Staying Fit Year-Round With Georgia Tech Baseball
The college baseball season can be grueling, considering that most teams play upwards of 60 games. That said, conditioning obviously plays an important role in staying sharp. Steve Tamborra, assistant S+C coach at Georgia Tech, shares some tips on how the Yellow Jackets keep in shape year round.
STACK: How important is conditioning for baseball players?
Steve Tamborra: If you’re not conditioned, you’re going to wear out. You need to produce 95 to 100 percent effort a few times a game. If you’re not conditioned and you don’t have that base, you won’t be able to compete on the field.
STACK: How do you attack conditioning in the off-season?
ST: We condition three to four times a week for 20 minutes. We start off with running mechanics—[targeting the] technique of running from a proper starting position. We focus the first six weeks of the off-season on mechanics. Then the second part of the off-season, we work on first-step quickness, reaction and agility.
STACK: How does the conditioning cycle change during preseason?
ST: We go more into speed work, running and long sprints—anywhere from 20 to 400 yards. We work in resistance runs or assisted runs, working more top-speed endurance that helps condition the body to make it through the long season.
STACK: Once the season starts, does conditioning take a back seat?
ST: I run them at least once a week with some kind of conditioning. However, [during our warm-ups] we are doing mechanical skills such as A Skips, B Skips and quick-feet drills…to incorporate what we worked on in the off-season. We are also running some warm-up quick sprints prior to games and practices.
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Staying Fit Year-Round With Georgia Tech Baseball
The college baseball season can be grueling, considering that most teams play upwards of 60 games. That said, conditioning obviously plays an important role in staying sharp. Steve Tamborra, assistant S+C coach at Georgia Tech, shares some tips on how the Yellow Jackets keep in shape year round.
STACK: How important is conditioning for baseball players?
Steve Tamborra: If you’re not conditioned, you’re going to wear out. You need to produce 95 to 100 percent effort a few times a game. If you’re not conditioned and you don’t have that base, you won’t be able to compete on the field.
STACK: How do you attack conditioning in the off-season?
ST: We condition three to four times a week for 20 minutes. We start off with running mechanics—[targeting the] technique of running from a proper starting position. We focus the first six weeks of the off-season on mechanics. Then the second part of the off-season, we work on first-step quickness, reaction and agility.
STACK: How does the conditioning cycle change during preseason?
ST: We go more into speed work, running and long sprints—anywhere from 20 to 400 yards. We work in resistance runs or assisted runs, working more top-speed endurance that helps condition the body to make it through the long season.
STACK: Once the season starts, does conditioning take a back seat?
ST: I run them at least once a week with some kind of conditioning. However, [during our warm-ups] we are doing mechanical skills such as A Skips, B Skips and quick-feet drills…to incorporate what we worked on in the off-season. We are also running some warm-up quick sprints prior to games and practices.