Chances are you already have a good idea on how to program a successful training program for athletes to perform to their highest ability. For those of you that do not, do not feel stupid or out of touch. Very few people come right into an internship or new job understanding programing 100%. The easiest way to learn is just to simply ask. When it comes to programing it can be extremely in depth, or can be extremely simple.
In my time as a strength coach I have learned there are two types of people coming into an internship. The first type is the reader, the person that has everything they know from what they have read, and are extremely good at the scientific portion of the job. The second are the practical learners. These coaches have learned everything by doing, and experiencing the programs. Both types of coaches are great, but have fallbacks on each side. The scientific coaches may have zero experience in a true training setting, and it is all just theory to them. They need their internship to get the hands on training needed to be a great coach. The practical learners, on the other hand, have done it all. Were either an athlete, or have been volunteering for quite some time and have the hands on experience needed, but may lack the knowledge of why certain training modalities are being used. Both types of coaches can, and with work, will be great at their jobs, but can feed off of each other and learn a lot.
When it comes to programming feeding off of both types of coaches is great. When you program you want to know exactly why you are doing what you are doing, but you also want to know how the body react to certain training protocols first hand. As I said earlier you can make programs as simple as possible, or as complicated as possible. I like to keep my thoughts simple with programing. KISS is a great acronym to live by when is comes to programing.
There are several types of programing out there. From a linear program, non-linear undulating periodization, running a conjugate system, the tier system, and the list can go on and on. The thing to remember is to asses the needs of your program, and find the best program for your team. Speak with your sport coaches, and determine what style of play they plan on using. From this you can then program for their needs.
Find a program you feel comfortable with, research it more, and become proficient at using it. Just remember that your job is to reduce injuries, and get your athletes to perform at the highest level possible. Research what programs the other coaches you work with run, and find a way to improve on them. There is no set way on how to run any program, just always ensure that you trust that is will work, and the reasoning is based in science and experience.
References:
Cressey, E. (n.d.). Programming for Athletes vs. Training Athletes. Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://ericcressey.com/programming-vs-training
Programming for Athletic Performance. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://getstrength.com/programming-for-athletic-performance
Programming was one of the biggest things I struggled with when I first starting coaching. It wasn't until I started programming for myself and asking other coaches about their programming, Then I started understanding the science behind it. Great post Dillon!
ReplyDelete