Cameron Dietz - PA Chalk Up Breakdown

Introduction:

Cameron Dietz serves as the Assistant Director at the University of Cincinnati, overseeing programs for both the baseball and golf teams. With extensive experience at the highest levels of sports, Cameron has spent considerable time in elite weight rooms. Join us as we delve into the complete podcast, offering personal insights into the key discussion points.

Know Your Athletes

Understanding your athletes on a personal level is essential, and this goes beyond for memorising their names. In the world of sports, where coaches often manage large rosters, it's crucial for athletes to feel recognised and valued. Cameron, emphasises that before starting any role in Strength and Conditioning, Cameron ensures he meets with each athlete individually and uses stratagies like sitting in front of a roaster to memorise their names. This approach might vary depending on your memory techniques, but the goal remains the same: make athletes feel important.

Personally, I find that repetition, or having a unique handshake or ritual with each athlete, helps me remember names. This small effort can significantly impact the coach-athlete relationship.

Game-Based Workouts

When designing workouts, consider the specific adaptations you aim to achieve—whether it's speed, strength, or power. Have you ever thought about integrating these principles into game-based training? For instance, the classic game of tag can be broken down into components like acceleration, change of direction, and some competitive fun, all beneficial for athletic training.

Cameron shares his process of incorporating games into training sessions. For his baseball team, activities like med ball volleyball and capture the flag are staples. These games not only make training sessions enjoyable and competitive but also develop essential attributes for their sport.

Med Ball Volleyball:

This game involves explosive power as athletes throw the ball over the net by whatever means. By incorporating variations like throwing the ball backward or sideways, you can target different muscle groups, such as the core and those involved in triple extension.

Capture the Flag:

Building on the example of tag, adding an object to capture introduces a competitive edge. Forming teams and allowing gentle physical interaction further enhances the game's intensity and competitiveness. This approach makes training sessions something athletes look forward to, fostering engagement and passion.

Personally, I love this message. It shows athletes that training doesn't always have to be grueling and intense—it can be fun too! However, it's crucial to balance game-based approaches with the fundamental principles of strength and conditioning. While incorporating playful elements is essential for engagement, maintaining a structured foundation ensures athletes reach their full potential.

Identifying Your Athletes

Knowing who you have in the weight room is crucial for effective training. It's not just about knowing their names but understanding their performance needs. Cameron discusses categorising athletes into "high-force" and "elastic" types. High-force athletes excel in strength and acceleration, while elastic athletes are more springy and fast.

The goal is to maintain each athlete's strengths while addressing weaknesses. For example, he avoids making an elastic athlete too focused on strength to prevent losing their natural elasticity. High-force athletes tend to face chronic injuries like tendinopathies, whereas elastic athletes are more prone to acute injuries like sprains. Balancing their training helps mitigate these risks.

Personally, I'm always on the lookout for these distinctions. Creating balanced athletes is key to minimising sports-related imbalances. For instance, in rugby, forwards are typically high-force athletes, while backs/wings are more elastic. Simple tests like a 1-3 RM lift for high-force athletes and a Counter Movement Jump for elastic athletes can help identify these traits.

Rotational Work

Rotational work is vital for athletes in sports like baseball and golf. Cameron highlights several key points about this:

1. Hip-Shoulder Separation: Exercises like B-stance RDLs with rotation help develop this crucial skill.

2. Visualization: Athletes are encouraged to visualize sport-specific movements during exercises, enhancing the intent and transfer of the movement.

3. Intent Over Specificity: While the exercises might not be sport-specific, the focus is on movements that carry over to the sport, like med ball throws with rotation.

4. Connection to Sport: The emphasis is on the feel and intent of the movement, helping athletes connect gym exercises to their sport.

Rotational work is crutial for the development of these athletes. A good thing to consider as well is the ability for their rotational work to is to look at the ability to anti-rotate and to rotate in an opposite manner. For example, if baseball is rotating forward, what can we do to help rotate forward?

Note - If you want to learn more about this, let me know in the comments.

Seasonal Differences

Training for baseball players varies significantly between the offseason and in-season. During the offseason/preseason, the focus is on increasing volume and time on their feet, simulating game conditions. This includes scrimmages, sprinting, jumping, and heavy lifts.

In-season, training volume decreases but occurs more frequently, akin to a "micro-dosing" approach. This minimises the load on athletes' bodies while maintaining their performance. Identifying whether athletes are "force-dominant" or "elastic" helps tailor the training to develop strengths and address weaknesses, aiding in injury prevention.

Advice for New Coaches:

For those entering the strength and conditioning field, finding a good mentor is crucial. A mentor can provide valuable guidance and connections, more so than just taking the first available internship.

Be prepared to start at the bottom, learning essential tasks like setting up and maintaining the weight room. Gradually, you can take on more responsibilities, such as leading warmups and return-to-play programs.

Conclusion:

In summary, Cameron's insights highlight the importance of personal connections with athletes, the benefits of game-based training, the need for individualised training approaches, and the significance of rotational work. These principles can significantly enhance athletic performance and engagement.