Marine Corps Leadership Core Values

 A.     CORE VALUES.

1.      HONOR.  The bedrock of the Marine Corps’ character.  The quality that guides Marines to exemplify the ultimate in ethical and moral behavior; never to lie, cheat, or steal; to abide by an uncompromising code of integrity; to respect human dignity; to have respect and concern for each other.  The quality of maturity, dedication, trust, and dependability that commits us to act responsibly; to be accountable for our actions.

2.      COURAGE.  The heart of our core values, courage is the mental, moral, and physical strength ingrained in Marines and Sailors to carry them through the challenges of combat and the mastery of fear; to do what is right; to adhere to a higher standard of personal conduct; to lead by example, and to make tough decisions under stress and pressure.  It is the inner strength that enables a us to take that extra step.

3.      COMMITMENT.  The spirit of determination and dedication within members of a force of arms that leads to professional mastery of the art of war.  It leads to the highest order of discipline for unit and self; it is the ingredient that enables 24-hour-a-day dedication to Corps and Country; pride; concern for others; and an unrelenting determination to achieve a standard of excellence in every endeavor.  Commitment is the value that establishes the Marine as the warrior and citizen others strive to emulate.

The Marine Corps Leadership System

The United States Marine Corps subscribes to the notion that leaders are made, not born. There are three fundamental categories that every Marine is instructed in: leadership objectives, leadership traits and leadership principles.

There are two leadership objectives. The primary objective of Marine Corps leadership is mission accomplishment. This requires a goal-oriented approach. A leader must identify long-term goals for the team and the short-term steps the organization needs to take to achieve those goals. The secondary objective of Marine Corps Leadership is troop welfare -- which can also be described as team welfare or individual welfare. This objective requires empathy on the part of the leader to make sure that the needs of those in the team are looked after. These objectives may be the result of a research program conducted by Ohio State University to identify the functions of leaders where the functions were categorized into initiating structure leadership functions and consideration leadership functions (Schultz & Schultz, 1994). There are 14 traits to which all Marines are encouraged to aspire: They are judgment, justice, dependability, integrity, decisiveness, tact, initiative, enthusiasm, bearing, unselfishness, courage, knowledge, loyalty and endurance. Marines are encouraged to exhibit these traits and are judged on their ability to do so.

OUTLINE.  Leadership is intangible, hard to measure and difficult to describe.  Its quality would seem to stem from many factors.  But certainly, they must include a measure of inherent ability to control and direct, self-confidence based on expert knowledge, initiative, loyalty, pride and sense of responsibility.  Inherent ability cannot be instilled, but that which is latent or dormant can be developed.  Other ingredients can be acquired.  They are not easily learned.  But leaders can be and are made.

LEADERSHIP

Be Clear

Define your character

The most elite athletes know who they are and what they believe in. they have done the hard work of thinking deeply about the attributes they want at the heart of their life.

 This kind of inner work takes time, & it is done in solitude.

What do you stand for? What core beliefs do you want guiding your life? What attributes do you want engraved on your heart? What kind of brother do you want to be for your unit?

The quality of your inner work determines the quality of your outer work.

Be intentional

Own your character

Behave in a way that shows your Unit they can count on you. Give your teammates repeated experience that shows they can trust you.

Recognize & respond to the Defining Moments when your character and integrity matter most.  These are the events & situations when there is the greatest temptation to compromise your character & core beliefs. When faced with a challenging situation, press pause & ask yourself: “What do my core beliefs tell me to do? What does this situation require of me?”

You build character by repeated acts of courage. By doing the difficult right, not the easy wrong. You become what you choose. When you choose to do what is necessary but difficult, you get stronger. When you compromise & choose shortcuts, you get weaker.

When it gets difficult & you need to reach deep for inner strength, what you will find within you is what you have built within you.

Be Accountable

Pay attention to your character

Have people in your life who tell you the truth & hold you accountable. Everyone needs a truth teller in their life-- someone who is real. Who gives them honest feedback, who them accountable for their actions. Be accountable to your teammates. Follow through on your commitments.  If a teammate challenges you, respond with character.

