2. Overview
1. Determine the demands of their sport and
the needs of your athletes
Understand sport specificity
2. Create an annual training calendar
Emphasize continual and progressive
development
3. Application of various S&C methods in
preparation for their sport
Start simple and build a large base
3. Sport Demands
What are the most important characteristics of
the sport?
Examples:
Power
Strength
Speed, Agility, Quickness
Anaerobic Fitness
Aerobic Fitness
Most sports require development of multiple
physical characteristics
What happens then?
4. Sport Demands (cont.)
Prioritize training emphasis
Knowing that the sport might require
development of multiple physical characteristics,
prioritize which traits are most important and
when
Example: Strength and speed are important in
softball. Increasing strength increases speed
potential. Speed is most important during the
season. Therefore priority of training emphasis is
put on strength development in the early off-season
and speed in the late off-season/pre-season
5. Sport Demands (cont.)
Understanding the demands of their sport is an
important step in determining their needs
Example: Football does not demand a large aerobic
capacity. If your football player struggles at aerobic work
(2:00+ of continuous work), it’s fine! Additionally, look at
why you might have them doing that work to begin with.
Emphasize anaerobic fitness and SAQ development instead
In addition to an overall understanding of sport
demands, consider style of play
While the sport demands, on the whole, remain unaltered,
coaching staffs differ in style of play
Keep in mind the preferred style of play of specific coaching
staffs as you begin designing your programs
6. Needs of your Athletes
We all want our athletes stronger, more
powerful, faster, and more fit
Can we maximize all of these traits simultaneously?
How do we determine current level of training
and preparation?
Performance tests specific to the characteristics you’re
measuring
Use a critical eye to determine the strengths and
weaknesses/deficiencies of your athletes as they
compete in their sport and go through training
7. Performance Tests
What are performance tests?
Assessments used measure current levels of preparation
Examples:
20yd & 40yd sprint to measure speed
Vertical Jump to measure jump height and power (predicted via the Sayer’s
equation)
1RM Back Squat, PowerClean, Bench Press, & Deadlift
300yd shuttle to measure anaerobic fitness
1 mile & Multi-stage fitness test to measure aerobic fitness
Sit & Reach to measure low back & hamstring flexibility
Max push-ups & pull-ups to measure upper body muscular endurance
What do performance tests tell us?
Absolute vs. Relative performance
Absolute is black and white, where do they rank regardless of
consideration for age, position, body mass, etc.
Relative takes into account different factors
Position, body mass, age, and personal performance
8. Performance Tests (cont.)
We all want our athletes stronger, more powerful,
faster, and more fit
Use relative performance results when possible
Understand your test results and how to provide feedback
to your athletes
While absolute standards may be applicable for
various tests, don’t lose sight of performance
improvements for every individual.
Example: If you want your soccer players to run <6:30 mile,
but you have an athlete that’s improved from 7:55 to 6:45 in
a concentrated period of off-season training, keep that
drastic improvement in mind as you determine training
program effectiveness.
9. Annual Training Calendar
(What)
What is it?
A calendar that identifies training variables for the
upcoming season
What can be included?
Start simple, include competitions (both
championship and non-championship seasons),
academic calendar, and sport practice
10. Annual Training Calendar
(Why)
Why create the calendar?
Serve as a guideline or “roadmap” for training
Easily track training loads for the year to ensure
progressive development
Determine how long your off-season period really
is, with special attention paid to uncontrollable
factors (i.e. academic calendar)
Use as a communication tool with your sport
coaches, sport medicine staff, administration, and
student-athletes
11. Annual Training Calendar
(When)
When do you create the plan?
At the completion of the competitive (championship)
season
When does the plan begin?
The plan begins at the determined start of the off-
season
Discuss length of rest period following the competitive
season with the sport coach and begin the program at
the end of that period
When does the plan end?
Set the plan end date to coincide with the last possible
competition (i.e., State, National, orWorld
Championships)
12. Annual Training Calendar
(Who)
Who creates the plan?
The S&C Coach with as much input from the sport
coach as possible
Who has access to the plan?
Sport Coaches, Sports Medicine, Administrators,
and Student-Athletes
13. Annual Training Calendar
(Where)
Where do you create the calendar?
Microsoft Excel is an excellent program for
creating an annual calendar
Create a “master template” to use on a year-to-
year basis
14. Annual Training Calendar
(How)
How is the calendar laid out?
Weekly & monthly
How do you start?
Input all scheduling information (academic &
competition)
Work backwards from end of year championships
to determine length of in-season & off-season
Once these time periods are determined, the fun
begins!!
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52
SPRINGSEMESTERENDSFRI6/22
SUMMERSEMESTERBEGINSWED6/27
INDEPENDENCEDAYWED7/4(HOLIDAYOBSERVED)
SUMMERSEMESTERENDSFRI8/17
FALLSEMESERBEGINSTUES9/4
FALLSTUDYBREAKMON10/15&TUES10/16
THANKSGIVINGRECESSTHUR11/22-SUN11/25
FALLCLASSENDSTUES12/11;FALLEXAMSBEGINTHUR
12/13
FALLSEMESTERENDTHUR12/20;WINTERBREAK
BEGINSFRI12/21THRUTUES1/8
WINTERSEMESTERBEGINSWED1/9
MLKDAYMON1/21(HOLIDAYOBSERVED)
@USFTOURNAMENT
@FAUKICKOFFCLASSIC
@NFCALEADOFFCLASSIC
SPRINGBREAKBEGINSSAT3/2THRUMON3/11;
@CITRUSCLASSIC
@RED&BLACKTOURNAMENT
SPRINGBREAKENDSMON3/11;@JUDIGARMANCLASSIC
vs.PURDUE
vs.BOWLINGGREEN&@PENNSTATE
vs.WESTERNMICHIGAN&vs.OHIOSTATE
vs.EASTERNMICHIGAN&vs.MICHIGANSTATE
@INDIANA&vs.IOWA
WINTERCLASSESENDTUES4/23;WINTEREXAMSBEGIN
THUR4/25;vs.CENTRALMICHIGAN&@NEBRASKA
WINTERSEMESTERENDSTHUR5/2;vs.
