Our special guest interviewee is Warren Anderson. Coach Anderson is a strength and conditioning coach in Phoenix, AZ. He is the founder of Rehab Plus training center in Phoenix (visit them at www.makeplays.com). He has over 25 years of experience training athletes at every level. Some of his notable clients include Donovan McNabb and Simeon Rice of the NFL. He is credited with starting the first NFL combine training camp in 1985 and continues to prepare college athletes for their professional careers.
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Coach Anderson talks about training young athletes and some of the key qualities that young athletes need to succeed. We also pick his brain for some of the best ways for young athletes to get stronger and faster. Enjoy!
In the beginning…
Coach Anderson began as a football coach and moved into the strength and conditioning field. He coached in the USFL and moved into physical therapy/strength and conditioning after the league collapsed. Physical therapy was blended with strength and conditioning to allow more opportunities for athletes and their business.
Coach Anderson and Coach Pete Carroll (USC) use the methods from “The Inner Game of Tennis” ($6.00 on Amazon!) with their athletes. Athletes have to learn a skill, perform the skill and have fun while doing it. There has to be a sense of fun with young athletes and they have to enjoy it.
Teach the “why” component of the skill and have them perform it. Coaching is teaching and young athletes need to be taught how to move.
Club Scene
Regarding club sports, Coach Anderson agreed that kids participating in club sports are often burnt out by their junior or senior year in high school. Parents often spend tens of thousands of dollars in order for their child to receive a scholarship for tens of thousands of dollars.
Skill or Athleticism?
Coach Anderson gave some examples of the benefits of being athletic versus being skilled. Baseball scouts in Arizona see hundreds of kids that have high skill levels but are not athletes. Coaches want athletes that they can teach skills to. Many American athletes are high skill but do not have the athleticism to play at higher levels. This is one reason that athletes from other countries are becoming more numerous in American professional athletics. Club sports are beginning to take kids out of their school seasons. These kids will have high skill levels but will often lack athleticism. In the 500+ college football players that have gone through Coach Anderson’s combine training program, only one has been a single-sport athlete. And, he got cut from the NFL.
Kids need more gymnastics, tag, dodgeball and tumbling. Coach Anderson uses tag with his athletes to teach kids how to change direction and close a gap. Peter Warrick from Florida State used to chase chickens to get faster. Many of the athletes from the south would run through fields and just be outside. These kids are more athletic than the kids sitting down doing lat pulldowns with a personal trainer.
What it takes
To go far, athletes need to be intelligent and tough. Professional athletes are extremely competitive. They outwork the athletes around them and are extremely mentally tough. Coach gave some stories of athletes succeeding because they are mentally tough. LeBron James makes plays and is one of the best in the world because of his work ethic. Tiger Woods is the best because no one will outwork him. He has taken every shot a thousand times so he knows how to hit and has been there before. The best guys will do every rep perfectly. Aeneas Williams would redo a ladder drill if he hit any of the rungs. That persistence transfers to big plays on the field.
Toughness and competition can be developed. USC incorporates competition in every drill their football players perform. Coach Anderson uses push up circuits which combine core strength, trunk stability and upper body strength to push his athletes. He has athletes perform squat holds for time which forces low position. He always adds a mental element to his drills to force his guys to think when they are tired.
Keys to success
For developing athletic qualities, Coach wants young kids to be able to handle their own body weight. Pushups, lunges, squats, pull ups and rope climbing are imperative to strength development. Good coaching is the KEY to athletic development. Coach Anderson like trap bar deadlifts for older athletes to develop strength. Sled or car pushes are also great for developing strength. If a young athlete (not their parents) truly has a passion for sports, you must find good coaches that will TEACH.
Speed is best taught through proper mechanics and strength development. Running hills may be the best exercise for developing speed and conditioning.
Visit Coach Warren Anderson at www.makeplays.com.
Thank you for your time Coach!
