Starting Strength in High School

[Chris Kurisko]

It's almost criminal when you consider the amount of money spent sending kids to train at "elite performance centres". I wrote a post last year asking for advice on how to convince a family member that my strength training wasn't going to lead to heart disease, obesity, and atherosclerosis; that was a tough enough sell in and of itself and took a great deal of well-documented research on my part to prove the point. I can only imagine the struggle with trying to convince a parent that their darling little athlete isn't actually benefiting from their "elite training"!

Any thoughts as to how you'd approach this with your athletes? While I myself do not train elite level hockey players I do interacted tangentially with the Vancouver Giants (WHL) hockey team.

I know all about the gurus of hockey training and it really is a sad situation. Hopefully overtime more people become educated on what effective training consists of.

The only thing that gets people attention is results. The key is to get a bunch of kids from your area under the bar and let the results do the talking. It is tough to explain why this stuff works to people. They just don't get it. I think explaining the impact strength has on performance is the place to start. It is also a good idea to discuss how stronger players are much less likely to get hurt than weaker players and how that when someone gets stronger everything they do takes less out of them. Most people won't understand what any of this means, but there are a few that will.

[Jeff Leonard]

I know all about the gurus of hockey training and it really is a sad situation. Hopefully overtime more people become educated on what effective training consists of.

The only thing that gets people attention is results. The key is to get a bunch of kids from your area under the bar and let the results do the talking. It is tough to explain why this stuff works to people. They just don't get it. I think explaining the impact strength has on performance is the place to start. It is also a good idea to discuss how stronger players are much less likely to get hurt than weaker players and how that when someone gets stronger everything they do takes less out of them. Most people won't understand what any of this means, but there are a few that will.

One thing that I think a lot of people miss when it comes to trying to figure out why coaches/parents/players won't do things like strength train, is that so many times it is a copy cat situation. I have coached football for the last 15 years before "retiring" this past season, so I have seen first hand why the thought of taking time away from your sport to devote to getting stronger is just a no go for many. The problem is that no one want's to be the player who doesn't do what everyone else is doing and try something different. You can print out peer reviewed studies on the benefits of taking time off a sport to get stronger, and you will be met with "Our son will fall behind if this doesn't work!", and so the cycle of doing the same thing goes on with no gains in strength that would help in the long run.

There is a coaches forum that I have used extensively over the years, and one subject that will always get the football coaches fired up is the subject of "outside trainers". Guys like Chris and his after school program are looked at like the worst thing a kid could ever get involved in. Most times I think it is due to ego, or maybe they don't want to be exposed as not being the coach that everyone thinks they are, who knows. The bottom line is, be it hockey, football, baseball or you name the sport, most parents who think their child is the next Ray Lewis don't have the courage to do something with their child that isn't what everyone else is doing.

[Mark Rippetoe]

There is a coaches forum that I have used extensively over the years, and one subject that will always get the football coaches fired up is the subject of "outside trainers". Guys like Chris and his after school program are looked at like the worst thing a kid could ever get involved in. Most times I think it is due to ego, or maybe they don't want to be exposed as not being the coach that everyone thinks they are, who knows.

It has to do with the typical high school coach's brain. These people are not very intelligent, they have fragile egos, and they very much enjoy being in complete control of a group of kids. Guys like Chris are a threat to their authority, and that is 100% of the problem.

[pbrennan]

I know all about the gurus of hockey training and it really is a sad situation. Hopefully overtime more people become educated on what effective training consists of.

The only thing that gets people attention is results. The key is to get a bunch of kids from your area under the bar and let the results do the talking. It is tough to explain why this stuff works to people. They just don't get it. I think explaining the impact strength has on performance is the place to start. It is also a good idea to discuss how stronger players are much less likely to get hurt than weaker players and how that when someone gets stronger everything they do takes less out of them. Most people won't understand what any of this means, but there are a few that will.

For the first time this summer I have will alums come back to train with me. One of them has been with me for 5 weeks and a Linear Progression has taken him from 185x5x3 to 275x5x3 in the squat with similar results in the other lifts. Two other alums saw what we were doing and have signed on. One of them is going to drive 45 minutes 3 days a week to do it.

