Refs, Umpires, and Judges, Oh My! Performance Training is Not Just for Athletes
If you could discern from the somewhat cryptic title, this month's theme will be athletic performance training for referees, umpires, and judges of sporting events. These brave men and women, dashing and dodging players, balls, and sticks, also require performance training that is equal to that of the players that watch. For example, did you know that a study of English Premier League soccer (football, really for everyone else in the world besides Americans) refs ran an average of 9.5 km (that's 5.9 miles) in one game?!
Not to mention the facts that refs are typically 10-15 years older than the players and they're running that distance while looking sideways.
And let's not forget the hazards of being a ref:
And this:
It's a tough job being on the authoratative side of sports. SAPT is here to help out! Stay tuned this month as we explore various aspects of training for referees, umpires, and judges.
Why Train In-Season?: Strength and Power Gains
Hopefully by now, you've read about the signs and reversal of overtraining. Now let's look at why and how to train intelligently in-season. A well-designed in-season program should a) prevent overtraining and b) improve strength and power (for younger/inexperienced athletes) or maintain strength and power (older/more experienced lifters).
First off, why even bother training during the season?
1. Athletes will be stronger at the end of the season (arguably the most important part) than they were at the beginning (and stronger than their non-training competition).
2. Off-season training gains will be much easier to acquire. The first 4 weeks or so of off-season training won't be "playing catch-up" from all the strength lost during a long season bereft of iron.
I know that most high school (at least in the uber-competitive Northern VA region) teams require in-season training for their athletes. Excellent! However, many coaches miss the mark with the goal of the in-season training program. (Remember that whole "over training" thing?) Coaches need to keep in mind the stress of practice, games, and conditioning sessions when designing their team's training in the weight room. 2x/week with 40-60 minute lifts should be about right for most sports. Coaches have to hit the "sweet spot" of just enough intensity to illicit strength gains, but not TOO much that it inhibits recovery and negatively affects performance.
The weight training portion of the in-season program should not take away from the technical practices and sport specific. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind about the program, it should:
1. Lower volume, higher intensity-- this looks like working up to 1-2 top sets of the big lifts (squat or deadlift or Olympic lift), while maintaining 3-4 sets of accessory work. The rep range for the big lifts should be between 3-5 reps, varied throughout the season. The total reps for accessory work will vary depending on the exercise, but staying within 18-25 total reps (for harder work) is a stellar range. Burn outs aren't necessary.
2. Focused on compound lifts and total body workouts-- Compound lifts offer more bang-for-your buck with limited time in the weight room. Total body workouts ensure that the big muscles are hit frequently enough to create an adaptive response, but spread out the stress enough to allow for recovery. Note: the volume for the compound lifts must be low seeing as they are the most neurally intensive. If an athlete can't recover neurally, that can lead to decreased performance at best, injuries at worst.
3. Minimize soreness/injury-- Negatives are cool, but they also cause a lot of soreness. If the players are expected to improve on the technical side of their sport (aka, in practice) being too sore to perform well defeats the purpose doesn't it? Another aspect is changing exercises or progressing too quickly throughout the program. The athletes should have time to learn and improve on exercises before changing them just for the sake of changing them. Usually new exercises leave behind the present of soreness too, so allowing for adaptation minimizes that.
4. Realizing the different demands and stresses based on position -- For example, quarterbacks and linemen have very different stresses/demands. Catchers and pitches, midfields and goalies, sprinters and throwers; each sport has specific metabolic and strength demands and within each sport, the various positions have their unique needs too. A coach must take into account both sides for each of their positional players.
5. Must be adaptable --- This is more for the experienced and older athletes who's strength "tank" is more full than the younger kids. The program must be adaptable for the days when the athlete(s) is just beat down and needs to recover. Taking down the weight or omitting an exercise or two is a good way to allow for recovery without missing a training session.
A lot to think about huh? As a coach, I encourage you to ask yourself if you're keeping these in mind as you take your players through their training. Athletes: I encourage you to examine what your coach is doing; does it seem safe, logical, and beneficial based on the criteria listed above? If not, talk to your coach about your concerns or (shameless plug here, sorry), come see us.
