Welcome to the Bridgton Academy Strength & Conditioning blog. This is where you can find up to the minute information about all that is going on in the world of Wolverine Strength. Be sure to check out the S&C homepage here.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Spring SQA finishes week strong

The first week of spring SQA finished up strong this week with a large number of participants. 19 hockey, soccer, and football players worked on lateral stability and quickness as we ran through a battery of step, jump, and shuffle & hold exercises. Everyone was thoroughly spent as we finished up with 4 sets of 10 yard shuttles.

Here is a video from last year's hockey SQA program:

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Thoughts on the Perform Better 1-day program

I went down to Boston last Saturday for the Perform Better 1-day clinic. I have to admit that I was disappointed with the program. First up was Brett Jones. I was not familiar with him and he gave an outstanding presentation on Kettlebell Push Press. I picked up a few technique keys, but all in all nothing new.

Next up was Lee Burton. I have heard Gray Cook speak on the Functional Movement Screen in the past and this was: different face, same speech. Nothing new here either.

I have always enjoyed hearing Mike Boyle speak and this was no different. His presentation was in essence his life story and he did an outstanding job showing how vulnerable he is. If nothing else, it was really a great story of how perserverance and work ethic can benefit you in the long run. In my opinion, best presentation of the day.

Last up was Todd Durkin. This was the second time I have heard him speak and he is undoubtedly a captivating speaker. His style has never resonated with me, though. I have never been a big rah-rah guy and that's what he is all about. His presentation was about setting goals and how to succeed. It was interesting, but no real take home message.

The afternoon sessions were typical 1-day sessions. I have come to the realization that the field has really hit a plateau lately. Kettlebells, indian clubs, and medicine balls have all come back into vogue and all the personal trainers that attend these clinics eat it up. I guess that we have been fortunate that with the limited budget we have, we have been forced to be a little more creative. Generally, the afternoon session was the same as it has been for a few years now.

Next up on the clinic schedule is the Maine NSCA symposium on April 8th. Eric Cressey is the feature presenter and if you haven't had the chance to hear him speak, you need to. He is an extremely bright guy with a great speaking presence. I am really looking forward to it.

-Coach Sawicki

Spring SQA begins today!!

There might be snow on the ground still, but the spring session of SQA begins today. I am excited to see the turnout. We had a few hearty lacrosse players who let me beat them up twice a week during the winter session. Rumor around campus is that there will be a healthy number of hockey players. Check back for updates of the spring.

-Coach Sawicki