Getting Ready for the Spring Season

What are you going to do with yourself? The spring sports season begins in a few weeks and you're still huffing and puffing from walking up and down the stairs. I'd be willing to bet there are a handful of athletes out there whose workout program consists primarily of couch squats (getting on and off the couch several times a day). Most coaches would agree that this type of training program is not the most efficient way to prepare for the upcoming season! My job as a strength and conditioning coach for Elite Athlete Training Systems ( E.A.T.S. ) is to prepare athletes on a year round basis for their sport or competition. Since the season is right around the corner, so you need to start your training as soon as possible!

A few very important points before you start:

• Be sure to check with your physician to be certain that your body is in good working order and that you are able to participate in an intense training program.
• Purchase a good pair of running/cross training shoes. It is imperative that you have good foot support and adequate "cushioning" to help prevent foot and ankle injuries.
• Avoid running on concrete. You will be better off running on a school track or on grass. From an injury prevention standpoint, it would be safer to run in these areas because running on concrete puts a tremendous amount of stress on the tendons and ligaments of the lower leg.

There is a limited amount of time before the first day of practice (most spring sports start March 1st). In order to achieve the maximum results in the minimal amount of time, it is absolutely crucial that you give nothing less than 100% effort on each and every repetition and each and every workout.

Before you begin each workout start with a warm-up of 5-10 minutes. It can be any activity such as jogging or jumping jacks. The goal is to get the blood circulating and so the muscles become more pliable. After the warm-up, stretch all of the major muscle groups (legs, hips, etc.). Hold each stretch for about 15-20 seconds without bouncing. Once you have completed a series of stretches, move into an active warm-up. The active warm-up can consist of activities like high knees, butt kicks, side shuffles, etc. These movements are used primarily to actively prepare the muscles, tendons, and ligaments for the stress it will encounter during the workout.

Spring sport conditioning can be done up to three times per week on nonconsecutive days (example-Monday, Wednesday, Friday). This allows the body adequate recovery time between workouts. Conditioning workouts should consist of a variety of speed, agility, and sport specific conditioning exercises (which are hopefully being done in conjunction with your strength-training program). For a detailed look at a sample lacrosse-conditioning program, please visit our articles page or click on " Sample Conditioning Workout. "

The " Sample Conditioning Workout " sums up three weeks worth of conditioning for anyone interested in getting in shape for lacrosse season. This program is a generic outline and may not accommodate every athlete's conditioning level. If this is the case, then adjust the program accordingly to fit your individual needs. An important point about most sports, especially a sport like lacrosse, is that there are a lot of transitional movements occurring during play. Since there is a limited amount of time left before the season begins, it is critical that you focus a good portion of your efforts on these transitional drills (change of direction, lateral movements, quick start/stops, etc.). These drills are necessary to take the hips through the ranges of motion and movement patterns it will face while playing.

We at E.A.T.S. want to wish everyone preparing for the spring season the best of luck. We encourage you to give nothing less than 100% each and every workout. We hope the sample program on our website points you in the right direction. If you have any questions or comments, please call one of our professional strength coaches at 301.972.0558.

Train hard and train smart.

Blair O'Donovan, CCS