It has only been recently, within the last decade or so, that some high school athletes are choosing to play their favorite sport exclusively for their club team, forgoing the experience of high school competition altogether. The purpose behind this centers on the idea that the training offered through a club atmosphere is needed in order to reach higher competitive levels, and the scholarship that some seek. Whether this is true or not (something I won’t debate here), either choice will bring positives to the table for the high school age athlete. Nevertheless, as it is with most choices one makes, there is almost always something one loses along with the objectives that one gains. This holds especially true in the case of an absolute such as playing solely for one program to the exclusion of the other.

One more thing I would like to emphasize, and this is of definite concern, is that a choice such as the one I am discussing here needs to have its impetus from within the athlete. Conceptually similar to the principles discussed in my blog article Part 2: Specialization in Youth Sports, Good or Bad?, the decision to forgo playing on a high school team for participation and training on a club team, or vice versa, is one that should be left up to the athlete to decide. My unease with this situation encompasses the pressure that is put on athletes from some club and high school coaches trying to secure year-long commitments. I think it inappropriate, and ill-advised, for anyone to create artificial rules and expectations that limit an athlete’s choice to participate in both high school and club, or in one to the exclusion of the other. Discussing with an athlete their potential and the type of training it will take to reach that potential is fine, as is allowing the highly competitive skill level of a particular club or high school program to dictate what an athlete must do to compete on that respective team. However, setting biased guidelines for everyone that forces athletes to make decisions they should not have to make is self-serving and not necessarily in the best interest of all concerned.

I would think that any club or high school team that wanted to be the “best” in their arena of competition would rather have athletes who are truly vested in their program. You know, the ones who truly “want” to be there. If that is what the program is all about, then, in my mind, it would be best to develop training techniques and strategies that greatly improve performance, allowing athletic potential to thrive. In circumstances like this, the environment itself becomes a major factor in the decision-making process, a life lesson, rather than creating artificial means to get one’s dedication.

Please do not misinterpret what I am trying to say here for I do not fall exclusively on one side of the fence or the other. What I personally like to see is athletes of high school age make the decision themselves to train and compete only for club, only for high school, or a combination of both, based on their own specific circumstances. These specific circumstances may include:

• What they are looking to gain out of their athletic experience,
• individual goals,
• team goals,
• future athletic aspirations, and
• weighing the positives against each other, and making the choice based on what best fits the athlete’s personal situation.

Positives of High School Athletics
(a) The sense of connectedness, pride and loyalty one feels when representing one’s school and community is unmatched in high school (and college).
(b) For many, there’s likely to be a higher sense of responsibility to teammates in high school athletics.
(c) Learning to work well with others – teamwork, in the process of working toward achieving a common goal, is a big part of the high school sports experience.
(d) As a whole, there tends to be more emphasis on sacrifices for the good of the team in this environment.
(e) There is a higher priority and emphasis on academic success when competing for your high school team.
(f) The cost to practice and play is reasonable.
(g) Socioeconomic diversification is more likely, due to “f” above.

Positives of Club Athletics
(a) As a whole, there tends to be better technical training in the club environment.
(b) Due to a club’s ability to attract high-level players from any area, and the competition traveling they do, athletes are more likely to compete at a higher level.
(c) It is more probable that an athlete will practice and play with others of similar passion and skill level.
(d) College recruiting, for the majority of athletes, is better through the club experience. (This is mainly budgetary. Recruiting coaches get to see many more recruitable athletes, all at one time, with the many high level tournaments held all over the country.)
(e) Athletes get to work with a variety of individuals due to the club’s ability to draw from so many communities. Some high profile clubs draw athletes from other states.

When evaluating the information above, please keep in mind that these bullets and lists are not meant to be comprehensive or all-encompassing, and some from one area may apply to another depending on a specific program. They are merely presented here as a starting point by which individuals can measure what might best fit their needs. This increases, substantially, the chances that an athlete will make the right decision for themselves.

My own personal recommendation: If you are truly passionate about the sport (or sports) you play, it fits with what you are trying to accomplish, and you are capable of handling all that comes with such a commitment, then staying involved in both a club and on your high school team is probably best. In this way, you take advantage of the positive benefits that can come from each experience.

Have you ever gone to a sporting event and noticed that the better players, the ones who stand out head and shoulders above the rest, all seem to have something in common with each other? That they, for some reason, tend to play harder, show more emotion, demonstrate a high level of skill, can consistently perform at an elevated level and seem to be the players, or player, that a team rallies around and looks to for their success. You know who I am speaking of, the ones that make a difference.

When observing athletes like this, many, including myself, will point to things like talent, dedication, commitment, perseverance, discipline, sacrifice, work ethic, etc. as major reasons behind athletes who tend to demonstrate this greatness. And yes, most assuredly, these are very important factors. However, I do believe that there are four underlying attributes/characteristics that allow an athlete to reap the benefits from the above-mentioned aspects, and as with much of what I write, they are internal attributes/characteristics that one chooses for themselves.

