Coach Rod Cole » Texas Coaches Convention in San Antonio

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THE COLE HARD TRUTH

Launching "Ever Stronger"

After 24 years in coaching, 18 as a collegiate head strength coach, I have launched my twofold "Ever Stronger!" consulting - personal workout programs, and clinics for school S&C programs. MORE

A football high: out-physical the opponent

Our six-man team, in its first two games, brought back memories of dominating wins over big powers in college football by demonstrating how an off-season strength and conditioning program pays off. Never mind it wasn't Nebraska or Texas; satisfaction still runs high over a job well done Feb-to-Aug leading to success in the fall. HERE'S HOW

Scant Equipment, Big-Time Workout for Kids

Details of the makeshift equipment and big-time football workout regimen, out behind a church....TUGGING STARTS HERE

You don't need fancy

A dozen youngsters, 11-18, a football/soccer field behind Steep Hollow Baptist Church, rigorous workouts. Not impressive. But the workouts are.....READ WHY

Please send questions, suggestions, or comments to WEBATT@coachrodcole.com

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Texas Coaches Convention in San Antonio

Hello, from San Antonio.

I'm surrounded by one of the beauties of being in Texas, professionally speaking: more than 10,000 secondary school coaches. High school, junior high, middle school, public school, parochial school, private school, and home school coaches, men and women.

More, really. There are athletic directors here, too. Plus, associate members like college college students who intend to become secondary school coaches, and former secondary school coaches now employed by colleges, or who have moved to another state.

water tower in Coach Cole's hometown in Kansas Every which kind of school, and every which kind of sport, both boys and girls, from 7^th grade teams up through high school junior varsity and varsity teams comprise the membership of the Texas High School Coaches Association. The membership numbers over 19,000. 19,000!

That's about forty times the population of my hometown in Kansas, Kensington. That's ten times the size of the biggest town close to Kensington - Smith Center. There are even members of the THSCA, called associates, who don't even coach; they simply pay their $30 dues to help further the cause of coaching in Texas:

"Helping Coaches To Help Kids."

I joined because I am now head coach of the home-school association's football team in College Station.

The bulk of the membership from around the state has gathered here for the annual convention. This is my first convention. It's the 75^th anniversary of the first one, which was attended by 65 coaches. The association started 78 years ago for football coaches only, with 28 men. Now, it's the largest association of its kind in the world.

That's the way the great state of Texas does things. As that great Fort Worth sportswriter Dan Jenkins would put it, larger than life its ownself.

I've situated at a sponsor/vendor booth with ProMaxima Manufacturing out of Houston. They produce high quality, well-priced strength, conditioning, and total fitness equipment. I am very pleased to associate with ProMaxima in my "Ever Stronger!" consulting venture with schools regarding their weight rooms and programs.

Coincidentally, the ProMaxima booth sits right next to GTM Sportswear out of Manhattan, Kansas. Their representative, Molly, was the wife of one of our assistant football coaches when I was head of strength and conditioning at Kansas State. Dave Dreiling, the owner of GTM - the original company was "It's Greek to Me," because it started as a supplier to fraternities and sororities - is from that big city I mentioned before, Smith Center.

Like comedian Stephen Wright once said, it's a small world, but I'd hate to have to paint it....

I'll be back from time to time with snippets of what's going on here. Enjoy the day.

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THE TURKISH GET UP IS AN ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR FITNESS & WORKOUTS.

To add a new wrinkle for your workouts, I'd like to give you a quick and easy self- assessment. You don't need a workout gym for this, or a weight room. Just a little corner of any room, a book, and a few minutes of your time. You don't even have to put on workout clothes.

First position to start the Get Up exercise

Standing up to complete the Get Up drill

The photos with this article show my son Kade, who is 15, performing a Turkish Get Up with a 30-pound dumbbell. He has three years left to prepare for college, where he wants to play football or baseball, or possibly both. He did this demonstration when I consulted with a small college recently. (By the way, photo credits go Kade's sister, Kressyn, who is 13 Head shot of Kressyn the photographer and loves photography. This is Kressyn.)

Just follow these instructions carefully. A few minutes later you'll know all you need to know about your balance, coordination, flexibility, shoulder strength, and even your core strength.

Grab your Webster's Dictionary from the bookshelf, or any hardback book about that size.
Go to an open space in your house.
Hold the dictionary in one hand at arm's length while lying flat on your back on the floor.
Now, get up! And get up this way:

Keep the arm with the dictionary locked out.
Hold the book overhead as you work your way to a standing position.

Do this, then come back and read the rest....

* * *

OK, how'd you do? You've just performed an exercise called the "Get Up," or, more specifically, the "Turkish Get Up."

Many strength coaches or personal trainers would have given you significantly more instructions on how to get up. I refrained, because I like the problem-solving dimension of the drill. I feel it is important for you figure it out.

Had I been coaching you, I would have helped you along with tips whenever you struggled. For the most part, though, this drill can be figured out with a little persistence and practice.

I have used this drill many years as an assessment. It works not only for the average person, but for athletes. Big athletes, not so big athletes; elite athletes, average to middlin' athletes; all athletes. It's especially effective when they are just coming into a program, as a freshman or a transfer.

After administering five minutes of Turkish Get Ups, I can look at a group of newbies and tell who is the most flexible and coordinated, who has the best core strength, and who has the best shoulder strength and flexibility.

All from lifting a book with one hand. (Well, not quite. College athletes would perform Turkish Get Ups with a dumbbell, something between 30 and 60 pounds, not a dictionary.)

The mental side of the equation is always interesting, too. Some individuals take to new things and catch on quickly, while others fight it, complain, and are quick to give up. It's amazing what a few minutes of work can tell a coach.

If the Turkish Get Up with Noah Webster's masterpiece seemed fairly easy with your dominant hand:

Try it again with your other hand.

And then again with two hands on the book.

After that you are ready to try it again one-handed with the opposite hand not touching the floor as you get up! (That's the way my wife, Stacey, did it the first time she tried it.)

After all that, graduate upward. Make all the lifts all again with a 10-pound dumbbell or weight plate, and then continue working up in weight.

Special note to young athletes: If you are a scholastic athlete and aspire to compete in college, when you can do the Turkish Get Up with a 50- or 60-pound dumbbell, you might be ready. Keep practicing just in case.

In working with college athletes, our staff would revisit the Turkish Get Up every so often in workouts. That way we could measure the overall improvement that our program was giving us in functional movements.

I recommend this exercise once a week or so, just to see if it is getting easier as time goes on. If it's not getting easier, you may want to rethink your program.

At that point, I'd be pleased to help you do that.

The Turkish Get Up is just one minute tool in my kit of various methods as I work with athletic programs, and I thought you might enjoy giving it a try.

If you'd like some consulting for your personal workouts, just send me an email, webatt@coachrodcole.com and we'll set something up. Consulting can take place by telephone, by email, or in person.

My workout tool kit has a lot more tools to help you reach your goals, too. Let's work together on the central theme: Ever Stronger!