Athletic Performance

Overall Goal

Develop student-athletes physically and mentally to reduce injuries and optimize performance. Student-athletes will be expected to train in physical strength, power, and speed, and to grow and learn real-life skills that will carry on outside the weight room and college. Being on time, developing communication skills, and improving confidence will ensure successful athletic and personal careers.

Expectations as a Cavalier

1. Team First - To be the best player/teammate, you must put the team first and be coachable.
2. 100% Effort - Every training session, we are asking you to give your 100% best effort. We coach our athletes to focus on their technique and intent in every drill or exercise. Every session, every drill, and every exercise has a purpose and goal; therefore, those goals cannot be achieved by going through the motions. Show up. Put in the effort. Good things will happen.
3. Bring the Energy - We create an atmosphere that keeps the energy and spirits high in every training session. We want our athletes to bring the energy, show positive body language, and celebrate team and individual success.
4. Culture - Team culture is determined by the standards held between coaches and athletes and among teammates. We expect our coaches and fellow teammates to be held accountable for bringing the highest standards to ensure our program is respectable among our peers, conference, and community.

Training Philosophy

1. Speed and Agility Work - Speed is king when it comes to athletic performance. Therefore, athletes can expect to be learning proper mechanics of sprinting and changing direction. Once proper mechanics have been established, athletes will perform agility/change of direction drills and sprints with long rest periods to prioritize increasing agility and speed velocity to enhance performance on the court or on the field.
2. Power Development - Most court or field sports require quick bursts or explosiveness for athletes to find success in their sport. Training to increase power will be imperative by performing upper and lower body plyometrics to improve explosiveness and reduce ground contact time.
3. Multi-Joint Movements - Multi-joint exercises provide the biggest opportunity for adaption regarding strength, power, speed, stability, muscle growth, and injury prevention. These exercises will include barbell, dumbbell, and cable exercises, and will prioritize these movements over machines.
4. Accessory Exercises - You’re only as strong as your weakest link. Working on accessory exercises to improve those weak links will assist in injury prevention, muscle growth, and better range of motion and stability.
5. Quality Technique - Technique is imperative to ensure athletes are not injuring themselves in the weight room. Proper technique will be taught and will be constantly coached throughout an athlete’s athletic career.
6. Progressive Overload - As athletes develop quality technique in all the movements, progressive overload will be applied by increasing intensity, volume, or complexity to ensure athletes are continually adapting and improving in injury prevention and sports performance.