Articles & Resources

Mike Curtis

How and why did you get into the field of strength and conditioning?

Early in my collegiate academic career I thought that I wanted to work in the physical therapy field and I studied sports medicine at the University of Virginia.  As an athlete I had always enjoyed the performance enhancement aspect of things as I saw that it gave me an opportunity to level the playing field with better athletes.  In graduate school I came across a mentor in Tony Decker who taught me how to integrate both disciplines and I was sold on trying to keep athletes out of the training and on the field of play while also enhancing their ability to perform.  
 
Who in the field has influenced or helped you the most? Influence your training philosophy? What have you learned from them that you can you share?

Early in my career it was coach Tony Decker who fostered my development and helped me form a training philosophy.  Since then my philosophy has grown from my encounters and experiences with Vern Gambetta, Al Vermiel, Erik Helland, Mark Verstegen, and Darryl Eto.   I guess the biggest thing I took from all of them was to never end your quest to be better at your craft. 
 
Name 3-5 books every basketball strength and conditioning coach should have in their library and why?

1)     Supertraining because of its scientific foundation in regards to sporting strength.

2)     The Science and Practice Strength Training because it covers the basics.

3)     Muscles Testing and Function with Posture and Pain by Kendall because Alex McKecknie of the Los Angeles Lakers once advised me to continuing educating myself in regards to anatomy and this book is the gold standard.

What is the last book you read and why?

The last book I read was Assessment and Treatment of Muscle Imbalance "A Janda Approach".  I read it because I was fascinated by a group of Canadian Therapist who came in to work with some of our student-athletes here at Virginia and I wanted to read more about their training approach.
 
Generally speaking, what is your philosophy for training a basketball player? How does it differ from other sport athletes?

I primarily and initially focus on an athletes' ability to be an efficient and effective mover.  I believe mobility, stability, and technical proficiency in fundamental movements should take place before any heavy loading is imposed.  In regards to specificity I think that there must be some level of simulation that needs to take place in order truly get athletes to execute movements they need in the competitive environment. 
 
What has been the biggest mistake you made as a coach when training a player?

In my early years as a strength coach I focused too much on numbers in the weight room and not on the numbers that really counted which were/are numbers on the court or field of play. I used to think that if they were strong I was doing my job.  Now I believe that if they are healthy, have a level athleticism that relates to enhanced sport skill, and then strong I am doing my job. 
 
How has your training philosophy changed in the last 3-5 years?

I have evolved from focusing solely on general strength and power development (clean, squat, bench) to devoting much more training time to functional and specific strength and power development through what some traditionalist would consider unconventional means. 
 
For interns, volunteer coaches, graduate assistants, etc. aspiring to be basketball strength coaches, what advice would you give?

Find a mentor or group of mentors who consistently challenge you to be great and then grow.  

What are the three (3) biggest mistakes a basketball player makes when it comes to strength and conditioning?

1)     Utilizing lifts that do not make since for their lever system

2)     Training the wrong energy systems for basketball through LSD work.

3)      Not respecting/understanding the value a sound training program can have on performance and injury reduction.

What are the top three (3) training tips you would give to a basketball athlete beginning a strength and conditioning program?

1)     Focus on controlling you own bodyweight before adding an external load

2)     Make sure you train 3 dimensionally

3)     Try to incorporate soft tissue work into your program on regular basis

What is your training philosophy regarding in-season training? Off-season training? Pre-season training?

In-season: Continue to build strength through the early non-conference and then maintain strength in the later portion to insure maintenance of force production.

Off-Season: Restore Mobility and Stability, Increase strength to enhance force production

Pre-Season: Enhance function specific to neuromuscular demands of the sport

What areas do you address for those players that don't play significant minutes during the in-season?

The athletes who aren't in the rotation typically train and condition before our home games.   In addition to that we have instituted a 15min rule.  Athletes who do not play a minimum of 15 minutes in a competition must complete and conditioning session before the next practice.

What is your philosophy on basketball conditioning?  Some sport coaches believe in long distance training to improve basketball specific endurance?  What is your opinion?

I don't believe in LSD for basketball athletes.  I think it is counterproductive to developing the type of physical qualities desirable in basketball. I think that interval based protocols are best.

What are some of the biggest myths that still surround strength training and the basketball athlete?

Weight training affects your shooting skill.

Should female basketball players train differently than male players?

I think there are certain gender considerations that must be taken into account structurally and hormonally but at the end of the day training should be about being efficient in movement, getting strong, and developing the ability to producing force.

What assessments or evaluations do you use with your players during pre-season? Summer months?

We assess our athlete throughout the year.  Our assessments are broken into 2 categories.  The first is an orthopedic/movement screen, which involves an assessment of posture, functional movement and tissue length.  The second is a performance evaluation that assesses vertical power (jumping), speed, and agility.

Are the training requirements for a post player different than a perimeter player? How so?

Yes, Post players are required to cover less total distance within a game but typically have to jump more in comparison to guards and wings.  Additionally you must account for the differences in limb length in strength training through adjustments in rep schemes as athletes with longer lever are doing more work when compared to guards when utilizing identical rep schemes.  This in addition to the fact that larger athletes take longer to recover must all be taken into account when developing programs for different positions.

There has been a lot of debate about the squat and single leg training.  In your opinion, should basketball players squat? Year round? Only summer? Never?

I feel that is a decision that should be made on an athlete-by-athlete basis.  Some athletes structurally are not made to squat in my opinion. A good strength coach will find another way to load the lower extremity and develop strength without exposing an athlete to potentially dangerous exercises.  For those athletes that have been identified as low risk for squatting related injuries I have trained that movement year round.

Name some strength training gimmicks that basketball players and coaches should avoid?

Strength Shoes

What is the best way to develop lateral speed in basketball? Agility? First step quickness?

I don't know that there is a best way.  What has been successful for me is teaching the proper mechanics of movement in a general sense in conjunction with strength training programs that focus on developing the physical qualities necessary to yield and overcome.  As the competitive season approaches the general nature of the training becomes more specific in regards to specificity of joint angles and simulation of movements. I typically have gone through 4 phases in training movement to athletes.  1) Deceleration/ Yeilding 2) Starting Speed/strength 3) Agility (acceleration, deceleration, reacceleration) and 4) mimic function,

Players love to compete whether it's on the court or in the weight room.  How do you create a competitive environment in the weight room?

Friday is our high volume days in the weight room during most off-season phases so we challenge our guys to compete and see who can lift the heaviest loads based on what RM range is prescribed for that day (ie. 10RM, 6RM).   This is the only day we truly focus on competition in the weight room as our other days have a training objective that may be compromised by elevated volume and/or intensity due to competition.   On the other hand all of our movement training in the special preparatory block is structured to challenge the athlete to do it faster or more times than his opponent.

What methods do you use to develop explosive power?  What are your thoughts for using the Olympic lifts in your training?

Once again I think exercise selection is individual to the athlete based on body structure, training history, and their attention to details.  My preference is to utilize Olympic lifting derivatives for power development.  However, if an athlete lacks the necessary discipline and attentiveness to execute the lifts properly often times I choose different training modalities.

