Wickert's Performance Coaching

This is an exciting announcement and time for me as I step into a new chapter in my career as Sports Performance Director at Crossover Preparatory Academy.

‼️Plus other neat developments I’ll share in another post. Yes, I still will be providing both remote/in-person sports performance training‼️

I want to thank all my mentors, friends and fellow coaches that have reached out to offer support, insight, encouragement and amazing opportunities.

In any profession (true of life), you must be ready to pivot and adapt because change is inevitable.

There are so many wonderful people in our profession. 🙏🏽

I’m thrilled to be in an environment where growth, flexibility, creativity and innovation are welcomed.

Administrative support is crucial, and I can say with confidence that I have it.

I am thrilled to begin this journey next week, working with coaches and student athletes to create an unforgettable summer program‼️

Tuesday Coaching Sentiment:

Here's what I've experienced in my years of coaching:

If you can't relate, you're not as effective in your coaching. Yes, you'll get compliance because of the positional authority the title gives you but you won't get buy in. Without this complete trust and reliance upon from those you seek to coach...you'll never get their best and you'll leave performance gains untapped. If you can't relate, you essentially cannot coach.

🧠💡🤔

Parents, if you know your family has a busy summer, plan a head for your young athlete. Lots of travel? No problem.

‼️First summer athlete sports performance remote training program delivered! Can be done anywhere and without (or with limited) equipment.

Strength ✅
Power ✅
Speed ✅
Mobility ✅
Coordination ✅
Flexibility✅
Quickness ✅
Agility/Change of Direction ✅

Interested in a remote 4 week program? DM for details and pricing.

It is absolutely essential that you have certified and qualified professionals working with your high school student athletes.

Each year, an estimated 240 people die from heat-related illnesses, and heat stroke is the third-ranked cause of death for young U.S. high school athletes, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Sadly, schools are going backwards in this area. Working with adolescence with challenging factors, like summer heat or coming back from a long layover, or young training are a part of some of the considerations when overseeing the physical activity and development of this demographic.

Unfortunately, schools will just simply depend on their sport coaches, who generally lack education, experience and certifications. This opens them up to liability and litigation.

See the article:

The telltale signs of heat-related illness in student-athletes Each year, an estimated 240 people die from heat-related illnesses, and heat stroke is the third-ranked cause of death for young athletes.

This is what it’s about…impact. Making a difference- this is bigger than weights, athletics, record boards, etc

I’ll always be the Coach I wish I had growing up. The one that builds you up, not break you down. The one that meets em where they’re at. The Coach that helps them get out of their own way. The Coach that tough, but shows grace, flexibility, patience, humanity.

The Coach that doesn’t take themselves so seriously. The Coach that athletes wanna talk to, a coach that’s approachable, a coach that laughs with the kids but knows when it’s time to lock in.

Coaching is inspiring, teaching, supporting, guiding, helping, instructing, learning, listening, managing, leading, caring, mentoring and adapting…

Again, the outpouring of support from students and parents has been remarkable. You all don’t know the blessing and impact your words, gifts and cards have had on me. 🙌🏽🙏🏽🥹

I am grateful and thankful.

What a wonderful experience! Thank you to Dr. Shannon and the entire Sports Management team at Oral Roberts University. A world class experience.

I simply want to share what’s helped me along my journey. I don’t have all the answers and will never pretend to but I’ve got great questions…
It’s the questions that guide us down life’s path not the answers.

It was encouraging to see so many students engaging and eager to learn. I left feeling energized, appreciated and lifted up.

Parents & Coaches, great discussion with the University of Texas Head Performance Coach for Volleyball(back to back National Champions) on:

➡️ the importance of developing physical qualities year around via strength training for female athletes.
➡️ developing other qualities like mobility, coordination, power, etc
➡️ the downsides of year round club participation- at the cost of development
➡️ the importance rest, recovery not overtraining. Let them develop slowly.
➡️ Advice for female athletes that want to play at a high level (top 25 DI school)
➡️ Plenty more‼️

https://youtu.be/qKSYqpuoeBc?si=UKNrBy1llWQ8wciU

Excellent episode Erica. 🙌🏽👏🏽

D1 STRENGTH COACH OVER 20 YEARS: FEMALE ATHLETES MUST LIFT FOR COLLEGE SPORTS Donnie Maib has been in performance training for almost 30 years, and is currently the Director of Performance at University of Texas.Get his book THE SECRET...

Fantastic article here Erica Suter Mulholland (Performance Coach). Highly recommend.

“Now we are in 2024, and strength is non-negotiable at this point. You don’t get a gold star if you do it. It’s actually the bare minimum. According to legendary ACL researcher Dr. Tim Hewett, girls can reduce chance of ACL injury by over 40% if they strength train year-round, so every girl must be in the gym at this point. It’s mandatory.”

https://ericasuter.com/strength-training-is-not-enough-for-girls-soccer-players/?fbclid=IwAR1zmHEbI4AvGrTs8Zg--1TgXI7bCS6SUPlsd_P7yG3V-oU5M2tRlCfPNZA_aem_AVy24MR1AGbDbINy4wut8yt902QmLzMoEAYcQNB0KstW1Tx_zHQfzvdypvBhv8ZQQok

Strength is Not Enough for Girls Soccer Players - Erica Suter This article was originally published by Erica on Girls Soccer Network blog. It’s time for a blast from the past. Back in the 1990s, strength training was foreign to girls soccer players. They feared getting under the iron because they thought they would become bulky,...

From the article:

Many coaches, parents, and children believe that the best way to develop elite athletes is for them to participate in only 1 sport from an early age and to play it year-round.

However, emerging evidence to the contrary indicates that efforts to specialize in 1 sport may reduce opportunities for all children to participate in a diverse year-round sports season and can lead to lost development of lifetime sports skills.

Early sports specialization may also reduce motor skill development and ongoing participation in games and sports as a lifestyle choice.

The purpose of this review is to employ the current literature to provide evidence-based alternative strategies that may help to optimize opportunities for all aspiring young athletes to maximize their health, fitness, and sports performance.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4702158/?fbclid=IwAR0Ov8BaBOifi8sZYsrKzzeeO_gs5i-4EHleacV6pHdrhSpnpKeTo01T8Lk_aem_ARsCj68ujCeB4shLGbQXbJEYisDqeVxNkB0K2qGS8TqX9uMouNZHcKgaGOrd9_Nfvn0

Sports Specialization, Part II: Alternative Solutions to Early Sport Specialization in Youth Athletes Many coaches, parents, and children believe that the best way to develop elite athletes is for them to participate in only 1 sport from an early age and to play it year-round. However, emerging evidence to the contrary indicates that efforts to specialize ...

Join us! I’ll be kicking up the event. Super excited to connect, learn and simply share what I’ve done, address the why… And what’s helped me along the way.

https://nhssca.us/event/oklahoma-state-clinic-bishop-kelley-high-school/

Oklahoma - State Clinic // Bishop Kelley High School - National High School Strength Coaches Association Special Thank you to our Partners State Clinic PRESENTERS Miguel Wickert Director of Sports Performance Rejoice Christian High School Mark Dillon Head Athletic Performance Coach…

I’ve been outspoken for years about the dangers of early sports specialization.

This is an informative infographic for parents, coaches and athletes to consider.

Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists® (CSCS®) are professionals who apply scientific knowledge to train athletes for the primary goal of improving athletic performance. They conduct sport-specific testing sessions, design and implement safe and effective strength training and conditioning programs and provide guidance regarding nutrition and injury prevention. Recognizing that their area of expertise is separate and distinct, CSCSs consult with and refer athletes to other professionals when appropriate.

Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) • Miguel Wickert • National Strength and Conditioning Association National Strength and Conditioning Association

Factor in most are under Fueling (Calorie Balance) - not eating enough. Not consuming the necessary protein per snack/meal.

I understand the social aspects and wanting to be recruited but at what cost? The health and well-being of kids?

Programs like the one we have here in our Rejoice Eagles Athletics Performance Nutrition | (Critical Reload) offering can help combat by meeting the nutritional needs of all our young athletes.

What’s interesting is according to the research see the article included, female athletes are at an increased risk over males.

We don’t have many of our female athletes here in our program taking advantage of the performance nutrition offering; I know almost all of them are involved with club ball. Then factor in no prioritization of year round strength, power and speed development. Ouch.

