Cabrini College Strength & Conditioning Policies and Procedures Manual (Updated 06/04/2015)
Program Overview Strength & Conditioning Philosophy At Cabrini College, our main goal is to create a positive, yet challenging atmosphere that spotlights improving athletic performance. This objective goes hand-in-hand with promoting injury prevention techniques to increase the safety and longevity of our students athletic careers. Our idea of athletic-based strength and conditioning revolves around quality over quantity. Better movement quality translates to safer, more efficient movement during competition. Quality lifting repetitions allow for more active sessions and less wasted energy in the weight room. This design is achieved via individualized sport-specific training programs for all studentathletes. We combine aspects of traditional lifting movements (squat, bench press, deadlift) with more skill-based Olympic movements (clean, jerk, etc.) and their variations. Our programs also include speed/agility training, flexibility/mobility work, conditioning, and injury prevention techniques to mold a complete student-athlete. Injury Prevention Emphasis Cabrini College earned the distinction of being an ACL injury reduction site in July 2014. We are one of four higher education institutions within a 100-mile radius that is Sportsmetrics certified, sharing this merit with La Salle University, The College of Staten Island, and the United States Naval Academy. This evidence-based jump-training program is supported by 20+ years of research and is used at Cabrini as an off-season tool to reduce the incidence of non-contact ACL injuries. We use this program as a compliment to our strength and conditioning programs to provide our student-athletes the best opportunity to stay on the field.
Staff Dustin Malandra, BS, CSCS, USA-W Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Program Design Our programs at Cabrini College follow specific periodization and individualization to create an optimal training protocol for our studentathletes. Periodization refers to the cycling of our training plan, which is broken down into smaller cycles within the larger, yearly program. Overall, each plan lasts for 4-6 weeks before a new program begins; one that builds upon the progress of the previous plan. The individualization manifests itself as the core/accessory work and skill-based exercises that each student-athlete requires. These individual needs are based on training age, strength, gender, skill level, sport, injury history, etc. Our training templates are also built around the three phases of muscle contraction. The program design will follow a progression through these phases (within a total-body routine) to strengthen each individually, thus creating an explosive, dynamic, and stable athlete who can control him/herself throughout all phases of movement. To summarize our design for all sports, we do not train weightlifters or bodybuilders. Our student-athletes are trained to be at their athletic peak, which prepares each one of them for the demands of his or her specific sport. The best athletes are the ones that can be the most powerful in the shortest amount of time, and have the body-control and durability to continuously repeat those movements. Testing All student-athletes are tested twice per year to create a baseline and to gauge progress. This allows the athlete and the coaches to see improvements or deficiencies and then revise the programming, if necessary.
Summer Programs Individualized summer programs will be available for student-athletes by mid-april each year. The strength and conditioning staff will provide written instructions to all athletes on all exercises to promote safety. It is the responsibility of the student-athletes to continue with the training plan given the resources they have available while away from the Nerney Family Strength and Conditioning Center. All athletes are expected to follow their specific training plans and are encouraged to stay in contact with the coaches if any questions arise during the summer months. Any local student-athletes are welcome to use the facility during this period on a voluntary basis. DAILY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Nerney Family Strength and Conditioning Center Rules & Regulations ***The use of the Nerney Family Strength and Conditioning Center is a privilege and the failure to abide by the following rules may warrant dismissal from the facility. 1. No food or drink. Water bottles are allowed. 2. Keep socializing to a minimum; camaraderie is encouraged, however excess down time is a detriment to our goals. 3. No tobacco, gum, toothpicks, etc. 4. No jewelry, headphones, etc. 5. NO CELL PHONES! 6. Athletic shoes must be worn at all times (unless barefoot exercise is approved by staff). Certain styles of shoes (including cleats) are not appropriate for training and these shoes will be discussed during orientation. 7. All shoelaces must be tied at all times.
8. Keep an eye out for your teammates. This means spotting at all times, as well as watching his or her technique. 9. Clean up after yourself! Return weights to racks; wipe down sweaty or chalk-stained equipment after use. 10. Student-athletes must follow the workouts provided by the strength and conditioning staff. No casual, self-prescribed workouts will be permitted within the facility. 11. Warm-ups are mandatory. All student-athletes are required to complete the prescribed warm-up/movement prep/prehab for each day. 12. Use of the facility is prohibited without a strength staff member present at all times. Expectations of Cabrini Student-Athletes Be on time and come prepared to train. Follow the Cabrini College strength and conditioning motto: Be focused. Be consistent. Give 100% effort everyday. Follow all rules and regulations. Follow all instructions from strength staff. Student-athletes are encouraged to ask questions if there are any misunderstandings or miscommunication. Be respectful to teammates and the strength staff. Not only are you working to help yourself, but you re working to help your teammates, as well. It is your responsibility to take care of your body outside the strength and conditioning facility. There are 168 hours in a week, and your choices during the 165 hours outside the facility are paramount to your success. Team Workouts
All Cabrini student-athletes are encouraged to participate in team training sessions. Team workouts support team bonding, discipline, competition, intensity and accountability. Due to the class schedule structure, open gyms will be scheduled at the discretion of the strength staff to accommodate student-athletes with conflicting academic schedules. Open gyms are not preferred, however, as team training is a more favorable option. Scheduling Cabrini College is home to 16 Division III intercollegiate athletic teams. All student-athletes from said teams have access to the Nerney Family Strength and Conditioning Center. Therefore, due to the volume and potential traffic through the facility, teams will be allotted 1-hour training blocks. Student-athletes must arrive on time because the next team will start on time. Special treatment will NOT be given to late arrivals. Prior to the start of each semester, the strength staff will meet with coaches to determine the ideal training times for each sport. Teams in traditional seasons will be given first priority with regards to scheduling. Absences Strength and conditioning programs are designed with our motto in mind: Be focused. Be consistent. Give 100% effort everyday. Absences from training directly affect consistency of training and are therefore strongly discouraged. Absences affect the student-athlete s progression through the training program and decrease ability for improvement. For this reason, attendance will be tracked and all student-athletes must sign in before each training session. Any conflicts must be communicated to the head coach or the strength staff 24 hours prior to the workout.
Coaches must also provide 24 hours notice to the strength staff if a team training session will be canceled. Due to the high demand for training slots, a team will forfeit their assigned time slot after three missed sessions. A missed session also includes any team workout with less than four student-athletes in attendance. Orientation Each team will attend a pre-fall semester annual orientation of the facility. The policies and procedures will be reviewed and coaches are encouraged to attend, as well. Recruits and Visitors Mini-orientations and Cabrini s strength and conditioning overview can be provided for recruits and visitors with prior notification. A tour of the facility and question and answer sessions are important for the promotion of Cabrini Athletics, however 48 hours notice is required. Please do not show up unannounced! Camps and Clinics Specialized camps and clinics pertaining to strength and conditioning may take place within the Nerney Family Strength and Conditioning Center. Please consult with the strength staff or the Athletic Department prior to all scheduling.
Ergogenic Aids The NCAA prohibits the use of ergogenic aids and performanceenhancing drugs. The use of performance-enhancing substances is NOT encouraged or condoned by the strength staff at Cabrini College. A list of banned substances can be found at 2014-15 NCAA Banned Drugs. Studentathletes are encouraged to consult the strength staff or the athletic training staff with any questions regarding certain substances.