March Madness: In-Season Training
Ah, the spring! (well, it would be if it wasn't snowing so much here in D.C.!) This means that the spring sports are ramping up. Schedules get tighter, days get longer, and the body takes a beating.
This month SAPT is going to provide stellar reasons why every athlete should continue their strength training in-season. Some of these include (but are not limited to):
- Prevention of strength and power decreases (both of which are rather important, especially during the end of the season during the play-offs. No good to be weak and slow!)
- Increase strength and power (see above reason)
- Prevention of over-use injuries. (How many times did you throw that ball today?)
- Mental breaks (ah, brain can relax.)
All that plus a super special guest post JUST for coaches.
Check back later this week as we get rolling into a healthy, strong, and successful season!
Tackling Technique: How to (Safely) Pummel Your Opponent
Today's special guest post comes one of our athletes, Dumont, who's played Rugby professionally and currently coaches for the Washington Rugby Club. Given his past history and present involvement in Rugby, and the fact that the dude is a monster, it stands to reason that he knows a thing or two about pummeling an opponent. He graciously offered his expertise on tackling to share with everyone here on SAPTstrength. Here he provides many practical tips on not only executing an EFFECTIVE tackle, but also how to do so in a safe and concerted manner. Hit it Dumont!
The NFL combine is just days away, and many aspiring athletes will be jumping, running, and lifting in an attempt to impress potential employers. One skill that not showcased at the NFL Combine is tackling. Some could argue the tackle is a lost art in today’s NFL game. Yes, we see plenty of big hits each week, and as a result of those big hits, the NFL is attempting to regulate the tackle zone in an effort to protect its players. However, with the increase in big hits, what we are actually seeing as is many defenders forgetting the fundamentals and failing to finish the tackle. The result is we see a lot of missed tackles on Sunday, and a lot of needless injuries. The art of the proper form tackle has been lost.
What is a proper form tackle? A form tackle requires the tackler to use their entire body. Eyes, arms, shoulders, core, and legs are all engaged in an effort to bring a ball carrier to the ground in an efficient and safe (well as safe as a tackle can be) manner. While it may not result in the big “jacked up” highlight hit we’ve become accustomed to seeing on television, a form tackle will bring a ball carrier to the ground, and stop them in their tracks every time.
Before we break down the parts to making a tackle let’s point out the first step, take away a ball carrier’s space. The closer a tackler can get to the ball carrier the less opportunity they have to shake and get out of the way. Close the space to within a yard, of the ball carrier and now the tackler is in the tackle zone. Closing the space also allows the tackler to use their body like a coiled up spring that can explode into contact at the right moment.
Let’s break down the tackle into parts and make it easier to digest. The first part is the eyes. Before one can make a tackle, a player needs to spot their target, and know what they are aiming for. The tackler must remember to keep your eyes open and spot their target. This will also help to keep their head up. Keeping their head up is key not just so they can see, but also for safety. It keeps the back in a straight line and helps to protect the neck.
Two keys a tackler should remember when using their eyes:
- Keep them open- sounds simple but you’d be surprised at how easily they close just before impact
- Focus on the ball carrier’s core- they can move their legs, arms, and heads, but where their core goes, the entire body goes. Focusing on the core will lead to the tackle point.
The second part of the tackle is the arms and shoulders. Many people have different ideas of what to do with their arms when making a tackle. Often times tacklers start with their arms out wide and it looks like they are trying to bear hug their opponents. While this is effective in making a tackler look big and fierce, it’s actually inefficient when it comes to making the tackle and dangerous as it exposes the weaker muscles in the arm. When a tackler’s arms are out wide it creates “weak arms,” we teach ball carriers to run towards those open arms because it’s much easier for them to break through. By keeping the arms in tight and the hands above your elbows the tackler engages the shoulders and the arms creating a strong base to enter the tackle zone.
Here are the keys for the arms when making a tackle.
- Imagine creating a TV screen with your hands, and the ball carriers core is the show you want to watch.
The next part to the tackle equations is the legs. First we’ll focus on the feet. The lead foot is most important. Step towards the ball carrier using the lead foot. This brings the tacklers body with them, and allows them to use their entire body and keeps the body compact and coiled like a spring.
Keys to good footwork
- Step towards the ball carrier taking away their space
- Do not cross your feet
- Take short controlled steps not to overextend yourself.
