the importance of year-round train- ing programs for athletes. Together,
develop a common-ground agenda for multi-sport athletes so they are provided the opportunity to ben- efit from strength training activities, regardless of the time of year or sport they are participating in at the time. All sports—both male and female—ben- efit from the infused power, increased flexibility, heightened muscular endur- ance and injury deterrence a well- executed strength and conditioning program provides.
• Maintain constant open lines of communication with parents, as they can be your best allies and provide the stout support your program needs to weather the inevitable storms. Coaches must be proactive with regular parent and booster meetings, emails, newsletters and communication via the school’s web- site. Updated information on the
non-participatory mode can wreak havoc with an ath- lete’s psyche when he or she is sidelined with an injury. This is but one reason why the athlete’s primary care physician, the school’s sports medicine staff, the in- volved coaches and the athlete’s parents must be active- ly involved in the entire rehabilitation process. Clearly outline the progressive stages of the rehab protocol for all parties with a clear delineation of who is responsible for the organization, administration and implementation of each phase. Active rehab that is well planned, super- vised, charted and completed with a high level of exper- tise and great care transcends the physical benefits—it does wonders for the athlete’s mental outlook.
members of your coaching staff—if not most of them— have little academic acumen in the scientific aspects of strength and conditioning. As such, it is paramount that your staff stays actively involved with continuing education activities. These include clinics, seminars, visits with col- legiate/professional strength and conditioning coaches and scheduled guest speakers or clinicians who come to your school’s campus for professional growth presentations. In the current scholastic athletic landscape, everyone
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is dealing with budget cutbacks and myriad financial is- sues strapping limitations on these learning opportuni- ties. Offering our student-athletes the safest, most-pro- ductive, practical and effective training methodologies must override those concerns. If we are going to field athletic teams, we owe it to them to do so.
Indicate No. 112 on inquiry card or visit:
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Keep the entire coaching staff updated with Continuing Education Units (C.E.U.). Some
how’s and why’s of your program are deeply appreciated by most parents and those all-important financial contributors. It’s a great idea to have a dedicated strength and condition- ing page on the school’s website to highlight the endeavors in this area, and to elevate the community’s in- terest and garner support. The time will come when you need financial support from all of the aforemen- tioned parties. This is all the more reason to keep them in the loop, give them a sense of pride, demonstrate a show of outreach and make a statement on their impor- tance to the program.
To contact Ken Mannie about this topic or anything else you’ve read in Powerline, send him an email at
mannie@ath.msu.edu
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