Board mandated lifting policy

Sounds great, but you need to be careful. What if they mandate things you don't like?

Here are some things that I wouldn't like but could see being mandated. Only students above 16 can lift. You have to use crossfit. Golf is exempt from lifting. You have to use machines. You can only lift 70% of your max or your bodyweight. Etc.

I am not looking for anything specifically for football. There is a lack of lifting by all of our other sports teams (basketball, baseball, wrestling, etc.) and it is hurting all of our sports teams as we fall further behind the competition. I have asked our super to consider adding language that would require all sports programs to lift at least 2x per week for a minimum of 30 minutes. At this point, any lifting is better than the zero they are getting now. Just looking for some guidance.

Have you met our AD because you just described him. I have approached this topic with him and he says it is out of his hands. I am trying the next level so that now the AD and coaches are all accountable. Will help parents "have a leg to stand on" when wanting their child to lift more than one season a year (like my son).

What I am saying is that most state associations have language where there are only certain times that things can be made mandatory for teams, i.e.  "in-season", if your school board says all athletes must lift twice a week all year then your probably going against what your state association says.  I would assume that is why an AD is not going to get involved in trying to mandate lifting to all athletes.

Now if you have a weight class as part of your PE curriculum then you can make them lift since it is for a grade and separate from the team aspect of it.  That may be a better way to approach the situation.

No desire to run a school, just want all of our athletes to have an opportunity to be as successful as possible.

I guess the way I look at it is there is enough evidence to support athletes of all sports lifting weights. The basketball coach may be right, and I don't condition them enough. However, at least I do condition them, which I cannot say with regards to their lifting.

Step 1: Get yourself in the building and in charge of weights as a class.
Step 2: Get guidance dept. to push hard for athletes in weights.
Step 3: Your players (Football) take weights if possible. Period.
Step 4: Players bust @$$, they get stronger, faster, more explosive. It shows in other sports. Coaches can't tell you want to do "in-season" because it is your class. They win more games, kids look better, coaches and parents and admins notice.
Step 5: Watch the kids run to the weight room.

A year ago, I would have taken a job as an asst. just about anywhere to get out of the HC job I had. Disaster. They finally gave me Step 1-3. 4 is in progress and working great. We are even talking about doing Elective PE Weights for SUMMER SCHOOL. I'll get paid to have weights class in the summer. What a gig that could be. I wouldn't worry about the school board. Focus on AD/Principals/athletes and let the hard work speak for itself.

I think there is a big difference between requiring a strength program for a sport and having a board mandate that everyone lift. Trust me I get pi$$ed off when kids don't lift with us or are lazy or whatever and we do our best to hammer home they need to lift with us but when push comes to shove if you are mandating they must lift in the off season your setting yourself up for all kinds of problems. Best route is to get a weight class as part of PE.

Trying to get into a pi$$ing contest with other coaches cause you don't agree with their strength programs is only make your life harder especially when they start tell their kids "You aren't gonna play if you play football"