Module 10: 7th Inning – Fitness

Description

Recruiters look at you and ask themselves whether you have the speed, quickness, agility, strength, power, etc to play at the next level.  Each sport and each position in each sport has different fitness requirements.  Just like your skill development it is important to utilize sport specific fitness experts to help you get better at the specific fitness requirements of your sport/position.  Certainly, general fitness and conditioning are important for all athletes but you must learn specifically what fitness elements recruiters in your sport are looking for and become outstanding at them.  One of the best ways to learn these things and to obtain a training program is to visit nearby colleges/universities, meet with their trainers and get their programs.   This is an excellent way to get on the radar of recruiters.  Draw a connecting line on your chart between fitness and promotion.

Recruiters use numbers to compare athletes.  They use SAT, ACT and GPA to see what kind of student you are.  They also use fitness tests to compare you with other recruits.  What fitness tests does your sport use?  Find out by visiting college recruiters and asking them. ( Promotion )  Do they measure the velocity of your shot, your throw or your bat, club or racquet?  Do they measure your running speed with a 30 yd? 60yd sprint?  What about the BEEP test? SPARQ test? BAR Test?  12 min. run?  Bench press? Exit velocity? T drill? Vertical jump? Sit and Reach?  Get really good at the tests recruiters use in your sport.\

Serious student athletes find the time to devote to getting better at their sport and position specific fitness!  Do you?  Can you find ways to combine your skill and fitness development by designing innovative drills and routines?  Can you find time to do this while at school?

Connections:  Baseball and golf coaches put a high value on bat or clubhead speed.  What fitness program are you using to develop that speed?