What We Do

STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS
The mission of the UAB Athletic Performance team embodies an interdisciplinary group of professionals collaborating with each other and our constituents to ensure peak performance of all UAB student-athletes. To achieve success each layer is integral in the creation of a positive student-athlete experience. The essentials of academics, practice and skill development, and athletic performance, drive the path of Readiness, Preparation and Success for UAB student-athletes. Investing in each layer ensures the Athletic Performance team is mindful of all that the student-athlete encounters (Figure 1).

OUR PERFORMANCE TRAINING PRINCIPLES

As a group of highly qualified professionals, the Athletic Performance Team at UAB is a committed to delivering the services necessary to maximize each student-athlete’s performance.

Systematic Programming – a system of organized phases ranging from general to specific. Utilizing combinations of volume, intensity, frequency, and exercises specific to the demands of the athlete’s position and sport are the foundations necessary to optimize performance. All phases of periodization are necessary to achieve peaking of physical performance by planning programs that entail the following fundamentals:

Stress: proper application of physical tension on the athlete’s body via load, reps, rest, etc. The body must be stressed appropriately, often, and differently in training sessions.
Progression: gradual stress or overload of the body to bring about specific training adaptations unique to the position, sport, and student-athlete aptitude.
- Over Reaching - training to a point of fatigue in which performance begins to decline. This forces the athlete’s body to adapt to higher levels of stress than normally experienced.^{^[1]}

Adaptation: all systems of the body adapt to the imposed demands
- Super-compensation - exposure to high bouts of stress and given adequate time to recover, leads to a training effect, resulting in re-synthesis of damaged muscle tissue and deplete energy stores to a level above and beyond their previous state.^{^[2]}
Accumulation: building upon the benefits from previous phases to allow higher levels of stress to be applied in the upcoming phases of training. Residual benefits last for limited times before proper stress must be utilized again.
- Peaking: pre-competition readiness of all performance qualities. All training benefits are transferred to sport performance (speed, acceleration, explosiveness).
- Re-Assess: always look back at the successes or failures, progress, or lack of progress to make adjustments to future programming

Multi-Joint Movements - Effective movement in sport requires a system of synchronized intricate movements that produce complex skills. Movement-oriented training involves teaching the neuromuscular system to function based on movement patterns.

Multi-Plane Movements - Sport movements occur in variations and combinations of three different movement planes: Sagittal (forward/backward), Frontal (side to side), and Transverse (rotational). Successful resistance-based work and field/court-based work includes work in all planes of movement.

Ground-Based Movements - Applying force to the ground on one or two feet is typical for most sport skills. The more force that can be applied to the ground, the faster the rate of return will be. This translates into higher jumping, harder kicking, hitting, and throwing. The transfer of force from the ground through the body to an implement (bat, stick, ball) can be improved when exercises that enhance the amount of force the athlete generates and transfers are utilized (squat, lunge, plyometrics).

Position Specific - Not all positions in sport have the same demands. Volleyball hitters need different attributes than libero’s, pitchers have different movement patterns than catchers in baseball/softball, mid-fielders have different energy system demands than center backs in soccer. Programming designed to meet the specific needs of a sport position is critical.

OUR FOUNDATIONS OF PERFORMANCE AND MOVEMENT (Figure 3)

Movement Screening

Varies movement screens are used to assess baseline quality of movement patterns. Acceptable movement quality must be present to effectively load a particular movement pattern. Systems such as the FMS will be used to create a custom program that addresses athlete movement deficiencies.

Movement Preparation

Neutralize or Correct Imbalances-soft tissue work, exercises, stretches, and specialized movements are prescribed based on individual assessment scores and need to improve dynamic and static posture, neutralize movement dysfunction, correct asymmetries with the intention of reducing the incidence of injury.
Organize Movements-involves organizing movements through mobility, stability, and range of motion within the musculoskeletal system to improve the overall efficiency of movement patterns. Through hip activation, dynamic stretching, movement integration, and nervous system activation the athlete will systematically prepare the body for training and competition. These motor solutions become the default for more efficient movements.
Body core temperature - Dynamic warmup protocols ensure the body core temperature increases and muscles are prepared for high intensity movements.

