Lifting weights on Game day and other concerns.

[martianr]

This forum has been great about giving their perspective on concerns and issues. Here is mine and it has a lot of twist so if I am not clear please, don't hesitate, to ask me to clarify.

In my state we play High School Softball in May-July. Once School year ends it is a feeding frenzy for Volleyball and Basketball coaches to want a piece of the Softball players to participate in their "Off Season" programs. We are a small school so the girls will play in 3 or 4 different sports during a school year. The issue is the VB and BB coaches want the Softball players to lift weights and do there workouts(Monday-Thursday with Friday being optional) and playing VB and BB games during SB Season on Sunday .

Here would be a daily routine for my DD: 6:30 AM Drivers Education, 7:30 Lift weights and other conditioning workout until "?", then Maybe a Freshman game at 12:00, Always hitting every game day around 3:00, then a JV game at 6:00 and a Varsity game at 8:00. If it is a home game we would be home by 10:00 if it is an away game we would be home around 11:00 or 11:30 or later. Then start all over the next day. Other than Sunday there is only two days in June that does not have a SB game scheduled.

My Issues or Concerns are as follows:
1. would you have your DD lifting weights and doing the Volleyball and Basketball workouts on game days or during SB seasons?
2. Playing other sports during SB season. My defense is this: how would the VB and BB coach felt if their players had SB workouts during their season or a workout before their game.
3. The BB coach has made it clear that the girls that don't participate in these summer workouts, that their playing time next season might be jeopardized. I realize that it might be idol treats, but my 9th grade DD took it very serious.
4. Right on I have told my DD that she is NOT lifting weights or doing the workouts during SB season.
5. The SB Season MIGHT be over by July 8th. Which would give them plenty of time to be in shape the VB and BB season.
6. SB is my DD favorite sport. And just like VB and BB she would like to win Conference and go to State.

What would you do?

Thank you!

 

[Cowdogz]

DS plays football, baseball, and winter track. Football coach has the weight room available year-round. Baseball practice is late in the day, so sometimes he lifts weights after school and then goes straight to baseball practice.

I wonder how the AD feels about the coaches heaping all these conflicts onto the kids? At our school, only the coaches who are in season are allowed to work with the kids. They also have two weeks of "hands off" days just before school starts, where no coaches are allowed to schedule anything.

 

[deboy922]

Prioritize, balance, and communicate...

My DD is a high school varsity starter in basketball, volleyball, and softball (and is a pitcher - that should count for 2 sports). In the summer we try to sit down with the 3 sports calendars and plan out each week balancing the sports and prioritizing (May-Softball, June-Basketball, July-Volleyball). We then email the coaches and let them know what she will attend. We try to work with the coaches and attend the bigger events (team camps, weekend tourneys, etc.) so they can plan their personnel accordingly. We also try to plan 1 off-day each week for no sports. And the week of the 4th of July, we plan for 9 days off (2 weekends and the 5 week days).

Yes, coaches get frustrated and say/do things that seem unfair. But this is the way we have tried to balance her sports schedule.

Weight-lifting on game days is OK (many professional sports players do it). But again, it has to be balanced and probably only lifting 2 or 3 days a week. Without sacrificing performance, she can do a medium or light weightlifting session (no personal squat records) in the morning and easily play a softball game in the afternoon. But she will need to eat and have some downtime in between.

A busy but doable day may look like this:

6:30AM - Drivers ed - Try to eat/drink something before or during
7:30AM - Weight lifting/conditioning - Have something to drink during the session - Probably no more than 2 hours.
10:00AM - Something decent to eat with protein
1:00PM - Something decent to eat with protein
3PM - Hitting Practice
6PM - Something decent to eat with protein
8PM - Softball game

Strive for 8 hours of sleep (may need an afternoon nap) and keep her eating and drinking. Monitor how she is doing; take additional days off when needed; and tweak the schedule as needed. Communicate to the coaches. Push your DD; but do not over do it; and have fun. May sure DD enjoys the journey...at least the majority of the journey...conditioning can be rough Good luck.

 

[martianr]

deboy922, just curious, when is your Softball Season?

 

[deboy922]

deboy922, just curious, when is your Softball Season?

Our high school seasons are:

Softball - March, April, May
Volleyball - August, September, October
Basketball - November, December, January, February

Summer is a week or two in May & in August and all of June & July.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

IMHO, you are just begging for some type of use injury.

I hope she stays healthy.

 

[Coachw01]

This is a school issue and should not be allowed. The AD, superintendent, or school board need to step in here and mandate that in season athletics take full priority over off season workouts. A student should not be penalized for missing because they are actively representing their school in another sport. The fact that this is allowed May say a lot about the backbone of your AD.

 

[martianr]

Great Point