The offseason is prime time for the Strength and Conditioning programs in any major Division I sport. It isn't just the football players lifting and running every day; their colleagues in the basketball program are also working hard to get stronger for their next season. In the above video, a workout planned by Villanova's head basketball strength coach John Shackleton takes on a familiar look for fans who have seen what Justus Galac and Phil Matusz have done with their football players.
The idea looks similar to work put in by the Temple men's basketball team a year ago, when they took to the football practice fields for a training session. These workouts help promote better whole-body strength and conditioning, and are becoming more and more popular as coaches pick up on the trend.
Stronger bodies are a benefit in any sport, so giving the basketball team a leg up with some training on the football field is designed to be an advantage later on. According to Shackelton:
During our summer training period, Friday's are dedicated to a team circuit day. This circuit usually comes after open gym where guys have played multiple games and are in a fatigued state. We strategically plan it this way because we want to challenge our team both mentally and physically. This Friday circuit pushes our players' physical and mental limits to the edge. Over time, as the team adapts to this style of training their overall "Motor" will be improved.
The Friday circuit is usually done indoors, within our air conditioned basketball facility. This past Friday we took them out to the football field to expose them to a new and uncomfortable environment- A tough workout in the heat. The team was confronted with the challenge and did a great job with the workout.
Videos like this really demonstrate how playing an NCAA Division I sport can effectively be a full-time job for these student-athletes. They put in tremendous efforts and significant amounts of time to build strength, endurance and skills -- even when the next game-day is months away.