Movement Skill Development

Every sport has its own unique demands on a student-athlete and every student-athlete is unique in their genetics, response to training, mindset, and talent in relation to their respective sport.

A full palette of athletic movements specific to the athlete’s sport position are developed for proficiency.
Movements are trained with a linear, multidirectional, and acceleration focus.
Initial emphasis is on movement skill technique and high-quality motor learning, then progress to full speed application and execution in a practical setting.

Muscular Development

Development occurs because of the sequence of muscle tissue stress, damage, and adaptation. The chaotic nature of most sports requires that heavy demands be placed on the lower extremities to lessen the external contact forces from other players or from ground reaction forces associated with accelerating, decelerating, quick stops and starts, and changing direction.

All training methods are focused on improvement in any of the following muscular-tendon complex or ligament characteristics with an emphasis on the following:
- Maximum Strength - maximum dynamic force the musculoskeletal system can generate to overcome the inertia of an external resistance in a single all-out-effort.
- Endurance – the ability to produce maximal force for a maximum amount of time.
- Power – the ability to exert maximal force in as short a time as possible.
- Elasticity – the ability of the muscle to stretch and return to its original shape upon the removal of the force initially applied.
- Reactivity- the ability to rapidly absorb eccentric forces and the ability to shift eccentric to concentric action very quickly.

Instruction and coaching are given on using correct techniques and emphasizing the specificity and importance of each exercise as it relates to the athlete’s sport.
Each team is provided a periodized program which is dependent on their respective competitive season. Planning is utilized to avoid under-recovery while prompting overreaching, reduce the risk of injury, and to sequence expressions of muscular hypertrophy, strength, endurance, power, and peaking at appropriate intervals.
To prescribe exercises which develop and maintain muscular balance between antagonistic muscle groups to decrease susceptibility to injury and enhance performance.
To train specific movements and speeds of movement to maximize preparation within the strength-speed continuum.

Absolute Strength – foundation for all power, higher loads and lower volume are utilized.
Strength-Speed – training with high relative loads.
Power – the optimal combination of force and velocity. Power output requires recruitment of fast motor units at high rates of speed and is dependent on force application.
Speed-Strength – training with lower loads and moving it quickly and with pace.
Speed Velocity – moving from point A to point B in the least amount of time.

Energy System Development (ESD)

To provide appropriate exercises and drills to produce training outcomes specific to the metabolic demands of the position, sport, and individual athlete's needs. Any of the following parameters may be included in the Athletic Performance program throughout the year:

Figure 7: Energy Systems
Readiness and Adaptation Strategies

Post-work Recovery (Cool-down)
- Cool-down
  - After workouts, practice, and games active recovery is utilized to allow the bodies core temperature to be cooled down gradually.
  - Provides an opportunity for accumulated waste products to be removed.
  - Begins the process of recovery for the next training session or competition

Fatigue Management
- Adequate Sleep
- Proper Nutrition
- Optimum Hydration
- Rest between workouts
- Planned Recovery/Regeneration
- Recovery techniques that will aid and accelerate the readiness process acutely and over time.

AIS Stretching
Trigger Point Therapy
Soft Tissue Management
- Transitional Phases-unloading phases within blocks of training by lowering intensity or volume to place the body in less stress in hopes of driving ADAPTATION and SUPER-COMPENSATION in performance parameters.
- Stress Management Strategies-when life builds up

Return-to-Play

Re-Conditioning and Re-Building from Injury
Transition phase between early stages of rehabilitation and complete return to practice and play at full physical capacity.
Assessment tools to determine competency and adequate motor control before body is under a higher stress in training or practice sessions.
Protocols to achieve a high level of movement quality incorporating skill performance before progressing to each phase.
Advancing to varying speeds, intensities, volumes, and external stimuli to prepare the athlete to return to play

Performance Testing & Evaluation

To monitor all student-athletes’ progress and assess their strengths and weaknesses.
To appraise the effectiveness of the athletic performance program relative to the requirements of the sport.
To provide an atmosphere of encouragement, camaraderie, and success during performance evaluation sessions.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics