A common question parents and coaches ask is whether we do “sport specific training.” The short answer to that question is no. The long answer to that question is that the level of specificity is dependent upon the individual as well as the demands the sport puts on the athlete.

Here are Three Reasons Why We Don’t Train Sport Specifically:

First, there is really no such thing as sport specific training. This is a term that is widely thrown around without any true foundation to stand upon and has generally been used as a marketing gimmick. A rotational athlete doing a lunge with a medicine ball throw isn’t a sport specific move. It’s training the athlete to do a lunge and throw a medicine ball. Too many coaches view the exercise through the microcosm of sport specificity rather than evaluating the move and demands from a global perspective. Meaning, what are the actual rotational mechanisms in play and how are we impacting them? Or are we just having a Quarterback work on their 3 steps drop with a band around their knees and calling it sport specific because they’re mimicing a similar action that they’d do on the field?
Secondly: Our focus at ELP is to help the athlete become a better athlete. When an individual becomes a better athlete, they will become a better “insert sport” player. Who doesn’t want to run faster or jump higher? What I’m about to say may sound like a shameless plug, and that’s not the intent, it’s simply facts over the course of my career... We’ve had over 5 high school pitchers throw over 95mph and one post an official 99mph and unofficial 100mph. That number goes up once we get to our college athletes. In 15 years, there has only been one Tommy John injury that occurred while the athlete was directly under our supervision; and honestly that one is questionable, but I’ll accept there are a few things we could’ve done differently. I am proud of this stat, as we and our healthcare partners have worked very hard to ensure the health of our athletes; but touting our credentials isn’t the point of that statement. The point is that we were able to help these throwers reach their true potential because we trained their athletic ability, not their baseball ability. Athleticism should come before skill. The more athletic the athlete is, the higher levels of skill they’re able to adopt. There is a reason that most of the top athletes in their profession played multiple sports growing up and then go on to have success at the highest of levels. They were great athletes first, and a “insert sport” player second.
Lastly, the human body is the human body. Although it may seem contrary to popular belief, we’re all generally built the same. Granted there are some minor physiological differences; but at the end of the day your hamstring works just like my hamstring. As a mentor of mine once told me: “Find me an athlete whose hamstring ties up near their ear and I’ll gladly relearn everything I know.” Because the laws of nature are global, the process of athletic development becomes global. Train the human body to do what it’s designed to do, and you’ll find success. Ultimately, I’d rather work with Mother Nature and Father Time than try to work against them; they’re undefeated.

Why Maybe We Do Train a Little Sport Specific:

With the material in mind, there are appropriate times to address an individual player’s needs. For example, a quarterback is going to need a slightly greater emphasis on their rotator cuff and scapular upward rotation rather than that of, say, a soccer player. However, that soccer player will need more attention paid to their ankle stability and dorsi/plantar flexion ability than that of a quarterback. So, before we start throwing in J-Bands and scapular mobility work into a throwers program, or ankle mobility drills into a soccer player’s program, we must address the capacity of the individual first. This is very specific in nature and is not global. Blindly throwing mobility drills at an athlete without truly understanding the mechanisms behind their movement is a disservice to the athlete. You need to ask yourself questions such as: what their active vs passive ranges of motion, what is required of their movement, what does muscle alteration around the joint look like, and what is their overall capacity to handle said stimulus?

Once these areas have been addressed, we can implement them properly. However, it should only make up about 20% of their workout. The other 80% is dedicated to developing the athlete while keeping these individual factors in mind. The athlete’s development should emphasize quality movement, the ability to absorb force and then ability to produce force. And in that order.

I’d hardly call that sport specific. I’d call it athlete specific.

Hopefully that helps in breaking down what sport specific training is and what is best for either yourself or your athlete.

If you’re a parent or coach reading this and have questions, we are more than happy to assist however we can! Even if our facility is not the right fit for you or your family due to location, time commitments etc., please don’t ever hesitate to reach out to us. Our goal is to help provide our community with the best possible resources for continued development in athletics, health, and performance. Even if you’re 100+ miles away, we have a great network of colleagues across the country and are always happy to help you in any way we can.

John Nelson, Founder/Director ELP