Workin’ out in the off season

    The off-season for sports fans means looking for the next sport to watch and occasionally a chance to study. For athletes though, the off-season is a time to work hard in preparation for the upcoming season. This time and work is critical to developing a championship program. GCSU sports like golf and tennis are coming to the end of their off-season regiments and preparing for the season’s arduous journey.
   
    Baseball
    The GCSU baseball team just finished fall practice and looks to get into full swing for the spring. The conditioning program included plyometrics and weight-training, and the players, according to Tom Carty, the interim head baseball coach, the conditioning program needs to yield results.
    “We’ve got a little bit of a late start with the transition the players made,” Carty said. “There has been overall team improvement.”
    Players, like red-shirt junior catcher Pete Paris and junior outfielder Brauncy Jenkins, have benefited from the conditioning program and are showing the most promise. The most improvement, according to Carty, must be shown by the players during the holiday break.
    “It is most important to see improvement from their home workouts,” Carty said. “(I) want to see the players come back in January in shape.”
    The hard work will be needed if the Bobcats want to reach their goal of defending their back-to-back Peach Belt championships.
    “The program has built a sense of pride in recent years,” Carty said. “We want to repeat if we can, and there is no excuse to fall short of that (goal).”

    Golf
    The GCSU golf program is growing in stature and moving closer to gaining a national championship. Its new conditioning and strengthening program might be the catalyst to do it. According to Jimmy Wilson, head golf coach, the “ropes” are the thing for the team this off-season.
    “It is an exercise program that includes strengthening the body, flexibility and endurance,” Wilson said.
    The “ropes” were created by Dr. Mike Martino, director of the GCSU Human Performance Laboratory and former Olympic coach, and have made an almost immediate difference in the team’s conditioning.
    “We’ve seen positive results in the lack of fatigue," Wilson said.
    The improvement in fatigue and focus in later rounds has had such an impact that it will be continued in the future.
    “This workout program is one that we will continue throughout this year and hopefully years to come,” Wilson said.
    The workout program is just a part of the programs Wilson has planned to achieve the goals of the team.
    “As always, our ultimate goal is to win a national championship,” Wilson said. “We will try to take things one step at a time and figure out which five players will give us the best opportunity to win a national championship.”

    Tennis
    Sprints and ropes are the name of the game as the tennis teams use the ropes and other drills to prepare for their tough spring schedule. Steve Barsby, the head tennis coach, said the overall workout plan has yielded enormous benefits.
    “Both the men’s and women’s teams have done a great job with the workouts,” Barsby said.  “There has not been any particular player who has done better than others, but I am very happy with the work both teams have put in since our last tournament.”
    The workout program enacted by Barsby is more tennis specific in areas including sprints and distance running, instead of generic conditioning exercises. Barsby believes the change in conditioning style will lead to increased speed and better play, skills necessary for the teams to reach their goals.
    “Our goal for this spring is to be in the top four in the conference which will mean that we are playing well and will have a shot to win it when it comes to tournament time,” Barsby said.
    “That will also put us somewhere in the top 10-15 in the country which should give both teams confidence when we line up against some of the best teams in the country.”
   
    Golf, tennis and baseball are only a few of the teams working hard in the off-season this semester. The pain and effort given in the off-season for these teams is only shown in the competitive play the teams participate in during the season.
    Watch this upcoming semester for top finishes and broken records after an off-season of hard work and dedication by GCSU student-athletes.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Nov 16 2007. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry