Andy Hallett
Head Baseball Coach A.C. Flora
Here we are! Back to school! The summer months have raced by and the new year is upon us. If you are like me, you do not have the ability to keep your team together during the summer months for workouts and weight training. Once school ends for us, I constantly remind our returning players that we will hit the ground running once the school year starts. Even though I am not in daily contact with my players, I do reach out and send messages via GroupMe to give motivational quotes and reminders about representing the program, as well as themselves, throughout the summer while they play ball for other organizations.
Having time off is not always a bad thing, it gives your players some freedom from you, as well as giving you time to recharge. It is important that you allow them opportunities to grow outside the program. While it is beneficial for them to play for different coaches in the summer, help them choose wisely and make an effort to stay in contact with them throughout the summer to ensure they know you care about them and want to help them grow as players and young men. Playing for different coaches in the summer allows players to understand that if they hope to move on and play at the next level to play college baseball, they will have to adapt to a new coaching staff.
School started and we immediately tested. Front squat and close grip bench press during the first week. Followed, by testing pro agility, 60 yard dash and vertical jump during the second week. We use a rep test for our max out numbers vs just the one rep max. Thereafter, we continue to test every 4 weeks on bench and squat (front squat for freshmen / back squat for upperclassmen) and every 8 weeks on the other three exercises. Our workouts in August are rep oriented as we work hard to improve muscular endurance and become accustom to lifting weights every other day. The months of September and October we lift very heavy to make gains in strength and weight. Our workouts are designed with baseball player movements and contain a lot of core and single leg exercises.
All my returning sophomores, juniors and seniors do not keep playing in the fall. We have just completed a 65 game run from high school to summer with our rising freshmen. Some of my older players have played close to 100 games since February. They need a baseball break, we reboot the system and allow our “baseball bodies” to heal and grow.
Even if your year has already started, it is not too late to get your plan in place for this fall and the spring baseball season. Don’t cheat the kids, get your weight room plan in effect and start rebooting the system for the up and coming season.
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The Athlete Maker Team:
Micah Kurtz, MS, CSCS*D, RSCC*D, USAW, FMS, NASE, serves as Strength and Conditioning Consultant Coach to nine-time high school basketball national champion Oak Hill Academy, which won the Dick’s High School National Basketball Tournament in 2016. He is in his eighth year as Director of Strength and Conditioning at AC Flora High School., which has won 14 state championships in the past five years, including the 2016 boys’ basketball state championship. Kurtz was named the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Strength Coach of the Year in 2016. He was also named the South Carolina High School Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in both 2013 and 2014 and is part of the NSCA’s Subject Matter Expert Committee. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @KurtzM3.
Bryan Meagher is currently the Associate Head Coach of the 2016 Dick’s High School National Basketball Championship team Oak Hill Academy. During his coaching career he has coached numerous NBA players that have included Kevin Durant, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Jennings, Josh Smith and Ben McLemore. In Coach Meagher’s tenure, he has been a part of five high school basketball National Championships. You can follow him on Instagram for workout tips @Bmeagher22.
Andy Hallett, MS is entering his 21st season as the head coach at A.C. Flora High School. Over the past 20 seasons his Falcons have compiled a 441-170 record for a 722 winning percentage. During his tenure at Flora his Falcons have won:
14 Region Championships
13 District Championships
4 AAA Lower State Championships
4 AAA Upper State Championships
6 AAA State Championships
Luke Kurtz, JD is the Vice President of Legal Affairs for US Sugar and passionate about helping students maximize their full athletic, academic and professional potential. He played free safety and was named captain of the State University of New York- Albany football team where he won two conference titles and earned the nickname “DB9” for being a team player and aggressive hitter. He played and coached professional football for the Corinthians football club in São Paulo, Brazil. He is an active writer and has delivered speeches and presentations throughout the United States, Brazil, China and Hong Kong.