Be careful who you hang out with. Beware of people who flatter you and tell you how great you are. Stay close to your brothers.

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are nothing but lies.”

Proverbs 27:6

THANKS FOR THE INFO PROVIDED BY BRADY COLLINS - DIRECTOR OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING CINCINNATI BEARCATS

OVERLOAD PRINCIPLES

OVERLOAD

“A PRINCIPLE OF TRAINING DESCRIBING THE NEED TO INCREASE THE LOAD OR INTENSITY LEVEL OF EXERCISE IN ORDER FOR AN ADAPTATION OF A SYSTEM TO OCCUR”

THE GOAL OF PHYSICAL TRAINING IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHYSIOLOICAL SYSTEMS OF THE BODY (MUSCULAR, CARDIOVASCULAR, ETC.). PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT IS AN ADAPTATION TO INTENSE PHYSICAL WORK. THE WORKLOAD (INTENSITY) OF THE EXERCISE MUST BE SUFFICIENT, WHERE THE SYSTEM BEING TRAINED IS STRESSED BEYOND ITS CURRENT CAPACITY. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO EXPERIENCE AN ADAPTATION, ALSO KNOWN AS “TRAINING EFFECT” OR “RESULTS”.

PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD

THE OVERLOAD PRINCIPLE DICTATES THAT ONCE A SYSTEM HAS ADPATED TO A WORKLOAD, THAT WORKLOAD MUST BE INCREASED, PROGRESSIVELY, IN ORDER FOR CONTINUAL ADAPTATION TO OCCUR.

(CONTINUAL ADAPTATION IS POSSIBLE ONLY TO THE POINT OF FULL GENETIC POTENTIAL).

RECOVERY FROM OVERLOAD

ADAPTATIONS TO EXERCISE-INDUCED STRESS OCCUR DURING RECOVERY FROM TRAINING, NOT DURING THE TRAINING ITSELF. THEREFORE, THE OVERLOAD PRINCIPLE DEMANDS AN ADEQUATE PERIOD OF SYSTEM RECOVERY BETWEEN TRAINING SESSIONS. LACK OF ADEQUATE RECOVERY WILL SPOIL PRODUCTIVE WORKOUTS AND HINDER DEVEOPMENT.

VARIETY OF OVERLOAD

IN SPORT, THE BODY FUNCTIONS AS A UNIT. THEREFORE, THE ENTIRE BODY, AND ALL OF ITS PHYSIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, SHOULD BE TRAINED REGULARLY, THROUGH A WIDE RANGE OF TRAINING EXERCISES AND MODALITIES

REVERSIBILITY

“A PRINCIPLE OF TRAINING THAT DESCRIBES THE TEMPORARY NATURE OF A TRAINING EFFECT; PHYSICAL ADAPTATIONS TO TRAINING ARE LOST WHEN THE TAINING IS REMOVED”

A SYSTEM WILL ONLY MAINTAIN A LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT NECESSARY TO ACCOMMODATE THE LEVEL OF STRESS IMPOSED. THEREFORE, THE STRESS (THE EXERICISE) MUST OCCUR REGULARLY, WITH APPROPRIATELY PLANNED PERIODS OF RECOVERY, IN ORDER TO AVOID A “DE-TRAINING” EFFECT, WHERE THE MUSCLE OR SYSTEM REGRESSES TO THE PRE-ADAPTIVE STATE.

SPECIFICITY

“A TRAINING PRINCIPLE INDICATINGTHAT THE ADAPTATION OF A TISSUE IS DEPENTANT ON THE TYPE OF TRAINING”

A SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP ONLY IF THAT SYSTEM IS STRESSED. ALTHOUGH THE MUSCULAR, CARDIOVASCULAR, AND NEUROLOGICAL SYSTEMS ARE ALL AFFECTED BY ANY TYPE OF TRAINING, EACH SHOULD BE SPECIFCALLY TARGETED DURING THE TRAINING REGIMEN IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE ITS DEVELOPMENT. SPECIFIC SPORT MOVEMENTS MUST BE PRACTICED REGULARLY IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THOSE DISTINCT SKILLS. MODIFICATION OF THESE MOVEMENTS (SUCH AS ADDING WEIGHT TO A SPECIFIC SPORT MOVEMENT) WILL ACTUALLY HINDER THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT SKILL.

