Tony Soika, MS, CSCS, TSAC-F, RSCC

Have your practice drills become stale and unproductive? Players not motivated by the drills selected? This common problem can be addressed by creating or selecting more useful, dynamic, game-like, and engaging activities for players.

2

FAQ: Which Track System is Right for Me? When selecting the proper athletic surface, there are many factors to consider, including but not limited to: - Will the surface be used for training, competitions, or both? - Will important competitions take place on your track? - Is a World Athletics certification required? - Is there already a track in use, or will a completely new one be installed? - What budget range do you have in mind for the project? At CONICA, we understand that each project has unique needs and requirements. Contact us to find the right track system for you! https://lnkd.in/du7D5TQ #TrackAndField #SportsFlooring #AthletePerformance #SportsFacilities #AthleteSafety #SportsInnovation #WorldAthletics #FacilityManagement #TrackSystems #CONICA #SportsDevelopment #AthleticTracks #ProjectPlanning #SportsEngineering #LinkedInNetworking

25

I used to think my job was to make people jump higher and lift more weight… We get excited by performance metrics in Strength and conditioning. > Reactive strength index > Rate of force development > Barbell velocity The list is endless... ...but there is a metric that dwarves all of these and gives you a 7x greater chance of hitting your goals. 👉 Days lost to training from sickness and/or injury. My job is to keep people evergreen. That means... ✅ Available to train ✅ Enjoying training ✅ Excited by training and ✅ Returning quickly to training when (and they do happen) an injury occurs. It's cool to track KGs lifted or KMs run, but this is so you don't lose days to injury or sickness. Are you tracking this metric? --- p.s. If you liked this consider giving Finlay MacHugh a follow

7

2 Comments

Are you finding it challenging to design tailored progressive or regressive hamstring workouts for your athletes? If so, consider exploring the following resource.

49

This podcast must be heard by every single strength and conditioning coach in the tactical space. Awareness to these issues discussed, root causes of the issues, possible solutions to those issues, proactive roles we can play to accelerate the resolution to the issues all get hit on here by Drew and Alex. A much overdue discussion that I hope gets out there for all to hear and continue to work on. I also hope that the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), government, and military leadership as well as industry contracting companies listen to this as well as they play just as much a role in the matter. And... as a result of what improvements come about from s&c coaches in tactical, will almost guarantee it will spill over to all of HP professionals within tactical to include PsyD, RD, ATC, PTs as well. https://lnkd.in/gE8NRfwG

59

4 Comments

Help your athletes find the right hydration solutions based on individual performance and recovery needs with this essential Gatorade hydration portfolio chart. 

112

📋 Athletic departments today need a better way to manage athlete registration, paperwork, and communication. The answer? Moving to a modern, online system. 💡 What’s the benefit: - Say goodbye to manual forms and data entry with an adaptable, digital system. - Keep essential records secure and easily accessible when you need them. - Stay connected with families and staff through instant updates and notifications. Ready for a smarter approach? Arbiter offers a solution built for athletic departments. Explore how it can work for you in our latest blog 👉https://hubs.la/Q02Sdvp30

13

As an S&C, PT, ATC, RD or sports scientist one of the most important things you can do is embrace your identity as a coach. "Coaching effectiveness is the consistent application of integrated professional, interpersonal and intra-personal knowledge to improve athletes’ competence, confidence, connection, and character in specific coaching contexts" (Côté and Gilbert 2009) To become a better coach you must focus on: 1) Domain knowledge: professional expertise within your field (and deep knowledge of the sports you work with) 2) Interpersonal skills: maximizing effective interactions with athletes, parents, coaches, colleagues 3) Intrapersonal skills: self-reflection, continuous improvement, and translating experience into knowledge

149

3 Comments

Reposting: 📢 Open Letter - Time to Hold USAG and FIG Accountable for Athlete Safety The recent controversies in gymnastics equipment safety are far from over. We’re calling on USA Gymnastics and Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) to finally take action and prioritize athlete safety! 🔑 Persistent failure to upgrade gymnastics floors is putting athletes at risk. 🔑 Cutting-edge solutions like Weller Spring Floor are available and proven to enhance both safety and performance. 🔑 It’s time for the gymnastics community to demand the necessary changes to protect athletes. 🔗 Read the full letter: bit.ly/3YICAnU Let’s continue the conversation. It’s time to advocate for safer gymnastics equipment! #GymnasticsSafety #AthleteSafety #Innovation #WellerSpringFloor #USAG #FIG #Advocacy #SportsTech #GymnasticsInjuryPrevention Sarah Hirshland Nellie Kim Li Li Leung Morinari Watanabe

1

1 Comment

Free CPSS study guide!! This is a great update.

3

1 Comment

TRAINING AROUND INJURIES | Advice for Hockey Players --- Disclaimer: I am not a medical specialist. Acute injuries should be diagnosed and treated by a medical professional prior to the continuation of training. --- But, most hockey players will have to train around wear and tear or post-injury/surgery. The above is how I would advise players regarding how to manage the continuation of training to help such ailments. We must find a way to continue to train. I see so many players that neglect to train certain movements because they believe it cannot be done due to previous injuries. But then go to play the contact sport which was the cause of the injury in the first place, knowing they now have a weak link in their physical structures. After repeated shoulder dislocations and two surgeries, plus years of finding out how to best train with the ailments, I found that doing whatever I could to ensure I was strong in movements related to the target joint was the fastest way to become pain free. While also reducing further injury risk. Training around ailments is a skill that takes time to learn. Finding the route to regain strength without incurring damage to the ailment is the key. I welcome any questions on this topic, I know it can be complex. #trainhockeysmart

16

Developing a marketing mindset behind the athlete experience is critical in growing forward. Increasing athlete engagement starts with smarter communication. Athlete Network is the athlete communication tool every staff member needs. \#keepcompeting https://lnkd.in/geRF5cGw

1

Are you looking for guidance on designing individualized progressive or regressive hamstring programming for your athletes? If so, explore the resource below for insights.

