Q: About Beginner Footwork.

ABOUT FOOTWORK. Fundamental Steps (OSS-PDC: One Step Starts + Push Drive Combinations) should be used by athletes who ghost/ double step (step before actually moving in any direction), as well as, have not yet grasped the ability to push off of one foot and drive with the other, in order to break left or right (forward), cut left or right (lateral), open left or right (diagonal and backward), turn left or right (turn around to face the opposite direction). GG3 Fundamental Footwork Movements should be used by athletes who lack basic coordination of movement. As you develop the fundamental stpes and movements, footwork can be scaled back to focus on the more advanced footwork movements included in your LV-2 Position Specific SkillPacks. Footwork is a great warm-up to any training/ practice activity. Footwork can be performed daily. As you develop your Footwork, don't forget to Earn + Flex your Footwork Awards . Check the Earn Awards Tab on your Dashboard for details.

Question 1

About SkillPacks.

Accepted Answer

LV-1 SKP.

LV-1 SkillPacks are all about developing knowledge. Why is knowledge important? Because knowledge is the first stage of Motor Development. Without it, it is extremely difficult to coordinate your mind and body to the performance of any given task.

Athletes should dig into their LV-1 SkillPacks as often as possible, take and pass the quizzes, and unit tests, and earn their LV-1 SkillPack Badges. The sooner athletes can master the knowledge, the quicker they'll develop their LV-2 Skills and Abilities.

Parents, if your athlete(s) isn't quite old enough to dig into the LV-1 SkillPacks themselves (or, even if they are), we encourage you to go through it with them. Not only will this help them lock down the knowledge they need faster, but it will also help you better understand the developmental needs of your athlete.

And, as you develop your skills, don't forget to earn and flex your LV-1 SkillPack Badges. *See details inside each LV-1 SkillPack.

LV-2 SKP.

LV-2 SkillPacks deliver all of the Task-Driven sport-specific skills athletes must be able to perform in order to become superior.

The best way to utilize your LV-2 SkillPack is to identify which skills will have the greatest positive impact on your game, and put in about 2 hours a day, at least 3x per week (recommended), focusing your efforts on those skills. As you develop, you can start focusing on additional skills, in order to, transform weaknesses into strengths and strengths into higher levels of performance.

Team Practice time does not count toward the recommended LV-2 skill development time. Yes, development does occur during team sessions, however, team sessions typically lack the focus required to spur development in an individual athlete who does not already possess the ability.

If you need help determining where you should focus your efforts, and you're an ATS Core client, talk with your coaches, and or check out our ADR Products.

If you need help determining where you should focus your efforts, and you're an ATS Complete client, shoot @thetrainingteam a message through your inbox, and put your training team to work!

And, as you develop your skills, don't forget to earn and flex your LV-1 SkillPack Badges. *See details inside each LV-1 SkillPack.

Question 2

About Flight School.

Accepted Answer

FLIGHT SCHOOL.

Regardless of your team schedule and or training requirements, every athlete should find the time to incorporate Flight School into their training regimen. Unlike, strength training alone, Flight School is all about developing Explosive Power. Yes, Squats and other lower body exercises will increase power, but, nowhere near as much as Flight School – especially, when it comes to running faster, jumping higher, or powering through any obstacle that stands in your way.

As you develop your explosive power, don't forget to Earn + Flex your Flight School Awards. Check the Earn Awards Tab on your Dashboard for details.

Question 3

About MCS™.

Accepted Answer

MCS.

If you're trying to increase your overall athletic conditioning, and not specifically trying to increase your speed at any given distance, for Football, Volleyball, Baseball, or Softball, we recommend starting with TYPE: P Conditioning.

If you're trying to increase your overall athletic conditioning, and not specifically trying to increase your speed at any given distance, for Soccer or any other sport that requires longer durations between efforts, we recommend starting with TYPE: G Conditioning.

To achieve the best of both worlds, you can run a phase of TYPE: P, followed by a Phase of TYPE: G.

If you're specifically interested in developing a faster:

Regardless of the workout you choose, be sure to check out and wrap your head around the Speed Keys.

