WSA's competitive soccer standards are setting new parameters in the area of "Sports Performance".  The club recently hosted a "concussion certification" course for all coaching staff.  This just marks one of many areas the club has taken serious aim at under the umbrella of "Sports Performance".  Read More...   

WSA SPORTS PERFORMANCE PROGRAM 
Concussion Certification Required for Coaching Staff
New Areas of Sports Performance Program Introduced 

    WSA soccer has always been very serious about their ability to "develop" players, through training and instruction.  In recent years WSA began incorporating more "sports performance" methodology into it's training curriculum.  The birth of "Soccer Synnergy" 10 years ago, was the genesis of educating players on training for fitness, strength, power, explosion, and nutritiion.  

    Recently Director of Strength and Conditioning, Alex McLaurin, began a WSA Elites summer program, which included time for athletes in the gym, performing soccer functional and specific lifts and movements, as well as summer conditioning.  This past Spring WSA has aligned partners, through the assistance of Holly Thompson, WSA Staff coach, who is also a practicing Physical Therapist.  

    "The insight and knowledge that Holly and Alex bring to the table for WSA is tremendous for our ability to educate coaches, educate players, and provide the right services at the correct developmental stages for all of our players," reports WSA Director of Coaching, Roger Bush.  

    While concussion education was important for the coaching staff, WSA has taken the next steps by requiring all u11-u19 competitive players to complete a concussion screening/benchmark test during tryouts.  This will provide the WSA hired medical consultants information and benchmarks should a player ever be in question of having a concussion.  The information is stored and filed for every player, and coaches will have direct access to doctors and medical staff for questions, whether on the road or at home.  

    The overall improvement of the Sports Performance component of WSA programming, is meant to serve the interest of player safety and play performance.  "We are first concerned with player safety and longevity," reports Bush.  "Players will put their bodies to great tests and stress throughout their athletic careers, which for many extends beyond high school, and possibly beyond college.  We want our kids to retain their youthful physical capacities for as long as possible."  

    "Engaging players in education regarding correct lifting techniques, strengthening excercises for injury prevention, expert screening and assessments of injuries, proper diet and nutrition, are all ways we will help the young athlete remain "young" longer.  And a biproduct of this is our athletes will perform better.  We have ambitious and driven athletes who want to perform at elite levels.  Our Sports Performance program will be able to provide the aspiring athlete a platform for becoming the best version of themself they can be," summarizes Bush. 

   See outline below of the current and evolving Sports Performance Program at WSA:

WSA "SPORTS PERFORMANCE" PROGRAM OUTLINE

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
     WSA Summer Elites Lifting & Conditioning Program - partner Fuel Fitness 

SPEED, AGILITY, COORDINATION

     WSA Youth Academy Agility Training Centers Led
     WSA Training Centers for Speed & Agility (new Fall 2014)

REHAB & PRE-HAB (new 2014-15)
    WSA Partnership with local Physical Therapy clinic will provide on site (training ground) injury screening
    Concussion Screening Provided for EVERY WSA Player along with ongoing benchmarks 
    Girls Specific ACL Prevention Training & Coach Education 

ON SITE TRAINER FOR SHOWCASE TOURNAMENT/REGIONAL LEVEL TEAMS (u15-u19)
    WSA S&C Coach travels with WSA teams to College Showcase events overseeing warm-up, cool down, recoveries, and injury assessments
  
NUTRITION (new 2014-15)
    WSA Club Nutrition Consultant hired for coach and player education