Our mission is to foster a safe, supportive, and positive training environment for the entire BC High community to achieve their fitness goals. We educate our student-athletes to have an appreciation and knowledge of developing their own bodies, physical strengths, and performance weaknesses. We aid in the achievements of individuals and athletic teams through organized and planned training sessions. We scaffold positive habits, behaviors, and routines that foster leadership, resiliency, and training autonomy.
Our most important goal is to keep participants healthy and progressing as athletes. Although playing sports may result in an injury, the strength and conditioning coaches work closely with the athletic training staff to help mitigate and lessen those injuries through smart and safe training protocols. We first assess joint function and movement through a movement screen. Then, we apply corrective exercises, tissue treatments, and mobility/stability drills to the pre or post-lift period of the training session, the rest periods between lifts, and even on off-days. Finally, we re-assess movement to gauge improvement.
We believe in mastering the basic fundamental movement patterns which include squatting, hip hinging, pushing, pulling, stabilizing, and rotating. We linearly and carefully progress these movements by introducing low loads at higher repetitions and moving into heavier loads at lower repetitions. We take the necessary time to teach the movement patterns in a controlled setting and we never sacrifice form for reps or time. If an athlete cannot perform an exercise correctly after our cueing and coaching, we find an alternative they can do and get stronger in that exercise.
Within our training plans, we address seasonal and sport movement and energy system needs. This includes dedicated time for sport-specific speed and conditioning. We treat speed and conditioning similar to our strength training; we slowly progress over time. As we move closer to the competitive season this becomes more specific to the sport. Many times, conditioning is not needed and recovery methods are implemented to more effectively prepare for the next competition. Other preparation methods include proper nutrition and mental preparation.
The strength and conditioning program aims to train BC High athletes on their leadership skills through accountability measures such as data tracking, cleaning and organizing the weight room, and daily communication with the strength coaches. Once athletes and students have demonstrated an understanding of our system, how to organize their training groups, and how to properly train, they earn trust. With that trust comes training autonomy and the ability to lead portions of their team’s training session. This leadership and work ethic will translate to other areas of their sport preparation, academic life, and future endeavors.