Chalk Talk

Conditioning can be a valuable tool in developing an athlete's overall work capacity. And moving past just long slow distances, there are intentional ways that coaches can train conditioning for their athletes. 

First, we do a quick review of our energy systems and discuss aerobic and anaerobic capacity. Next, we define and break down tempo running in the form of extensive and intensive tempo runs. Finally, we talk about putting it into the application with high school athletes. 

This is the last episode of Chalk Talk before our summer break! Go catch up on previous episodes from the year on our blog, or however you get your podcasts! We thank everyone for their continued support and encourage you to reach out with topics you want to hear in the upcoming season when we head back to school in the fall! Happy Summer! 

Speed is more than just sprinting as fast as you can! Speed, especially within the context of athletics, is a multifaceted skill that needs to be developed and practiced.   

We first break down the benefits of a comprehensive strength and conditioning program to speed development and then look at the things we can be doing on the field to help develop our speed training.  

From there, we break down and define 5 key elements to speed training: 1) Technique 2) Acceleration & Power 3) Deceleration 4) Max Velocity 5) Change Of Direction. Check out this excellent discussion that comes at the same time as we approach summer workouts and PLT4M's newly released speed training program.   

Ricky Igbani was a three-sport high school athlete who competed on the football, track, and baseball teams. Taking his talents to college, he successfully played baseball and track throughout his career. As his education wrapped up, a lightbulb went off about the opportunities he could have working with students and athletes himself. 

From this original thought in his college dorm room, Ricky got started and has never looked back. Ricky is an accomplished teacher, coach, and mentor for students and athletes all across the greater Boston area. From his time as a PE teacher to creating new opportunities for high-achieving athletes, Ricky has always made a difference on and off the field. 

Now Ricky has created his own company called IJE and is working with PLT4M to make the very best educational speed & agility content. Ricky seems to always be on the move! 

On this episode of Chalk Talk, we talk about Ricky's journey and get into the weeds of speed and agility. Check out the full blog for more of the content that we reference throughout the show. 

Data, assessment, and testing have always been a part of strength and conditioning. In this two-part series, Coach Bres and Doug navigate the what, why, when, and how of assessment.  

In part 1, we first define and outline the key differences between assessment and tests. Next, we break down the why and how of assessment in high school strength and conditioning. In part 2, we talk about assessing and using Coach Bres’s assessment battery as an example.  

Time Stamps: 

Data, assessment, and testing have always been a part of strength and conditioning. In this two-part series, Coach Bres and Doug navigate the what, why, when, and how of assessment.  

In part 1, we first define and outline the key differences between assessment and tests. Next, we break down the why and how of assessment in high school strength and conditioning. In part 2, we talk about assessing and using Coach Bres's assessment battery as an example.  

We can all picture different rotational aspects of athletics. Whether we have athletes swinging, throwing, even sprinting, they are rotating. So do we need to train rotation specifically, and if so, how?

Matt June, CSCS, has spent a good amount of his career coaching baseball, golf, and softball athletes. Matt defines the kinematic sequence, highlights rotational elements of sports, and then breaks down the practical application of training rotation in high school athletes.

Matt June's Credentials & Experience:

Credentials

M.S. Exercise Science SUNY Cortland

B.S. Kinesiology - Fitness Development SUNY Cortland

CSCS - Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

CES - Corrective Exercise Specialist

TPI Level 1 Coach

Experience

Strength and Conditioning Coach - Premier Golf and Fitness

Program Director / Head Performance Coach - Athletes Warehouse

Strength and Conditioning Coach - College of Saint Rose

Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coach - Hudson Valley Community College

Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach - SUNY Cortland

Assistant Baseball Coach - SUNY Cortland

The deadlift has many variations that are used and developed in fitness and strength and conditioning programs. Today, we focus on the similarities and differences between the trap bar and conventional barbell deadlift. 

Coach Bres and Doug discuss the history behind the deadlift, why coaches like one or the other deadlift, and how high school programs can apply this knowledge! 

We often hear PE teachers say that they strive to set students up with the skills to be fit for life. But many PE teachers only get their students for a semester or two throughout their entire educational career. Brandon Siegel, the sole PE teacher across his entire small district, has a unique opportunity to impact his students' 'fit for life' journey from grades k-12.   

Brandon joins the podcast to discuss how he has integrated PLT4M into their 7-12 curriculum at Fullerton Public Schools. Because he is a one-person team, he has a lot of choice and autonomy when structuring his semesters and school years.   

Brandon has shaped his middle school PE to fully introduce the basic concepts of fitness and strength and conditioning. With a strong foundation set in middle school, his high schoolers can then explore their personal interests via the wide variety of advanced PLT4M programming.  

While Brandon has autonomy in many ways, he works with his principal and superintendent closely to show the data and results that students are seeing via the PLT4M and data tracking app. We wrap up the episode talking about how data has shaped his classroom.

How long will it take me to get into shape? How long will it take me to see results?   Students and athletes want to know 'how long' it takes for their bodies to start changing as they train. 

And while the lack of immediate tangible results can sometimes lead to frustration, it is important to help students understand the timeline in which change happens! For each individual circumstance, the actual adaptation time will vary, but we are often talking about weeks and months, not hours and days! 

Check out this podcast to better understand the guiding principles around training adaptations! 

Alexa Cavallo loved dance from an early age. Music and dance always brought the biggest smiles out of her. 

After college, when her dance career looked to be over, Alexa took to instructing at a local studio and coaching the dance team at a nearby high school. 

With this love for teaching, Alexa joins the PLT4M team to create an engaging and fun dance fitness program designed for students of all backgrounds and experiences!

Alexa joins the Chalk Talk to introduce herself, share her insights on teaching dance to beginners, and promote the upcoming release of PLT4M's Dance Fitness program.