Time is Limited!

Author

Tim Cortazzo
July 16, 2024

The number one limiting factor in a sports performance program is TIME. Especially at the high school level. Grades, school functions, friends, family, work, etc… are always pulling athletes in different directions. Mix all of that with athletes playing multiple sports and it makes performance development even tougher. “If you don’t use it, you lose it” is 100% true. You have to sprint year round, you have to lift weights year round, you have to develop skills for sport year round. But with limited time and energy, how do we continue to develop our athletes and prepare them for the upcoming season? Let’s talk about it.

HAVE THE CONVERSATION

Let me start out by saying that this is a relatively accurate statement but also kind of an overall generalization... So please don’t be offended. Kids and their parents don’t know much about training. Just because an athlete’s dad “played football” does not mean they understand. Trust me, I’m 35, have 2 boys, and have WAY TOO MANY friends who ask me “when can you start taking my kids through ladder drills and stuff.” If that’s how they kick off the conversation about sports performance, chances are they don’t get it. And that’s fine! That’s why I’m here. And also a reason I love putting out content. I don’t want to criticize, I want to help educate. Coaches need to educate.

Now, here is where we can go 2 different directions.

  1. Get frustrated. Pound your fist on the table. Show off how smart and science based you are. “People will never understand!”

  2. Educate your athletes and their parents to the best of your ability! Have the conversation. And have it in a way that makes things simple.

SCHEDULE, SCHEDULE, SCHEDULE

“If you build it, they will come.” Ehhh.. It’s more like: “if you build it, they will have a better chance of coming.. but it will probably take more time than you initially thought and most likely some amount of convincing.”

If you want your athletes to be available, you need to be available for them. Sit down with the athletes and their parents, let them know how much time is required to make improvements to their performance. Iron out a schedule that helps multi-sport athletes. Find extra time to work around school functions and vacations. The incentive for parents to get their kids there? THEIR KID WILL GET BETTER.

This does not mean be a push-over and let kids do whatever they want.. But availability is a 2-way street. If you do your end with working out a schedule with kids and their parents, then there really is no excuse for them to miss training.

PRIORITIZE

Off-Season Training sessions do not need to be overkill. Prioritize sprinting and movement based activity for 20-25 minutes.. Lift weights for 35-40 minutes. Do that 3 days per week. It can really be that simple.

Spend 10 minutes on a productive warm-up. Focus on coordinated, athletic movements. (Hope everyone enjoyed my “IMPROVE YOUR WARM-UP” template last week.. Use it!). Spend 15-20 minutes on running fast with longer rest periods. In the weight room, cut the fat.. Literally.. Focus on your main exercises that are going to move the needle and cut out the time spenders. If kids want to stay longer and do more, then you have those time spenders ready to roll.

PROGRAMMING 101

Our training menu is as big as anyones. We are like the damn Cheesecake Factory. If you want it, we probably have it. We have hundreds of different exercises and variations to train mobility, strength, rotation, speed, the list goes on. If I shared the full menu, everyone would think that I know my stuff... It looks beautiful on paper but in reality, we use about 10% of that menu.

REMEMBER… Great performance programs are only great IF you can organize the flow, implement the protocol, teach the exercises, and have your athletes execute the exercises progressively and consistently with high effort. Keep it simple!

Thanks again for being a subscriber to my newsletter! If you enjoyed this one, please share it with whoever you think would benefit. We are already up to 300+ people reading my weekly thoughts here 🤯 Can’t thank you all enough for the support.

I will be sending out an in-season training template this month called “SEASON LONG STRONG” to help athletes stay strong, fast, and healthy throughout their season. It will be 100% FREE to all subscribers but will later turn into an in-depth course for purchase. So if you have any friends who want it for FREE, make sure you get them here!

The world of Sports Performance can be overwhelming. My goal is to help change that with REAL, PRACTICAL, APPLICABLE, SIMPLE training solutions to help athletes run faster, jump higher, get stronger, and be an absolute menace in their sport.

Make sure to follow along on my social media accounts:

If you have a topic that you would love to hear more about, send me a message and let me know! You can respond to this email or reach me directly at [email protected]