Planning Your Preseason - Part 2: Strength & Conditioning and Athletic Development
It's fun to coach what you know and are passionate about. For most of us, that's basketball.
And yet, we know that improving our players' athleticism is a must. It's no secret that more athletic teams have a leg up in competition.
We all know we need to do it, the question is how do we do it? Some coaches are blessed with strength coaches who handle all of it.
For most of us, it falls on us. That can be daunting, especially if you're not trained in S&C -like me.
But it doesn't have to be. If you follow some basic principles, you can develop a sound athletic training program.
By the way, if you missed part 1 of Planning Your Preseason, revisit it here!
3 Strength & Conditioning Beliefs That Should Guide Your Fall Philosophy
- Don't have the perfect weight room? Do it anyway. You can get it done with minimal resources like these!
- Do bodyweight training. You can do a ton of strength training with just a little research on bodyweight exercises.
- From a strength standpoint, doing a simple program that does a Push, Pull, Brace (Core), Squat, and 1-Leg Exercises will go a long way.
- Research regressions and progressions for bodyweight exercises:
- Buy some resistance bands which are way cheaper than your traditional weight room equipment. These are a great way to add resistance to your bodyweight exercises.
- Find a local playground where you can find areas to do pull ups, one-leg balance exercises on beams, etc.
- Do some basic sprints or shuttle runs in a field or open area - 10m, 30m, 50m
- Find a 10 to 20 degree hill for decline and incline sprints - great for developing a longer stride (decline) and improving leg lift (incline) and the ability to drive down into the ground to produce more force.
- Play tag for speed, change of direction, deceleration, and a quick first step. This is one of the greatest athletic development exercises out there.
- Play 1v1 full court with wide and condensed space, different starting positions and angles, from an advantage or disadvantage position.
- Find a great athletic development program that you can model.
- Do a fundraiser!
- Should strength even be your goal? Remember your real objectives!
- Track your progress to motivate and reinforce improvement
Some schools have amazing weight rooms. Others don't.
Some schools bring in outside professionals to train their athletes. Others put that responsibility on the coaches.
Are there advantages to nice equipment and outside help? Of course. But don't let a lack of that dissuade you.
If you don't have a great weight room:
1 - Two Hand Push Up - Knees on the Ground - Halfway Down
2 - Two Hand Push Up - Knees on the Ground - Full Range of Motion
3 - Two Hand Push Up - Halfway Down
4 - Two Hand Push Up - Full Range of Motion
5 - Two Hand Push Up - Feet Elevated
6 - Two Hand Push Up - With 1 Hand Shoulder Touch
7 - Two Hand Push Up - With Resistance - Bands, Weight on Back, Partner Applying Pressure
8 - One Hand Push Up - Knees on Ground - Elbow Resting On Med Ball or Block
9 - One Hand Push Up - Elbow Resting On Med Ball or Block
10 - One Hand Push Up - Hand Resting on Med Ball or Block
11 - 1 Hand Push Up
12 - 1 Hand Push Up with Resistance
It can be very hard to figure out where to start, even if you have a great weight room. So by modeling someone who has had success, this can be a very good starting point.
At the very least, you can get some basic sandbags, medicine balls, and resistance bands which can accomplish many of your needs!
There is someone doing more with less.
Remember that when you feel discouraged by your situation. Be resourceful!
Oftentimes, the most fun workouts are the result of forced creativity.
Finally, when you demonstrate a 'can do' attitude in your coaching, your players pick up on that. I've seen programs who pride themselves on overcoming limited resources.
Bob Hurley's St. Anthony teams immediately come to mind. Find a way!
Yes, we've talked about strength and conditioning. However, the goal is not just to lift more weight. Yes, getting stronger should be a part of your program.
However, keep in mind that you're a basketball team, not a powerlifting team or a bodybuilder.
Thus, the goal is to improve overall athleticism and prevent injuries!
Similarly, conditioning is important. Running will likely be included in what you do (although if you can work with your players on the court, you can get your conditioning done with properly designed basketball drills).
That said, you aren't the cross country team. Does running long distances help your team win more basketball games? Something to consider.
So make sure your program is well-rounded. Weights should be one part. Conditioning another. Speed and agility work should be included. Core work should be emphasized. So should plyometric and jumping exercises.
D1 trainer Cody Roberts created the pyramid above, with coordination and movement efficiency at the bottom. Above that is strength and force production, and the top is speed and explosiveness. Too many coaches skip the base of the pyramid.
This results in athletes who are more injury-prone and less functional in competition.
If your players work hard, they will see progress. Tracking is a great way to document that.
It reaffirms the value of their hard work. It's also a great motivator for future gains. It also creates accountability within your program.
When players know they are supposed to write things down, they become more focused. They don't go weeks at a time lifting the same weight because they can't remember what they used last time.
This creates self-accountability and also gives you data as a coach.
It's Not Just About Physical Development - It Improves Confidence Too!
The fall is a great time to focus on your players' athletic development. In doing so, you will gain a leg up over all the programs who overlook this or do it inefficiently.
The physical effects of your players' work will be obvious. But don't overlook the mental effects.
Players who feel themselves getting more athletic are players whose confidence spikes. That will spill over into all aspects of their play. You and your team will reap the benefits. So what are you waiting for? Get to work!
Need Some Guidance or Help? A Cheat Code For Your Athletic Development
If you're looking for a ready-made way to integrate these principles, check out The Athletic Development Program with Cody Roberts.
Cody Roberts is a D1 trainer at the University of Iowa who created a 12-week athletic development program for athletes 12 & up. This means you can use it at both the middle school and high school levels.
His program takes a holistic view of athletic development. He uses the pyramid shared above to guide his training. As a result, athletes develop functional athleticism. Additionally, they are trained in a way that prevents injury.
In addition to the 12-week Athletic Development Program, you also receive:
- For those with limited resources, one bonus of the program is a 9-week 'no equipment' vertical and strength program. This is ideal for coaches who don't have access to a weight room.
- For those who want to go above and beyond, there's also a 12 week extended workout that's included as a bonus. This is a continuation and progression of the original program.
- A 12 week program tailored to college athletes
- Every workout comes with video examples and premade tracking sheets for players.
- Finally, the program can be done in only 2 to 3 hours a week. That still leaves plenty of time for basketball-specific activities.
It truly is your one-stop shop for everything strength and conditioning. It saves you time, as you don't have to develop a program. And it saves you money, as it's significantly cheaper than bringing in a professional.
That's a win-win!
Whether you choose this program or another, the bottom line is this—a fall of intense athletic development will give your team a leg up when the season hits!
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