NORTHWESTERN
SPRINGSEMESTERBEGINTUES5/7;@BIGTEN
TOURNAMENT
NCAAREGIONAL
NCAASUPERREGIONAL
MEMORIALDAYMON5/27(HOLIDAYOBSERVED);
@WOMEN'SCOLLEGEWORLDSERIES
1
2
3
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T T
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52
University of Michigan Softball
Strength & Conditioning Annual Plan 2012-2013
Month JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER
AUGUST SEPTEMBER
NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY MAY
Week Beginning
Microcycle
Academic &
Competition
Calendar
Priority
FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL
B STR 2
APRIL MAY
Week Beginning
Training Phase PREPARATORY COMPETITION
OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCHMonth JUNE JULY
Microcycle
MSTR 1 B STR 3 POWER MAINTENANCE
Mesocycle 1 2 3 4 5
Sub Phase INTRO/GPP 1 GPP 2 B STR 1 GPP 3
6 7 8 9 10
17. Softball 2012-2013 Annual Plan
Begins Week of 6/4/12 (1.5 weeks following end of 2012 season)
Ends Week of 5/27/13 (Week ofWomen’s College World Series)
51 weeks of training
35 weeks of off-season
Includes:
13 weeks of voluntary spring/summer semester training
1 off week for “welcome week” & 1st week of classes
12 weeks of mandatory fall semester training + 1 off week between week 5 & 6 of
this period
4 weeks of voluntary winter break training
4 weeks of mandatory winter semester training
16 weeks of in-season
Includes:
4 weeks of mandatory in-season training
1 off week over spring break (team travel to Florida & Louisville)
10 weeks of mandatory in-season training (leading intoWCWS)
18. Off-Season Training Phases
GPP (General Physical Preparation)
Objective:
Increase work capacity
Prepare the body to handle more intense training
loads in the future
Characteristics:
High to very high volume
Low to moderate intensities
19. Off-Season Training Phases
(cont.)
Basic Strength
Objective:
Increase ability to generate force against an external
resistance
Characteristics:
Moderate to high volume
Moderate to high intensities
20. Off-Season Training Phases
(cont.)
Max Strength
Objective:
Increase ability to generate maximal force against
an external resistance
Characterstics:
Low volume
High to very high intensities
21. Off-Season Training Phases
(cont.)
Power
Objective
Increase ability to generate high force and high
velocity movement; perform more work in less time
Characteristics
Low to moderate volume
Moderate to high intensities
22. Exercise Selection
Assess what you have prescribed in order to determine if it is the
most effective means of achieving what you’ve set out to
achieve…do the ends justify the means?
Example: Prescribing DB Lunges for 3x15 as your primary lower body
strength movement during a max strength phase is not ideal
Keep it simple and get really good at what you do
Understand that exercise variation does not mean just changing
exercises entirely, but also varying volumes and intensities of the same
exercise
Just because you transition into a new phase, it doesn’t mean you have
to abandon a specific exercise/movement/drill, adjust accordingly
Example:The back squat is an excellent exercise for developing work
capacity when prescribed at 3x10 @ 70%, for developing basic strength
when prescribed at 4x5 @ 80%, for developing max strength when
prescribed at 2x2 @ 90% & 2x1 @ 95%, and for developing power when
prescribed at 4x3 @ 50% or 4x2 @ 80% followed by 4x2 box jumps
One exercise can be used in multiple phases as long as you program
accordingly
23. Wrap-Up
Keep simple and appropriate for your athletes
and your facilities
Remember that your annual plan is just a
guideline…Be a coach and assess how your
athletes are progressing
Example: How do you account for athletes that
pull an all-nighter finishing a paper?
Anticipate outside stressors as much as possible
during finals or break periods to minimize last
minute adjustments
24. Wrap-up (cont.)
Build upon the previous year (if consistency in
training allows for it)
Use previous year as a guide and an
assessment tool in determining what went
well and what needs to be improved on
25. References
Baechle,Thomas, and R Earle. Essentials of StrengthTraining andConditioning. 2nd.Champaign, IL:
Human Kinetics, 2000. Print.
BompaTO and Haff GG. PeriodizationTheory and Methodology ofTraining (5th ed.). Champaign, IL:
Human Kinetics, 2009.
Cissik, John, Allen Hedrick, and Michael Barnes. "Challenges Applying the Research on
Periodization." Strength and ConditioningJournal. 30.1 (2008): 45-51. Print.
Gamble, Paul. "Periodization ofTraining forTeam Sport Athletes." Strength andConditioning
Journal. 28.5 (2006): 56-66. Print.
Garhammer, J. A Review of Power Output Studies of Olympic and Powerlifting: Methodology,
Performance Prediction, and EvaluationTests. J J. Strength Cond. Res. 7(2): 76-89. 1993
Garhammer, J. A Comparison of Maximal Power Outputs Between Elite Male and Female Weightlifters in
Competition. International Journal of Sport Biomechanics. (7): 3-11. 1991
Graham, John. "Periodization Research and an ExampleApplication." Strength andConditioning
Journal. 24.6 (2002): 62-70. Print.
Stone MH, Stone ME, and SandsWA. Principles and Practices of ResistanceTraining (1st ed.).
Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2007. Print.
Zatsiorsky,Vladimir, andWilliam Kraemer. Science and Practice of StrengthTraining. 2nd.
Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2006. Print.
