May/June 2020 - 22

Speed & Agility Training
had the top-rated rushing offense, thanks in large part to a
veteran offensive line unit that didn't have one starter weigh
more than 270 pounds while boasting a defensive front
seven that relentlessly tormented opposing quarterbacks.
" Having an athletic line of scrimmage was really the
secret to our success this season, " Barry said. " And
those guys bought completely into our strength and
conditioning program. "
BUYING IN BULK
A short trip from the MMA campus, down I-195
westbound, is where you can find UMass Dartmouth's
assistant athletic trainer Kevin Pickering, ATC. While the
Division III trainer has little trouble getting student-athletes in
the weight room or on the treadmill, getting them to buy into
the effects of speed training requires a little more convincing.
" Most student-athletes want to either get as strong as
possible or condition themselves to long period activities.
Without speed and agility training these other aspects
will never be used at their full potential, " Pickering said. " In
my opinion speed and agility is a portion of strength and
conditioning that is undervalued. "
Agility training exercises can help improve speed,
explosive power, coordination, and sports-specific skills. It
can help the body maintain alignment and posture during
activity. It's our body's ability to be fast and nimble while in
motion. Agility training has shown effectiveness in injury
prevention as well as increased cognitive function and
recovery times.
Ultimately, agility training is what can separate the
average student-athlete from the All-Americans.
" I believe that athletes are seeing the value that it
brings and how much it can improve an athlete's overall
talent when they have maximized other facets of strength
training, " Pickering said.
Barry shared a similar sentiment as his Massachusetts
state school counterpart, adding that he typically has to
pull student-athletes off the squat racks and put bands in
their hands.
SPORTS SPECIFICS
Whether training for strength, endurance, or a
combination of the two, there are very few sports where
athletes wouldn't benefit from agility training. From soccer
to softball, to volleyball and mixed martial arts, having
one's body under control while in action is beneficial to
reach a desired result.
As it pertains to volleyball, Barry is having the team
run circles around the gym for an hour. With a sport that
requires sudden bursts, constant jumping, and lateral
quickness in a rather confined space, he likes to work ingame
scenarios to get the most out of his players.
" You play the way you practice, " Barry said. " Volleyball
is reactionary. They need power in the upper body and a
strong core where they are diving around the floor all the
22 | Training & Conditioning | May/June 2020
time. Plyometrics are super important, as is generating
short bursts of explosiveness. "
If volleyball is reactionary, sports like field hockey and
lacrosse are speed games, predicated on the constant
change of direction. The same could be said of basketball,
where Pickering puts a general focus on jumping, quick
bursts, quick feet, lateral shuffles, and straight-ahead
activities. But he added that with the Corsairs, he tries to
tailor each workout to the individual.
" As an athletic trainer, I try to evaluate the individual's
strengths and weaknesses along with other factors such
as position, playing style and injury history, " Pickering said.
With hockey, Pickering focuses on single-leg workouts
to help strengthen core muscles and improve overall
balance that's demanded by skating on a sheet of ice.
Additional crossover footwork maneuvering is also
implemented for the hockey program, designed by the
UMass Dartmouth CSCS staff.
Baseball and softball, with the nature of the game being
stationary followed by quick reactions, present a different
issue of problems. Much like volleyball is a reactionary sport,
so too is baseball. And the key to avoiding muscle sprains,
tweaks and pulls is to also stay loose. While MMA was in
Florida for their annual preseason spring training, Barry took
notice of the baseball team's dedication to staying loose.
" After our dynamic workouts we'd break off into three
or four groups. One was doing [agility] ladder footwork,
another was working on mobility using hurdles while the
other was doing resistance training, " Barry said. " There's a
lot of standing around in baseball, but when things happen
you have to be ready. You're constantly training for [maybe]
that one moment in time. "
No matter the sport it's important to incorporate agility
training into the athlete's workout. And just like weight
training or conditioning, agility work is optimized when
done year-round. Pickering subscribes to the four-phase
approach to strengthening his teams - offseason,
preseason, in-season and postseason training.
During the offseason Pickering suggested student-athletes
focus on power, strength, endurance, speed and agility, and
flexibility five or six times per week. In the preseason, he said
to decrease the amount of weight used for strength training
with increased reps, increased endurance, speed and agility,
flexibility, and proprioception four to six times a week. Once
the season starts up the idea is to maintain the machine. That
means incorporating low or bodyweight activities that center
around strength and proprioception two to four times a week.
After the season is over, time should be taken for rest and
recovery. Initially, Pickering will tell players to take the first
two weeks off before starting to resume activities similar to
offseason training.
" [Student-athletes] are all in the weight room and want
to be strong, but we need athleticism and power, " Barry
said. " They all want to get bigger and stronger. I tell them
to be faster and more athletic. " n
May/June 2020

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