January Conditioning

The End...

Well folks, that's all she wrote for the fall semester as far as tennis is concerned.  According to NCAA legislation, Rule 17.1.6.2.5 in case you were wondering, just a small paragraph of the ridiculously cumbersome and over-bearing 358 page finely printed 2012-2013 NCAA manual, countable athletically related activity (CARA) must cease after 11/30/12, yesterday.  Essentially, the NCAA decrees that no supervised athletic activities in our sport may take place from one week prior to our final exam period through the end of the semester.

Of course, it is becoming increasingly difficult to remember my college days but as I recall, I was a pretty decent student.  I approached my studies, and especially final exams, seriously.  Further, we expect our student athletes to succeed in the classroom as demonstrated in both teams achieving ITA All Academic status last season.  However, I am pretty certain that I did not completely cease all other activity so as to prepare.  In fact, I thought is was important to continue with my conditioning and/or athletics to clear my mind and to relieve any stress that may have accumulated.  Well, sadly, the NCAA feels that 6 weekly hours of plyometric conditioning out of 168 total hours in the week is unreasonable and far too taxing.  Oh well...

That being said, our conditioning segment was quite successful as the players have performed well and have shown  measurable increases.  The team surely understands that their fitness is, and will be, vital next semester.  We will play top competition and need to be ready physically, mentally and emotionally for the grind which hopefully culminates in Surprise, Arizona and near 100 F degree temperatures.  We are still learning and thankfully it is only December.  I like my team this year and think we have a chance to be special in May if we prepare properly.  

Some of the key notions that have been stressed:

• the importance of playing every point hard / not taking points off
• closing time / finishing strong
• never quitting 
• playing for each other and being an unselfish teammate 

A special shout out to Clipper alum Doug O'Connell '89.  My good friend and former teammate has challenged himself to train side-by-side with the fellas and has represented the 45 and overs well.  It has been a pleasure to have him with us and he has added something special to the sessions.  The team looks forward to having Doug involved in the spring.  I think they especially like hearing some of the old stories of my playing days including my always respectful behavior and interactions with the coach...

Other notes:

• I received a call from former Clipper Henning Ruenz this week.  Henning is back in Germany and currently working for Volkswagen.  He sends his regards to everyone and looks forward to returning to campus in the near future.

• The team looks forward to the arrival of 2 players next semester.  More on that to come later...

• Our women's team will also have some key additions.  Announcements forthcoming.  I have had so much fun coaching on the women's side and look forward to advancing our ranking.

Well, that's all for now Clipper-nation.  Check back frequently for updates and by all means join this site as a follower for improved access.  

Nuff said...

Training

Conditioning...

Today marked a good start to the team's conditioning program. We will be working hard on speed and agility as well as strength and power in the off season. For the first day, the team did a nice job. However, conditioning is an area where we can really improve. I can not guarantee that your Clippers are the most talented tennis team in the country, but we will be among the best conditioned and hardest working as long as I am associated with the program.

Have a peek at some agility footage below. As you can see, Felix has already improved his foot speed!

Nuff said...

Power Training...

Traditionally, athletes have used heavy resistance lifting exercises to improve strength and ultimately performance. Such exercises would usually be conducted with 85% of the one-repetition maximum for 4 to 6 repetitions. However, with the development of more sophisticated training programs, athletes are combining several methods such as plyometric exercise, dynamic weightlifting and both together, in order to develop explosive movement and power.

Essentially, heavy resistance training and plyometric exercises have been known to improve power in athletes. As a result, experts have combined the two in programs in order to achieve even better results. In other words, programs are now best designed to combine strength and speed to create power. This translates to explosive movement on the court, on the field, on the track or any other venue of competition.

In fact, the latest research indicates that maximal strength levels can be significantly increased by using lighter weights (30% to 60% of the one-repetition maximum) while engaging in highly accelerated movements often simulating the actual motions of a given sport. This type of training is called "complex training" and can lead to rapid gains in power output for athletes.

It should be noted that this type of training is very stressful and should not be implemented for longer than a 3 month period. However, it should be a component of your regimen at times when short periods of training are available so as to best prepare for competition.

For more information, I suggest picking up a copy of "Jumping Into Plyometrics". You will be on your way to a more powerful you.

Nuff said...

Core strenghtening in tennis players...

Unlike years ago, most athletes today have learned that they need to get into the gym and do some form of weight training to excel in their chosen sport. However, one muscle group that is often neglected in training is the core musculature. This is particularly unwise for the tennis player as most movements are heavily dependant on this region. In addition, leaving out the core in your training program may also lead to muscle imbalance and injury.

As a result, I suggest clicking here and reading "Improving Core Strength in Tennis Players" by Dr. Donald Chu, a leading authority in sports medicine and expert in the field of plyometric training. I am sure you will find something here that you will want to include in your next workout.

Nuff said...