We now recognize as a society that Strength and Conditioning is an essential part of an athletes development. Yet the vast majority of high schools do not make this investment.
Let's take a look at the college level. Nearly every single D3, D2, and D1 school offers one or more Strength and Conditioning coaches. Where this field lacks at the college level is within JUCO schools. The same argument could be made about JUCO schools needing to get on board with a S&C program. Colleges and their coaches invest a lot of time, money, and trust into their Strength and Conditioning coaches because they understand the impact it can have on their athletes. If we have them across the board at the college level, then why would we not prepare our athletes at the high school level?
This article should hit home for my smaller town people like me who have yet to see these programs implemented into their local high schools. I came from an internship program out of Rochester that allowed me to see for the first time in my life that there were high schools that actually had invested in a S&C program. These are the schools that chose to invest in their athletes success.
My first job search out of college in the S&C field was through proposals to hometown high schools to implement a Strength and Conditioning program. My belief of the quote "Everything happens for a reason" grows stronger on a daily basis. One of the best jobs I could ask for fresh out of college fell into my lap as high schools shot it down. Although it is not my personal concern anymore, my feelings on it remain strong on the subject.
I look at it this way. Revolutionizing. With not a single high school in your section having a Strength and Conditioning program, why not be the school to revolutionize the sporting culture in that area.
What the role of a high school S&C coach may look like:
Having a full-time S&C coach on staff offers the opportunity for many benefits that you will read later in this article. But even a part-time coach can have a major impact. This coach may come in for 10-15 hours a week. There would be a time slot for off-season athletes to come get their training session done. The rest of the times would be dedicated to bringing in the in-season teams to get their team lifts in. Normally this can be fit into the part-time position. A school that chooses to go the full-time route gets the full-time benefits that a S&C coach can have on an entire school district.
These are the most common reasons a school will give as to why they can't make it happen:
1. It's not in the budget.
School districts are not always in the best financial situations. But starting out by hiring a S&C coach part-time is not a major money concern. But the benefit it can have on the athletes makes the decision a no brainer. Many schools are willing to put forth tens of thousands of dollars to cardio equipment and machines that kids can sit and text on. To give a rough estimate of the cost of this, we are looking at some schools paying 6 figures for a new weight room with no S&C coach. This is like building a house with no foundation. Or they can hire a strength and conditioning coach for much less than that. A coach who will get their athletes off a seat or off of the elliptical and actually teach them how to move more efficiently and become better athletes.
2. We already have a trainer.
Nope. You have an athletic trainer not a strength and conditioning coach. Which is awesome and necessary. But pairing a good athletic trainer with a good S&C coach is the most optimal situation to handle current injuries and prevent future injuries.
3. It isn't as easy as snapping your fingers.
Now this is very true. But if it were easy, everyone would do it. Jump through the hurdles, put on presentations of the "why", get the backing of the coaches and the community. This is something that athletes need at a young age.
Here is a limited list of the many benefits that a Strength and Conditioning program can have on a high school.
1. Injury Prevention.
With my current job as an Assistant Strength Coach at Elmira College through New York Sport and Fitness, this has shown to be the strongest factor in a S&C program. One thing I wish I could speak to is specific injury reduction numbers since we took over a year ago. But what I can do is tell you that the feedback from coaches and athletic trainers has been amazing. They have all noticed a significant decrease in the commonality of soft tissue injuries.
It is no surprise that there is a major reduction in soft tissue injuries with the implementation of a well put together S&C Program. The best ability is availability. If high schools could reduce injury rates, they prime their athletes for greater success. This serves as a great benefit for the sports programs, coaches, parents, and the athletes.
2. Teaching athletes how to train for success.
As I mentioned before, anyone could go to the gym and sit on the chest press machine. But that person is not improving their movement qualities nor are they becoming a healthier and more well-rounded athlete. A S&C coach brings a culture of educated movement training to enhance an athletes performance in their sport.
3. The bigger picture.
Obviously no one wants athletes to have to fail at the high school level. But in the grand scheme of things, high school success may not even be the biggest factor in a Strength and Conditioning programs success. The chances of a high school athlete progressing to play a sport in college is in the rough ballpark of 7-10% depending on the sport. But if we teach these high school kids how to train and be healthier, that will stay with 100% of them for the rest of their lives. Older generations never had the opportunity to be taught about their health from a strength and conditioning perspective. We can teach these athletes how to live a longer, healthier, and more successful life beyond high school.
4. It is not just about athletes.
A Strength coach also grants the opportunity for the school to use him/her to give health presentations, make appearances in classes, help from the physical education standpoint to teach all students how to live a healthier lifestyle. This is a school wide impact in every facet. That is one of the best investments a school could make for their district.
5. A tool for coaches.
I would not ask my tax person to do my science homework. Many coaches are great coaches but don't have the background in S&C to maximize the potential of their team. AND THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE! Most of the time, Strength coaches don't have the background to teach sport specific skills to athletes. And thats fine too. The collaboration of a sport coach, athletic trainer, and Strength coach is how you can maximize all aspects of a program and create the best culture and environment for your athletes.
A football coach is essential for football. A baseball coach is essential for baseball. A Strength and Conditioning coach is essential for every single person that walks through the building. If we are going to revolutionize high school sports, it starts by building the foundation. By teaching athletes how move more efficiently for their sport. By keeping athletes healthy and on the field. A great S&C program not only prepares athletes for the next level, but it prepares kids for a lifetime of good health and well-being.
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