Field Hockey Training

Field Hockey Training (FHPT)

STT’s Field Hockey Performance Training (FHPT) program includes instruction to improve fitness, movement efficiency, speed development, agility, power development, and strength. The athletes participating in the FHPT program are closely supervised and attention is always paid to proper technique and safety.

Besides the benefits of getting stronger, faster, and in better shape as a group, this program can also increase team bonding. Numerous teams in the Baltimore/DMV area have taken advantage of STT’s Team Training Program and have had highly successful seasons. There is no better way to prepare a team for the upcoming season than to have them train together. Email Coach Taylor to schedule a training session at your next practice by emailing info@espfit.net.

Highlights

STT’s Sport-Appropriate Weak Link Program focuses on the following for field hockey:

Midsection
Ankle
Knee
Hip and Groin
Forearm, hand, and fingers

Schedule a Visit

FHPT Scholastic Training Schedule*

In-Season (August to November): Coaches will tell you that this time of year is the most important in the training cycle. With tough practices and intense game day preparations, working out three or four times per week is an unlikely possibility. A two day per week in-season program is much more feasible and practical to implement. In order to make training as convenient as possible, STT offers both team training sessions and individual athlete training options too.

Indoor Club (December to March): With the quick pace of the indoor season, this is an excellent time of year to work on strength and agility while emphasizing weak links and injury management. By the end of this time of year, conditioning and speed development techniques become part of the two day a week training experience.

Outdoor Club (April to May): Conditioning and speed development are emphasized during this season along with strength, power, flexibility, and weak links. The comprehensive approach is designed to monitor fatigue while taking into account wear and tear on the body. At the same time, our program continues to enhance the overall physical development of each athlete two days a week.

Summer Training (June to July): Intense training with an emphasis on improved strength, conditioning, flexibility, and skill development. This 2-3 day a week program offers each player an opportunity to develop his or her physical and mental capabilities through prudent, productive, practical, and purposeful training. In addition, after the physical season, injury management is a crucial component of an athlete’s year-long training cycle. Post-rehabilitation program development and implementation, as well as general physical preparedness programming, allows the athlete to heal properly and improve their mind and body.

Other Sports Training

FOOTBALL

Skillset demands for football players differ greatly by position. However, strength training is a necessity, and the younger the team, the more hypertrophy needed in the program. Aside from traditional and modern powerlifting and Olympic lifting methods, specifically grip strength, hamstring strength and neck strength will be heavy in rotation.

SAQ training will be taken care of in practices during the season, but in the off-season, it will be implemented more and more as the season grows closer.

Conditioning metabolic demands often don’t mesh well with strength training and are also added into the program closer to season. Because of the high levels of muscle mass, strength, and impact that football athletes undergo on a regular basis, recovery will be focused on joint mobility and stability.

SOCCER

As soccer is well known as a high cardiovascular output sport, it is also a lower-body dominant sport and one in which Speed, Agility, Quickness training (SAQ) is paramount.

As important as lower body strength training is, it can almost only be practiced in the off-season, due to long regular seasons and club leagues throughout the year. The younger our soccer athletes are, the more they will receive strength training.

Most sessions at ESP, regardless of volume and intensity of resistance training, will be at high tempos and incorporated as cross-training to simulate the aerobic demands of an actual match.

Nutritional and time elements will be most important in recovery for soccer, as well as lower body joint stability and connective tissue health as a close second.

LACROSSE

Due to the consistency of high volume running, conditioning and SAQ for this sport will often reign supreme in training while strength training will fall secondary. However, done correctly, proper strength training will enhance the SAQ of the lacrosse player. The largest portion of training is generally done during the off-season while minimal necessary strength training is done during the season, as to not put too much physiological stress on the athlete’s body.

Due to the great velocities of stick-play at speed in lacrosse, special attention is given to lateral and oblique-sling strength and coordination as well as transverse core strength and kinesthetic dissociation between the hips and upper body. Recovery for lacrosse is often focused towards smart programming: allowing the proper amount of time in between practice, strength training, and conditioning.