How do you address nutrition with your players?

We are lucky enough to have a sports nutritionist here at the University of Virginia and our strategy is to educate our athletes on healthy food choices for performance. As we make the transition here with a new sports nutritionist I have mandated that our student-athletes meet with the nutritionist once a month to discuss habits and continue education for nutrition after athletics.

What injury prevention strategies do you implement with your athletes?

Sound strength training and progressive movement training and an corrective exercise strategy that is derived from NASM, Grey Cook, and Gary Gray screening and assessment models.

What training advice would you give to a high school basketball player seeking to improve their strength and power?

Start with the basics.  Master your own bodyweight first.  Establish mobility, stability, and efficiency in fundamental movement patterns.  You will become stronger and more powerful as you build relative strength and efficiency in movement.  Once you have established that you can progress to more advanced training protocols.

Matt Herring

How and why did you get into the field of strength and conditioning?

I decided to enter the field of strength and conditioning after several years teaching and coaching middle school. I had always enjoyed coaching and training athletes, but knew I didn't have the pedigree or connections to try to become a collegiate sport coach. Because of my desire to remain in the athletics realm, I decided that strength and conditioning might be an exciting option. I knew nothing of the requirements, experience, or qualifications of a strength coach so I simply looked at job opening requirements and realized I needed certification and more importantly experience. That led me to enroll in graduate school at the University of Texas-Austin where I met Todd Wright. Todd invited me to observe his pre-season training sessions and I took full advantage. I spent that pre-season watching, learning, questioning, and probably annoying Todd until my I realized I had academic obligations as well. For the next two years Todd mentored me and provided me countless opportunities to grow and develop as a strength coach. Without his guidance and friendship, I would not be where I am today.

Generally speaking, what is your philosophy for training a basketball player? How does it differ from other sport athletes?

My philosophy would probably be labeled or categorized as "functional". I truly believe that no one's philosophy fits a particular label and that we all use elements from all philosophies, however, the functional label seems to fit best. To me, functional training involves several key concepts. The first is an understanding of how the body and all its systems truly work to create movement. This required an appreciation of kinesiology's definitions of muscle functions, i.e. the textbook action of a muscle. But it also demanded an understanding of the functional action of a muscle, something that is extremely challenging. This led to the concept of training relative to gravity, meaning in an upright, ground-based position. The next concept addressed the importance of movement vs. muscle. By better understanding how each muscle functions, I learned that no one muscle works in isolation. Therefore, instead of training muscles, I learned to train movements.  Finally, I learned the importance of training multi-planar. These basic concepts of training in an upright, ground-based position; training movements not muscles; and training multi-planar are the foundation of my philosophy.  Because human movement function is the same for all athletes, this foundation fits all the sports I train. The differences involve the movement patterns, specific physiological requirements, and desired outcomes of training.

Name some strength training gimmicks that basketball players and coaches should avoid?

The number one gimmick that I used to encountered were Jump Soles, or other strength shoes that elevate the heel to supposedly increase power. Beyond the countless research that rebuffs these claims, the stress and dysfunction that these shoes place on the foot and calf are incredible. So many important actions/reactions are initiated upon foot contact with the ground that it would be impossible to functionally train an athlete involving these shoes.

What injury prevention strategies do you implement with your athletes?

While injury prevention is impossible, injury reduction can be aided in various ways. Proper assessment is the first step in order to identify potential problems before they arise. Training multi-planar helps to avoid an over-dominance of one-plane (usually sagittal). Engaging the muscles proproceptively through all ranges of motion and all speeds is also important.
*Proprioceptively does not mean balance/unstable training, but rather that the proproceptors are getting the correct information from the exercise/movement intervention so that the brain/CNS knows how to properly stimulate muscles to cause the desired result. The "load to explode" concept best demonstrates this in that muscles are eccentrically "loaded" in order to concentrically "explode". It is this loading that engages the proprioceptors properly.
Finally, utilizing mobility exercises to address specific or general needs is also an important element to injury reduction.

Glenn Harris

How and why did you get into the field of strength and conditioning?

I originally went to Springfield College for physical therapy.  It was during my junior year that I had made the decision to focus entirely on strength and conditioning athletes.  After graduating from Springfield, I went on to Appalachian State for my master’s degree in Exercise Science.

Who in the field has influenced or helped you the most? Influence your training philosophy? What have you learned from them that you can you share?

I would have to start with Michael Boyle.  It was Michael who actually gave me my first opportunity in strength and conditioning as his first intern.  And it was during that time that I had realized that I made the correct decision to switch my major.  It was during that internship experience that I learned never to be afraid to ask questions.  In fact, one thing that I always continue to tell my interns today…Never be afraid to ask why?

I have been working in this field for a while so there have been many people who have influenced my training philosophy to what it is today.  I would have to mention Mike Kent, director of strength and conditioning at Appalachian State, who helped me during graduate school.  Also, from the academic side, I had the opportunity to learn directly from Mike Stone, now at East Tennessee State, Harold O’Bryant, Alan Utter, and others who were faculty during my time at ASU.

Name 3-5 books every basketball strength and conditioning coach should have in their library and why?

Weight Training: A Scientific Approach by Stone and O’Bryant
High-Performance Sports Conditioning by Foran
Power Eating by Kleiner

What is the last book you read and why?

Crush It! By Gary Vaynerchuk.  One of my former athletes noticed the passion that I have when I work to make athletes better.  He had read the book while he was here and gave me a copy to read as well.  It gets you fired up when you read it and makes you want to work even harder.

Generally speaking, what is your philosophy for training a basketball player? How does it differ from other sport athletes?

My philosophy for basketball, and all sports, is to improve the athletes’ strength and power through training in order to improve performance in competition.  Although the programs will change from sport to sport, my philosophy will always be the same.

What has been the biggest mistake you made as a coach when training a player?

The biggest mistake that I made was not taking into account total volume of training.  In the weight room, on the court, pick-up games; when I first started coaching, I often thought that I had to get through everything on the program in order to be successful.  After sitting down and looking at the “big picture” and all of the volume that I had these guys doing, it became obvious why I wasn’t seeing the results that I had intended on seeing.

For interns, volunteer coaches, graduate assistances, etc. inspiring to be basketball strength coaches, what advice would you give?

Intern, network, attend clinics and conferences, watch and observe, take notes, and ask questions.  Now don’t get me wrong, if you pepper me with questions during the workout then I might tell you to sit down and watch.  But there is a proper time to sit down and talk with the coach about philosophy.
Also, as the saying goes, there is a reason why you have two ears, two eyes, and one mouth.  As a young up-and-comer in the field, try to listen and watch more than speaking and telling me who much you know.

What is your training philosophy regarding in-season training? Off-season training? Pre-season training?

I have a year round training philosophy that is divided into: In-season, Off-Season, and Pre-Season.  When looking at the different phases of training, I always look at the total volume of work being done by the players.  From practice, games, strength training, etc., I have now focused on looking at the total volume of work in order to try and prevent overtraining.

