Kenyon College Athletics

MISSION STATEMENT
The goal of the Kenyon College Strength and Conditioning staff is to support the College's and the Athletics Department's missions, visions and core values. While striving to assure our student-athletes' collegiate experience is exceptional, Strength and Conditioning implements proven strategies to reduce risk of injury and increase athletic abilities. Strength and Conditioning promotes a well-rounded approach and challenges student-athletes to push limits not just in training, but also in academics, social life, team-building activities and competitions.
 
VISION
The Kenyon College Strength and Conditioning staff will work tirelessly to build and surpass mission expectations with the intention of becoming a sturdy exemplar for the College, the Athletics Department, the community, the North Coast Athletic Conference and NCAA Division III.
 
CORE VALUES

• Fellowship: Brotherhood/sisterhood, togetherness, breaking bread, personal acceptance, family bonds.
• Discipline: Accountability, ownership, communication, understanding and accepting one's role.
• Leadership: Integrity, forward thinking, self-aware, motivational, reliable.
• Competitive: Determination, passionate, persistent, internal and external driving forces, teamwork.

 

WHAT?	WHY?	HOW?
With a focus on preparation for competition, the Strength and Conditioning staff utilizes a year-round approach for each team and its student-athletes. Programs are tailored to meet the demands of the team and individual sports that the College offers.	The Strength and Conditioning staff not only prepares student-athletes for competition, but also helps them become better people who will be positive influences across the campus and the community. Standards are set and upheld in every effort to prepare student-athletes for the next phases in their lives.	Using science-based protocol, progressions and regressions for all movements, Strength and Conditioning develops programs suited to meet sport-specific demands. Following established guidelines, student-athletes are prepared for competition and primed to exceed expectations.

PROGRAMMING PHILOSOPHY
Movement
If a student-athlete does not know how to move in space, they will never master how to run, jump, change direction or understand what their body is doing under the bar. Kinesthetic awareness can be a forgotten, yet very important, practice. Many high-caliber athletes played multiple sports growing up. When they understand how to move more effectively, the action around them slows down. Therefore, the goal is to add more movements applied in competition and eventually mimic those movements as closely as possible. This philosophy will resonate in all aspects of training: resistance, speed, change of direction, agility, jumping, plyometrics and conditioning. Adding mental and emotional training to this approach not only makes things more gratifying, but also helps mirror game environment and teaches game insight.
 
Resistance
Periodization (focusing on what the student-athlete and team need at certain times of the year) is extremely important. While programming for a team, student-athletes' needs will be evaluated and classified. Every effort will be made to build the best student-athlete—the best at their sport and at their position—throughout the year. In certain cases, specific aspects of the force-velocity curve will be used to achieve these goals. At the end of the day, drills must translate to the sport and this comes from doing movements that are similar to the sport in the weight room.

Olympic movements (or variations when a student-athlete proves they are mature enough, both physically and mentally) will be used. If a student-athlete is not quite prepared, then jumps and plyometrics have proven to be just as effective. The squat, hinge, press, pull, and bracing will be incorporated in just about every plan. Sport-specific demands will dictate how much of a movement/drill is necessary.
 
Running
The thought of running can incite stress for many student-athletes and coaches because it is often stigmatized as "conditioning." That makes it important to redefine this exercise and make it more enjoyable. In this regard, it is important to capitalize on the development of all energy systems (Anaerobic A-Lactic, Anaerobic Lactic and Aerobic) for each team.

Programming for all running is based on High CNS Demanding (90% +) and Low CNS Demanding (75%). All change of direction will be covered on Low CNS Demanding days, which will be about half of the off-season, since it is very technically demanding. With the intensity being lower, volume can be increased for conditioning aspects. If mechanics are off, overuse injuries can come into play and can hinder athletic performance. Once the student-athlete proves they are proficient, then full speed will be integrated and shortly after, agility.

As far as gaining advantages within competition, strength does punish, but speed kills. Student-athletes will be quick and explosive within the contents of their sport. Speed work will be completed on the Higher CNS Demanding days, which means the volume will be low. As a start, traditional strides will be taken to prepare the muscles being worked. This entire process must be integrated as a competitive season draws closer. Games/drills that mimic a specific sport movement will be incorporated to not only teach the proper movement and conditioning, but also to make gains in speed, insight, communication and other variables that help translate to a more successful student-athlete and team.