Once the feet are in position, we need to focus on getting the rest of the legs into proper tackling position. This is done by bending at the knees, and creating a powerful base. By bending at the knees a tackler engages their legs and they are coiled and ready to explode. This will also keep the tackler low and allow them to attack the ball carriers core and legs. We do not want to tackle ball carriers up around the chest and arms, it’s too easy for them to break through when we get that high. Bending at the knees also gives the tackler the agility to move left, or right should the ball carrier change direction. Remember to keep your head up and your eyes open during all this.
So far we’ve covered a lot of stuff, so let’s take a moment and give a quick rundown of everything to make sure every is on the same page.
- Eyes Open
- Arms in tight, hands up
- Lead foot forward
- Bend at the knees
- Heads up
This puts an athlete into the perfect tackling position. To make contact the tackler wants to pick a side of the ball carrier’s body and attack that with their shoulder. The head should be placed on the side of the ball carrier’s body, not across it. This protects the tackler from being kneed or elbowed in the head, and reduces the possibility of injury. Using your lead foot step in, make contact with the shoulder.
A good rule to remember is “cheek-to-cheek.”
The next part of the tackle is the arms. We already have our arms in tight and our hands are up. Once the tackler makes contact with the shoulder we want to punch with the arms. Bring the arms up keeping them close and wrapping them around the ball carriers body, pulling the ball carrier in tight.
The final part is engaging the legs and drive forward. Once the tackler made contact with the shoulder and wrapped up the ball carrier with their arms, start pumping the legs. Drive forward and force the ball carrier to the ground. Use the ball carriers body as a pillow to land on. This will bring the ball carrier to the ground.
Form tackles are effective. The main key is putting the body into the correct position. Take away the ball carrier’s space, head up, eyes open, arms in, hands up, knees bent, then explode into the contact point, wrap the arms and drive the legs.
Thanks Dumont! Hopefully you all learned a li'l sumthin' sumthin' about tackling (safely and effectively... as opposed to just mindlessly throwing your body at your opponent). Proper technique will go a long way to both helping prevent injuries and winning games. And just for fun, here's a video of football vs. Rugby:
And if you want to smile: *Note* I love our soccer players! I just thought the video was funny.
Position Specific Drills: Defense
This Blog Post is Brought To You By: Goose, Man of Many Talents
Position Specific Training: Defense
When training a football defensive player, the 5 primary aspects of focus are: strength, explosiveness, footwork/agility, and reactiveness.
Strength is Part 1, this is where you lay the foundation. Building an elite athletes is analogous to building a house: you can't do without a strong, solid foundation. Therefore, strength is the foundation upon which you develop explosiveness, agility, and reactiveness. The athlete must be strong enough to: move their bodyweight effectively in all 3 planes of motion - aka frontal, transverse, and sagittal for you kinesiology majors out there - and manhandle and tackle an offensive player. Staple lower body strength exercises all athletes should do are squats, deadlifts, and lunge variations (just ensure you fit the variation of said movements to the individual). Pair these with upper body strength builders such as the bench press, pullup, overhead press, and rowing variations, and you're well on your way toward success. When performed properly in an intelligently designed strength program, these will get the most meat the bones of your athletes and set them on the road to becoming behemoths!
Strength training turns boys into men!
Explosiveness is Part 2. This is when the application of strength translates into moving faster and jumping higher. "Explosiveness" (the coveted athletic attribute) entails exerting a high amount of force really fast, as in split-seconds fast. To train this, perform exercises which force you (or your athletes) to move fast. This is where plyometrics and Olympic lifts come in!Plyometric exercises such as cone/hurdle hops, box jumps, vertical/broad jumps force you to exert high amounts of force in milliseconds.
**Word of Caution!!!** Olympic lifts are great for developing explosiveness, HOWEVER they are extremely technical; so technical they have their own sport! They are only to be done under the supervision of an experienced coach who can properly teach/progress them to maximize gains and reduce injury risk*. (*Note from Kelsey: and athletes should demonstrate proficient strength and technique in the squat and deadlift. The Oly-lifts should be reserved for strong, experienced athletes, aka, not the average high school athlete.)
