There is always that one question that is going to come from a parent that seems like a broken record. If you are in the sport performance field you certainly know what I am talking about; “do you perform sport specific training?” You can insert whatever sport the athlete plays. There are different approaches on how to tackle this question, but I suppose the easier is to first relate how sports are similar to one another. Do a football player and soccer player both need to be fast? Should a basketball player and volleyball player be able to jump high? Should a hockey player and golf have the ability to externally rotate at their shoulder to shot, throw and pass? The answer to all these questions is YES. A great athlete is a great athlete and a great training program is a great training program. Sure there will be slight differences in programming, which is going to come more from the individual athlete than the sport that is being played. As a sport performance coach I am always trying to get my athletes better by the best methods out there.
So for the next parent that thinks about asking about a sport specific program, instead of asking that question ask the coach how they are going to make your son or daughter a better athlete. You will get a better answer for what you are looking for and a clearer picture of what is going to take place.