5 Reasons Why High School Athletes Need a Performance Specialist

Nader Tannir, MS, USAW, FMS
Performance Specialist at Elite Nutrition & Performance

 

High school sports have already begun. Is your athlete prepared? What your child is practicing at school may not be enough to put them at the top of their game and bump them up to the next level. Read on to find out how working with a performance specialist can help them!

1. Injury Prevention

You would not trust your dentist to perform heart surgery, so why would you just trust anyone in developing your child’s athletic ability? Quite frankly, not just any Joe Schmo can properly train a developing athlete. Many do not understand proper technique or proper program design, which spells disaster for their athletes down the road. Hiring a performance specialist will ensure that your athlete develops proper weightlifting technique as well as following an individualized program to maximize athletic potential and minimize potential injuries.

2. Individualization

The art of strength and conditioning is a combination of teaching correct form along with long-term proper planning. Every athlete has his or her own strengths and weaknesses as well as muscular imbalances. An athlete working with a plan tailored specifically to their needs is at a greater advantage than an athlete with a cookie cutter approach.

3. Collegiate Preparation

Most exercise science programs require their students to intern at an athletic performance facility or in the collegiate setting. This experience can provide crucial information in terms of determining areas that the high school athlete needs to improve in order to be successful at the next level. Make sure you do your homework when choosing a trainer- make sure they have the experience and education, such as B.S. or M.S. in Exercise Science or Kinesiology, CSCS certification, Weightlifting certification and/or NSCA, ACE OR ACSM personal training certification to name a few.

4. Increased Confidence

There is a famous saying “hard work beats talent when talent won’t do hard work.” In my experience with collegiate athletes, players that work the hardest and are coached up are usually the most confident. This is a direct result of knowing no one can outwork them. Give your athlete that confidence of knowing that they can outperform those without the additional coaching and training.

5. Solid Work

Ethic One out of every hundred high school athletes will play at the collegiate level. The chances of your child competing at the collegiate level are relatively low. This does not mean that sports specific training in addition to what they are doing at school cannot help them. A sports-specific trainer will push an individual further than they can push themselves. A young athlete who works with a trainer can instill a work ethic that is more valuable than any physical speed and strength gained.

 

Nader Tannir, MS, USAW, FMS is a Performance Specialist at Elite Nutrition & Performance.

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