Category: Sports Performance

For high school athletes looking to take their game to the next level, understanding the “seasons” of training and competition is a game-changer. Just like nature’s cycles, your athletic year has four main phases: Off-Season, Preseason, In-Season, and Post-Season. Each one requires a unique mix of intensity, recovery, and focus to help you keep improving, avoid burnout, and perform when it matters most.

The Four Seasons of Training

Think of your training year as having four main parts: Off-Season, Preseason, In-Season, and Post-Season. You need to adapt your workouts and recovery strategies to match the phase you’re in. Each season builds on the last, helping you move closer to your goals.

In this blog, I’m going to break down how to approach your athletic year using a progressive system I use with my athletes. This plan focuses on five phases: Base, Build, Perform, Peaking, and Deload. Breaking your training into these steps will help you zero in on the right goals for each season and level up your performance.

The Base Phase

The Base phase is all about improving your weaknesses and learning how to move better. The workouts are low-intensity but high-volume, meaning you’re doing a lot without pushing yourself to exhaustion. This is when you’ll focus on building your aerobic energy system (basically your endurance) and improving your intentional movement for better control when playing. If you lay down a solid foundation here, you’ll set yourself up for success in the next phase.

The Build Phase

This is the phase where things start getting intense. The goal of the Build phase is to make you as strong as possible and help you produce max force with your body. After improving on weaknesses and control in the Base phase, you’re ready to hit heavy weights and controlled movements. You’ll push yourself hard here—lifting heavier and really challenging your body to grow stronger.

The Perform Phase

Now it’s time to get FAST! The Perform phase is all about explosive movements and speed. This is where you train to move fast and powerfully. Olympic lifting is one example of how athletes train during this phase, but it’s not the only way. The main idea is to focus on explosive, fast-twitch movements that translate to athletic performance. This phase is all about preparing for game day and showing off what you’ve built.

The Peaking Phase

The Peaking phase is where everything comes together, timed perfectly for when you need to be at your absolute best. For most sports, this means playoffs or championships. For track and field athletes, you might have to peak multiple times during the season. This phase is all about fine-tuning and performing at your top level when it counts.

The Deload Phase

The Deload phase comes after you’ve gone through a full training cycle. This is your chance to rest, recover, and keep your previous gains fresh. Intensity drops way down, and your workouts focus on maintaining your shape rather than pushing yourself. It’s like hitting the reset button so you’re ready to start the next cycle stronger than ever.

Start with Why: The Off-Season

The Off-Season is where everything begins. With the season behind you, now’s the time to look back and figure out what went well and what needs work. Did you struggle with anything specific? What do you need to improve? This phase is about fixing weaknesses, recovering from injuries, and preparing your body for what’s next.

During the Off-Season, you’ll focus on building strength, speed, and endurance. At the same time, you should work on mobility and conditioning to improve how your body moves. Think of this phase as laying the groundwork. The stronger your base, the more you can handle later.

Keep the End in Mind: Preseason

Preseason is where all the work from the Off-Season starts turning into results. The focus shifts to sharpening your skills and getting both physically and mentally ready for competition. Ask yourself what’s most important for your sport. What skills or strengths will help you stand out? What’s going to make you a key player on your team or catch a scout’s attention?

If your Off-Season training was solid, you’ll feel confident heading into preseason. During this time, your training will ramp up, progressing through the Base, Build, and Perform phases to get you into peak form right when the season begins.

Time to Compete: In-Season

The In-Season is where all your preparation pays off. With practices, games, and travel, the challenge is keeping your performance high while avoiding burnout and injuries. The trick is balancing hard days (like games and intense practices) with recovery days (focusing on rest, mobility, and flexibility). A lot of athletes skip out on recovery, but trust me, it’s a game-changer.

To stay sharp during the season, you’ll need to maintain your fitness and strength without overtraining. Sleep, good nutrition, and recovery work are just as important as your workouts. The more you take care of your body, the better you’ll perform when it counts.

The Marathon Continues: Post-Season

For a lot of high school athletes, the Post-Season means jumping into AAU, club teams, or other high-level competition. Now, it’s about showing what you’ve got against top talent. You’ll still need to balance intense games with recovery to keep performing at a high level.

This is also the time to fine-tune your skills. Whether it’s technique, endurance, or mindset, focusing on small improvements can make you stand out to scouts and coaches. Even if you’re ranked high, don’t get complacent—this is your time to shine.

Bringing It All Together

When you align your training with the seasons of the year—using Base, Build, Perform, Peaking, and Deload phases—you can stay ahead of the game. The Off-Season sets the stage for growth, Preseason builds momentum, the In-Season is where you show what you’ve got, and the Post-Season helps you level up even more.

