Over the years I have had the privilege of working with a diverse population of athletes. Although the niche of Donskov Strength and Conditioning is hockey, we have had the opportunity of coaching athletes at each stage of the development process. I can tell you that regardless of age, our goals are similar: stay healthy, get strong, get fast, and get powerful. In addition, our recipe is very similar: “Think small. Work hard. Get good!” (Wooden) Our goal is to master the fundamentals. Basic addition is one of the biggest problems with youth training AND youth sports. By constantly adding drills on the ice/field, youth athletes fail to master the fundamentals of their respective sport. The same holds true in the weight room. Addition by subtraction is the key to development! Below are three principals of the Addition by Subtraction philosophy that we utilize at DSC.

As Coaches, few of us are fortunate enough to work with college/professional athletes on a weekly basis. Genetically gifted individuals who are strong, skilled and relatively easy to coach. I refer to this population as ” auto pilot” athletes. Give them direction, demonstration and they can make a bad program look good! In contrast, a young, hyper-mobile teenager whose only experience in a gym was a dodge ball class in high school is quite another story. I am fortunate enough to work with both populations.  I train youth athletes (ages 13-18), and many of my Athletic Development Programs in the summer cater to the college and professional athlete (hockey players). Regardless of training experience, our clients represent our product!  Coaching is an art, and many times the best coaches can get the most accomplished with the least amount of verbal interaction. Below are five ways to enhance “technical proficiency” in the weight room without over coaching.