| Vince Lombardi once said, “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” Wherever sports are played, every fan, coach, and player would agree that it all comes down to the simple fact that everybody wants to win. But who is willing and able to do what it takes to win? Many successful coaches in the game today put it a different way “…we just want to give our guys a chance to win…” After all, as coaches, we can’t control the breaks of the game, the bounce of the ball, or the way every close call by an official will go. Instead, each coach can only prepare their players for the best possible chance for success on the field. The coaches that can do this consistently are the ones who are most likely to give their players the greatest chance for success. It is all about preparation. Preparation includes a wide variety of factors, from the teaching of basic skills to the development of strategies and game plans. But within this range, one of the most important parts of that preparation involves developing the physical abilities, often referred to as “athleticism,” in the players through a sound strength and conditioning program. Many coaches believe that athleticism is a “god-given gift” an athlete is born with or will simply never have. To some extent it is true that some athletes are endowed with greater levels of natural talent, physical maturity, and skill than others. However, each player has an athletic potential that can be maximized, giving each player a higher degree of athleticism through a well-designed strength and conditioning program. The strength and conditioning program can give a team an edge, which may make the difference between success and failure on the field. | |