As you develop your speed and conditioning, don't forget to Earn + Flex your MCS Speed Awards. Check the Earn Awards Tab on your Dashboard for details.

Question 4

About Beginner Footwork.

Accepted Answer

ABOUT FOOTWORK.

Fundamental Steps (OSS-PDC: One Step Starts + Push Drive Combinations) should be used by athletes who ghost/ double step (step before actually moving in any direction), as well as, have not yet grasped the ability to push off of one foot and drive with the other, in order to break left or right (forward), cut left or right (lateral), open left or right (diagonal and backward), turn left or right (turn around to face the opposite direction).

GG3 Fundamental Footwork Movements should be used by athletes who lack basic coordination of movement.

As you develop the fundamental stpes and movements, footwork can be scaled back to focus on the more advanced footwork movements included in your LV-2 Position Specific SkillPacks.

Footwork is a great warm-up to any training/ practice activity.

Footwork can be performed daily.

As you develop your Footwork, don't forget to Earn + Flex your Footwork Awards. Check the Earn Awards Tab on your Dashboard for details.

Question 5

About FSP™ + HLE™.

Accepted Answer

ABOUT FSP.

FSP is short for Functional Strength and Power. By taking a more functional approach, we can emphasize building strength and power that directly translates to improved performance as it relates to sport-specific function. FSP aims to enhance functional movements, such as lifting, pushing, pulling, throwing, and carrying, which are essential for daily life and athletic endeavors.

Traditional workouts often focus on muscle isolation and aesthetic goals, such as building muscle size (hypertrophy) or achieving a certain physique. While they may improve overall fitness, they do not directly translate to better functional movement.

FSP exercises mimic real-life movements and engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously. These exercises often involve compound movements that challenge balance, coordination, and core stability... with the ultimate goal of challenging the body in different ways to improve sport-specific functional capacity.

Core stability and engagement are also essential components of FSP, as many functional movements require a stable core for proper execution. While core strength might be addressed with traditional workout practices (through a variety of core-specific exercises), these exercises alone, do not strengthen the core based on the role it plays in the performance of sports-specific tasks.

Essentially, the skills gained from FSP provide a higher transferability to real-world activities and sports, making it a valuable approach for athletes and individuals seeking to enhance overall physical functionality. Yes, traditional workouts may offer muscle growth and aesthetic benefits, but the skills gained do not directly translate to improved everyday movements or athletic performance.

POTENTIAL SCHEDULING CONFLICTS.

If FSP conflicts with your current schedule, simply perform FSP during your team lifting time.
If your team schedule conflicts with the above schedule, simply switch FSP to your team lifting days, and move MCS and Flight School to your non-lifting/ non-leg days.
If you're working out 5+ days per week, move MCS and Flight School to your upper body lifting days. Do not perform MCS or Flight School on Leg Days.
If, for whatever reason, FSP in conjunction with your team liftingis too much, you should at least add the Standing Bench (Day 1), Lateral Bench (Day 2) , and Power Squat (Day 3) exercises to your lifting regime.
At a bare minimum, add the FSP: 2-4-6-8 workout on a daily/ every other day frequency.

EARN AND FLEX.

As you develop your strength and power, don't forget to Earn + Flex your FSP™ Awards. Check the Earn Awards Tab on your Dashboard for details.

ABOUT HLE.

HLE is for athletes who lack flexibility and mobility through the hips, incorporate HLE as a pre-FSP workout warm-up.

A good sign that you should incorporate HLE, is if you notice that your directional (left-right-fwd-back), change of direction, and or running movements appear tight, sluggish, restricted, or lack explosiveness. That and, if you hear coaches referring to your \"hips\".

Question 6

Understanding Phases.

Accepted Answer

Question 7

Becoming Superior.

Accepted Answer

HOW TO BECOME SUPERIOR.

I. DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE.

Developing into a superior athlete is not something that happens overnight. It takes time. That and, it requires an athlete willing to go to WAR™.

