To summarize the information shared so far in this video series, in the first three segments of his 2017 elitefts Sports Performance Summit, Head Strength Coach of the New York Jets Justus Galac has discussed:
- The Goals of the Strength and Conditioning Program
- Off-Season, Training Camp, and In-Season Training Considerations
- Strength and Conditioning Drills and Techniques for Large Groups
In this final video of the presentation, part four, Galac focuses on the importance of making modifications to training and staying focused while doing so. He walks through many of the specific modifications he makes and explains the purpose of each.
First, Galac shares his belief that the strength and conditioning staff must be what he refers to as "the valve." When plays are rerun in practice or the on-field sessions go long, it is the strength coach's responsibility to adjust the weight training accordingly to protect the bodies of the players. You must be able to adjust on the fly. Galac gives specific reasons you may need to make modifications, such as player age, motivation for training, position on the field, travel, injuries (both current and past), and many others factors.
Galac then discusses the process of providing external motivation for players, which he does through their Iron Jet program. He shares the criteria for what makes an Iron Jet and what type of rewards players receive for this recognition — sometimes being things as small as a designated parking spot. These small things can have a huge impact on how hard players work in practice or training.
For staying organized in the strength and conditioning program and the layout of the daily training, Galac uses a weekly card that includes player percentages for lifts, player-specific modifications, notes for particular lifts, and estimated one-rep maxes. Each week these cards are updated; the players are expected to follow them closely and the staff is expected to alter the cards to directly fit the changing needs of the athletes. In a lot of cases, the struggle of updating these cards is to convince players not to attempt to move maximal weights every session in the gym. This weekly card system works for Galac, but he emphasizes the importance of finding a system that works for you, your staff, and your team. It may be weekly cards like he uses or it may be something completely new.
To conclude his presentation, Galac includes several final thoughts. He shares seven points of advice as his conclusion:
- Have a great plan.
- Teach players and coaches.
- Be the same for large and small groups.
- Keep the groups together.
- Do what you do.
- Keep the players safe.
- Stay organized.
By the minute:
- (0:34) Box squat and other tempo work
- (2:16) Modifications to training: you are the valve
- (4:42) Factors you must accommodate
- (10:23) Providing external motivation
- (12:22) Staying organized with weekly player cards
- (17:03) Use the system that works for you
- (17:52) Sometimes you don't know — that's okay, but go find out
- (19:18) Be a teacher first
- (20:04) Large or small groups, be the same coach