1. Care: In order to achieve the level of greatness I am discussing here, an athlete must truly care about what they are doing. They cannot just look at this term, as so many do, as a word to be thrown around with little meaning. In this context, it is a deep seated feeling that brings with it discomfort when one is not doing well and motivation to find a way to do better the next time. It is a foundation for many things that without, an athlete is simply just going through the motions. The deeper you care about what you do, the stronger your foundation from which to build.

2. Pride: Closely tied to the deep-seated caring discussed above is the idea of taking great pride in your “work.” This is not the kind of pride from which conceit or arrogance is born, in fact, it is a humble type of pride that is self-gratifying and that is exemplified through feelings of self-satisfaction. It is very important to not confuse the two meanings; to do so will destroy the integrity of what I mean here. Be proud of the efforts and sacrifices you make to become better, for there are few willing to do the same.

3. Passion: When we speak of an athlete’s ability to succeed through the most adverse of circumstances, we are speaking of their heart, and at the center of their heart lies attribute #4 – passion. A passionate athlete is one who puts their heart and soul into what they do, and not just during occasional performances and/or practices, but every single time they train/practice and step into the competitive arena. In addition, it is not something they do just for themselves but for their teammates, their school, the spectators, or anyone/anything else they represent. And, most assuredly, for every single young athlete who looks up to them for guidance, and who may someday wish to do the same. Be passionate about what you are doing and set an example for others to follow your lead.

4. High Expectations: This is a no-compromise type of attitude about one’s daily training and competitive performance. That word daily is important because it indicates that you hold yourself to these high expectations every day (whether at practice or competing) and, during training, that you are not finished until they are met. Self-evaluation is common and consistent here, and it is always tied to the next level up from where the athlete is currently at. True perfection is not possible and athletes who achieve greatness accept that. However, and this is a big however, that never, ever stops this type of athlete from always striving to achieve it. The impossibility of this quest is not self-defeating to them, or self-deflating for them, but actually inspires a sense of pride within because of the efforts they put forth. Always keep expectations for yourself at high levels never becoming complacent, and you will never lose your sense of direction.

“Greatness, whether athletic or otherwise, doesn’t come from those content on just being but from those who seek being the difference.”

Strong Leadership is like a river
It keeps moving no-matter what lies in its path
Whether sand, rock, or even a mountain;
water will always find its way
It may be forceful or subtle, yet,
always present and relentless
Never giving in and never giving up
Wearing away any resistance that it encounters
It will take any course necessary in order to accomplish its goal
Whatever that goal might be
Yes, leadership is like a river, always moving forward and always in a positive direction, bringing with it all that it surrounds
Like a team with a captain steering the ship through treacherous waters setting the right example with his or her positive actions, choices and behavior
Never giving up, never giving in, and with true belief in their teammates and the direction they wish to travel
And like a river, always moving that team forward, and in a positive direction,
toward its ultimate potential and toward their ultimate goal
Whatever that goal might be

Here again are the four areas of conditioning/training for injury prevention that I feel are often neglected by many youth sports programs.

Functional Sports-Specific Training

This type of training focuses on developing an athlete’s strength, endurance, speed, quickness, etc. in the specific muscle groups needed for the best performance in the sport participated in. Most importantly, it forces concentration on the actual functioning of the muscles and joints used, making sure that muscles on both (all) sides of a joint are equally trained and that joint movement is well executed. What this does is create a good balance between all muscle groups involved, thereby helping to protect the joint from injury in addition to enabling greater efficiency and effectiveness of movement.

For example, if an athlete wanted to increase their vertical jump, they not only have to use exercises that increase strength in their quadriceps (front of thigh), gastrocnemius (calves), and gluteus maximus (buttocks), but also the hamstrings (back of thigh), hip flexors (front of hip), abdominals (stomach) and any other opposing muscle groups (muscles on the other side of the joints being used) of the positive, or work, phase of this movement. This should hold true for any physical skill you are attempting to improve.

Another important piece to functional sports-specific training would include using exercises that mimic what the sport requires. For example, soccer includes sprinting as well as jogging/positioning phases to the game, along with all kinds of lateral, backward, and vertical movements. So it really does not make a lot of sense for soccer players to heavily train using steady long distance running as a core part of their program. That is not what they do in games and should hold a lot less importance than would wind sprints or any other type running that includes all types of previously listed movements (forward, backward, lateral, vertical). Please keep in mind that my lists are not comprehensive and are only examples used to help with understanding. I certainly do not claim to be an expert in soccer training.

Core Strengthening

You need to pay special attention to training the core areas of the body. They include the muscles of the hip/pelvis, lower, middle, and upper back, abdominal, chest, and shoulder areas. Their functional importance, and support, for all physical movements should not be underestimated. They are essential to keeping the body strong, in balance, and injury-free.