When I talk to people about training, I use the pie chart analogy.  You only have one pie and you can break up the training into any number of pieces of pie but you can’t have another pie.

My in-season philosophy has a pie with a big piece dedicated to the court.  Obviously, games and practices take up a big chunk of the in-season pie, therefore the strength training workouts are shorter.  Depending on the number of days we can get into the weight room will dictate what type of weight training we will do; total body or split.

The off-season workout has more of the pie dedicated to off-court training.  Strength training and Conditioning workouts can have more volume because the volume on the court from games and practices have decreased.

The pre-season workout really is an important time.  The court workouts begin to pick up in volume and frequency so it is important to monitor that with a possible decrease in weight room volume.

What areas do you address for those players that don't play significant minutes during the in-season?

We have a 10 minute rule the next time that they come in to the weight room for a lift.  I print out the previous games box score.  If you are 10 minutes or less on minutes played, then a bike workout has to be done after the lift. 

What is your philosophy on basketball conditioning?  Some sport coaches believe in long distance training to improve basketball specific endurance?  What is your opinion?

Intervals.  The game of college basketball is a set of intervals.  Sprint…whistle…sprint…whistle.  Even if there were no whistles at all, you still would get a break every four minutes for the media.  My point is, I will have our guys do conditioning with an interval foundation.  The intervals can be set up into any time segments, but I have typically set my times up for :20, :30, or :60 sprints.  Then I will set the rest intervals accordingly.

Eric Gahan

How did you get into the field of Sports Medicine?
 
Like many in the profession of athletic training I was introduced to the world of sports medicine through my own personal injury.  I was a high school athlete that tore my ACL while playing in a football game as a sophomore in high school (1993-94).  I had all the classic signs and symptoms of a typical torn ACL, but unlike today I had no help as to what the “pop” was in my knee at the time of injury.  At a young age I became determined to find out if there was a better way for assessment of injury on the sideline of a sporting event.  I started the process of researching professions.  I started out with shadowing physical therapists.  It was interesting to see all the assessment skills and rehabilitation techniques but it lacked a certain luster I was after.  I continued with my research and came upon the profession of athletic training.  I found a local athletic trainer to go shadow and it became my passion from that day on.  I was impressed by the advanced assessment skills of the athletic trainer and also the rehabilitation skills.  The rehabilitation skills that begin at the time of injury and continue through to the return to play.  I began reading articles in the Journal of Athletic Training and visiting undergraduate institutions that supported a bachelors of science in athletic training.

Since graduating from Canisius College in 2000 with my BS in athletic training and University of Kentucky in 2002, my passion for the profession has not stopped.  I am continuously searching for new ideas and techniques that can progress me to the status of a great athletic trainer.  Most of my clinical skills come from evidence based medicine to help to make a precise and effective health care provider.  As we all know time is a valuable thing to an athletic trainer and the athletes we treat and rehabilitate.  As with everything in the health care setting my skills are constantly in the evolution process.  I like to think that I am constantly changing and adapting my assessment and rehabilitation skills to match the needs of athletes today.
 
How has your philosophy changed in the past three to five years?
 
Three areas that have changed are first my assessment of function in my initial evaluation.  In the past I tended to have an athlete lay passive on the treatment table as I went through my assessment techniques.  While palpation of anatomy is extremely valuable, and focusing in on the area of pathology, following my assessment of each athlete they rise off the table and I assess function.  Assessing for muscular dysfunction and inactivation, through several closed kinetic chain movement patterns either upper extremity, lower extremity, or an integrated upper and lower body movement.  Having the patient rise off the table and be part of the assessment is engaging for both the athlete and the athletic trainer.  Upper extremity I might see scapular dysfunction and determine an appropriate rehabilitation, while lower extremity I might detect a gluteal dysfunction that might need to be addressed with an appropriate muscular activation.

Second, I have changed my approach to the rehabilitation of the core musculature.  This change came two years ago when I attended a lecture series hosted by advisory board member Art Horne.  The lecture series brought in Stuart McGill from the University of Waterloo.  His evidence on core training was ground breaking in my mind.  After seeing Dr. McGill lecture I now had great new techniques to assess muscular activation in the core.  I also now understood we need to take an injury prevention approach through developing endurance in the core.  I cannot emphasis enough how much more successful I have been in rehabilitating the core and then developing injury prevention techniques in the athletic population through following Dr. McGill’s evidence.  Whether the patient is post surgical or fully functional the core is always assessed and appropriate activation techniques are utilized to ensure this area is never compromised.  A must read for every athletic trainer is Dr. McGill’s textbook: Low Back Disorders.  This text never acquires any dust on my bookshelf!

The last area that has changed in recent years through current evidence is my approach toward closed kinetic chain functional training.  I now use the term integrated training when reaching the final stages of rehabilitation.  I like to integrate several different systems of the human body while rehabilitating an injury.  This includes using proper muscle activation, joint and muscle range of motion, joint mobility, and balance.  This approach uses both upper and lower extremity in the process of rehabilitation.  While using both upper and lower body activation we must include the core to progress the athlete properly.  My techniques of an integrated rehabilitation can include thera-band or my favorite the Russian kettlebell.  The Russian kettlebell when incorporated properly and with proper weight for rehabilitation can be an extraordinary in incorporating all areas described in an integrated rehabilitation approach.  With proper activation of the core through integrated rehabilitation we give the upper and lower extremity a strong stable base to perform.  This also, in theory, can lead to improved time of rehabilitation, which can lead to quicker, healthier, and more efficient return to full activity of the athlete.  A valuable read for all athletic trainers to begin the process of learning the movement patterns with Russian kettlebells is: Enter the Kettlebell! by Pavel Tsatsouline.  

Please discuss your philosophy on taping/bracing.  Does this cause problems elsewhere?  What are the advantages of taping/bracing?  
 
Currently my philosophy on taping and bracing is that I implement it on each player.  In the past year I have switched to Power Tape and it seems to be holding up to the claims it made as compared to conventional taping methods.  First off, the product has evidence to prove its supportive abilities do hold up during and after athletic events.  Athletes like the product and are more compliant to come in and get taped up.  The product does hold up to a three hour practice with the most profuse sweating of an athlete, and in fact seems to have better breathe-ability for the athlete also. 
I do not believe that taping and bracing causes problems elsewhere.
I believe the advantages of taping or bracing include supporting of the ankle in an athlete with previous history of inversion ankle sprains, compressive abilities against the foot, ankle and lower leg to possibly increase the activation of the musculature in the area to help prevent or control an ankle injury better. 
 
How do you address knee pain the basketball athlete?
 
It begins with a detailed history of the injury.  Things such as when and where the pain is?  Are there specific activities of daily living that cause pain?  Are there specific athletic activities that cause pain?  Was there a specific time when you remember doing something that caused the pain to begin in the knee.  I then proceed to take a comprehensive look at the knee both orthopedic evaluation and functional evaluation.  My functional evaluation is sometimes where we get to the root of the knee pain.  I will assess ankle mobility, knee stability, hip mobility, and finally core stability all through functional movement patterns.  These areas must be working in conjunction with one another to help solve the athlete’s history of knee pain.  There may be a anterior and posterior core activation issue, that leads to improper firing of the glute complex, which causes the knee to drop in a valgus pattern, and then causes a drop in the arch of the foot.  You start at the top and address each issue and the athlete will get significantly better on the court and in life.

