by Deron Tross
You are having one of your best officiating seasons in your career and all of a sudden it happens. You strain a muscle in your leg or back, tweak your knee, or simply “hit the wall. And struggle finishing games with enough energy to call plays correctly. Many of you have unfortunately, experienced that type of setback at one time or another during your career.
It’s time to look back and wonder what you could have done differently to prevent such a predicament. Maybe nothing, but in some cases you definitely could have prevented such injury.
Minimize injury. From my experiences as strength and conditioning professional, I have found that not all injuries and fatigue are avoidable; however, more times than not a simple total body strengthening routine followed regularly could have helped avoid those issues. It has been proven time and time in countless medical journals that individuals participating in year-round physical conditioning programs are much less likely to become injured.
Sport officiating consists of explosive movements, acceleration, deceleration, agility and stamina. It is vital to begin the season training level that will allow you to stay healthy for the duration of the season. The sport we officiate is fast paced, explosive and multi-directional. That is why it imperative to follow a program that will train the body to perform under these conditions. You would be amazed at how far just 15 to 30 minutes of strength training three to five days a week can go.
How to train? You don’t have to join a local gym and you don’t need any equipment for a number of exercises. They can be performed by virtually anyone, anywhere, at anytime; these exercises include squats, lunges, leg dead lifts, hip-flexions, push-ups, hip bridges, calf raises and more. For the moderate to highly trained individual, added resistance through weights could be beneficial. Perform each exercise slowly and be controlled.
Determine a plan and develop a routine that suits your schedule. You should perform exercises in the off season months of your officiating schedule. Determine what will work best in season so that you do not tire out your muscles in advance of a heavy week of officiating.
Work on areas of the body in-season that will actively produce better results. For example, in football you’ll want to work on squats, lunges, upper and lower back muscles.
Most importantly, remember that something is better than nothing. Warm-up and stretch before exercising and always consult your physician before an exercise regiment.
Weight Loss Tips:
- Never skip meals. Eat three to six times a day in smaller portions to keep from getting hungry. (Stay away from the red meats, sugar, energy drinks, soda, salt and en-rich flour foods.
- Use a smaller plate at mealtime to satisfy your psychological need to see a full plate. (Eat in 3oz. to 6oz. portions)
- Eat and chew slowly. Learn to stop eating before you feel full. (It takes 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain it is full.)
Written by Deron Tross, Waldorf, Md. American Conditioning Exercise (ACE) Certified Strength and Conditioning Trainer.