The Future of High School Strength & Conditioning

1. How would you rate the development of motor abilities (endurance, strength, speed, explosiveness) in today’s young athletes when they enter high school?

I would say it is quite subpar. Most of the student-athletes I work with in 7th grade (I coach athletes from 7th through 12th grade) lack fundamental motor patterns such as hopping, skipping, jumping, and landing. Additionally, many athletes are highly one-sided due to early specialization in a single sport, leading to significant asymmetries—even as early as 7th grade. My primary focus with these athletes is reteaching fundamental movement skills and improving body control.

When it comes to speed and agility training, it’s not just about running drills but about teaching proper angles, positions, and movement efficiency. Athletes need to understand how these positions impact performance and injury prevention.

2. The incidence of injuries among high school athletes is reaching epidemic levels. What steps should be taken to prevent them?

First, we must recognize that only about 6% of high school athletes advance to the next level. Therefore, our priority should be teaching the other 94% how to move properly, which will naturally reduce injury risk. Our role in the school system is to develop physically literate individuals, not just athletes who peak in high school.

To reduce injuries, we need to:

• Teach proper movement mechanics, including hinging, squatting, pushing, pulling, carrying, crawling, bracing, lunging, and changing direction.

• Encourage multi-sport participation to reduce overuse injuries.

• Emphasize recovery, nutrition, and sleep.

• Focus on fundamental movement skills.

• Let kids be kids—encourage outdoor play, climbing, and unstructured movement.

3. Many high school athletes compete to see who can squat or bench the most weight. Does maximal strength necessarily transfer to sports performance?

Yes and no. Elite athletes who are destined to play at the next level will likely get there regardless of whether they work with me. However, for the average high school athlete, getting stronger—when done correctly—can enhance performance. Strength training improves force production, which can contribute to speed and power.

That said, strength alone is not enough. A well-structured program must include sprinting, explosive movements, throwing, and overall athletic development. Strength must be applied in a way that translates to sport-specific performance.

4. Do you incorporate games into your strength and conditioning program? If so, why and how?

Yes, especially during speed and agility sessions. Games help break the monotony of repetitive drills while reinforcing movement skills in a fun, engaging way. Here’s an article I wrote on this topic: Break the Monotony of S&C with Gameplay.

5. What would a speed training session for a high school athlete look like? Would it differ for an American football player compared to a basketball player?

At the high school level, speed training should remain general. With only 6% of athletes moving on to the next level, we need to prioritize fundamental speed development for all athletes.

I follow Blaine Donoho’s “4 P’s” approach: Prep, Prime, Potentiate, Push. About 80% of my athletes are multi-sport competitors, so my focus is on teaching movement efficiency, proper angles, and acceleration mechanics.

While basketball involves more lateral movement (~80% of the game), it still requires acceleration, deceleration, crossovers, and curved running—similar to many other sports. Developing these movement patterns benefits all athletes, regardless of sport.

6. What advice would you give to youth coaches who do not have a strength and conditioning coach on their team?

Find one! If hiring a strength coach isn’t in your budget, seek out a mentor who can guide you. Learn the fundamentals yourself and consider getting certified. If that’s not an option, partner with private gyms or certified strength coaches to educate your athletes.

The goal should always be to help athletes become the best versions of themselves based on where they are now—not just focusing on short-term performance.

7. What are some of the biggest trends and advancements in high school strength and conditioning today? How do you see the field evolving over the next five to ten years?

The biggest trend right now is technology, but the coach’s eye remains the most important tool. If a movement doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t—no matter what the data says.

Looking ahead, I see a major push for qualified and certified strength and conditioning coaches in schools. More districts are beginning to offer strength and conditioning courses, which means they will either require PE teachers to get certified or start outsourcing to CSCS-certified professionals.

I also believe we will see a shift away from traditional lifetime PE classes toward structured strength and conditioning programs. These programs can be integrated into STEAM/STEM education, reinforcing the science behind training while improving student-athlete development.