Off-Season

Welcome back from your spring break.  I hope you all are rested and ready to finish the school year strong.  This blog will be most informative to athletes, but every squirrel can pick up a little knowledge. 

For athletes the off-season is really the general preparation phase.  This phase of training (general base training) is the time for athletes to prepare their bodies for the upcoming season.  This is the most important phase and the most neglected.  This is when you can make the gains you need to have a great season.  This is particularly important to the volleyball and soccer athletes.  Your season usually starts two weeks after you return to school.  That two weeks is not enough time to be ready for your sport.  That is why so many of you are injured in those first couple of weeks.

According to David Oliver and Dana Healy in their book, Athletic Strength for Women , this phase should be 12 weeks.  This is the time to build base strength.  I am getting an off-season training program together for all our sports and hopefully you will see this on our web page in the next couple of weeks.  I would like to see all athletes in May to test you.  This will give you an idea of where you are and where you need to improve.  More on this later.

Consistency is the key.  You must have a regular training schedule and stick to it.  This applies to athletes and anyone trying to get in condition.  I am taking the time, along with other people, to get a program together for you.  Please take the time to review the program and stick to it.  I want a competitive, winning team.  I hope you do too.  Squirrels, if you want to get better you have to work at it.