Devan McConnell

How and why did you get into the field of strength and conditioning?

Growing up I was a hockey player. I was always decently talented, but I was fortunate to be instilled with a great work ethic from my parents, who always preached the importance of dedication and hard work. Because of this, and my passion for the game of hockey, I was always trying to better myself.  In high school I was again very fortunate to have access to a strength and conditioning coach and PE teacher by the name of Chris Mattingly, who taught me how to train and was really ahead of his time back then.
I really enjoyed training and quickly saw how it improved my performance on the ice, and ever since I was hooked. I trained throughout my career and really had an interest in not only getting myself better, but helping my teammates improve as well. It was not until I was in college that I realized this hobby and passion that I had was a viable career choice. Up until then I never put two and two together and I was looking to get an education in Physical Therapy, although I knew I wanted to be on the performance side of things, not necessarily the rehab side.
It was at that point that I again found myself in an incredibly lucky situation, as I was invited to be an intern by Michael Boyle. I spent my junior summer learning and coaching and getting more and more passionate about strength and conditioning, and ever since then I have been completely immersed in the field.

Who in the field has influenced or helped you the most?

I have had many people influence me over the years, but by far the biggest influence on my development and career path has been Michael Boyle. I actually met him for the first time when I was 15 at the USA Hockey National Festival, however it was during my time in college when he really took on the role of mentor to me. He invited me to work as an intern at his private facility, MBSC, and ever since he has helped shape my philosophy as a coach. Things like training movements not muscles,  training athletes not sports, the importance of single leg work, and how to “speak coach” are all valuable lessons I’ve learned from Coach Boyle.
Education

What is your philosophy on basketball conditioning?

Basketball is a power, interval sprint based game. The movement patterns and work to rest ratios are very clear when you break down game film. There is absolutely no slow, endurance type action that takes place during a basketball game. Coaches who still believe steady state aerobic work is necessary to the conditioning of a basketball player are simply uninformed, naïve, or just plain stubborn and set in their outdated ways.
When performing conditioning work for the game of basketball, it is crucial to understand the energy system demands of the sport, and build your program around that. Because of this, all the conditioning work I implement with my athletes is interval based. We use different tools and different intensities based on the time of year, injury history, and other various circumstances, but we are always performing our conditioning work in an interval format.
Interval training is not only more specific to the demands of the game of basketball, but it also produces better results than steady state aerobic exercise in less time, with less joint stress, and on a wider spectrum of physiological adaptations than any other method. We can not only develop the anaerobic energy system of a basketball player with interval training, but also the aerobic system. This is not possible in the reverse order. An athlete cannot become more anaerobically trained via endurance work. Most sport coaches do not know this and have a hard time understanding the reasons behind it. 
Not only do I utilize interval training for these reasons, but also to avoid the negative impact that endurance work can have on a power-based athlete. Changes in the physiology of an athlete such as a shift towards slow twitch muscle fiber can occur, which will lead to a decrease in speed and power.  Overuse injuries are also more likely to develop due to the repetitive stress that will occur with long runs.

Should a female basketball player train differently than a male basketball player?

No, a female basketball player should not train any differently than a male player, however in   my opinion it is most male’s who should train like females. The things that are important for a female basketball player to focus on in order to be successful from a training standpoint, both when it comes to injury reduction and performance enhancement are the same variables which will help a male. Explosive power, single leg emphasis, core and lumbar stabilization, interval training. These are all areas of development which will help any athlete, whether they are male or female, or for that matter a basketball or football or hockey or lacrosse player.
Unfortunately, many males still spend the bulk of their training time worrying about one-upping their teammates on the bench press, getting as much arm work in as possible, and wasting their time and potentially setting themselves up for future back problems with spinal flexion based core work. On the other hand, most females, if they train at all, spend their time doing aerobic exercise, performing high rep-low weight “strength” work, and also focusing on spinal flexion based core work. Both groups would benefit from training in a functional manner, that is taking a look at how the body actually operates, and performing exercises which compliment and improve their ability to play the game of basketball.
Generally speaking, males need to leave the ego at the door, and females need to learn how the benefits of proper training will help them be successful, and for both groups that means training the same way- intelligently.

Charlie Weingroff 

Generally speaking, what is your philosophy for evaluating/treating a basketball player? How does it differ from other sport athletes?

To answer the 2nd question first, very simply, the answer is that my approach with a basketball player does not differ from any other sport's athlete.  This philosophy is based on the notion that we must screen and assess basic fundamental presentations of mobility and stability before negotiating strength and speed.  Certainly while important for all athletes, I think the inherent movement challenges of the tall athlete as well as one that plays basketball puts these qualities at the forefront.
The standard height of the basketball athlete typically yields a shift away from muscular stability towards passive stability of using tension of muscles, ligaments, and bones to support controlling a movement.  Given the longer segments of the spine, arms, and legs, and relatively low training age of most basketball players, the qualities of bodyweight movement far supersede those of power and agility.  Nearly all the time, improving fundamental movement patterns will be default improve the sexier qualities of vertical jump or power clean.
Coupling these natural tendencies for inefficient movement patterns, the inherent poor biomechanics of the jump shot add to the ingrained motor patterns governing the neuromuscular system.  These are the patterns that I think hold priority for my attention in evaluating/treating a basketball player.

What advice would you give for young professionals looking to follow in your footsteps?

Most people are very excited to be very good or even great at what they do.  Less strive to the be best they can be every day.  Very few strive to be better than everyone else at what they do every day they have the opportunity to impact someone.  There is a right way and wrong way to climb the ladder, but if you can manage a healthy and productive way to be better than everyone else, to be a leader in everything you do, you will automatically be the best you can be, and automatically be great.  Maybe this is theoretically impossible, but if you try, you gain everything else by default.  One thing I am not humble about is my drive to be better than everyone else.  I am clearly not the smartest, most successful, or most charismatic, etc., but leaving nothing on table allows one to be best they can be.

What is your philosophy on basketball conditioning? Some sport coaches believe in long distance training to improve basketball specific endurance? What is your opinion?