202

2 Comments

To help pitchers tolerate the higher torques of pitch velocity and sustain their performance while delaying major arm injuries, teaching and showing how to incorporate greater impulse of the throwing arm into higher output throwing will be crucial to helping amateur and professional baseball pitchers maintain value for longer. Impulse = F⋅Δt We are building the time scale to produce force into ball release. Think about a long onramp for a car build speed to merge onto the highway at higher speeds. Sequencing better earlier in the pitching delivery will allow your upper body mass and arm to be in a more optimal position at foot strike, generating a greater impulse into ball release. If you sequence poorly, you can still achieve high-pitch outputs, but there will likely be increased torsion and torque on the throwing elbow/shoulder; hence the volume of Tommy John surgeries in baseball. Over the last decade, I've used the Delivery Value System to help educate pitchers on how to sequence better through the pitching delivery to decrease the risk on their throwing arm, improve efficiency/timing, and ultimately tolerate the demands of throwing over their career. Additionally, as pitchers have improved their sequencing (inputs), pitch outputs have had a direct impact. This increase in pitch output metrics is primarily due to the ability to utilize greater mass and leverage into each pitch, thus increasing the impulse of the throwing arm. I've been heavily focused on arm impulse for the last several months and will begin to track and quantify it with a DVS X-ray. In November, after almost a two-year layoff, I started ramping up my throwing to test our mocap kit. In doing so, I've begun throwing more frequently and getting back into positions that allow for demonstration of arm impulse. If you watch the video comparison, you will notice my body and arm orient almost identically into a weight-bearing foot strike. However, as my trunk and arm progress into ball release, I can generate a greater arm impulse, indicative of the video's keyframes. In May's video, I'm allowing more lag time for my arm to create the force and release the baseball with my upper mass closer to home plate as my back foot stays anchored into the ground. This transformation is only possible with the proper alignment and stability of the rear foot and, eventually, the front foot to facilitate the greater impulse of each throw. As I scale up the intensity of throwing, I'll provide additional clips showcasing the speed of the joints and velocity of the pitch for further analysis and illustration of how to increase arm impulse. If you'd like to learn more, feel free to message me. #sequencing #armimpulse #pitching

31

2 Comments

Does the average individual wanting to make substantial strength and muscle gains need to plan well in advance or even bother with any periodization models? 📊 Periodization is considered by many to be an essential part of training for maximal strength, and the data generally supports this. 🤝 Adhering to the basic principles of program design for strength and hypertrophy and being consistent over time will be far more important than whether you choose to pre-plan your training 12 weeks in advance or whether you choose to have a rough plan that is somewhat reactive to your performance and overall feeling. 👊🏻 A simple but thought-out training plan will take you a long way. BOTTOM LINE 💪🏻 Periodization can be beneficial for those aiming to maximize strength but seems less important for those focusing on muscle hypertrophy. 🧐 Due to the limitations of the available data, the decision to periodize your training should largely be based on personal preference and its impact on individual-level outcomes. REFERENCE Moesgaard L, Beck MM, Christiansen L, Aagaard P, Lundbye-Jensen J. Effects of Periodization on Strength and Muscle Hypertrophy in Volume-Equated Resistance Training Programs: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2022 Jul;52(7):1647-1666 ______ 🏋️ Axxeleration© performance center based in Châteauguay- link in profile 🐤Twitter - S_lagrange 🖥Email:[email protected] FB👨🏻‍💻 - Axxeleration 📺Youtube - Axxeleration ______

1

As an S&C Coach you don’t “coach” strength or conditioning, you “coach” movement. Movement can be loaded or unloaded and performed across various velocity, distance, and time domains with specific volume parameters and work:rest ratios to stimulate adaptations in strength and/or conditioning. Never forget your job is to coach movement.

360

20 Comments

Groin Strength Leaderboard - Pitch Ready Testing Groin injuries are common in athletes who participate in sports that involve repetitive twisting, turning, sprinting, and kicking, such as football, ice hockey, and soccer. They can account for 2–5% of all sports injuries, and in some sports, like professional ice hockey and soccer, they can account for up to 11% of all injuries (Kerbal et al, 2018). Unsurprisingly the male dominated football codes head the all time highest recorded groin strength results from Pitch Ready testing we've conducted so far. Teams from the National Rugby League (NRL) competition in Australia make up 3 out of the top 5 results we've recorded to date. What is also interesting is that we've been testing groin strength at a population level since 2020 across a number of sporting codes, and the numbers keep increasing - showing that teams are making it more of a focus in their programming. The data you see here was recorded in the respective team pre-seasons. Groin injuries can be linked to hip muscle weakness, previous injuries to the area, preseason practice sessions, and level of experience. Early diagnosis and proper treatment are important to prevent groin injuries from becoming chronic and potentially career-limiting. #benchmarking #groin #strength #pitchready

18