A lot of guys have their own training programs - whether it's hitting, throwing or lifting.
What do you do when the team's training don't align with your individual plans or meet your needs?
Do you do both as long as they don't conflict?
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Through high school succeed and most coaches won’t bother the player. In college, the player better follow the program. The coach has too many talented options.
My 2022 did/does the last option to placate the HS coaches. All of the seniors and a few juniors on his team have committed to play at D1 to D3 schools. They all do that, while I personally do not like it but I understand it given the quality of external training that is available and the rigidity of coaches. For college, my kid did discuss the training with both the coaches and players on his visit. There was some flexibility on this but it needed approval from the coaches
I have a friend whose son is now wrestling with this in college. He's a freshman and an avid lifter. The team has a program with the S&C coach who handles all athletes across all sports. But the program is light compared to what the kid is used to doing. And, the baseball coach doesn't want kids doing stuff on their own - even if it's on their time when in school.
My son's freshman year the coach wanted all the kids working out together at the school gym. He gave everyone a workout plan. Most of the kids were also going to world class trainers and facilities as there are a bunch of them here (Cressey for example is less than 5 minutes from school). A bunch of kids were getting sore or injured from his workouts and he finally agreed to let the team do their own workouts but they had to send him videos or pictures to prove they were working out daily.
@Francis7 posted:I have a friend whose son is now wrestling with this in college. He's a freshman and an avid lifter. The team has a program with the S&C coach who handles all athletes across all sports. But the program is light compared to what the kid is used to doing. And, the baseball coach doesn't want kids doing stuff on their own - even if it's on their time when in school.
Per RJMs post, if you want to play college baseball I would not go against the wishes of the college coach unless he can get a S&C waiver from the college coach. I think it is a fair ask, but be prepared for the answer you don't want to hear.
JMO.
This fall, my son's coach tried to include a strength and conditioning piece into their baseball class. The problem is that a majority of the players already work out with a strength coach in town who trains a large population of the high school athletes from the area high schools. So the kids were just doing minimal work or standing around during the s&c part of baseball class. When he asked a few of the team leaders why no one was taking it serious, they all told him they are waiting for class to be over so they could go work out with the other strength coach. Right after, coach killed that part of baseball class and used that part for more batting practice work and conditioning.
My son's school was not a powerhouse, and we don't have a ton of outside training options. Some players trained at our baseball facility, or at other gyms. There are no baseball classes either, although most of them take the weightlifting class where they are given (supposedly) baseball-specific workouts. One year someone (not sure if it was coach, assistant coach, or players) decided they wanted to have optional sessions before school in the winter. Everyone showed up except one kid, a "team leader", who said he did a lot of weight training on his own and didn't need this. Did not leave a good impression among his teammates.
I'm so glad my son's school doesn't do the before school workouts. There was talk of it last year but I believe the AD shut it down before it could gain traction. He has a rigorous course load and is usually up late studying. Losing an hour or two of sleep would not be good. The workouts he gets with the trainer/gym are likely much better for him.
Most of the schools around here are doing those workouts.
@TerribleBPthrower posted:I'm so glad my son's school doesn't do the before school workouts. There was talk of it last year but I believe the AD shut it down before it could gain traction. He has a rigorous course load and is usually up late studying. Losing an hour or two of sleep would not be good. The workouts he gets with the trainer/gym are likely much better for him.
Most of the schools around here are doing those workouts.
Our high school baseball program had pre school workouts for multi sport athletes or kids who worked after school. Freshman year my son didn’t dare not go. He was in the weight room at 5:45am. Then he had school, soccer or basketball, then dinner and homework. As much as he loved basketball (more than baseball) he was a little relieved soph year when he was cut for not attending any offseason optional workouts or playing in a summer league. So, what did he do? He became the punter for the football team after soccer games. His attitude was he would be at the game either way.
I had told my son entering high school he may have to drop a sport. Soccer was his best sport. Basketball was his favorite sport. He knew it was baseball over basketball most likely to take him the highest at the next level.
His favorite sport was the one in season until he got to high school and realized baseball had to be a year round training effort regardless of playing other sports.
Son's coach has said something about an off season workout beginning soon. Our son trains at a baseball-centric facility and uses a specific training plan. He can go to the school workouts as long as the coach lets him do his own program. The workout program is on an app on his phone so that makes it easy for the coach to see the program and not think the kid is just winging it!
@TerribleBPthrower posted:I'm so glad my son's school doesn't do the before school workouts. There was talk of it last year but I believe the AD shut it down before it could gain traction. He has a rigorous course load and is usually up late studying. Losing an hour or two of sleep would not be good. The workouts he gets with the trainer/gym are likely much better for him.
Most of the schools around here are doing those workouts.
I think it really depends on one's situation. I do understand that some kids may have better training options outside of HS baseball, but for the majority this isn't the case. Kids that are at the bottom of the pack (and even middle of the pack especially at larger schools) better think long and hard about not attending an early morning workout. They better make sure they aren't making excuses as to why they aren't waking up early with the rest of the team. Having the ability and/or making the choice to show-up, when many do not, is a true separator. This goes a long way in building trust and team chemistry.
Optional workouts may work at small colleges. I cannot imagine a player walking into a D1 and even asking. P5 s have a S&C just for baseball. No options. Most have a rule if you don’t do it right they kick you out of workouts which is not good.
as a HS coach, I never required team lifting but I did require preseason throwing. No exceptions.
@Francis7 posted:I have a friend whose son is now wrestling with this in college. He's a freshman and an avid lifter. The team has a program with the S&C coach who handles all athletes across all sports. But the program is light compared to what the kid is used to doing. And, the baseball coach doesn't want kids doing stuff on their own - even if it's on their time when in school.
There are other ways accomplish desired goals, it depend on one's position.
"He is a avid lifter", is it safe to assume he is a position player?
Option A - Talk to the coach, compare plans (one size does not fit all), maybe the coach will allow supplemental within reason.
Option B - Go along with the program
Option C - Transfer to a school that meets your needs.
It's tough, especially depending on the program. Team training should have plenty of individuality to it, depending on position, skill, injury history and so on. For example, if someone's knees are sore and they're suppose to be doing back squat, they should be able to switch to front. Autoregulation should be built into the program. Things like, a 3rd baseman shouldn't always be training the same way a PO is.
There's plenty of coaches that want to put input into the weight training when they don't have the background to do so. But I don't really have a good answer.
I think the best would be if a coach offered a voluntary team strength training but before season there is a strength and fitness test for every player.
That way he can track if the players who did their own stuff did progress like the other guys.