“WOLF’S LAW”

“THE STRUCTURES OF THE HUMAN BODY CONFORM SPECIFICALLY TO THE INTENSITIES AND LOCATIONS OF THE STRESSES TO WHICH THAT ARE REGUARLY SUBJECTED”

COURTESY OF THE 2012 MINNESOTA VIKINGS TRAINING MANUAL

WHY SLEEP IS IMPORTANT

Why Do ATHLETES Need Sleep?

1. Restore Muscle Growth

2. Protein Synthesis

3. Soft Tissue Repair/Stimulates Healing

4. Growth Hormone is Released

5. Chance to clear Adenosine (by products of brain cellular activity)

6. Boosts cognitive function (reaction time/hand eye coordination)

How Much Sleep Do ATHLETES Need?

1. 8-10 uninterrupted hours of sleep per day, dark quiet, cool temperature

2. 20 hours of sleep deprivation negative impact on academic and athletic performance

3. Sleep Debt: Negative Effect on cognitive function, mood, reaction time

What are the Effects of Lack of Sleep?

 1. Results in decrease of metabolism of glucose, slower storage of glycogen (ENERGY)

2. Level of Cortisol Increases stress hormones that can slow down healing, increase the risk of injuries, and worsen memory. It also lowers levels of growth hormone that helps repair the body.

 3. Effects decision making and reflexes. Studies have shown that athletes who don't get enough sleep are worse at making split-second decisions.

 4. Weakening of Immune Systems

 5. Memory Issues

 6. Depression

 7. Could Prevent an athlete fromresponding to heavy training and lead to overtraining and/or injury.

Tips for Quality Sleep (REM)

1. No caffeine

2. Turn off TV or bright lights.

3. Go to bathroom before bed. Can't sleep after 45 minutes. Read for 15 minutes and return.

4. Power Naps 20-30 minutes in afternoon. Any longer, than 30 minutes and you become sluggish

Cultivate Discipline Through Uncomfortable Situations

You will experience both comfortable and uncomfortable situations throughout your entire life. It’s human nature to strive for placing ourselves in comfortable situations, but uncomfortable situations are the key to growth. This is where you’ll experience unpleasant feelings, worries, difficulty, and uncertainty. These feelings won’t stick with you forever, but the discipline you gain from working through the uncomfortable situation will. You will never grow personally and professionally if only experience comfort. Uncomfortable situations are where you’ll gain expertise and learn discipline. 

Early on in your strength and conditioning career, you’ll most likely accept unpaid internships. This can lead to a certain level of discomfort because you’re putting your time and resources towards something for no monetary gain. This feeling of financial discomfort is the key to your continued growth. I experienced this same discomfort at the end of my college junior year when I realized my goal of becoming a collegiate strength and conditioning coach. The discomfort started when I moved 12 hours away to a place I had never been for a collegiate strength and conditioning internship. I didn’t know a single person. I wasn’t being paid. I had to move into an apartment with people I had never met before where I later found a bedbug infestation in my room. This experience was no where near easy, but it did force me into a series of uncomfortable events that lead to a more disciplined way of coaching and living. This discipline made me into the coach I am today. 

Another sure-fire way to gain discipline is by coaching a variety of sports with male and female athletes. I’ve coached everything from woman’s volleyball to men’s wrestling and it’s taught me to think quick on my feet and adjust techniques. One of the great things about this field is the ability to create programing in a multitude of ways. The key to success is stepping out of your comfort zone to learn new information that will better your team and expand your coaching abilities.

Dealing with uncomfortable situations in your career aren’t the only experiences that will lead to growth. Similar situations in your personal life will also shape what type of coach you will be. The main personal experience for me was the death of my father. I lost him during my freshman year of college. My father was there to support me at sporting events and always offered advice when it came to football and wrestling techniques. Losing him meant that I had to grow up fast and develop a discipline that is oftentimes only learned from a father. This is one of the main reasons I believe wholeheartedly that discipline is an essential trait you must form as a coach. 

