By: Patrick Horrigan
Posted In: Sports
Photo credit: Patrick Horrigan
Strength and conditioning
NEWPORT, RI- Strength and conditioning training is a crucial component to the success of athletes in today’s games. As a result, Salve Regina has begun plans to expand its fitness center and improve the summer strength and conditioning program.
Some of these plans include re-arranging the fitness center by reconfiguring the space to fit more machines. This will improve the functional purpose of the space. The fitness center management also plans on adding more machines to the space. Tom Blaney is the Fitness Center Manager, and is one of the key figures heading these plans. He said the fitness center is heading in the right direction and that as more and more people get involved the better the program will become. Blaney hopes the new improvements will attract new students to use the fitness center as well and that more teams will get involved with the strength and conditioning program. “Basic fundamentals are going to make the biggest difference,” Blaney said. Blaney is also hoping to integrate the web into the fitness center’s new improvements to its access. By adding a technological component to the fitness center Blaney believes he will be able to post workouts online for students to access anywhere. He also believes he can post diagrams of how to perform lifts, so students will perform them correctly in order to avoid injury. “The more we can get on the web the better,” Blaney said. Blaney hopes that these improvements will be completed by the end of 2009. The two goals of strength and conditioning in athletics are to enhance performance and to prevent injury. When an athlete has properly trained using quality strength and conditioning programs they are able to accomplish much more on the field, and will help in their teams success. An athlete is also less prone to injury, and can stay on the field longer without the fear of an athlete becoming tired and hurting himself or another athlete. Del Malloy is the current Director of Athletics for Salve Regina University. Malloy believes that strength and conditioning training is crucial to the success of an athlete on the field. “Without it [strength and conditioning] athletes risk injury, and don’t reach their full performance levels,” Malloy said. Though the fitness center and conditioning program are not a part of athletics, he believes a strong relationship is essential to the athletes of Salve Regina University. Malloy believes an athlete must set his or her own goals when it comes to strength and conditioning because the individual is the most important factor. While Malloy embraces suggestions in regards to strength and conditioning he believes the athlete is the most important factor. The Salve fitness center provides strength and conditioning programs for summer athletes looking to get a head start for sports that take place over the fall and winter months. Strength and conditioning programs vary depending on the sport. Contact sports such as football require more strength training due to the physical nature of the sport, while non-contact sports such as soccer require more conditioning like running in order to keep the athletes in shape, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Strength and Conditioning programs also must include exercises that will cover all the core muscles. They core is made up of the legs, chest, back, and abdomen, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association. The fitness center uses the money it makes from these programs on the improvement projects. The programs are growing popularity and are even open to non-Salve students. Along with these programs, the fitness center trainers also work with the Salve sports teams throughout the school year. They also conduct fitness classes to Salve students who are looking to either get in shape or simply maintain their current fitness. Johnathan Alvarez is a United States Army veteran as well as a captain for the Salve Regina football team. He works as an intern in the fitness center, and has a close relationship with the athletics trainers and fitness center management. Being an army veteran, Alvarez has devoted himself to staying physically fit. Seeing two different sides to strength and conditioning has made him realize that strength and conditioning is not only an important aspect t athletic performance, but to human health as well. “Strength and conditioning has allowed me to the ability to do anything I want to do physically,” Alvarez said. Alvarez is staying in Newport over the summer, and will be working with the strength and conditioning program to get ready for the upcoming football season, and is extremely excited. “I can’t wait to get ready for it [the upcoming season] because I feel I will be at a new level of competitiveness,” said Alvarez. The program has built a great rapport with the University and the community of Newport, and will continue to grow with these upcoming improvements.
