The Importance of Strength & Conditioning for ALL Sports…and, the Importance of a “QUALIFIED” Strength & Conditioning Coach

Now here’s a perfect example of “going backwards” instead of progressing forwards.

The Minnesota Vikings (NFL Football, USA) has replaced a Strength & Conditioning (S&C) Coach, whose Free Weights program, supposedly injured 5 players in the gym. They replaced him with a Strength & Conditioning Coach, who replaces all Free Weight Based Training!!!

(See URL below for details)…

Note that last year, the Vikings had won their division while on the Free Weight program, in spite of their injuries, supposedly got from the weight room.

Of course, the new coach has a degree in Exercise Physiology and also holds a CSCS Certification, (certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association).

That’s all well and good, except that the Vikings now, have lost their starting QB (Quarter Back) for the entire season, to a knee injury (NON-CONTACT injury) when he was simply Running Backwards!!!!

First, it speaks a lot about their previous coaching, where a bunch of the players (remember, we are talking about genetic freaks here, all playing in the NFL), got pectoral injuries (maybe from Bench Pressing too much weight!? and not Pressing that much or at all!??).

Second, it shows that even with that, their Free Weights Strength program produced pretty good results (Vikings won their Division last year).

Third, with their new, “extremely well qualified coach”, who immediately replaces their Free Weight Strength program, their Starting QB (remember again, another genetic freak playing in the NFL), injures his knee, without any contact (with anyone or with anything) whatsoever, while running backwards, so much so that he is ruled out for the entire season.

Tells us that, certifications per se, are just SHIT!

Also tells us that there are many, so called “Strength and Conditioning Coaches” out there, who have NO FUCKING IDEA!!!

Proves yet again, that Sports Clubs and Sport-specific Coaches in particular, continue to pussyfoot around the inevitable when it comes to Strength & Conditioning. This is perhaps, due to their continued ignorance regarding S&C and perhaps also due to being quite reluctant to delegate even a part of the control they exercise over their team.

Folks, “Strength & Conditioning”, IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF SPORTS… Just with Running, Calisthenics, Agility Drills and Body Weight Training alone (no matter how many times you get your players to do this every day), WILL NOT suffice as adequate and appropriate Strength Training. All things being equal, with no proper/adequate Strength & Conditioning Training, your player/s and team/s WILL LOSE to the player/s and team/s that understand and provide for proper and adequate S&C training.

And, Just a Certification from whatever certifying authority, is, in itself, NOT a SUFFICIENT attestation of a “Strength and Conditioning Coach’s” expertise.

Looking for Coaches WITH PROVEN EXPERIENCE, SPECIFICALLY IN THE AREA OF Strength & Conditioning, would be a good start!!!

I’ll conclude here by saying, let’s try to come up with more examples over the next few weeks/months, to showcase the INEVITABLE, IMPORTANT and UNIQUE role that Strength & Conditioning plays in sports today.

Thanks to this FB post for my reference…

https://www.facebook.com/groups/StartingStrength/permalink/10154524855464181/

URL about Vikings Coach Change below:

http://vikingsterritory.com/2016/general-news/vikings-name-brent-salazar-strength-and-conditioning-coach