Discipline is a word you’ll hear often if you’re an athlete on my team. From moving to a different state, to coaching a new sport, or trying a new strength routine, they all require discipline. These can all turn into uncomfortable situations which will force you to grow. These situations are all a part of the bigger picture. When hard times come and adversity strikes, you won’t give up. You’ll chose the best solution, not just the easy one. These hard times will not only come during the season, but also in the offseason where you can assist your athletes in growing stronger and better.

Building this strong foundation in the offseason is not easy for coaches or athletes. There will be early mornings that consist of brutal workouts followed by late nights. Your body will be uncomfortable, and your mind will beg to slip into a complacent mode, but that’s not where growth happens. You must have the discipline physically and mentally to stay dedicated to individual and team growth. This is where exponential gains are made and how you will prepare for the season’s stressors. Through discipline and growth, your athletes will become more engrained as a team. 

Your next challenge is helping your athletes to realize discipline is not a punishment, but rather a shift in behavior. The recipe for discipline as a collegiate athlete isn’t complicated. Set your goals and figure out what actions are going to help you reach those goals. Two things to remind your team of is that lack of sleep and filling your body with the wrong fuel won’t assist them in achieving goals. This will lead to decreased performance and leave you wondering why you would minimize your performance just to be like everyone else. 

You will encounter many challenging situations in your life and if you handle them correctly you will leave them as a more disciplined coach. Show your team what discipline looks like and that in turn will lead them to trust you. Each athlete will leave a more disciplined version of themselves and in turn a higher performing athlete. Hold them all to this standard and the art of discipline will spread throughout the team.

Isaiah Myers 

Associate Athletic Performance Coach 

UNC Pembroke

THE "WHY" ON HYDRATION AND HOW IT RELATES TO PERFORMANCE

WHAT IS HYDRATION?

•The condition of having adequate fluid in the body tissues.

What is water and why is it important

•Chemical compound H2O

•Vital compound for ALL LIVING MATTER, needed for survival

•Water covers 71% of Earth’s Surface

•Only 2.5% of Earth’s Water is freshwater

•Water composes 70% of BODY WEIGHT

•Water accounts for 75 % of MUSCLE MASS

•Water accounts for 80% of Brain Mass

Why is hydration important?

•Necessary for cardiovascular performance

•Crucial for thermoregulatoy functions

•Body cannot function properly without it

What is dehydration?

•An abnormal depletion of body fluids/sweat loss not compensated by fluid intake

•80% of the normal population is in a dehydrated state

•Dehydration causes muscle cramps and muscle pulls

•Dehydration increases ones risk for heat illness; heat exhaustion and life threatening heat stroke

•Heat illnesses risks are greater in hot, humid weather

•Dehydration at greater than 2% of BW can impair athletic performance

•As you sweat, your blood and organs will pull fluid from your muscle

•Severe dehydration can also lead to Rhabdomyolysis

What are the signs of dehydration?

•Thirst / Dry Sticky Mouth

•Dark Urine Color

•Weakness

•Sunken Eyes

•Mental Changes(trouble focusing, light headaches, dizziness)

•Racing Heartbeat

•Stop Sweating

What are the consequences of dehydration?

•Increase in Core Temp during physical activity - .15 to .20 degrees C  for every 1% of BW lost

•Core temp strain that influences a greater cardiovascular strain, rise in heart rate by 3-5 BPM for every 1% BW lost

•Further Injury to musculoskeletal system includes glycogen dehydration, elevation muscle temp, increased lactate levels.

•Research shows dehydrated athlete has 2% strength decrease / 3% power decrease / 10% high intensity decrease

•Dehydration can lead to decrease in brain volume and you may be more susceptible to concussions

•During intense exercise with dehydration of active muscle. Water decline of 1.2% for each 1% decrease in BW

•Explosive athletes with more muscle glycogen/ mass need more H2O to metabolize the glycogen (rocket fuel)

•Dehydration leads to a 1.2% decrease in active muscle volume(size) for every 1% decrease in BW, increasing injury potential

What are championship hydration practices?