Think of this area of the body as the “foundation” for all movements of your extremities (arms, legs, head); the stronger the foundation (support), the stronger and safer the movement. In addition, the core is a key component in facilitating movement. The stronger the core the more efficient and effective the movement.

Proprioception

The term, and training for, proprioception has become much more common in recent years. The main idea behind this centers on its effectiveness for preventing injury. Basically, proprioception is a subconscious sensory ability of the body to keep track of or be aware of the position, location, orientation and movement of the body and its parts. For example, if the lower leg bone moves forward in relation to the upper leg bone while an athlete changes direction, they can damage or tear their ACL. It is this sense of proprioception that aids in contracting the muscles that oppose this lower leg bone movement and helps protect the knee joint from this type of injury, and it is done without the athlete being conscious of it.

So the question then becomes how to train this ability. It really is not as hard as you might think. Anytime you put your body in a position where it has to keep a joint stable, you bring in this proprioceptive component; thus training it. Just balancing on the ball of one foot for one minute brings out this basic component of fitness. Other examples would include balancing on a wobble board, Bosu Ball (½ ball on a disc), or balance disc, lateral and/or forward/back jumps with bands or tubing (around lower leg and attached to stationary object), single leg cone jumps, and training using an agility ladder. In fact, any time you add some type of balancing while you are training (even throwing a medicine ball back and forth while on a wobble board) helps add this dimension.

Note: Just type Proprioceptive Training or Balancing Equipment for Proprioceptive Training in Google to gain more access to information on this topic. Just check your source to make sure it is reputable. You can try these links for starters:

Proprioceptive Training

Proprioceptive exercises training program by Owen Anderson

Training for Proprioception & Function by Suzanne Nottingham

Prevention of ACL Injuries with Proprioception Training from BurceBrownlee.com

Equipment ballsnbands balanceproducts

Flexibility

A good sound training program will always include some type of flexibility maintenance (if flexibility is good) or improvement. Having strong, flexible muscles that have the ability to react instantaneously is definitely an advantage when it comes to preventing injury.

A good time to work on your flexibility is right after you have completed your other training while muscles are warm with good blood flow. It can be used as the essential part of the cool down phase of your workout. Just make sure you spend a good 30+ seconds on hold time for any muscle you are stretching. The most common mistake I see with flexibility work is that athletes don’t spend enough time on the hold phase of the stretch. Gymnasts will spend a good 10 - 15 minutes just stretching their legs in the variety of splits type positions they use in their sport. Personally, I like to stretch a muscle to the point where I feel it reaching maximum length (just as you start to really feel the stretch, but before pain) and then hold that position for 30+ seconds. Then I contract the muscle during the stretch (either with a partner’s help or against a stationary object) for a count of about 5-8 seconds. Upon relaxation, I stretch the muscle again for 30+ seconds repeating this procedure about 4 times. I will then move to the opposing limb for the same stretch.

Of course maintenance type stretching will not take as long, but if you want to increase your flexibility or range of motion (whether in the shoulders, neck, back, hip, legs, ankles, or wrist), you will need to dedicate some time to this. A good 15 - 20 minutes after every training session should be sufficient. However, the more ranges and joints you need to stretch, the more time you will need to dedicate.

Here are some references that may be of interest:

Flexibility Training Section from the Sports Fitness Advisor

Stretching the truth: stretching exercises before or after? from the Sports Injury Bulletin

I know, at first, it might seem like an enormous amount of time (over and above) the normal practice time you already invest in order to complete a sound and safe conditioning program that includes injury prevention. However, almost all of what I have referenced and discussed above can be put in place and combined with what you are currently doing without an excessive increase in time commitment. Even combining skill drills as part of your conditioning/training can be very effective for both skill improvement and prevention of injury. It just takes a little creative thought on your part to come up with possible combinations that will accomplish skill improvement, conditioning, and injury prevention all at once. Think of it this way, how much more time (and game time missed) will it take to surgically repair a torn ACL, and then rehabilitation time, just to get you back to your previous competitive form? Is it really worth neglecting this important aspect of training?

Much of what I have written in this two-part article is only a starting point for the prevention of injury. There are so many different exercises, and purposes behind those exercises, that it is impossible to cover everything in a blog post. Whole books have been dedicated to proper training mechanics with whole sections just on injury prevention. My hope is to just get you thinking about its importance, give you some direction, and hope that you take the initiative to make it happen for yourself.

All references selected in this article were chosen based on my knowledge base only. I cannot vouch for the credibility of the links; however, they do seem to have good information and all are a good read. Please take the time to do your own research, securing the credibility of the source on anything you find before embarking on any type of training/conditioning program.

Kirk Mango
Becoming a True Champion