Back to your previous point about the "elite training facilities", these guys know that as long as there is not anything quantitative about what they do besides time, they can get the kids exhausted and make them feel accomplished. "No days off!!!!!" "You killed that workout, Bro"

[Mark Rippetoe]

Back to your previous point about the "elite training facilities", these guys know that as long as there is not anything quantitative about what they do besides time, they can get the kids exhausted and make them feel accomplished.

An excellent distillation. Everybody read this aloud. Burn it in to your brains.

[S.Eriksson]

The problem is that no one want's to be the player who doesn't do what everyone else is doing and try something different. You can print out peer reviewed studies on the benefits of taking time off a sport to get stronger, and you will be met with "Our son will fall behind if this doesn't work!", and so the cycle of doing the same thing goes on with no gains in strength that would help in the long run.

Most times I think it is due to ego, or maybe they don't want to be exposed as not being the coach that everyone thinks they are, who knows. The bottom line is, be it hockey, football, baseball or you name the sport, most parents who think their child is the next Ray Lewis don't have the courage to do something with their child that isn't what everyone else is doing.

I've found this to be incredibly true and entirely toxic to player development. The comment about parents not wanting their kids to "fall behind" is spot on. I understand the whole "build it and they will come" approach to getting a few guys under the bar and having it grow from there, but, is that a realistic expectation for a community so dedicated to the current trends of strength and conditioning? I suppose that over time it could supplant the powers that be; maybe we're just supposed to play the long-game here?

Another issue I've run into is regarding my training of two beach volleyball players (who play for Team Canada's Women's Beach Volleyball Team). These girls would be considered elite athletes and play for a Div. 1 school down in California. However, in corresponding with their university coach, he has requested that I do a lot of this "functional training" with the girls during the summer off-season (I'm assuming at this point we all understand what is meant by "functional training"). He sent me examples of what he wants them to do and it is completely the opposite of my own training philosophy (i.e. what's written in the Blue Book). It's going to be difficult trying to explain/negotiate my disagreement with this method of training to a coach who's paid big $$$ for this stuff. I don't want to squander my opportunity to train these athletes, but I don't want to compromise my integrity as a strength coach. Any suggestions as to how to approach this problem?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Put them on a novice linear strength progression and do the dance moves once a week.

[pbrennan]

Put them on a novice linear strength progression and do the dance moves once a week.

My guys get programs each year from their colleges. We practice the goofy stuff just because. Amazingly, the stronger they are, the more "functional" they look.

For the most part, college coaches haven't messed with my kids lifts when they get to college. They let them keep their squat form the way it is. I'm pretty sure it's because when most of the guys from here get to college they are all in the top 10 on their teams in the lifts as freshman.

[CoachRod]

It has to do with the typical high school coach's brain. These people are not very intelligent, they have fragile egos, and they very much enjoy being in complete control of a group of kids. Guys like Chris are a threat to their authority, and that is 100% of the problem.

Sucks as a high school coach when it's the exact opposite. First year as the strength coach here at this school. Our kids have had a tremendous offseason and statistics do not lie, we've had skinny boys gain 20-40 pounds and begin to look like young men. Some stats for thought from beginning of offseason to now: (6 months)
9 to 24 kids squatting over 300
3 to 27 kids cleaning over 200
0 to 10 Dl over 400

Yet getting close to summer some complaints we've heard from a few parents choosing not to attend our summer camp.

What about all the other muscles?

I see how them getting strong works, and is good for being a powerlifter.. but not football players..

You guys only do 5-7 different exercises they need to do more things that are gonna make their whole body strong.

I read on mayoclinic it's bad for their growth plates, I don't want them to get hurt lifting heavy. (Injury rate has been lower than Ever)

And one that pisses me off most of all is the so and so (professional team) doesn't train this way...


I've learned as hard as it can be at the HS level you just gotta coach the ones that listen and see the results.. sometimes you just can't change the minds of the oblivious.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Sounds like Rod's school needs to hang on to him. Perhaps Coach Janacek can advise you.