•Pre Event

•75% of BW in Fluid oz.’s, non-carbonated, non -alcoholic, non -caffeinated

•Goal: begin exercise fully hydrated with normal electrolyte levels

•Eat fruits/veg with high H2O content

•Salty foods to retain fluid and stimulate thirst

•“Hydrate” steadily throughout day

What are championship hydration practices?

•During Event

•Goal: prevent hydration (> than 2% of BW from H2O loss) excessive changes in electrolyte balance

•Fluid replacement 3-8 oz range 0-8% carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage(G2/Gatorade) every 10-20 minutes

What are championship hydration practices?

•Goal: fully replenish any fluid and electrolyte deficit from practice / workout

•Consume 20 ozs for every LB lost from practice/workout

•Athlete must consume these fluids within 6 hours of practice/workout

•H2O is effective… sports drinks AND food consumption help replace electrolytes because of NA and Cl lost

•Avoid caffeine and alcoholic beverages… cause rapid dehydration

•For Example: if you lose 3 lbs from a practice. Drink 3 Gatorade bottles before you leave facility 

Hydration Summary/Dehydration Prevention?

•Practicing or training in an under hydrated state will negatively affect performance

•If you’re thirsty, it is too late

•Rise in Core Temp, early fatigue, and decreased performance are some factors in a dehydrated state

•H2O is primary method of re-hydration, sports drinks can be utilized to maintain electrolyte balance

•Hydration is beneficial for performance as well as physiological functions

•Hydrate before bed, hydrate after urination at night, hydrate 1st thing in morning

•Fruits and vegetables help hold fluids in body

•Carbohydrates (pastas, rice, grains, bread) also help to hold fluids

•Check URINE COLOR CHART or HYDRATION BOARD to insure proper hydration levels

AN INSIDE LOOK ON IN-SEASON TRAINING FROM THE CFP BOUND CINCINNATI BEARCATS

Thanks Coach Collins for sharing this great information on in season traning. A great inside look from one of the best teams in the land!

In-Season training is probably my favorite time of the year. Sure, we all love the intense, hard-core off-season workouts that push our student-athletes both mentally and physically, but nothing beats the approach we take for our guys during the rigors of a collegiate football season.

           TIME - I learned a long time ago that TIME is the “MOST NON-RENWEABLE RESOURCE”. That means that WE cannot WASTE ANY TIME! It is the most precious thing in the whole world, because you can NEVER get it back. What you do with that TIME is what will MAXIMIZE not only your student-athletes, but your entire program.

           In the off-season we are blessed with a lot of TIME. There’s no practices, no individual meetings, no film sessions, just total Mind-Body-HEART development! Obviously with an “In-Season” schedule, you throw all of those demands on their plate, on top of figuring out a way and TIME to have them continue to train and develop. Student-athletes already have an extreme amount of stress in their lives; mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, socially, you name it-it’s out there. The last thing we want to do is add any extra stress to our guys, so the approach we take is something that I know works BEST for each of our guys.

IN-SEASON GOALS

·       Train SMART & HARD

o   Our primary focus is to physically and mentally prepare our student-athletes to go perform at an ELITE level—TRAIN TO WIN!!

·       Perform Recovery: Thru workouts and pre & post practices

o   Foam Roll

o   Body Tempering

o   Band Stretches

o   Cold / Hot Tubs

o   Float Tanks / UV Beds

o   HYDRATION

·       Sound Nutrition Plan

o   Pre & Post Workout and Practice Recovery Shakes and Smoothies

o   Fueling Station

o   Training Table / Cafeteria

o   Individualized Plans for certain guys

o   Weekly Nutrition Meetings

o   HYDRATION

·       REST

o   Promote 8-12 Hours of Sleep / Room temperature set to 68 degrees

·       GET STRONGER!!!

o   We don’t want to “maintain” strength, we want to continue to develop and IMPROVE our strength as the demands of the season increase

·       ATTACK THE WORKOUTS

o   MENTALLY prepared and DISCIPLINED

o   Maintain Bodyweights

o   Redshirt / Development Guys = GET BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER, TOUGHER!!

