With the correct in-season program an athlete can make it appear he is becoming stronger while others are fatiguing.

Watching players do get stronger during the season. The unfortunate part is that few do because it takes commitment, intensity and consistency- qualities that athletes talk about, but few possess. That's why there are superstars and everybody else. There is no question that training hard during the season is difficult. With discipline and vision it becomes a reality that opponents fear.

I will discuss the how's and why's that I have experienced and observed in my 20 plus years of coaching. Hopefully this information can lead you up and above everybody else.

Inner Discipline: Year-round training
To maintain the highest levels of strength, speed and endurance, it is necessary to participate in a 52-week training program. If I were to look at some changes in athletes over the years, one aspect would be the development of yearly training habits. Fifteen to twenty years ago, there were few sports that demanded year-round programs. Today, virtually every sport is without vacation. Granted, rest periods should be included as a part of a program design, but athletes are continually pushing to improve twelve months a year. And, while going to the gym is a big part of continual improvement the "superstars" also include physical therapy (rehabilitating and preventing injuries), watching film of themselves and opponents and a sound nutritional plan.

Fatigue is going to occur at the end of any season. Looking at basketball, you need only look at a team's success in the second half of any one game especially during end-of-the-season tournament time, to see who is tiring out. Many teams lose a game with five to eight minutes left because they cannot keep up with an opponent making a late run. Basically it comes down to this- the team or player who fatigues first, will probably lose! You can have all the desire in the world, but if you don't have the legs or the oxygen you're done.

52-weeks of strength and conditioning, will give you all the fitness you need to complete a full season. It is a waste of time to train hard in the off-season and ignore a valuable in-season program. It is analogous to taking one step forward then one step back. Periodization takes into consideration the differences of off-season and in-season training as well as individual goals. Simply defined, periodization is a 52 week training schedule with clear goals and objectives, focusing on certain aspects of strength and conditioning at specific times (weeks, months).

Being prepared and driven for one year at a time is a huge task. There is no question that is difficult to concentrate on training when the season is months away. However, athletes that maintain intensity and consistency year in and year out possess three things: focus, vision and maximal effort.

Focus refers to daily preparation. Not preparing is preparing to fail- a belief John Wooden coached by. Why daily preparation? Too many times athletes set goals but make them unrealistic when it comes to a time frame and specifics. For example to say one will focus during off-season training does not address daily detail or any specific exercise or physical quality. If a day to day focus is employed then the center of attention is on that menu and not yesterday or tomorrow! Short term goals lead to achievement of long term objectives! Focus also has to do with paying attention to every detail- grips, stances, nutrition, rest- every component that makes you better. On the court- adding one extra "go to" baseline move during crunch time; working on the worst parts of your game instead of your best; watching films of your next opponent and in particular, your man on both ends of the court. While at UCLA, Don Maclean, the Bruins all-time leading scorer, knew before a game what he was going to do with every man that was going to guard him including those players coming off of the bench.

The best athletes have a vision of the past, present and future. Learning from your mistakes, working hard on improving and visualizing the kind of strength, power and endurance you plan to have because of your efforts. During the month of May, unless you have a vision of the future (next season) or a lesson from the past (last season), your training won't be of any use. Going through the motions is not only a waste of time, but somebody is improving while you are not!

It would seem that giving a maximal effort every time is impossible. I am here to tell you, I have coached athletes who do. Cobi Jones, Joe Max-Moore, U.S. Soccer; Mike Powell, Long Jump world record holder; Carnell Lake, All-Pro defensive back; Jackie Joyner-Kersee, arguably the world's greatest athlete; Lisa Fernandez, whom some consider the best softball player in the world. Lisa would sometimes visit the gym 3-4 times per day, in between classes to finish that day's workout! These are not just superstars. They have redefined parts of their sport. The physical condition they are in is the result of a 12 month, every day effort.

Outer Discipline: Influenced by others
A coach's philosophy has a great deal to do with conditioning. It starts at the top. When a head coach decides that his team will not be out-conditioned, the ground rules are set. It becomes part of the offense. It becomes part of the defense. Running other teams into the ground is a strategy, not a score. It can be the most intimidating factor to encounter. Under the guidance and leadership of the right coach, the discipline and commitment of conditioning is achieved.

In the mid 80's, I watched the Los Angeles Lakers practice in Pauley Pavilion one afternoon. They were doing a rebounding drill with a "e;lid"e; on the basket. Coach Pat Riley would throw the ball to the basket and without hesitation every man was doing whatever was necessary to keep his man from the ball. The whistle did not blow until Riley was satisfied. Ten men at 200%! There were bodies all over the court, grabbing jerseys, legs and arms- in season.

UNLV basketball, at the time coached by Jerry Tarkanian, practiced at Pauley during the Western Regional. What I saw, I could not believe. Full court, five-on-five, the bleachers pushed all the way back to the walls. No out of bounds! The ball was "live" everywhere. They scrimmaged for about 15-30 minutes- the night before the first round! Talk about a well conditioned team; the Runnin' Rebels were close to impossible to keep up with in those days.

Pressures of tradition are sometimes inspirational. When you go to University of North Carolina, Kentucky, Duke or Arizona there is an established work ethic that you will live up to. Years of winning, great athletes, rivals and the coaches, push every athlete on these squads to the limits both mentally and physically. If you survive, the strength of your body and mind will allow you to get stronger and further.

Terms such as commitment, intensity, focus and discipline are often overused. Although it is not easy to push everyday, it is not impossible. To be sure, becoming stronger during the season is an almost impossible task but to be stronger than your opponent at the end of the year is not.