Kelsey Ackerman | Sports Co-Editor

As fall sports wind down, the major off-season has already begun. Sports teams gave themselves a week to re-cooperate and are now ready to kick it back into gear.

Heading these efforts are head strength and conditioning coach Lane Gries and his intern Baylee Strachan.

“The goals for off-season training are somewhat universal in principle but can vary dramatically from one team to the next based on the obvious factors of a given sport’s demands, the relative training level of a given set of athletes, and the amount of time available to train,” Gries said.

The main goal for off-season training is to avoid sport specific training in order to prevent injury or overuse. Instead, the athletes work on their general physical preparation qualities such as maximal strength, speed, and explosiveness.

Strachan joins the Beaver Strength and Conditioning program from Keenesaw State University where she played volleyball for four years.

“I have done 90% of the workouts I ask athletes to do. I’m a huge believer in practice what you preach. I want athletes to feel comfortable but know the standard of hard work I expect from each of them,” Strachan said.

Strachan believes fueling the body is just as important in the off-season. The most important part is figuring out what is best for each individual. Lean proteins, fruit/veggies, whole grains, and other complex carbs are all part of a good diet. Junk foods are okay as long as they are eaten in moderation.

“Having Baylee has been a great addition. Any time you can have qualified assistants to help is a huge force multiplier, and the fact that she was a collegiate volleyball player also adds to that in a huge way,” Gries said.

The other aspect that teams work on in the off-season is the overall culture of the team. Things like discipline, attitude, aggressiveness, leadership, and accountability are all important things for a team to work on and build up.

“Sweat saves blood, or maybe more appropriately, sweat and having to pull a heavy sled saves penalty flags and whistles,” Gries said.