IN-SEASON SCHEDULE

·       Saturday: Game Day = WIN!

·       Sunday: Travel Guys / Played in the game = TOTAL BODY LIFT

o   Primary Movements: NECK, Clean Pulls, Squat, Incline Bench

·       Monday: Non-Travel/Developmental = TOTAL BODY LIFT

·       Tuesday: Practice

·       Wednesday: ALL LIFT – Upper Body Emphasis

o   Primary Movements: Neck, High Pulls, DE Box Squat + Bench Press

o   Practice

·       Thursday: Practice

·       Friday: Non-Travel/Developmental = TOTAL BODY LIFT

Wednesday is our BIG day. The Non-Travel/Developmental guys will train early in the morning, and then the Travel guys schedule a time with us and come in for 1-1 training. Sometimes there could be another athlete with them, but we schedule our guys around their personal schedules so that we do not add any extra stress and demands to their daily routines. In my opinion, it is the absolute BEST thing for those athletes individually, and for our program. We can train our guys 1-1 and can make any adjustments or modifications to that individual if need be. It’s also great because we can continue to build and strengthen our relationships that we have with our athletes.

LOWER BODY PROGRESSIONS

·       Sunday = SQUAT

o   4x3 @ 65%

o   5x2 @ 70%

o   5x2 @ 75%

o   4x2 @ 75%

o   4x1 @ 77%

o   DELOAD WEEK = 4x5 @ 50%

§  We are fortunate to make any adjustments and modifications to our athletes if need be via Leg Press, Leg Extension/Leg Curl, Pit Shark, MVP, etc.

§  We will also perform 3x5 BB RDL’s on this day – but can substitute DB or Band Good Mornings as well.

·      Wednesday = DYNAMIC BOX SQUAT

o  4x2 @ 55%

o  4x2 @ 55% + CHAINS = on the backend of the season

§  BIGS (OL-DL) Guys will perform 2x5 RDL’s on this day, and our BIG SKILL and SKILL guys will perform either BB RDL’s OR Band Negative Hamstring 2x5.

UPPER BODY PROGRESSIONS

·       Sunday = INCLINE BENCH (with a small block OR Hammer Machine)

o   4x6

o   4x5

o   4x4

o   4x3

o   4x6,4,3,2

o   DELOAD WEEK = Lighter Loads OR Log Bar Incline Press

§  We will also perform 4x of Lat Pulldown’s OR Pull-Up’s on this day, with our emphasis always stressing +1 rep than what were pressing. We will also add 4x BB, DB, or Ham Machine Shrugs.

·      Wednesday = BENCH PRESS

o   4x5 @ 77%

o   4x4 @ 80%

o   4x3 @ 85%

o   5x2 @ 87%

o   6x1 @ 90%

§  Once our percentages get ABOVE 80% - we will add a BENCH BLOCK for our BIGS and BIG SKILL guys. This will accommodate those heavier loads by reducing the range of motion, and alleviating any extra stress put on the athlete.

§  BIGS are always grinding in the trenches against one another during practices and on game day, so this is safe accessory way to continue to build their strength.

o   DELOAD WEEK = Log Bar Bench Press 5x2 @ lighter loads OR DB, Hammer Chest Press

§  Just like with our routine on Sunday’s, we will superset our Bench Press with 4x Hammer Rows, or DB, Cable Rows. Our emphasis will still be to hit +1 more rep than our pressing or match the reps. Shrugs will also be included during the superset.

§  We will also add some accessory movements in after the primary lift. Usually it consists of a couple rounds of Push-Up variations (BIGS x 10, BIG SKILL x 15, SKILL x 20) superset with some Band, DB, or Cable Shoulder/Deltoid work.