Then athletes, parents and coaches are frustrated when their athletes don’t see improvement in relative strength, quickness, power (arm speed)/(jump height: verticals) while said athletes become slower.

Never seem to develop the ability to accelerate, create separation in their respective sports. The same continues year after year.

Another common thing I see in these young athlete populations is a high occurrence of upper respiratory infections and just overall sickness.

Rigorous sporting activity: competition and practice in school, and in club beats up and breaks down the body. The immune system gets knocked down.

I’ll stop there. Real talk. 🤔🧐 

Injury Risk Associated With Sports Specialization and Activity Volume in Youth - Alison E. Field, Frances A. Tepolt, Daniel S. Yang, Mininder S. Kocher, 2019 Background: Sports specialization has become increasingly common among youth. Purpose/Hypothesis: To investigate the relative importance of specialization vs vo...

NSCA Yearly Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach (RSCC) Recertification completed ✅

The NSCAs Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach® (RSCC) is a designation that signifies a CSCS® Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach has demonstrated experience and knowledge working in team sport or tactical performance units. Registered coaches apply advanced knowledge to assess, motivate, educate, and train athletes for the primary goal of improving sport performance. Every registered coach participates in annual training and assessment beyond what is required of their peers and is held to the highest standards of professional education and practice in the industry. The RSCC Coaching Registry serves as verifiable proof of a strength and conditioning coach’s experience, professionalism, and subject mastery.

NSCA Oklahoma State Clinic this next February.

https://www.nsca.com/events/state-and-regional/2024-oklahoma-state-clinic/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Earn+Up+to+2+8+CEUs+and+Reconnect+with+Peers&utm_campaign=MKT-5049+2024+SPD+Events+-+Comms+-+OK+State+Clinic+%2B+FCL+-+EB+%231&fbclid=IwAR1VGzjoLnfjQfBPErZU-2ZMci3VW8wlSg0qQqAXsv7SG8SJtQZkQDqaMiY_aem_AUb5RcuwM0G37RkRfi66KtiKICeSQ0uPtL7qihaL4SlF1GyQy4pj928GGbG7UtaHNZU

Oklahoma State Clinic Learn, participate and network with colleagues at (location) while earning CEUs. Hosted by the state, provincial and regional directors, this local event brings cutting-edge research and application to your backyard.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2023/12/17/how-to-handle-a-bad-coach-in-3-steps/71933854007/

Bad coaches can do a lot of damage to your child. Here's 3 steps to deal with the problem A reader asks how to approach a "bad coach" before they damage your child's mental health. Coach Steve offers 3 steps to try before quitting a sport.

Super excited to be presenting at next year’s NHSSCA Oklahoma State Clinic!

Amazing opportunity for coaches and administrators to learn how to better help and serve their student athletes.

I don’t have all the answers but I appreciate this opportunity to share what’s helped me as I’ve learned along the way.

https://nhssca.us/event/oklahoma-state-clinic-bishop-kelley-high-school/

Rejoice Christian School Sports Performance 2023 2nd Offering Online ordering for Rejoice Christian School Sports Performance 2023 2nd Offering ends on Sun, Nov 12, 2023 (11:59 PM CST)

Pumped to have partnered with Output Sports to bring these great features to our Rejoice Eagles Athletics department for the benefit of all our student athletes.

Rejoice Eagles Sports Science is here. This is only the beginning. 🦅

Output Sports: The go-to tool for VBT, Power, Jumps, RSI, Mobility and more! Output Sports - a new and better way to test, monitor, analyze, report, and program athletic performance! We are proud to have earned the trust of S&C Coache...

Effects of Resistance Training on Academic Outcomes in School‐Aged Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

“participation in resistance training has a small positive effect on cognition and academic outcomes in school− aged youth.”

Effects of Resistance Training on Academic Outcomes in School-Aged Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - Sports Medicine Background The primary aim of our systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the effect of resistance training on academic outcomes in school-aged youth. Methods We conducted a systematic search of six electronic databases (CINAHL Complete, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, Ovid MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus and...

Why is Bixby so good at football? Football starts in first grade in Bixby. And then there's a year-round culture of strength training. Here's how Bixby became a high school football superpower.

Meal Train for Robin and Miguel Wickert Please help us celebrate the arrival of Miles Daniel Wickert! Born August 26, 2023🎉