RandolphStrong

Official account of Shawn Gaunt, Dir. Of Strength & Conditioning of the @RaidersonGarth Athletic Dept. @randolphschool

[RandolphStrong @RandolphStrong3]

@JoeAratari Spot on! And then they take credit for developing the God gifted athlete. We don’t get stud athletes at our school but it is so rewarding to develop what we get!

[RandolphStrong @RandolphStrong3]

What a start to the summer! First three days in the books and all groups have come locked in and ready to get better! One more day more to finish the week.
Desire➡️ Intent➡️ Improvement

[Jeremy Toohey @Toohey_sp]

Female athletes ages 14-18 are 4-6x more likely to tear an ACL than male athletes.

The earlier they learn to move well and build confidence in the weight room, the more that risk drops

[Zac Goodman @ZacGoodman_]

If you hear “Sport Specific Training” it’s 100% a sign to run the other way.

Athletes should not view their S&C as a Player, but as an ATHLETE.

Bigger, Faster, Stronger Athletes thrive in all arenas. S&C should improve Global Force capabilities, NOT practice skills.

[RandolphStrong @RandolphStrong3]

This!

[Coach Jeff Barnes @JeffBarnes52]

As an AD, one of the hardest things I witness our coaches deal with is a parent wanting it more than their child. Coaches use offseason work ethic, skill, athleticism, and what is most valuable to the team when determining playing time.

Parents often hear from their child that the coach does not like them, that it is unfair, or that favorites are being played. In many situations, the harder truth is that the child simply does not love the sport as much as the parent does.

That can lead to parents fighting battles with coaches that their child should be learning to handle themselves. One of the most important lessons sports can teach young people is how to communicate, compete, handle adversity, and advocate for themselves.

Playing time is rarely about one conversation or one moment. It is usually about consistency, effort, preparation, attitude, and trust built over time.

This has become an ongoing trend in sports today. The athletes who grow the most are usually the ones who learn to accept coaching, respond to challenges, and take ownership of their role instead of relying on others to fight their battles for them.

[Zac Goodman @ZacGoodman_]

I have yet to see an athlete “train on their own” at the local gym and actually see any measurable improvement over any period of time.

Especially during the summer, the athletes who miss sessions never improve and often regress.

Programming and environment matters!

[RandolphStrong @RandolphStrong3]

Facts are facts! Laws of physics don’t lie and will never change Be as strong as you can be at the leanest, HEALTHY, bodyweight for your body type. Relative strength for the win!

[Missy Mitchell-McBeth @missyMmcbeth]

Want to jump higher? Unpopular truth: fat don’t fly.

Before you start crying about body shaming or act like this is skinnytok, let's get into our DeLoreans and revisit physics class!!

Newton's 2nd Law a=F/m
Same force with more mass = less acceleration which in
this case = less height.

Want to increase acceleration (and its byproduct jump height)? Either going to have to increase the numerator (force) or decrease the denominator (mass).

That's not an opinion, it's math and science.

And that math/science is on display here as you have two medballs acted upon by the same force traveling different distances due to differing mass.

Now let's walk across the hall to anatomy and physiology class...yes, you need body fat. It's critical to be healthy and function. This isn't advocating for just losing weight or being "thin" or whatever.
It's for optimizing body composition to where you perform at your best.

With that, you need muscle mass to produce FORCE.

And many younger volleyball players will benefit tremendously from an increase in muscle mass. This increase in muscle mass stands to increase force production, improve body composition, and create a net positive effect on performance (within reason we all know we're not training linebackers).

But an increase in unnecessary fat mass typically has the opposite effect. Hence the statement: fat don't fly.

Every athlete has an optimal body composition. Find yours through consistent strength training, adequate fueling, proper hydration and sleep and...planned recovery days.

[David Neill @DNeill62]

Common story:

Kid loves baseball. Decides to quit other sports & specialize in 8th grade.

Plays spring ball, summer travel ball, & fall ball. Private lessons over the winter. Ends up swinging/throwing 12 months straight.

