Training Time: Top Reasons In-Season Training is Vital

In-Season Training is vital. And that is why high school athletes who are in-season must budget their time extremely well.

For most competitive athletes, the time and energy commitment needed to succeed in their chosen sport is very intense and time consuming.

Many athletes quickly assume they will not have the time to train even for a single hour each week with their busy schedules.

It’s Important to Find Training Time!

But just like anything else, they should always find time each week to devote to something that is vital to their success.

If you are a coach or serious athlete who wants to succeed, you should know that in-season training has a pretty strong list of reasons why it can give you or your team a big competitive advantage.

Here Are My Top 4 Reasons for In-Season Training:

Injury Reduction. Most non-contact injuries occur when athletes either lack strength or conditioning later in the season. Fatigued athletes are at greater risk for sports injury and the same goes for weaker athletes. In-season training helps to maintain the efficiency in which the athletes move by maintaining movement quality through the ankles, hips and shoulders that can erode during the season.

Performing at a high level throughout the season. In-season programs maintain an athlete’s movement quality as mentioned above, along with strength and speed power gained in the offseason. 

Together these form the base of an efficient and high performing athlete throughout the season. The fact is that athletes and teams who consistently train during the season will have a huge advantage over those who don’t.

Improved recovery. I can wager most athletes just assume that in-season training is just going to beat them up. False!

In fact your athletes will have more, not less, energy.

Foam rolling and stretching increases blood flow to overworked muscles, allowing for quicker recovery from exhausting practices and games.

Workouts that emphasize lower volumes of intensity will keep your athlete’s nervous system more alert and energized than they would be otherwise. The combined result is that your athletes will feel fresher during the toughest parts of their schedule.

It strengthens your athlete’s resolve. The more proactive an athlete is in their own success, the more likely it is they will sacrifice to achieve a goal. 

On an individual level, the simple act of prioritizing a workout in-season sends a powerful subconscious message. You are willing to go above and beyond to achieve excellence.

And imagine the impact of an entire team that willingly works on their development during the season while their competition gets more worn down with each passing week

Tim Rudd is an IYCA specialist in youth conditioning and owner of Fit2TheCore.