Table of Contents
Essex Technical High School’s Principles of Strength and Conditioning
Pillars of Performance
Rules of the Weight Room
Nutrition Information
The More I Train,
The Quicker I Get
The Quicker I Get,
The Slower They Seem
The Slower They Seem,
The Easier The Game
The Easier The Game,
The Greater My Threat
The Greater My Threat,
The More Attention I Draw
The More Attention I Draw,
The Tighter They Play Me
The Tighter They Play Me,
The More I Train.
For any athletic team to achieve excellence, they must have a sound Sports performance program that has these principles as a foundation.
Injury Prevention- Empirical research consistently finds that athletes who have regular training regiments have a significantly less rate of injury. This program will focus on core development, mechanics, and joint mobility to strengthen key problem areas.
Functional Usage- Our athletes should be able to draw parallels from what they are doing in the weight room to the playing field. Our athletes are not to become weight lifters, but they are to utilize movements that will help them master their sport. An athlete can become very strong, but it is their ability to apply the strength, and to apply it with speed, is what the program will focus on.
Precision- at the high school level, it is more important for an athlete to perform a movement properly rather than the amount of weight that they are moving. Coaches will focus tirelessly on quality repetitions and sound technique. “Quality of reps over quantity of weight”.
Competition- Having competitions throughout the program will breed a competitive attitude. The ultimate goal of this program is to breed a competitive edge in our athletes. Organizing the athletes in teams will also promote accountability between teammates.
Evolution- The number one thing that destroys a program is one that does not change. A good program has coaches who are learning new techniques and practices and applying them to their training sessions.
Importance of Nutrition - “Garbage in, garbage out”. This program will provide our athletes with nutrition information that will optimize their performance in the weight room and on the field.
Praise- This program will aim to make strength and conditioning a popular practice in the school. By recognizing athletes at banquets for “off-season” excellence, making a promo video to display on our web page, and creating social media groups, our athletes will believe that what they are doing is making them better.
“As iron sharpens iron, teammates must sharpen each other”
PILLARS OF PERFORMANCE
A Plan for Success
Optimal performance for any task requires more than peak physical conditioning.
Student-athletes must exemplify strong personal skills to meet the variety of emotional, mental
and spiritual demands. It is the responsibility of the Sports Performance Staff to embody and
educate the Ten Pillars of Performance throughout all aspects of their professional and personal
lives.
TRUST
It is knowing that a team is not afraid to ask for help and make mistakes. It is accepting
questions and embracing its answers. Trust is the framework which keeps a team together,
especially when times are challenged. When a team rests its foundation on trust, it will
undoubtedly lead to success.
CONFLICT
It is having the courage and confidence to vocalize sensitive issues for the better of the team. It
is trusting the members of your team to provide you with what you need to hear, whether you
like it or not. Conflict is the challenge necessary to develop and grow the unbreakable bond of
teamwork. As iron sharpens iron, teammates much sharpen each other.
COMMITMENT
It is the unity amongst team members regardless of what lies ahead. It is the sense of clarity
around future obstacles and issues. It is the belief in a program, message and way of life.
Commitment is discovered in the midst of adversity. When uncertainty is present, what will unify
a team together?
ACCOUNTABILITY
It is counting on your teammates to do the right thing, at the right time, every time. It is taking
responsibility for every individual and group action. Accountability is the benchmark for higher
standards of performance and behavior. When teammates keep each other accountable, the
bar will continually rise to a higher level.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
It is accomplishing a task with a concern for all areas involved, no matter how small. It is
accomplishing great things by approaching everything that is done as if it were of great
importance. Attention to detail requires that everything counts; there are no “little things.” The
greatest accomplishment is simply an accumulation of small details. When every detail is
attended to, the end result will be comprised of the highest quality.
SELFLESSNESS
It is the ability to put the interests of others before your own. It is leading at the highest level by
serving at the lowest. Selflessness from each individual creates an identity for one purpose and
one purpose only, the team. It is making the largest individual sacrifice possible for the best
interest of the team’s goals.
SELF-DISCIPLINE
It is doing what you are supposed to be do, at the time you are supposed to do it in the best
possible manner, whether you like it or not. It includes the ability to perform with excellence at a
moment’s notice. Self-discipline is doing what you don’t want to do so that at that one precise
moment, you can achieve exactly what you want to do.
INTEGRITY
It is doing the right thing all the time, even if it may work to your disadvantage. It is determining
whether or not you want to act through a system of concrete values or negotiating
compromises. Integrity sets the foundation for every decision you make throughout your entire
life. A person of integrity acts through truth, character and morals.
URGENCY
It is the never-ending fight against complacency. It is constantly taking advantage of every
opportunity and challenge while accomplishing something important each and every day.
Urgency is NOW, not later. It must be created, increased and then constantly re-created.
Success is never final.
CONFIDENCE
It is the ability to believe in actions. It is having faith in yourself and those around you to
accomplish any challenge placed ahead. Confidence is the feeling of control. It is the
culmination of all your physical, mental and emotional training to achieve one objective;
excellence.
This was developed by Adam Feit, a strength and conditioning coach with the Carolina Panthers. These “pillars” are the very fabric of a championship team. This program will aim to develop these elements in our athletes.
RULES OF THE WEIGHTROOM/ OFF SEASON TRAINING
- Don’t waste time – Don’t waste the coaches time, don’t waste your own time. Come in ready to work hard and be efficient with the time that you have. Workouts will typically take 45-60 minutes. There will be groups behind you waiting. If you want to talk on the phone or otherwise have miscellaneous conversation, go outside to the gym.
- Proper attire required- Gym shorts or sweatpants with sneakers or lifting shoes. Short sleeve or long sleeve t-shirt or sweat shirt. Jeans, Dickys, or dress attire will not be permitted. Lifting shoes are ideal but are expensive. Converse “Chuck Taylors”offer the same flat base and they are a lot cheaper. Work boots ARE NO LONGER PERMITTED.
- Perform every rep, every set- We will perform every movement 100% and not sell ourselves short in the weight room. If we take reps off in our training, it translates to taking plays off on the field or court. This will not be tolerated.
- Take care of your space- Every weight, bar, and piece of equipment must be placed where it belongs at the end of sessions.
-45 and 35 pound plates are to be place on the outside of the power racks
-25, 10, 5, and 2 ½ pound plates are to be place on the weight trees located on opposite ends of the room.
-The international weight (KG) are to stay in the middle of the trees
-All dumbbells must be put away in order from least to greatest, starting from left to right.
-All med balls are to be placed in order in their respected racks.
- No food or drink- BOTTLED water is allowed. All bottles will be disposed of before athletes leave.
- Trust the program- A lot of time and effort will go into your workouts and are specially designed for your sport. BELIEVE that the program is going to help you master your sport. If you have questions regarding a movement or a phase in the program, don’t hesitate to ask.
- Leave your ego at the door- Follow the weights that are designed for you to lift. The quality of your movements is a lot more important than how much you lift. Strength will come, but make sure you are becoming technicians first and foremost.
“Every morning in Africa, a Gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning a Lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn't matter whether you are a Lion or a Gazelle... when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.”