General Goals for a Performance-Based Training Program

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The design and implementation of a performance-based training program for athletes should strive to accomplish the following:

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Enable players to:

• Become stronger

• Become faster

• Become more flexible

• Become quicker

• Become more agile

• Improve sport performance

 

Specific Objectives for a Performance-Based Training Program

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 Once general goals for the program have been established, more specific objectives should be created to ensure that the goals are achieved.  The following should be the main objectives of a performance-based training program for softball and baseball players:

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• Create a general strength base

• Increase performance enhancing and sport-specific strength and explosive power

• Reduce susceptibility to injury

• Increase range-of-motion and flexibility

• Improve athlete’s endurance and level of stamina

• Enhance athlete’s confidence level

 

Points of Emphasis in Program

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To ensure that the athletes maximize their potential both in their training and in competition, the coach needs to emphasize the importance of the following points:

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• Consistency in regimen

  •  Athletes should avoid skipping workouts or a particular exercise if at all possible.  Inconsistency will negatively impact the athlete’s strength and power development. 

• Proper technique

  • Quality reps are more important than the quantity of reps.

• Proper spotting and safety procedures

  • Always ensure that the weight room is a safe environment.

• Efficient workouts

  • Athletes should work at a quick pace and at a high intensity.

• Increasing overload/challenging the athlete

  • Athletes need to progressively increase the overloads placed on the body systems.  For example, they should progressively increase the resistance or weight to maximize their strength/power potential.  They should be constantly challenged and motivated to push themselves to another level.

• An effective dynamic warm-up routine

  • Athletes should include a proper dynamic warm-up before participating in a workout, and should include a cool-down period following their workout as well.

• Creation of general strength base

  • Before sport-specific strength and power can be developed, the athlete must create a general strength base from which they will build upon in future workouts.