I believe the literature has reported basketball at the national level to be played at a 1:6 work:rest ratio.  This suggests for every 10 seconds of movement, there are 60 seconds of rest.  This is fairly staggering for a sport requiring such a conditioning demand.  Certainly these sport-requirements dictate an interval-based training program, or at least one that allows for very high intensities or VO2 max in the "on" interval and substantial rest in the "off" of the interval.
Given the facts that many coaches believe in long distance training, I do not force feed any specific intervals for basketball programming.  Just do intervals!  Whether it be linear patterns like ladders or 17s, etc., these are all relatively shorter distances that qualify by broad based definitions of interval training.  Perhaps I should define this as High Intensity Interval Training, recently popularized by the informal literature review from Dr. Mark Smith.  My philosophy relies of tremendous intensity followed by longer bouts of rest.  Playing with on/off times are fun, and I am more interested in the approach than the ultimate efficiency of using only certain numbers.
If at all possible, using heart rate monitors during training is my preferred approach.  I think Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is the ultimate indicator of conditioning.  This in a lay way is how quickly the body restores a resting or submaximal heart rate.  We may end an interval after 20 seconds @ a heart rate of 185, but Athlete 1 returns to 140 in 20 seconds, and Athlete 2 takes 60 seconds.  Clearly Athlete 1 is in better physical shape.  RPE can also be used to run the restart of the interval.
The beauty of this type of training is that it lends brilliantly to very respectable times in a 1 and 2 mile runs or 10 mile bike time trials, which I think have a role in motivation during pre-season testing.

Please discuss your philosophy on taping/bracing ankles. Does this cause problems elsewhere? What are the advantages of taping/bracing?

My philosophy is something is better than nothing, but it needs to be the right something.  This surely sounds confusing, so please let me explain.
There is no doubting the thought process popularized by Mike Boyle's Joint by Joint Theory that a loss of ankle mobility can foster knee pain in level changes.  These level changes would include any strength training or athletic movement requiring a drop of the center of gravity.  If a loss of ankle mobility is in the sagittal plane, this will cause an increase in anterior knee compression.  If there is a loss of ankle mobility in the transverse plane, medial knee pain is more the probability.  These instances are regardless of any taping or bracing choice.
Certainly using an external modality for stability such as taping or bracing will decrease ankle mobility and lead to knee pain.  Instances of knee pain in basketball certainly are very high.  Is it the poor eccentric control upon the landing that causes jumper's knee, or is it the lack of ankle mobility adding to joint compliance and ideal force dispersion through deceleration?
If the goal is to limit ankle sprains with the taping or bracing, we should also be quite aware that hip and core stability beget ankle stability.
But as I said, something is better than nothing.  I believe proprioception can be gained from elastic tape jobs that actually provide very little support from an osteoligamentous standpoint.  Maybe a neoprene ankle sleeve with an open heel would serve the same purpose.  I believe this proprioception at the skin level can be very useful in "increasing the speed limit" on mechanoreception to the brain in bouts of potential ankle sprains.
Less is more, but the anti-ankle sprain muscles live in the hips, not the ankles.

Brijesh Patel 

How and Why did you get into the field of strength and conditioning

This is kind of a long story, but I'll try to keep it short so I don't bore any of your readers. I was always a "bigger" kid growing up, and had trouble participating in many sports because of my disadvantageous size. I went out for football my freshman year in high school and vowed to lose enough weight so that I would have the opportunity to play more. At my peak, I weighed 225 lbs (standing in at a whopping 5'4) with probably a body-fat of 30% (and that's being generous).
I did a complete overhaul on my diet, began to exercise every day, and read anything I could get my hands on regarding training, and nutrition. I ended up going a little over board and lost 90 lbs in six months. I was then introduced to the weight-room and fell in love with it. As a high school senior, I knew I wanted to be involved in athletics in some way and what better way than athletic preparation?  I loved the prospect of training athletes for their sport and knew I wanted to be a strength and conditioning coach.

I went to the University of Connecticut and volunteered in the varsity weight room in my second week of school. I began by simply observing and asking questions and each year I gained more and more responsibility. By my senior year, I was given two teams to train and coach on my own, which was an unbelievable opportunity in itself. This worked itself into a graduate assistant position at UCONN for another year a half. Along the way I was fortunate enough to complete internships with Mike Boyle at his professional facility, and with Jeff Oliver at the College of the Holy Cross.

Who in the field has influenced or helped you the most?  Influence your training philosophy?  What have you learned from them that you can share?

There have been a number of people that have inspired and influenced me in a number of ways. I really admire all of the people that I have gotten to work with over the years, namely: Jerry Martin, Andrea Hudy, Shawn Windle, Teena Murray, Chris West, Moe Butler, Pat Dixon, Mike Boyle, Ed Lippie, Walter Norton Jr., Jeff Oliver, Liz Proctor, Charles Maka, and anybody else that I forgot.

I would also like to mention that people that have really shaped the industry and been willing to share their own knowledge: Everybody at T-Nation (Cressey, Robertson, TC, Waterbury, Shugart, Thibaudeau, Berardi, John, Cosgrove, Tate, Poliquin, King, and many others), Louie Simmons, Robb Rogers, Vern Gambetta, Mike Boyle, Paul Chek, Juan Carlos Santana, Mike Clark, Mark Verstegen, Charlie Francis (RIP), and all the other great minds and coaches in the field today.

Jerry Martin and the entire staff at UCONN taught me about organization and understanding that the athlete is more than just the body.  They taught me to train the mind and challenge my athletes mentally as well as physically.  They taught me how to create a championship type environment within training sessions.  I don't think enough coaches realize that training the mind is not only as important but sometimes more important than training the body.

Mike Boyle and his staff taught me how to look at the body more functionally.  They taught me how write programs, coach and always look for better ways to do things.  They taught me to question things and understand that there might always be a better way to do things.  They taught me how to look for dysfunctions within the body and how important it is in the development of the athlete.

Jeff Oliver taught me how to maintain balance within my life and how to truly care for your athletes.  He taught me that everybody we work with is a human being, not just an athlete.  If we attempt to make better people, we will make better athletes.  He taught me that work isn't everything and that you have to take time for yourself to ultimately do your job better.

These three different work environments have had a tremendous impact upon myself as a human being and coach.  My parents taught me the foundation of work ethic, respect and self-discipline.  Their teachings along with my work environments have influenced and shaped my philosophy to where it is currently, which is to:
1. Train my athletes with an emphasis on reducing the chance of injury
2. Train my athletes to become better athletes rather than a better basketball player
3. Educate my athletes about themselves, training, nutrition, mental toughness, discipline, work ethic, etc.

The methods and exercises may change year to year, but the underlying goals never change.  I thank everybody for giving me an opportunity to be better and I try to get my athletes to understand that they get to get better each and every day.

What is the last book I read and Why?

The last book I read was the Talent Code by Daniel Coyle and it was recommended by our Hockey Coach.  It was a very good book discussing how and why people become experts or very good at something.  It's very similar to Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell in that regards but goes more into myelin and repetition and how that lays the neural pathways to become really, really good at something.
I'm currently reading the Lone Survivor by Marcus Lutrell, which is a story about a Navy Seal and his story of survival in battle.  So far, it's been an outstanding read, especially when he describes the training that the Seal's undergo.  It puts to shame what we our athletes think is hard.  It really gives you a better idea of what the human body is capable of doing.

What are the three biggest mistakes a basketball player makes when it comes to strength and conditioning?

