Practicing Your Sport Isn’t the Same as Training Your Body
Practicing a sport develops sport-specific skills, while physical training prepares the body for the strength, speed, control, balance, and repeated forces required to perform those skills. An athlete can spend hours practicing their sport and still have physical areas that need additional work, which is where targeted training can help.
Train for What Your Sport Demands
Athletes accelerate, stop, change direction, jump, land, rotate, absorb force, and repeat those movements while becoming fatigued. Different sports place different combinations of those demands on the body, so training should reflect what the athlete actually needs to do. A basketball player might need better landing control, while a soccer player may need more single-leg strength and control when changing direction. The goal isn’t more training for the sake of training. It’s preparing the body for what the sport actually requires.
Training Should Match the Athlete
There isn’t one program that’s right for every athlete. Sport, position, age, training schedule, previous injuries, strengths, limitations, and goals all matter when deciding what an athlete should work on. Training should address those individual needs without simply adding more work to an already demanding schedule.
Physical Therapy Isn’t Only for Injuries
Physical therapists don’t only help athletes recover after an injury. They can also evaluate strength, mobility, balance, coordination, and movement control to identify areas that may benefit from additional training. No program can guarantee an athlete won’t get injured, but preparing the body for the forces and movements it will repeatedly encounter can help an athlete better handle the demands of practice and competition.
FAQ: Training for Athletes
Should athletes strength train in addition to practicing their sport?
Strength training can complement sports practice when it’s appropriate for the athlete’s age, experience, sport, schedule, and individual needs.
Can training prevent sports injuries?
No program can prevent every injury. Appropriate training can help prepare the body for the demands of a sport and may help reduce certain injury risks.
Do young athletes need additional training outside of practice?
It depends on the athlete, sport, schedule, and stage of development. Additional training should address a specific need rather than simply adding more workload.
Do you have to be injured to see a physical therapist?
No. Physical therapists can evaluate movement, strength, mobility, balance, and other physical qualities relevant to an athlete’s training.
Train the Body Behind the Athlete
Practicing your sport develops the skills you need to compete, while training your body prepares you to physically perform those skills. Different sports have different movements and different demands, but the goal is the same: be ready when it matters.