If you stay focused and consistent, you’ll not only become a better athlete but also increase your chances of catching the attention of college coaches and recruiters. Stick to the plan, keep pushing forward, and make every season count—your future in sports depends on it!

Athletics, a proving ground where the apex of human physical prowess and mental fortitude is not just admired but celebrated, provides a dynamic occupational field with a diversity of professions. It is no wonder why so many athletes pursue these fields in their career choices. Among these, Sport Performance Coaching and Athletic Training are prominent, and while they are intertwined, they should not be confused. Performance Coaches and Athletic Trainers serve distinctly different roles and require different educational paths and professional skill sets. Both are crucial for the development and well-being of athletes. Understanding their differences is key to utilizing their expertise and creating an optimal support team.

Sport Performance Coaching: Roles and Responsibilities

Sport Performance Coaches are the architects and master technicians of an athlete’s physical abilities. We devise training programs aimed at enhancing durability, strength, speed, endurance, and overall athletic performance. We include a wide variety of drills and exercises to achieve peak mental and physical conditioning over time.

Our focus on the physical aspect of preparation tailors progressive strength and conditioning programs to individual athlete’s needs and sport-specific demands. As we delve into the mental preparation of performance, we aim to equip athletes with regulating strategies for high-pressure situations. Strategies such as breathing, meditation, and visualization techniques improve mental resilience and develop a growth mindset that is essential for thriving at the highest levels of competition.

A good Performance Coach has a repeatable process to produce positive results. Especially for youth athletes, a Long-Term Athletic Development model is optimal to provide sustainable seasonal support. Utilizing a tiered approach makes training everyone from youth to Pros possible.

Athletic Training: Roles and Responsibilities

Athletic trainers, on the other hand, are guardians of an athlete’s health. Their primary role is to prevent, diagnose, and treat athletic injuries. They are healthcare professionals who work collaboratively with physicians to provide a comprehensive approach to sports medicine.

Their expertise lies in creating rehabilitation programs for injured athletes and advising on injury prevention strategies. They closely monitor an athlete’s physical condition and employ swift and effective rehabilitation strategies in case of injuries.

Other Key Differences: Education and Certifications

While both professions require a strong foundation in kinesiology and sports science, the educational paths and certifications for each are distinct. Athletic trainers often need a degree in athletic training and must pass a national examination to be certified.

Collaboration: Synergy in Athletic Development

While the roles are distinct, the most effective outcomes in sports often occur when performance coaching and athletic training integrate. The collaboration between the professions is essential for the holistic development of athletes.

A Coach may work with an Athletic Trainer to understand an athlete’s physical limitations or recovery schedule, ensuring that training programs are adjusted accordingly. This synergy ensures athletes are not only performing at their peak but are also protected from potential reinjury.

Future Trends in Athletic Coaching and Training: Technological Advancements

With the advent of new technologies, athletics is evolving rapidly. Innovations like remote training and other apps, wearable tech, recovery tools and modalities, not to mention data analytics, have forever changed how professionals support their athletes.

As our understanding of human physiology and sports science grows, practices in both Sport Performance Coaching and Athletic Training continue to evolve, leading to more effective training and treatment methodologies. Moving deeper into the 21^st Century, both of these professions will continue to be at the cutting-edge of athletic development.

Long-Term Career Prospects: The Future is Bright

The career prospects for both Sport Performance Coaches and Athletic Trainers are very promising, with both fields expected to grow at a greater rate than the average.

The National median annual salary for Sport Performance Coaches is around $49,500, with the top 10% earning up to $495,000+ annually at the elite level. This field has expanded as interest in personal fitness, wellness, and general population competitive sports like obstacle course races increases. No formal education is technically required, though a bachelor’s degree is often preferred to enter this profession as a legitimate Strength Coach; with some employers preferring a master’s degree in exercise science or a related field. On-the-job training can be an excellent alternative to traditional education, with the right mentors. Continuing education and certifications can also enhance a coach’s knowledge and career potential.

The median annual wage for athletic trainers is around $53,840. Employment in this field is projected to grow by 14% from 2022 to 2032. Most positions require at least a bachelor’s degree, but master’s degrees are common and increasingly required. Nearly all states require athletic trainers to have a license or certification, which typically necessitates passing an examination and committing to ongoing education. Advancement opportunities for athletic trainers can lead to management roles or administrative positions within the field​.

Conclusion

Understanding the differences between Sport Performance Coaches and Athletic Trainers is essential for professionals involved in the athletics industry, and athletes in the pursuit of athletic excellence. While their roles may intersect, each brings a unique set of skills and expertise that are vital to the health, performance, and overall success of athletes.