1. No focus on mobility/flexibility training.  Basketball athletes tend to have horrible mobility and flexibility because of the repetitive movements that they perform by playing all the time.  Full range of motion is rarely performed while playing basketball and needs to be implemented to improve joint health and longevity.  Constant repetitive movements through a small range of motion will tear up joints and lead to overuse injuries.
2. Poor selection of lower body strength movements.  Uneducated athletes will tend to use machines when performing lower body training such as the leg press, leg curls and leg extensions which doesn't adequately train the muscles to perform the way they need during sport. 
3. Running long distance for conditioning.  Again this is another poor selection by uneducated athletes and coaches.  I'm a big believer in the adage of train slow to be slow, train fast to be fast.  Running slow for a prolong distance in one direction is not what basketball athletes do and it doesn't make sense to why that should form the bulk of their conditioning.  If you're going to do a long distance run every 2 weeks or so, then it's OK, but it should not be done as the primary means of conditioning.  Basketball athletes should focus on sprints, intervals and performing a variety of different movements that occur during a game at a high intensity with rest intervals mixed in.

What assessments or evaluations do you use with your players during pre-season? Summer months?

I use the Functional Movement screen with our basketball athletes and we perform it twice a year.  The first time is after the season to assess how effective our in-season warm-ups and training were to maintain optimal mobility; it also helps me identify areas of emphasis for our post-season training and extra training that our athletes have to do.
The second time of the year is in the pre-season once my athletes return from the summer.  This is used to identify how effective our mobility work was during the season and if any movement dysfunctions were cleared.
The other test that we implement along with the FMS is a wall dorsiflexion test to measure the amount of dorsiflexion our athletes possess. We put a tape measure on the ground from the wall.  The athlete stands next to the tape and goes through closed chain dorsiflexion by pushing their knee towards the wall.  If the athlete can touch their knee to the wall by keeping their foot flat on the ground, we move them back .5 inch at a time until they can no longer maintain those standards.  I want my athletes to at least have 3 inches of dorsiflexion.

Other tests that we perform during the post-season and pre-season are the following:
a. Vertical Jump standing (countermovement)
b. Vertical Jump with Approach
c. Lane Agility
d. Free throw & ¾ Court Sprint
e. Bench Press (repetition max)
f. Max Pull-ups
g. 3, 300 yd Shuttles - all 3 have to be w/in 90% of their best time and their first shuttle must beat their previous best time.  They get 2:00 rest b/w shuttles.  This test is only performed in the pre-season.  One time is taken in the post-season; this is the time that must be beaten.

There has been a lot of debate about the squat and single leg training.  In your opinion, should basketball players squat? Year Round? Only Summer? Never?

I'm a big believer that basketball athletes should not perform bilateral squatting movements with a large degree of loading.  The things that make good basketball players (long limbs, long torsos) don't make for great squatters.  They also don't have the greatest amount of dorsiflexion which will impair the squat pattern. 

I think basketball athletes can perform isometric squats, bodyweight squats and squats with DB's, but am not a believer that they have to squat with a bar to get strong.  I've had my basketball athletes perform single leg training as their primary means of strength development since 2004 and have had great success while improving strength, power and minimizing lower body injuries. 

What's the point in only squatting for a certain part of the year? That's like saying you should only shoot and dribble in-season.  Squatting is a movement pattern and skill that needs to be practiced continuously; I think if you choose to load the pattern, you need to continue to perform the movement so you don't lose it.  I choose to bodyweight squat or perform isometrics and this is how we help to maintain this movement. 
I'm sure people will disagree, but this is what works for me and that's why we can all learn from each other.

Brendon Ziegler 

How and why did you get into the field of strength and conditioning?
After watching a strength and conditioning coach give a demonstration on a power clean my freshman year of high school I always knew this was the profession for me!

Who in the field has influenced or helped you the most? Influence your training philosophy? What have you learned from them that you can you share?
Al Vermeil, Erik Helland and Jeff Macy had profound impact while I was an intern with the Bulls.  The helped me create a great foundation to base my training philosophy on.  They taught me the importance of contiunuing education.  Teaching the athletes using a slow progressive approach to exercise progression, loading etc has been an extremely valuable tool they have given me.  The very detailed coaching style they passed to me has been invaluable.

Name 3-5 books every basketball strength and conditioning coach should have in their library.
Supertraining, Tipping Point, The Trigger Therapy Workbook

What is the last book you read and why?
The last book I read was What the Dog Saw, by Malcolm Gladwell.  I enjoy reading Gladwell's work, I was introduced to his writing by one of our Assistant Basketball Coaches, I was immediately hooked.  He has the ability to make sociology and our interpersonal relationships interesting.  Most of that stuff bores me to death, but he does make it entertaining.  I believe that most strength & conditioning coaches could stand some improvement in this area, including myself.

Generally speaking, what is your philosophy for training a basketball player? How does it differ from other sport athletes?
We train our basketball athletes by first correcting any major movement or postural flaws.  From there we build off a great work capacity base built through a foundation of muscular endurance work, med ball throws etc.  After technical mastery of the basic lifting, running and  jumping progressions we introduce load and complexity.  We have a standard of norms we want our players to hit for every phase of training.  They know where they are at and where they need to be.  The way the approach is different than other sports is the inclusion of basketball agility drills, and conditioning that is geared toward basketball. 

What has been the biggest mistake you made as a coach when training a player?
I failed early on in my career to develop a great relationship with my athletes.  I don't know who coined the term "Rules without relationships equals rebellion,"  but I think they were pretty close.  I never got to rebellion, but I think I was close a few times.

How has your training philosophy changed in the last 3-5 years?
I have a group of basketball players right now whom I am able to coach more on feel.  If they come in and tell me they don't feel good I am not afraid to back off intensity in all areas.  I am also more willing to let athletes bump their intensity up depending on how they feel.  3-5 years ago I would be very strict with the intensity and volume of my periodization.  I have learn to let go and let the athletes have more say in their training.  I have seen nothing but great results, healthier, stronger athletes.

For interns, volunteer coaches, graduate assistances, etc. inspiring to be basketball strength coaches, what advice would you give?
Vern Gambetta said it best when he said "It is easy to fatigue athletes, hard to train them."  Know the difference, avoid the former, strive for the latter.
 
 

What are the three (3) biggest mistakes a basketball player makes when it comes to strength and conditioning?
1.Not enough strength work
2. Not enough pulling work
3. Too many arm exercises!

What are the top three (3) training tips you would give to a basketball athlete beginning a strength and conditioning program?
1. Find someone who knows how to train basketball athletes and work with them.
2. Be Patient, be technically and mechanically sound before progressing in intensity and complexity.
3. Listen to your body, adjust daily activities accordingly

What is your training philosophy regarding in-season training? Off-season training? Pre-season training?
During the in-season we still train fairly heavy.  We will quickly adjust the load depending on how athletes feel.  We keep the volume relatively low but we keep the intensity moderate.  We concentrate more on pulling, they really need to keep up on pulling movements for keeping posture.  Off-season we use three phases: work capacity, strength, and strength/speed.  The athletes most master each phase before moving on.  This is exactly the way Al Vermeil did it.  During the Pre-season we introduce more conditioning, we keep the lifting and jumping fairly constant.  We do more shuttles, basketball agility drills, 110m tempo runs etc.

