by Chase Nunley, USAW-L1, HSSCC, RPR-L1, NSPA-CSAC
One of the biggest missions we as strength & conditioning coaches is making our program something that our athletes enjoy. My goal is to make the weight room the most enjoyable part of their day. To achieve this, I believe we have to constantly be searching for ways to bring new excitement into our programs. I’m always striving for extra incentives each year to take our program to the next level.
I started using incentive programs in 2008 as Strength & Conditioning Coach at Auburn High School in Virginia, and continued this tradition during my five years at school. I’ve been able enhance the incentives since I became the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Abingdon High School in Virginia in 2018.
I look at incentives from two separate lenses. One is from a large view “Program” lens. This is where I compare what we do to other programs both locally and on our athletic schedules. Will an incentive I’m considering set our program above the rest? The second is an “Individual Athlete” lens. Will an incentive I’m considering be something our 14- to 18-year-old athletes will enjoy and get behind? If the answer to either of these questions are yes, then my next step is doing everything within my power to make those incentives a reality.
Examples of Incentive Programs
Ever see a kid work for chocolate milk? You will in our program. That was the first incentive we made to the S&C program when I took it over in 2018. With a couple of phone calls, very generous members in our community and a local grocery store said they are willing to help, and we began giving each athlete in the S&C program chocolate milk after their workout each day. We go through an average of 20 gallons of chocolate milk each week. That means we have consumed over 3,000 gallons overall! Along the way, our chocolate milk has grown into adding other items to the mix. If you walk into our weight room at the end of each session, you will see string cheese to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches getting washed down with that famous chocolate milk.
Last year we introduced what we call our Ultimate Falcon Challenge. This is based on the main principles of our program broken down into the following categories:
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- Speed: (1) Max Velocity , (2) 40 Yard Dash
- Power: (3) Vertical Jump, (4) Hang Clean
- Strength: (5) Hex Bar Deadlifts, (6) Bench Press, (7) Chin-ups
After establishing the movements listed above, a points rubric was created for both males and females. The entire system was balanced in a way to allow athletes of all body types to have an equal chance of becoming our “Ultimate Falcon.” Towards the end of the year, we have our competition period. Points are tallied and a Male and Female Champ is determined.
Marking Accomplishments with Championship Belts
We had customized championship belts made, which the kids absolutely loved. Each champ signs the belt with their point total on the back of the belt. And because each champion has a point total listed with their award, we have established a goal that future athletes are striving to beat.
To build this event up as much as possible, I post the running point total throughout the entire week of the competition and make sure to share it on social media also. Every day students would sprint into the weight room to check the latest updates on the point total.
Recognize Your Athletes through the NHSSCA
The last incentive I will mention comes straight from our NHSSCA #Family, and it has been a huge deal for our program. Each year, NHSSCA members can nominate two male and two female seniors for NHSSCA All-American Honors. In my opinion, anything you can do to get your athletes recognized, especially versus their peers across the country, is well worth the time and effort. At Abingdon, we have been very fortunate in having outstanding athletes come through our hallways. In three years of nominating athletes, we’ve had four selected as NHSSCA All-Americans. For more information regarding the NHSSCA All-American process, please visit https://nhssca.us/all-american-athlete-application/.
While the above are just a few examples of ways to bring excitement to your own programs, I believe it is of the upmost importance to provide each student-athlete with the best experience the best possible. When student athletes become excited for hard work, the sky’s the limit.
Chase Nunley is Head Strength and Conditioning Coach and Assistant Head Football Coach at Abingdon High School located in Abingdon, Virginia. He currently serves as NHSSCA Virginia State Director. He has served in the S&C field for over 11 years now at the high school level
