Preseason Conditioning Survey

PURPOSE: Preseason conditioning is an important component of sports training that can lead to fewer injuries and better outcomes. The project is meant to collect information on local college-level programs in the state of Maine regarding the use of preseason conditioning programs. The objective is to better understand the conditioning programs that local college athletes are engaged in prior to the start of their sport season. METHODS: We invited 59 head coaches from local college sports teams in southern Maine to complete a survey using email invitation. Surveys were hosted on Redcap software. Email reminders were sent to coaches in weekly increments. All data were collected anonymously. For each sport, a coach was asked about their preseason conditioning program and its individual components. RESULTS: Our survey results include 24 responses of 59 invitations. 68% of the responses were for male sports. 84.6% of all coaches indicate some form of pre-season conditioning. 50% of programs are developed by coaches. 91.7% include stretching; 84% include cardio; 92% include strength training; and 92% include plyometrics. Only 16% indicated monitoring athletes for compliance in the off-season, with athletes submitting workouts and use of phones calls as the most common form of monitoring (20% respectively). Conditioning testing was reported by 58.3% of coaches. Within this testing, 21.4% check max lift, 14% check max reps, 14.3% check timed mile, 42.9% check 300-yard shuttle, and 50% indicated other forms of testing. Only 20% of coaches reported that their athletes arrived at the expected conditioning level. Common reasons why included lack of motivation and school/work conflicts. Discussion/ CONCLUSIONS: This survey is meant to provide a glimpse into the preseason conditioning practices of local college sports teams. Collected responses show most college sports teams do have some level of preseason conditioning program, but with substantial variability. By understanding preseason conditioning practices between schools and sports, we gain insight into areas for athletes to improve conditioning, and barriers they face in the off-season that prevent their progress. More research into this topic is needed.