Valdosta Athletics

Mission Statement

Valdosta State University Speed / Strength & Conditioning program and staff's mission is to provide all VSU athletes the most advanced, safe and comprehensive sports performance program that suits the needs of each sport and its student-athlete. Constant scientific research in the following areas will be key in designing effect programs for our student-athletes: program design, speed and strength development, anaerobic and aerobic conditioning, agility training, plyometric training, flexibility training and nutrition.

Philosophy

The goal of the strength and conditioning staff is to provide a well-designed, collaborative training program based on sound physiological principles. Each program is sport-specific focused, and experimentally proven to be safe and effective for each student-athlete. The Speed/Strength and Conditioning program will work alongside the Athletic Training staff to design programs and make continuous modifications that will ultimately reduce the likelihood of sport injuries. Each student-athlete is to be held accountable as we feel as if this is primarily the best way to influence them to buy-in into the program. Trust is a necessity in the student-athlete/strength coach relationship. This philosophy is based on key principles used across the Strength and Conditioning profession:
 

1. Character - It is the mission to bring out the positive qualities in each and every athlete that joins our program. We emphasize sportsmanship, toughness, discipline, effort, sacrifice, integrity, fun, competitiveness, accountability, and the ability to overcome adversity, selflessness and leadership. Regardless of experience in any profession, anyone can possess the leadership trait. These traits are the keys to be and have a successful program, athlete and life.
2. Sport-Specific Training - The only sport specific training is participating the sport. You can train sport similar to the movements and metabolic demands in that sport using equipment and training devices that will help simulate the sports movements and metabolic demands with more resistances. By training the athlete in this manner the athlete will develop the appropriate energy systems, promote muscular adaptations that will help lead the athletes to a superior sports performances and decrease the likelihood of injury.
3. Multiple Joint Exercises - During sports performances no one body part is working as an isolated movement. The body is working together in an integrated synergistic approach utilizing preceptors, joints and muscles to move the athlete threw its movement patters quickly, efficiently and powerfully for that sport. Any motion in sport requires proper training in multiple joint movements so proper timing of muscular recruitment patterns may occur. Thus training the athlete in this manner by utilizing exercises that promote multi jointed movements would help in maximizing the functional and athletic performances of that athlete.
4. Multi-plane Movements - With the exception of some sports most are performed in three planes: linear (forward/backward), transverse (up/down) and sagittal (side-to-side). Developing a training program that utilizes these movement patterns will help the athlete with agility and quickness in their sport. Only free weights have the ability for the body to move through these patterns. Incorporating agility training on top of straight-line sprinting will have a greater impact on sports performance.
5. Explosive training - Most sports require quick and explosive movements that are multi- jointed and ground based. Training the athlete to generate this type of explosion requires the recruitment of fast twitch muscle fiber motor recruitment. Training the athlete in this manner will improve the recruitment of these muscle fiber motor units and increases the athlete's performances potential.
6. Periodization - The scientific and systematic way of training the body using percentages, volume and progressive overload to achieve the optimal training program for that sport and individual.
7. Nutrition and Recovery - The lack of understanding by young athletes is the need for these two important factors in a training program. Without these two factors, performances and improvements will suffer. It is the job of our staff to educate the athlete on proper nutritional diet and sleep for their sport and health, helping the athlete reach their full potential in their sport performance.