Does this for 4 years.

48 months straight of the same back/arm stress.

And we wonder why so many HS players have Pars stress fractures and torn UCLs.

Now apply this to volleyball, golf, basketball, etc. We are breaking our kids’ bodies in pursuit of scholarships.

Athletes need an offseason. Especially when they’re 15.

[RandolphStrong @RandolphStrong3]

100%

[Gerry DeFilippo @Challenger_ST]

Coaches & parents: Stop cutting weights in-season “to save the athletes.”

You’re actually increasing their injury risk.

A 2018 study showed that continuing
strength training in-season is one of the single best ways to reduce injuries

Save this entire thread

Here’s why it matters and exactly how to do it right👇

[Tony Holler @pntrack]

As a coach, we can’t just DEMAND high-quality work, we must intentionally engineer it.

You can’t perform on a base of high-volume fatigue.

Tired is the enemy.

[Coach Jeff Barnes @JeffBarnes52]

As an AD, you quickly learn that people want to win. However, many do not like what the landscape of winning looks like. The reality is that athletics are constantly evolving. Expectations change, competition changes, and the level of commitment needed to be successful changes.

When the landscape of your league changes, you must be willing to adapt if you want to remain competitive. Programs that refuse to evolve often get left behind while others continue to grow.

Adaptation does not mean changing your core values or standards. It means finding better ways to develop athletes, support coaches, build culture, and meet the demands of today’s competitive environment.

Growth requires honesty, flexibility, and the willingness to improve instead of simply wishing things were the way they used to be. In athletics, standing still is rarely standing still. Most of the time, it means falling behind.

[Zac Goodman @ZacGoodman_]

Strength Training pre-puberty lays the foundation for massive success.

You lay the groundwork for the neural network before androgenic effects of Puberty allowing athletes to capitalize immediately.

You give them a head start as well as extend their Peak. Train them young!💪🏻

[RandolphStrong @RandolphStrong3]

Been saying it for years! Exercise is the best anti depressant drug there is! No negative side effects either. Prozac can’t match that

[Mushtaq Bilal, PhD @MushtaqBilalPhD]

Resistance training reduces depression and anxiety.

Hit the gym folks

[Tony Holler @pntrack]

Small doses stimulate.

Moderate doses inhibit.

Large doses kill.

(Arntz Schulz, 1888)

[RandolphStrong @RandolphStrong3]

@Brandon_L_Davis Agree completely! Especially at a highly academic private school like ours. We don’t/can’t recruit and have to develop average kids to compete

[Brandon Davis, CSCS @Brandon_L_Davis]

The real value of S&C at the high school level is how much it can raise the floor of your average kids.

It’s very possible for a normal kid to become a 20 mph guy by their junior or senior year.

When your average kids are 20 mph guys instead of 18 mph guys, you’re doing alright

[Gerry DeFilippo @Challenger_ST]

🚨 What if the secret to success isn’t talent or luck… but one simple daily choice?

Nick Saban drops truth: Every single day, you face the same 2 questions:

1. Something you KNOW you should do… but don’t FEEL like doing?

Can you make yourself do it anyway?

2. Something you know you shouldn’t do… but really WANT to?

Can you stop yourself?

Getting out of bed when the alarm hits

Hitting the gym when you’d rather scroll

Studying or grinding when Netflix calls

Choosing the hard right over the easy wrong

This is the invisible bridge between where you are… and who you want to become

Put your choices ahead of your feelings

Because if you only do what you feel like doing, you’ll never reach your goals

This one mindset shift changes everything for champions — and it can change everything for YOU too.

[RandolphStrong @RandolphStrong3]

@Brandon_L_Davis We have allowed kids to sprint barefoot for some time. Most of them have moved to it and times have only improved. I agree better foot contact and feedback for sure!

[Jeremy Toohey @Toohey_sp]

Female athletes ages 14–18 are 4–6x more likely to tear an ACL than male athletes.

The earlier they learn to move well and build confidence in the weight room, the more that risk drops.