Training Tip of the Month
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What It Means To Be An Athlete
As an athletic trainer, I can’t tell you how many times I have dealt with athletes that have been injured simply because they did not prepare properly for their sports season. It can range from simple muscle soreness, to pulls, to tendonitis that lasts the entire season. The days of using pre season practices to get into shape are long gone. In order to compete successfully and be considered an athlete rather than someone who just plays sports, you need to be prepared. If you treat your body properly you will reap the benefits once your season begins. In the following paragraphs, I will discuss the importance of off season training and the decision that all athletes have to make regarding what level they want to play at.
Whether you are a high school athlete or a highly trained professional, the term, “there is no such thing as the off-season” has never been more appropriate than now. As soon as your sports season is over, it is accepted practice to take a few weeks off to allow the body and the mind to recover from the rigors of the season. After that, it is time to get down to business. Running and weightlifting should begin right after your break, specifically, running and weightlifting that simulate the things that you will be doing in your specific sport. Jogging is important to build your cardiovascular base, but do not neglect speed training. Sports such as soccer, football, and baseball require athletes to be able to accelerate and change directions quickly, thus you need to train in that way in order to prepare your body properly. Weightlifting should also simulate your sport’s demands. All sports involve core stability and coordination, so that should be a big component of your program. Also weight movements that involve total body movement are of utmost importance for all sports, due to the body coordination required in most sports.
All athletes have a choice before their seasons begin. They can choose to put in the work and the dedication to be the best or they can settle for competing at less than their full potential. Once your sport’s begins, there is no going back. If an athlete is injured due to lack of conditioning the injury can sometimes last the entire season and in many cases it is very difficult to speed up the healing process. Failure to prepare will result in lost practice and game time as well as decreased performance.
All of the topics listed above have a common theme, preparation. Not only are these things important for your success on the field, but also they are also important to avoid injuries. Too many athletes lose time on the field due to things that were completely preventable. When an athlete fails to prepare they prepare to fail. Flexibility, running and weightlifting are just as important as hitting a home run, scoring a goal, and catching a touchdown. If you want to be the best and stay out of the athletic training room, then you need to put in the off season work. It is what separates athletes from people that just play sports.
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July, 2007
Dangers of Dehydration
June, 2007
Ice Or Heat?
May, 2007
Speed, Agility, and Conditioning Camp
April, 2007
What To Do When A Tooth Gets Knocked Out
February, 2007
EXERCISE AND THE COMMON COLD
January, 2007
Precautions To Take When Training Outdoors in Winter
December, 2006
Hamstring Flexibility
November, 2006
Weight Loss in Wrestling
September, 2006
Choosing the Right Shoes
August, 2006
Core Strength
June, 2006
What It Means To Be An Athlete
May, 2006
Performance Enhancement Camps
April, 2006
Shin Splints
March, 2006
Bone Health: More than Just Calcium
February, 2006
Calcium For A Healthy Body
December, 2005
Caffeine as an Ergogenic Aid
November, 2005
Plantar Fasciitis
September, 2005
Warm Up and Cool Down
August, 2005
Nutrition Considerations for the Athlete
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6th Annual
sports medicine symposium
and golf outing
Thursday, August 3rd, 2006
Mark your calendars for our 6th Annual Sports Medicine Symposium and Golf Outing. Once again, the event will be held at Windwood Country Club in Watertown. This FREE symposium will include information to help coaches succeed at all levels of competition. Once the symposium is over, join us for a FREE lunch, and a FREE 9 holes of golf.
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Speed and Agility Camp
Starting June 12th through July 28th
6 weeks excluding the week of July 3rd through July 7th
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Cost: $110
WAHS Sports Medicine believes that speed, agility, and conditioning are essential to athletic success. In order to help you achieve your full potential, our highly trained performance enhancement staff at WAHS Sports Medicine has developed a 6 week speed and agility camp.
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Functional Strength and Power Camp
Starting June 13th and ending July 27th
Excludes week of July 3rd through July 7th
Tuesdays and Thursdays
9:00 AM– 10:30 AM
Cost: $85
WAHS Sports Medicine has developed challenging, functional, and effective alternative to weightlifting. Unlike traditional weightlifting, the camp integrates traditionally proven exercises as well as advanced exercises to work all muscle groups in unison, thereby increasing overall strength, power and coordination, while decreasing the risk of injury.
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Related Links
Careers:
www.nata.org National Athletic Trainers Association
www.apta.org American Physical Therapist Association
Health and Injury Information:
www.acsm.org American College of Sports Medicine
www.ncaa.org National Collegiate Athletic Association
www.wiaawi.org/health/nutrition Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic
Association
www.gssiweb.com Gatoraide Sports Science Institiute
www.iasm.com Institute for Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine
www.physsportsmed.com The Physician & Sports Medicine
www.ORTHOsupersite.com The Orthopaedics Supersite
www.sportsdentistry.com Academy for Sports Dentistry
www.aapsm.org American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine
www.biausa.org Brain Injury Association of America
www.subtlebraininjury.com Subtle Brain Injury Website
www.sportsmedresources.com Sports Medicine Resources Website
www.asmi.org American Sports Medicine Institute
www.ortho-u.net Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics
www.lightningsafety.com National Lightning Safety Institute
www.webmd.com WebMD
www.nocsae.org National Operating Committee on Standards for
Athletic Equipment
Strength and Conditioning:
www.athleticsearch.com Athletic Search on Web
www.nsca-lift.org National Strength and Conditioning Association
www.nasm.org National Academy of Sports Medicine
www.coaching.usolympicteam.com Olympic E-Coach Magazine
www.ncsf.org National Council of Strength & Fitness
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