WARM-UP / PRE-HAB PROTOCOLS

           We don’t just simply walk in the weight room and get going – you MUST have a proper and thorough warm-up / pre-hab routine for your guys when they come into the weight room. A great warm-up will set the tone for the rest of the workout. Below are just some of the following protocols we use within the week for our warm-up / pre-hab:

·       MB Slams & Jams

·       MB, Plate, BW Abs

·       Quick Feet Hops

·       Hurdles

·       Jump Rope

·       Stick Stretch

·       Band Hip Up N’ Outs / Clams / “Saquons” = Glute-Groin-Hip

·       Proprioception

·       Band Good Mornings

·       Band External Rotations

·       FacePulls

·       Plate Squeeze

·       Band Rear Delt

·       Deadbugs + Quadripeds

·       TRX I’s, Y’s, Rows

·       Band Shoulder Stretches

·       Kneeling Hip Mobility Circuit

NON-TRAVEL / DEVELOPMENTAL GROUP:

This group will train 3x a week: Monday-Wednesday-Friday. The workouts are very similar to the TRAVEL guys, but we will obviously increase the intensity and add some more accessory lifts to the workouts.

As I stated earlier, In-Season Training is my favorite time of the year. The intensity is still the same, our coaching styles and philosophies are still the same, but we know what the ultimate end goal is: PERFORM AT AN ELITE LEVEL ON SATURDAYS. The only way we can do that is to continue to strengthen both their bodies and minds and help keep them healthy. A collegiate football season is NOT EASY. There’s going to be up’s and down’s, outside and inside stressors, injuries, soreness, etc. That’s why one of our Core sayings around here is, “DURABILITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ABILITY.” No doubt we all love when a kid makes a great run and busts thru for a long touchdown. But does that athlete have the strength, the endurance, the TOUGHNESS to do it not just one time, but every quarter? For the entire season? It’s a tough task, but through SMART-HARD-TOUGH training and education on taking care of their bodies with recovery protocols, it can be done.

I’ve been very fortunate to have been around some of the greatest strength coaches in this business: Ray “Rock” Oliver, Ted Lambrinides, Matt Balis, Rick Court, and Mickey Marotti. The one thing I will always take away from each of them was their LOVE and COMMITMENT towards their athletes. It’s not about the sets and reps-never has been, never will be! It’s how can you get each athletes MINDS and HEARTS? That’s where TRUE DEVELOPMENT happens. As coaches, we rip open our chests and give these athletes our hearts every day! We’re tough, demanding, intense, RELENTLESS in our pursuit of development, but it all comes from LOVE. In order to MAXIMIZE an athlete, we must do so with a REAL and HONEST relationship built with TRUST, RESPECT, and LOVE.

Train them HARD, SMART, with a RELENTLESS PASSION AND LOVE, and build their minds and bodies to go play the game they LOVE!!

BRADY COLLINS

DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL SPORTS PERFORMANCE

Love What You Do

I believe, in order to be a successful strength coach one must love what they are doing and why they are doing it. It is important that your colleagues, athletes, and others around you feel the genuine love and passion that you have for your profession. Once the program understands how much you truly care for their growth and success, the easier it will be for you to do your job. Energy is contagious, both positive and negative. You have the ability to create the environment that you wish to operate in. If you approach your day with positivity and optimism, more often the day will return the same energy. When your team buys into your genuine concern and care for them as individuals, it can result in a more productive, successful, and enjoyable work environment. It creates a win-win for everyone involved. Loving what you do and understanding why you are doing it is the foundation to a successful career.

Robo Williams

Assistant Strength Coach

Army West Point Football

A WISE MAN'S JOKE

A Wise Man’s Jokes

A wise man once faced a group of people who were complaining about the same issues over and over again. One day, instead of listening to the complaints, he told them a joke and everyone cracked up laughing.

Then, the man repeated the joke. A few people smiled.

Finally, the man repeated the joke a third time–but no one reacted.

The man smiled and said, “You won’t laugh at the same joke more than once. So what are you getting from continuing to complain about the same problem?”

The Moral of the Story:

You’re not going to get anywhere if you keep complaining about the same problem but do nothing to fix it. Don’t waste your time complaining, expecting other people to continue to react to your complaints. Instead, take action to make a change.