What areas do you address for those players that don't play significant minutes during the in-season?
In college we don't have as many games as they do in the pros.  Therefore they practice just as much as the guys who play lots of minutes, maybe even more.  So I don't add additional workouts very often for these guys.  I'd rather save them for increased intensity during the sessions of lifting we do have and greater practice intensity.  I would rather them spend time during the season working on their skill.  We will hammer out the physical qualities in the off-season.

What is your philosophy on basketball conditioning?  Some sport coaches believe in long distance training to improve basketball specific endurance?  What is your opinion?
Really the only steady state work will do is on the bike.  We do not run anything over 400m at a time.  Long distance running does not suit long levered athletes.  The bones in the foot and lower leg are just too long to handle a ton of distance.  Additionally it does not suit the metabolic demands of the sport and detracts from improving strength and power.  I would first rather make the athletes more mechanically efficient and stronger (per bodyweight), which leads to a lowered metabolic  demand, and then introduce conditioning.  Mostly we do med ball circuits, slide board, tempo runs, shuttles, agility circuits etc.

What are some of the biggest myths that still surround strength training and the basketball athlete?
You need to jump 200+ times a day.  That volume might suit you for a week or two.

Should female basketball players train differently than male players?
No.  although I think a lot of the female basketball players I see are very strength deficient.  They might need more pure strength work then men.  Also be aware that females might need to be backed down based on their bodily needs.

What assessments or evaluations do you use with your players during pre-season? Summer months?
I have gotten away from movement screening the athletes,  I used to do it with everyone.  But I realized without video taping, or having some quantifiable data it would be too subjective.  They do go through a comprehensive medical evaluation every year. When we first start warming up these players for the first time we keep an eye on ankle flexibility (dorsiflexion, pronation, supination), Hip mobility (Hip extension, Internal/external rotation), lumbar integrity, thoracic mobility, should mobility etc.  These qualities are judged every minute of every day through great coaching and exercise selection.  It would be nice to compare movement screens to gauge improvement.  We test counter movement vertical jump, standing triple jump, ground reaction time between 30" hurdles, 20 Yard sprint, 84kg bench press, pull-ups and 180 yard shuttle test that we got form Roy Williams and Jonas Sahration.  We never really test strength numbers, but we keep a running tally every week of Snatch,  Cleans, Push Press, Front Squat, RDL, Liftoffs, Military Press.  We compare these numbers to their bodyweight strength norms.

Are the training requirements for a post player different than a perimeter player? How so?
We adjust our training norms, the training goals for our players to hit, based on position and bodyweight, not height.  For example a #1 is required to jump a 32" CMVJ on a just jump mat., a #5 is required to hit 26".

What are some of the challenges you experience when training a red-shirt player?
They are red shirting for a reason,  Usually they are injured coming out of high school, academically ineligible, lack skill or lack physical abilities.  All of which will play into designing the training program.  They all carry different challenges.

There has been a lot of debate about the squat and single leg training.  In your opinion, should basketball players squat? Year round? Only summer? Never?
Absolutes are never good when designing training programs..  I try to never rule out an exercise.   I will generally front squat my players heavy year round.  I will also include single leg work and TONS of pulling movements.

Name some strength training gimmicks that basketball players and coaches should avoid?
Stay away from the Verti-max! it is expensive and ineffective.  I don't like trap bars, because they remove the anterior pull that a bar creates which results in such great thoracic area spinal erector strength.  I am also not a big fan of the speed ladder.  I don't really see that it greatly improves agility, and creates many improper leg movement patterns.

What is the best way to develop lateral speed in basketball? Agility? First step quickness?
Very loaded question, but in short.  Improve the qualities that are lacking for most it is strength, for others elastic reactive ability, for others it is improvement of motor pattern.  For some it could even be flexibility.  So it really depends, sorry for the vague answer.
 
Players love to compete whether it's on the court or in the weight room.  How do you create a competitive environment in the weight room?
I want the athletes to better themselves.  We shoot for personal records, we don't have team records.  Every time an athletes hits a PR or norm goal for the first time they are acknowledged.  If they are lacking proficiency, their teammates will let them know about it.

What methods do you use to develop explosive power?  What are your thoughts for using the Olympic lifts in your training?
Olympic lifts are the best exercises for developing power, so obviously I am in favor of them.  We use the traditional lifts along with many of the auxiliary lifts.

How do you address nutrition with your players?
If they are having trouble with energy demands or body weight we start with a food journal.  From there we will make adjustments depending on the athlete's likes and dislikes.  We are not overly scientific in this area, we keep things very simple and basic.

What injury prevention strategies do you implement with your athletes?
Injury prevention is just a factor of sound training and progression.  This could be a 100 page article, but simply put it is recognizing deficiencies in strength, flexibility, proprioception, postural imbalances and movement patterns.  Creating a program that addresses these issues is important.  I have found that strengthening players with sound movements accounts for 80% the problems.

What training advice would you give to a high school basketball player seeking to improve their strength and power?
Seek a qualified professional,  I have been doing this as my job for a while and some days I am not sure what I am doing.

 Craig Liebenson 

How and why did you get into the field of Sports Medicine / chiropractic studies?

Mainly because I felt strongly an allopathic orientation to health & disease was too focused on the disease end of the spectrum and not enough on health & wellness.

Who in the field has influenced or helped you the most? Influenced your philosophy? What have you learned from them that you can you share?

Karel Lewit & Vladimiir Janda the great Czech neurologists have had by far the greatest influence on me. They have taught me that functional pathology of the motor system holds the key to reducing pain, preventing injury & enhancing performance. Their approach focuses in the broadest sense on all structures of the locomotor system (skin, fascia, muscle, tendon, ligament, and joint). What is most important are the faulty movement patterns that are "memorized" in the CNS and lead to tissue strain.

Name 3-5 books everyone helping basketball athletes should have in their library and why?

• Stuart McGill - because it gives a ‘no-nonsene' approach to spinal biomechanics 101. Sadly a horribly misunderstood subject
• Karel Lewit - Musculoskeletal Medicine - it gives the foundation for an integrated approach to manipulation & rehabilitation
• Joanne Elphinston - Stability, Sport and Performance Movement - great illustrations of stable & unstable movements
• Vern Gambetta - Any of his books - because he know how to coach better than anyone else

What is the last book you read and why?

The Talent Code - Speaks about "how" one learns. A very rehab oriented book that teaches us that finding "correctable errors" and demonstrating how to re-model movement leads to great prowess in any physical discipline if practiced enough to make it automatic. His ideas regarding myelination of neural pathways through repitition is nothing short of revolutionary.

Generally speaking, what is your philosophy for evaluating/treating a basketball player? How does it differ from other sport athletes?

I always evaluate all athletes & patients for functional deficits. Of course in basketball the feet are very important. I pay a little more attention in them to transverse arch function. Quad dominance is a big problem for basketball players too. Posterior chain facilitation is always a key.

What has been the biggest mistake you made early in your career?

