Focused training gives athletes a boost

A recent survey by the American College of Sports Medicine identified sport-specific training as one of the top fitness trends for 2015.

Rob Baranowski, fitness coordinator at Edward Health and Fitness Centers (EHFC), says one of the reasons for this interest is a growing number of parents who are encouraging their young athletes to focus on one sport in hopes of keeping costs and time demands reasonable.

“At the same time, they’re willing to invest in extra training to boost their child’s athletic performance,” says Baranowski. “Sometimes they just want a better experience for their child. Others want their young athlete to have every resource available to make it to the next level, look their best for the scouts, and many times land a scholarship.”

At EHFC, Baranowski and other trainers see athletes individually and in groups – including local school and club sports teams.

“They often come to us to supplement the good work their coach is already doing,” says Baranowski. “While we work on specific skills, we also build on their general conditioning to enhance strength, stamina and agility. The beauty of personal or small group training is that we can tailor the program to the individuals’ needs.”

For example:

--”One of our trainers works with a high school football player who set every strength record at his high school but he feels he needs extra help with stamina and agility. So that’s his focus with him.

--“Another client is a basketball player who wants to work on power, especially in his vertical jumping ability. Basketball, like hockey, involves a lot of multi-directional, explosive movements – relatively short bursts of intense activity. To prepare for this demand, I’ll have him mimic specific basketball movements while he jumps with a resistance band attached to his waist and I provide resistance from a variety of directions.

--“I have one of my hockey player trainee’s work on core stability. One of the things he’ll do is balance on one leg while tossing a medicine ball.”

Sport-specific training isn’t just for the junior high and high school set. College age and older adults also pursue this option to keep their skills sharp in the off-season. One person might be looking to throw the ball faster in baseball; another, a lower handicap in golf; someone else, a better tennis serve.

The demand has led to more variety in sport-specific training at traditional facilities, such as gyms, fitness centers, and sports camps. It’s also brought new players to the scene: commercial facilities that focus on programming that’s specific to any one of a wide range of sports from football to track.

It’s always a good idea to check the credentials of any trainers being considered. Medically based facilities, such as EHFC, typically have well educated, credentialed staff who know the science behind safe training and injury prevention.

The mental side of training is also key. Make sure a child’s heart is in it if sport-specific training may be added to their regimen. If there’s resistance, the more intense approach could backfire. Consider instead cross-training with another activity that will keep things varied and fun.

Edward Health & Fitness Centers has locations in Naperville, on the campus of Edward Hospital, 801 S. Washington St., and in Woodridge, at 6600 S. Route 53. For more information, visit www.edward.org/fitness.