notre dame college | acceleration goals

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Goals of the Notre Dame Strength and Conditioning Program

1.

Have every athlete remain injury free.

•	Ensure that each athlete performs an extensive dynamic warm-up before each bout of high intensity activity and proper flexibility stretching following same.
•	Incorporate injury prevention exercises into the warm-up before every functional strength and power session as well as within the actual session.
•	Make core strength and power the main emphasis of the Notre Dame Hounds Strength and Conditioning Program.
•	Use exercises that require each side of the body to work independently (i.e. use dumbbells, cables and single arm/leg exercises) to ensure muscle balance and the stabilization of the muscles surrounding the knees, shoulders, groin, upper and lower back, hip flexors and abdominals.
•	Further stabilize the muscles surrounding the knees, shoulders, groin, upper and lower back, hip flexors and abdominals via incorporation of implements such as balance boards, stability balls and the BOSU ball into the program.

2.

Have every athlete ready to perform at their maximum capacity for every competition.

•	Have every athlete remain as injury free as possible as outlined above.
•	Establish a strong aerobic base that will aid in the recovery of the athletes from each competition to the next, before concentrating on the anaerobic energy system which is the main energy system used during competition and aids in recovery from shift to shift.
•	Ensure that all aspects of the Notre Dame Hounds Strength and Conditioning Program is performed in an intense, competitive environment in which the athlete is positively encouraged to reach every goal and then encouraged to set a new limit.
•	Have each athlete perform an extensive dynamic warm-up before every competition that will prepare the body physically as well as heighten the body’s proprioception and kinesthetic sense.
•	After every competition each athlete will perform 10-15 minutes of low intensity aerobic activity that will flush the body of any left over lactic acid, as well as an extensive stretching program to recover and prepare the muscles and joints for the next competition.

3.

Constantly improve the maximum performance of every athlete.

•	Flexibility: Flexibility training will occur daily through stretching after each episode of high intensity activity.
•	Energy Systems: The aerobic system will be trained by performing 30 to 60 minutes of activities that are of medium to high intensity. A variety of approaches will be incorporated to keep this normally redundant and boring training mode novel and exciting (examples: cross-country running/biking, hiking, swimming, team sports). The aerobic system will be trained mostly in the off-season with some pre and in-season training and maintenance.
•	The anaerobic system will be trained considering proper sprint duration work-to-rest ratios and will be intervals of high to maximum intensity with rest periods of low to medium intensity. The activities used to train this area of the energy system will range from the traditional stationary bike to more sport specific drills that also incorporate agility, speed and quickness. On-ice/field/court training will also occur. The anaerobic system will be trained exclusively in the pre-season and in-season.
•	Strength and Power Strength and power training will be very sport specific. The exercises used will mimic the movement patterns, range of motion, joint angles, contraction types and sequential activation of muscle firing prevalent in athletics. These exercises will train the movement, not the muscle. Strength and power training will focus on the core (the muscles of the abdomen and gluteal regions), with emphasis on the legs, chest and back before working on the more distal regions of the body.
•	Strength and power training will vary throughout the year with the off-season used to increase muscle mass and strength through slower movements and longer contraction times. In the pre-season these gains will be converted to power with quick, explosive movements and short contraction times. In-season strength and power training will consist of maintaining these gains in muscle mass, strength and power.
•	Balance, Proprioception, Hand-Eye Coordination and Reaction Abilities Balance and proprioception training will occur throughout the year in all aspects of the Notre Dame Hounds Strength and Conditioning Program. It will be incorporated into the dynamic warm-up, especially before competition to warm up not only the musles and the mind but also the connection between the two. Balance and proprioception will be a large part of the strength and power area of the program as many tasks will be completed using only a single leg or implements such as balance boards, Swiss Balls and BOSU balls. Balance and proprioception will also be stressed during SAQ sessions.
•	Hand-eye coordination and reaction abilities will also form part of the SAQ sessions, with drills designed to test the athlete’s proper reactions to external stimuli. Some of these reactions will involve using the hands to manipulate objects while performing complex drills that challenge agility and quickness.
•	Coordination, Speed, Agility and Quickness The athlete’s coordination will constantly be challenged throughout the program with complex dynamic warm-up drills as well as hockey-specific strength and power drills. Speed, agility and quickness (SAQ) will be another main component of the Notre Dame Hounds Strength and Conditioning Program. It will be introduced during the off-season, trained frequently during the pre-season and maintained throughout the competitive season. The drills used in the SAQ sessions will be sport specific as they will mimic hockey movement patterns, velocities, sprint durations, work-to-rest ratios and fatigue indexes. As mentioned earlier these SAQ sessions will have the secondary benefit of improving the athlete’s anaerobic conditioning.