The Role of the Strength and Conditioning Coach in the Development of the Elite Athlete

Through the college level the strength and conditioning coach has an affect on the complete development of the athlete. That is to say, physical development leads to improvements in skill. When an athlete becomes stronger and more powerful, he or she usually becomes a better player.

At the elite level, the athletic skills have been acquired (otherwise they would not be at the elite or professional level), and sharpened at a higher level. This is regardless of their previous development. So there is less a chance to further develop sport skills through strength and conditioning. But because athletes come from different training philosophies throughout the years and even differing philosophies within the professional ranks, there always seems to be something new to teach and learn. Baseball is a sport that traditionally has been, and remains in part, a sport that has not exposed athletes to comprehensive training programs. In particular weight lifting programs. This is why there remains room for valuable physical development, even at the professional level. All of this brings me to what I think the key role is for the conditioning coach at the professional level; keeping the athlete on the field. Developing speed, power, and some of the other qualities that are the core of earlier development takes a back seat to rehabilitation, recuperation and injury prevention. Don't get me wrong. If an athlete can improve by becoming a little bigger or jumping a little higher, we'll take it. But the multi-million dollar athlete with a 500 pound squat is of no worth if he cannot play because of a sore back from squatting or over training. I have found myself incorporating more rest into programs or choosing alternative core-lift exercises at times when at the college level I was more apt to push the envelope on volume, intensity or exercise choices. We tend to err on the conservative side. Age is another determinant that influences the role of the coach at the professional level. The older professional athlete needs more time to recover from training and competition. Being tired during games due to over training is not only unacceptable but could lead to injury in the near future.

I don't think there is any question that the involvement with the athlete should be a 12-month process. There is no other way to properly train an athlete. Regardless of the training scenario, one-on-one or the athlete training on their own - the coach should always be involved in the design and direction of the training. Keep in mind designing stages of rest - active or passive - is a necessary part of periodization, so when I say the coach should be involved the entire year, I don't mean to imply that the athlete be physically active for 12 months. Over the last 10 years, most sports have moved to a year-round format. As a coach, I am pleased to say that every year more athletes commit to the same thought. With that in mind, I can't believe there is a single strength and conditioning professional at any level that believes a comprehensive training program is not a 12-month process.

Professional baseball players whose permanent addresses are in the same city in which they play are the minority. Because of that, the programs are usually implemented by the athlete's themselves. However, during my years with the Oakland Athletics, I was able to schedule trips to visit players who needed instruction, a program modification in regards to an in-season injury or new programming for post-surgical rehabilitation. Players acquired during the winter might be another group that would require some personal attention.

In terms of hours and minutes, the amount of time spent training is based on the emphasis of the training which is dictated by the time of year. I have always followed the periodized model when training a team or an individual athlete. Basically, pre-season, in-season and off-season are the blocks of time I have used when directing the training. The two components I consider when designing programs are physical conditioning and skills, tactics, strategies (practice sessions). During the off-season the emphasis is on physical conditioning (rehabilitation, recuperation, strength, speed, etc.) and very little attention is paid to practice sessions. The pre-season (spring training, training camp, etc.) is a mixture of both components depending on how much work needs to be done. This is where time becomes a factor. For instance, if an infielder is learning an outfield position then some of that time will come out of the physical training. The same would be said if a linebacker was learning new schemes at a new position. Likewise, if there needs to be special attention paid to strength, size, speed, re-conditioning, etc., then the emphasis is placed on physical development with skills practice limited to the necessities.

Now my pet-peeve; in-season philosophy! I don't believe you can "maintain" off-season acquired speed, power, strength or flexibility. I believe what you can do is reduce the speed at which those qualities will diminish. It's physiology. Volume, intensity, and the frequency of training cannot be at the necessary levels for maintenance. I can tell you without doubt that a more than 200 game MLB season (Spring training, championship season, playoffs) does not allow for maintenance. Playing nearly every day for 7 months plus the travel schedule, will drain the energy from an every-day player. That being said, in-season training becomes the most important part of the training cycle. We are always walking the fine line between over-training and under-training.

Along the lines of 12-month programming, I will address the onset of personal trainers at the professional level. The majority of personal trainers are working with athletes during the off-season. As I have implied, a good program is not one of off-season length only. This is why the personal trainer and the athlete's team strength and conditioning coach and athletic trainers must be in concert with each other. All should have one interest in mind and that is to provide the athlete with best program possible. Lose the egos and work together!

I have given you some background into professional baseball with a small amount of general information regarding all professional sports. Although I cannot tell you exactly what is happening in all the major sports, the information I have given has been accumulated by conversations or communications with strength and conditioning coaches all over the professional sports world.