Working on explosiveness is critical for all defensive positions. Defensive ends/tackles have to be explosive to get a jump on the offensive line to tackle the running back or sack the QB. Meanwhile, linebackers, corner backs, and safeties must be able to jump higher than receiver in order to break up or intercept passes.
Agility and Footwork are part 3. Here's where the foundation analogy starts to make more sense: the application of strength and explosiveness equates to improved speed and change of direction. Agility and footwork go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly! You need to know how and where to place your feet, relative to your body, in order to avoid injury and effectively change direction. If you try to change direction and your step is too short, too long, or at the wrong angle you are putting your ankles, knees, and hips in a disadvantageous (and potentially injurious) position. A great way to start working on foot position and running technique is to spend a few minutes during the first portion of a training session on agility ladder drills, for lateral, diagonal, and change-of-direction work. Once you become proficient at the ladder drills, you can progress to cone drills on turf or grass where you work on changing directions in game-like scenarios.
Last but not least we have Reactiveness, whichis the culmination of all four qualities. Everything a defensive player does involves reaction! They react to the snap, react to the QB, react to the runner or the receiver, and they react to grab a fumble. You need to be strong and explosive to move your body fast and you need agility/footwork to react to the play and make something happen. A couple of training ideas would be:
-Reactive starts to a whistle
-Reaction ball training
-Reacting to the QB drill
-Sprint shuffle cone drills
-Cone agility box drill
Training doesn't have to complicated or use fancy equipment or techniques. Focus on strength first, then the subsequent qualities and your team will be unstoppable!
The most fun/dangerous reaction drills ever!
Sweat and Sacrifice: It’s OK to be Uncomfortable
Kidding! It's not Kelsey. Goose is back in the blogging world and has a solid post, just in time for the holidays!
Every now and then random people approach me asking, "How do I get abs?" "How do I lose weight?"
My answer: “Well, what are you doing right now?”
It’s surprising to me how much people underestimate the amount of time and hard work it takes for change to happen. Whether you’re an athlete not breaking a sweat in the weight room or a Desk Jockey who thinks walking 25 mins on a treadmill is a hard workout, the outcome is the same. If you don’t put in the work you don’t get any results!
NO RESULTS FOR YOU!!
A simple, yet extremely effective, rule to live by is: If you aren’t sweating you aren’t trying! Not breaking a sweat can be attributed to 1 or more of the following:
- Improper warm-up etiquette
- Moving too slowly
- Using too light of a weight
Wrong! Errr-body got time for dat!
Are you warming up properly? If you aren’t breaking a light sweat, lubricating your joints, or elevating your heart rate, what exactly are you doing?? A great quote by Olympic Weightlifting Guru, Greg Everett, “If you’re not warming-up, you’re not tough or elite, you’re lazy.”
If you skip or half-do youe warm up, well done! You've set yourself up for an injury or, at best, an unproductive workout!
How fast are you moving through your workout? If your workout speed can be described as “Slower than molasses on a winter day” we’ve got a problem on our hands! Going too slowly or taking too long between sets of exercises is not only a reason for the lack of perspiration but is also detrimental to strength gains.
Don’t be that guy!
Are you going heavy enough?? Once passed the learning period, where technique needs to be mastered, there is no reason to do “easy” weights. If the weight/load of an exercise isn’t in the least bit challenging there is no point in simply going through the motions.
Motivation: Somewhere in China there is a child warming up with you max!
Getting sweaty and uncomfortable are side effects of truly pushing the limits of your body in you quest for greatness! A concept that one of my coaches constantly drilled into my head was “If you are comfortable, you are not giving your 100%." Whether you are conditioning or resistance training, I believe this concept to be true.
The human mind is a very powerful thing; it is also incredibly lazy if you let it be. When things start to get tough, when your legs burn and you are breathing heavily, your mind likes to tell you that’s enough. However, the reality is that your body is still good to keep going, you’ve just got to find the resolve to push through the fatigue and finish whatever your objective is. That is mental toughness, that is what separates 1st from 2nd place. No one ever said getting better was a walk in the park. Getting better sucks, it’s painful, and super frustrating. But in the end when all the work has been done in the weight room and on the field, when you’ve lost countless ounces of sweat and winced through sore muscles, that’s when results will show. And that’s when PRs will be broken and victory will be gained.
Rant over. Happy Holidays!
