JTCC’s Director of Fitness, TC Costello, gives an overview of how things stand just over a month into the 2018 – 2019 programming year
It is early days for the new programming year but training been going well so far. It can be a tough adjustment switching from the summer to the fall schedule but the players have responded positively. The workload required at the beginning of the year is tough, and for new students in the program this can be challenging. The goal is for the players to become accustomed with being outside their comfort zone and their normal threshold strain.
The initial period sees the full time players go through a series of tests before beginning strenuous workouts. The testing provides feedback not only on where each individual is physically but also gives a good indicator of how they compete. The intention is to see them vying with each other to achieve the best scores.
The tests undertaken provided an insight into lower and upper body strength, explosiveness, speed, endurance, movement and flexibility. The results establish the areas each player needs to improve upon the most and also provide benchmark scores to try to beat in the future. The next series of tests will be in mid-November and the expectation is for the players to show improvement.
It is encouraging to see that even as this relatively early point in the year the players are starting to understand the commitment necessary to be an elite player. Whether it be strength workouts, sprint workouts, speed, agility, or corrective work, each area is equally important. An appreciation about the importance of flexibility and taking care of your body is also crucial. Tennis is very demanding on joints and muscles so developing good stretching habits in addition to doing extra core and shoulder maintenance is vital. These little things will keep the players healthy and give them an edge over their competition. It isn’t just about training hard but also about training smart. A key goal to make sure the players acknowledge the importance of that approach!
TC Costello – Director of Fitness