Going to WAR™ means:

Putting in the Work required to succeed.
Assert yourself every rep, regardless of how difficult the work may be.
Repeat steps 1-2 until all of your developmental goals have been reached.

II. UNDERSTANDING DEVELOPMENT.

Regardless of the sport, there are 8 target areas of development,

Knowledge. Do you know what you're supposed to be doing? Do you know how to do it? How long does it take you to master (memorize + recite) applicable knowledge?
Motor Functionality is the coordination of the mind and body required to associate knowledge to the performance of any given task.
Strength (Weight). Are you strong enough to perform the required tasks at the designated level of competition? Do you possess the required strength-to-weight ratio.
Power. Are you powerful enough to perform the required tasks at the designated level of competition?
Speed. Are you fast enough to perform the required tasks at the designated level of competition?
Conditioning. Are you conditioned well enough to maintain the highest level of performance at the designated level of competition?
CKI. Confidence, Killer Instinct, and Intensity.
RTVP. Real-Time Visual Processing. RTVP is your ability to real-time visually process the game at the speed of competition.

For each of these areas, every athlete possesses a natural level of ability. This natural level of ability is referred to as a \"Type\" and is denoted by an H for High, M for medium, and L for Low. Keep in mind, your Type has nothing to do with the caliber of athlete you can become, rather, it defines where you currently are, defines the required work, and provides a transparent development timeline.

III. DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE.

How long it takes for an athlete to develop depends on their assessed Type or natural level of ability for each target area. Below is an approximate development timeline based on an athlete's Type.

KNOWLEDGE + MASTERY OF KNOWLEDGE.

Type-H: Days.
Type-M: Weeks.
Type-L: Months.

MOTOR FUNCTIONALITY.

Type-H: 1-12 weeks for LV-2 functionality. 3-12 months for LV-3 functionality.
Type-M: 12 weeks to one (1) year for LV-2 functionality. 1-2 years for LV-3 functionality.
Type-L: 1-2 years for LV-2 functionality. 2-3 years for LV-3 functionality.

STRENGTH (WEIGHT).

Type-H: 0-1 years.
Type-M: 1-2 years.
Type-L: 2-3 years.

POWER.

Type-H: 0-1 years.
Type-M: 1-2 years.
Type-L: 2-3 years.

SPEED.

Type-H: 0-1 year.*
Type-M: 1-2 years.*
Type-L: 2-3 years.*

*These time frames do not apply to elite track speed. Developing Elite track speed is a whole different ball game with its own set of requirements.

CKI.

Type-H: 0-1 year.
Type-M: 1-2 years.
Type-L: 2-3 years.

RTVP.

Type-H: 0-1 year.
Type-M: 1-2 years.
Type-L: 2-3 years.

IV. UNDERSTANDING YOUR TIMELINE.

There's a lot of hype in the world of sports and sports development. The problem with all of this hype is that it makes athletes who may not already possess a High level of natural ability across the majority of target areas believe that they can and should be able to develop much faster than what is realistically possible.

However, understanding the reality that development takes time is crucial for fostering a healthy and sustainable approach to sports. Patience is not only a virtue but a fundamental principle that underpins long-term success. Athletes who grasp this concept recognize that true growth occurs gradually, allowing the body to adapt and improve without risking injury or burnout. Acknowledging the time required for development also cultivates mental resilience, teaching athletes to persevere through challenges and setbacks. This mindset shift promotes a healthier relationship with competition, emphasizing the journey and process over instant results.

Moreover, comprehending the temporal nature (the idea that it takes time) of athlete development encourages athletes to prioritize well-being. When athletes rush the process, neglecting adequate rest, recovery, and proper nutrition, they compromise their physical and mental health. Embracing the reality that development unfolds over months and years encourages athletes to adopt sustainable training routines and lifestyle choices. This balanced approach mitigates the risk of overtraining, reduces the likelihood of injuries, and enables athletes to reach their peak performance levels at the appropriate time. Ultimately, grasping the temporal aspect of athlete development empowers individuals to make informed decisions, set realistic goals, and enjoy lasting success in their chosen sports.