Today's Athletes = Training vs. Durable

[warningtrackpower]

On this week's Expanding the Zone, we have been getting some great feedback, and I wanted to open the discussion to some more coaches and fans.

If today's athletes train so hard, and they are bigger, faster, stronger, why are they less durable/available (NBA load man., pitch counts, fb guys playing both ways)? How does this apply to the high school level, and what is the role for coaches?

https://youtu.be/XTeo_d7Mvq4?t=26

Thanks for the feedback!

[greygoose]

On this week's Expanding the Zone, we have been getting some great feedback, and I wanted to open the discussion to some more coaches and fans.

If today's athletes train so hard, and they are bigger, faster, stronger, why are they less durable/available (NBA load man., pitch counts, fb guys playing both ways)? How does this apply to the high school level, and what is the role for coaches?

https://youtu.be/XTeo_d7Mvq4?t=26

Thanks for the feedback!

Think the answer lies within the question itself, in that some athletes are less durable because they are bigger, faster and stronger. The bodies design is only meant to handle so much, so while guys are getting bigger or stronger they become more prone to muscle type injuries. Pitch count is much of the same the guys that were able to throw all day everyday were more nimble just your regular looking guys with little to no weight program. Guessing that the types of pitches the pitchers throw today has gone up by a certain amount creating more problems within the shoulder and mainly elbow. So it's more of a hand in hand thing in that some bodies simply aren't meant to be that much bigger, faster stronger without giving up something and within the sports world it's injuries. In terms of the HS level I think you see players being able to handle it better because of the age of the athlete and the amount of time they're actually playing their sport. At the HS level coaches should be training more to teach the player the proper way to lift or to run thus setting the athlete up for more long term gain and success within their sport.

[BTWNTHE__]

On this week's Expanding the Zone, we have been getting some great feedback, and I wanted to open the discussion to some more coaches and fans.

If today's athletes train so hard, and they are bigger, faster, stronger, why are they less durable/available (NBA load man., pitch counts, fb guys playing both ways)? How does this apply to the high school level, and what is the role for coaches?

https://youtu.be/XTeo_d7Mvq4?t=26

Thanks for the feedback!

Think the answer lies within the question itself, in that some athletes are less durable because they are bigger, faster and stronger. The bodies design is only meant to handle so much, so while guys are getting bigger or stronger they become more prone to muscle type injuries. Pitch count is much of the same the guys that were able to throw all day everyday were more nimble just your regular looking guys with little to no weight program. Guessing that the types of pitches the pitchers throw today has gone up by a certain amount creating more problems within the shoulder and mainly elbow. So it's more of a hand in hand thing in that some bodies simply aren't meant to be that much bigger, faster stronger without giving up something and within the sports world it's injuries. In terms of the HS level I think you see players being able to handle it better because of the age of the athlete and the amount of time they're actually playing their sport. At the HS level coaches should be training more to teach the player the proper way to lift or to run thus setting the athlete up for more long term gain and success within their sport.

Because in current times we are more aware about prioritizing self care over job/career. Lebron and Kawhi do load management for 2 reasons. 1. Cause THEY CAN & 2. IT'S SMART. self preservation is always #1 boss. Team or no team. Your own career and care take #1 priority. Now athletes are business men first. And now a days more than ever before sports on every level is BIG BUSINESS. Comes with the temperature boys and girls. C.R.E.A.M. = CASH RULES EVERYTHING AROUND ME!! Capitalist country = capitalists = capitalistic sports industry and culture = capitalistic athletes. Asset protection. Gotta look.out for.#1 FIRST. UNO AMIGO!!! Version of this at every level. Just part of it.

[warningtrackpower]

Great points! At first, you think you are just talking about a college/pro topic, but you wonder how much of this really does exist at the high school level. As a high school coach of 28 years, the main thing that jumps out at me is how much training takes place with coaches/leaders outside of the high school program's control. With all the summer leagues and weight training facilities, more and more kids are playing and lifting away from the high school setting.

As Matt said on the show, I wonder how much certain coaches do what they believe is correct vs. how many of them just do it in a way that protects them. Some sports like baseball and the pitch count have an actual limit, but in most cases, it is a subjective viewpoint where someone is just saying what they think is too much or too little.

Thanks for the feedback - good stuff!

[ndc soccer]

A lot of it has to do with how the intensity have changed in the sports over the years. For example, a basketball game is the same about of time as it was 20 years ago (4 8 minute quarters) but the game has changed/evolved so the intensity level has also increased. Less post play, more threes leads to a faster tempo. This can be said about most sports. Also, Multi Sport now does not mean the same as it did before. Multi Sports previously meant you played multiple sports during the year. Now it means you play multiple sports at the same time and it just increases the amount of Load/Fatigue on the athlete.

"As a high school coach of 28 years, the main thing that jumps out at me is how much training takes place with coaches/leaders outside of the high school program's control. With all the summer leagues and weight training facilities, more and more kids are playing and lifting away from the high school setting."

This could become a problem, as now more equals better, but in reality more equals more and better equals better. It typically is because of a lack of communication between coaches and a failure to compromise. If a athlete does get injured, it's looked at as "bad luck" rather then looking at all the different directions they are being pulled by parents, hs coaches & outside coaches. Unfortunately, the athlete is punished by a serious injury vs the coaches/parents.

This is a good topic to chat about and it's obviously one I'm pretty passionate about.

[Rza1]

As an athlete (past tense lol) who has trained played and coached for many years.. I think that the early one sport specific training plays a big part..whereas us dinosaurs played whatever sport the season called for..along with pickup ball, tag, we rode bikes, etc.. our bodies became more well rounded athletically. I also think that the more we protect players with load management/less contact days In practice as they progress, we set them up for more concussions and soft tissue problems in games.. the injuries have increased as this practice has became more prevent..(I know the kids are bigger, faster, stronger is gonna be the argument..but are they...?) I have always thought about it like this... boxers/fighters spar every day leading into fights..... so they're body is acclimated to the rigors... nothing can replicate live action... this may not be a popular take... but I think the evidence Is there.
. Jus my rake, guys.

[warningtrackpower]

A common feedback from all angles during this discussion has been the specific sport getting overplayed. It is a great/fair point. The "club" scene of every sport, with the normal off-season work of school teams, and then of course the regular season all adds up to certainly allowing athletes to play one sport nonstop throughout the year.