Too much emphasis on manual therapy and other passive modalities. Too much emphasis on floor exercises. Having patients attribute success to my treatment rather than to self-care.

How has your philosophy changed in the last 3-5 years?

Due to Gary Gray's influence I always try to work in functional positions first. It used to be my goal, but now it is my means too!

What advice would you give for young professionals looking to follow in your footsteps?

Study from the masters - Gray, Cook, Butler, McGill, Hewett, Falsone, etc.. Listen to your patients. Their goal is your goal. Assess function, trust it "A Priori". Perform the best functional evaluation your athletes have ever had.

What areas do you address for those players that don't play significant minutes during the in-season?

Since they are not suffering overload - instead of a band-aid approach - their in-season program can be more corrective. Almost more of an off-season mentality.

What is your philosophy on basketball conditioning?  Some sport coaches believe in long distance training to  improve basketball specific endurance?  What is your opinion?

I am a fast-twitch convert. Too much cardiovascular training can deaden the muscles. I prefer to focus on glut activation, balance reaches, & agility/speed work.

Please discuss your philosophy on taping/bracing ankles. Does this cause problems elsewhere? What are the advantages of taping/bracing?

Nearly all players will tell you they need to be taped. If it causes more knee problems only a controlled clinical trial can tell.

How do you address Low Back Pain in your basketball athletes? Can you discuss a specific case study?

I have seen numerous athletes who think they have an SI problem & needed manipulation. Most had gluteus medius insufficiency. I have also seen many players w/ sciatica. McKenzie plus Butler's sliders have been highly effective. Usually, their posterior hip capsules were tight. They needed to learn to hip hinge, maintain lumbar lordosis when in defensive posture. Lots of crab walk training.

What assessments or evaluations do you use with your players during pre-season? Summer months?

Great question. #1 is looking for quad dominance & medial collapse of the knee. Summer is more corrective. Pre-season is already almost too late to fully address muscle imbalances.

How do you address knee pain in the basketball athlete?

Check for asymetric glut medius strength/coordination. Hip rotation deficits, medial collapse of the knee. Ankle mobility issues.

There has been a lot of debate about the squat and single leg training.  In your opinion, should basketball players a squat? Year round? Only summer? Never? What would cause you to remove squatting from their program?

Don't squat if there is a serious meniscal problem. Single leg training is essential.  But, I see a lot of stupid training w/ labile surfaces before sub-talar neutral can be maintained. It is not about using balance pads or Gray's maximum excursions. Rather, it is about building stable functional capacity. How far can they go w/ good form.

Name some strength training / rehab / nutrition gimmicks that basketball players and coaches should avoid?

Unstable surfaces are overused. Focusing on sets & reps instead of quality of movement.
 
How do you address nutrition with your players?

Hydration is the key. Cut down on simple sugars & fried foods. An anti-inflammatory diet is key.

What injury prevention strategies do you implement with your athletes?

Always know what your functional deficits are. If you know your "weak link" then you know what you have to do to prevent injury. Not rocket science, but based on it.

What recovery methods have you implemented with your athletes during the season? During tournament play?

Of course massage is considered very important. But, Vojta's reflex locomotion is probably the best way to keep the body in "tune". Most people are familiar with this from Pavel Kolar's seminars.

What injury prevention advice would you give to a high school basketball player? Female basketball athlete?

Find out your "weak link". Don't lift too much. Don't run too much. Improve your agility/balance/coordination instead. Find out if you are quad dominant. Do you have medial collapse of the knee.

What pre-season screening techniques to you do with your basketball athletes?

Functional Capacity Assessment - balance, core, quad dominance, single leg squat.

What nutritional supplements or food would you recommend for someone recovering from an injury?

Fish oil
Ginger/tumeric
Limit NSAIDs
Cold-water fish/ i.e. Salmon

Coach Brian McCormick

How and why did you get into the field of strength and conditioning?

I was a basketball coach and did a number of skill clinics on the side. More and more, I saw these wannabe trainers doing things that I knew were incorrect and potentially harmful, and calling them "plyometrics" and "quickness training." The final straw was watching a "trainer" after a two-hour workout put a dozen kids next to portable bleachers and have them jump on and off the bleachers, at the same time, for 2:00; he told the parents that he was training their explosiveness. I felt he was lucky that a lawsuit did not ensue from a player missing the bleacher and crashing face first into the second row, as the portable bleachers slid along the ground every time the players landed.

At that point, I decided that it was time to broaden my knowledge base and learn more about strength and conditioning to complement my coaching and skill training so that there was a voice of reason in the marketplace. I never lifted as a high school player; there were all kinds of old wife's tales about lifting weights stunting your growth or negatively impacting your jump shot and plyometrics were viewed as dangerous. Then, my playing career essentially ended because I lacked the strength and explosiveness to utilize my skills and basketball I.Q. at higher levels of competition. If I grew up today with the prevalence of resistance training, jump training, speed training, etc., I would have been a totally different athlete and extended my career as a player because I had the technical and tactical skills - I simply never developed enough athleticism. Even when I went to a gym in high school, the trainer put me on nautilus machines and had me doing leg extensions and chest presses the whole time. I went to the same gym during the time when I was pursuing my Master's degree and credentials, and the same trainer was putting junior high school and high school athletes on the same machines, with the same "squats are dangerous" mentality. I guess I am in the S&C field because of all the negatives that I saw in the athlete development field as a player and a beginning coach, and a desire to help young athletes get past the mis-information and bad trainers to maximize their athletic development so their careers did not hit the same plateau as mine.

What are the top three (3) training tips you would give to a basketball athlete beginning a strength and conditioning program?

1) Learn to move correctly. I am amazed at the poor movement quality of basketball players and their inability to squat, lunge, bend, etc. with good technique and a full range of motion. Then, of course, they add weight to improper movement patterns or a limited range of motion and the injury cycle ensues.

2) Lift explosively.

3) Use more body weight exercises. Nobody, it seems, wants to do body weight exercises anymore. Maybe it is because athletes cannot do more than 2-3 pull-ups. I watch female D1 college basketball players who cannot do 10 push-ups. Why are you bench pressing if you cannot do a push-up correctly?

What has been the biggest mistake you made as a coach when training a player?

Not being more adamant about a player resting. I did skills training with a player who developed a hip problem. I should have been more authoritative when telling the player to rest rather than work out. The minor hip issue has plagued the player for parts of three seasons now, and was exacerbated by his college strength coach who had him squatting 250lbs before doing a functional assessment to realize that he lacked the hip mobility to squat with the right technique - so, now the hip problem is also a lower back problem. While my one hour per week of shooting likely did not worsen the hip issue, the physical toll of competing with two teams and his own practices made the small issue a big one. While it is hard for a private strength or skills coach who sees an athlete 1-2 times per week to oversee and advise a player on his entire developmental program, someone needs to guide young athletes and, in some cases, get them out of their own way. While I deferred to his father and his physical therapist, I should have been more demanding because of the trust that I had with the player, which went beyond the trust between he and his new physical therapist or his school or club coach.