Are You Physically Prepared to Play at the Next Level?
The question is applicable to middle school athletes, high school, and even college athletes preparing to go pro.
There’s a big difference between a 14 and an 18 year old athlete, but they can and do play on the same teams, facing the same opponents. What about the 18 and the 22 year old…there can be a world of difference between them too — and this is not gender specific either.
How do you know if you are physically prepared? Ask! Ask the coach (s) you’ll be playing for. What kind of lifting (if any) will I be doing? What type of conditioning? Long distance (ugh…), 100’s, a mix, a lot or just a bit (what’s a bit?).
If you know what’s expected of you, you’ll have a much better chance of 1) playing, and 2) playing well and minimizing injury.
Things coaches have shared with me over the years:
“Kids are running fast 40’s, but I want to see lateral speed and agility.”
“Know the lifts we do in the weight room. Sometimes we spend a whole season teaching the lifts — they need to come in prepared.”
“They need to start on their summer packet when they get it…not three weeks prior to reporting.”
“Stay sharp, sometimes they think they can take the summer off and they report out of shape with rusty skills.”
Take Action — do these 3 things:
1) Know what your coach expects of you. ASK!
2) Learn Proper form (both in the weight room and conditioning) from a professional strength & conditioning coach.
3) Ask what specific lifts you’ll be doing; getting strong on the leg press is not going to help you perform hang cleans. Same thing regarding conditioning. If you work hard and get a fast mile, but your coach is all about the ManU test (lot’s of 100′s)…you’re toast.
From middle school to Major League Sports I’ve witnessed athletes reporting ready to go and in top shape, and I’ve seen’em come in barely able to do what the coaching staff requires — be prepared!
Just like anything in life…if you’re prepared, you’ll do well.
Strength, Power, Agility...Athleticism