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Screening for multilevel programs in a team environment

This is an excerpt from Training Sport Teams by Tim Caron.

I think a multilevel program within a singular team is a must. There is simply too much variance between rookies or freshmen and veterans or seniors not to have multiple programs going on simultaneously. With that said, it is not an easy process. I have attempted this at multiple schools and in multiple settings, and you have an uphill battle ahead of you. The more important component is that you have the benefit of logic and reason, so you need to use it.

The first thing you will learn is you are unintentionally making silos within your program. Having a certain group of people doing one program and another group doing a separate program will create a feeling that one group is getting the good program, and the other is not. The perception will always be that one is better than the other. This is not unlike a control group versus a placebo group in research.

Combating that feeling always comes down to clear and objective criteria for determining programming. Human nature in both the coach and the athlete will result in their feeling that subjectivity is involved with decision-making regarding who goes in what group. Your job as a coach is to create an environment where people understand and agree that the decisions are in the best interest of the athlete’s development and safety. Having a dialed-in screen makes all the difference for this to happen.

We are essentially creating rules for a game. Biomechanics and physiology are the primary diagnostic criteria for determining what program is best. Your goal is to rely on objective criteria, and your best way to do that is to remove human error as much as possible. This is where hardware and software come into play. You need to have as much data not influenced by humans as possible. How much force on a force plate, how fast in a timing gate, how much strength on a dynamometer, how much body fat on a DEXA . . . are all better than “I think you are ready.”

It is a good goal to have a comprehensive program that serves several ages and abilities simultaneously. It can be a difference maker if you are good at executing this. However, you can destroy morale and compliance if you do not have clear criteria for establishing who is in what program and why they are in that program.

More Excerpts From Training Sport Teams

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