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Key Abilities
Balance: Involves static and dynamic proprioception and muscle efficiency. Together they contribute to increased joint stabilization. The benefit of improvement here is to quickly regain position during and after movement as seen with defensive positioning.
Agility: Through proper training, athletes are able to enhance deceleration and explosive acceleration quickly. Changes of direction combined with offensive creativity result in an offensive threat.
Reaction: Reaction skills are based on efficient neuromuscular programming and muscle memory. Quicker muscle reactions and reflexes lead to safer, more efficient movement. The result is the ability to read and explosively react offensively and defensively.
Quickness: Lightening foot speed, combined with a quick first step, produces greater acceleration over a short distance. Explosive changes of direction and nearing top-end speed in the shortest amount of time possible will ensure success in a dynamic environment.
Speed: Involves efficient muscle lengthening, shortening and transfer of momentum, which lead to faster transitions into defensive coverage and offensive attack. Stride length and frequency can be optimized within each athlete to realize full potential in their sport.
Power: Most collegiate coaches look for athletes that are powerful. An athlete that has functional strength is more useful that just a strong one. The combination of force applied quickly over a specific distance translates onto the playing field more so than pure strength.
Program Components
Perfomance Enhancement is designed to improve the following:
- Agility
- Balance
- Strength & Power
- Reaction Time
- Speed/Acceleration
- Lateral Quickness
- Kinesthetic Awareness
- First Step Explosion
- Vertical Leap
- Endurance/Stamina
Plyometrics: Plyometric training includes a variety of specialized exercises and drills that enhance an athlete's power, performance, and ability to change directions quickly and explosively.
Strength Training: Through the performance of multi-joint and closed kinetic chain exercises using free weights and medicine balls, athletes can develop and increase their overall strength base.
Hill Running: Research indicates that running on levels of increased incline and grades of decline elicit more recruitment of the muscles responsible for increasing and maintaining speed, than running on the same level at the same stride frequency.
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