Are high school athletes prepared for collegiate sport competition?
By Jake Siebert, Notre Dame’s strength and conditioning coach
A recent study (October 2014) in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research surveyed 195 Division-I college strength coaches and asked them, “Are high school athletes prepared for collegiate sport competition?”
Strength and conditioning coaches generally stated that incoming freshmen lack lower-extremity strength, overall flexibility, and core as well as proper Olympic lifting technique. The coaches also said that many athletes lacked the mental toughness to endure college sport training in addition to claiming that many also lacked knowledge of correct nutrition and recovery principles.
This strongly suggests that incoming college freshmen are not very well-prepared.
The main focus of the training I have implemented at Notre Dame Prep has been on lower-body strength and power in preparation for Olympic lifting. By having a concentration in these areas, it is benefiting our student-athletes to help them be prepared for the demands of not only high school athletics, but for the collegiate level as well. In order to make sure our athletes are well prepared at any level, it is very beneficial and advantageous for them to attend NDP strength and conditioning sessions on a regular basis.
Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.