SENIOR SCHOOL
Fitness and Conditioning Program
“May my hopes for the future be
evident in my actions today”
This quote by Seth Quealy is appropriate
to the area of Fitness and Conditioning
at Guildford Grammar School. Time and
money has been invested in this area today
to improve the outcomes of our students in
the future.
Significant changes have been made to the
landscape of the Barber Fitness Centre. The
equipment that now populates the weight
training facility allows students to access
a gym of the highest standard. Students
can train the gamut of exercises, from
beginning body weight exercises all the way
up to sophisticated Olympic weightlifting
exercises. The staff who supervise these
exercises are all Australian Strength and
Conditioning accredited instructors with
a wide range of experiences, including
Australian representation in cricket and
athletics. Opening before and after school
allows students to access the facility at a
time that suits their personal situation.
2015 saw an overhaul of the programs
undertaken by students. A workshop
conducted by Mr Jason Weber, Head of
Strength & Conditioning at Fremantle
Football Club, at the end of 2014, sparked
a rethink of the way in which students
transition through the weights facility.
Consequently, a graded Strength Program
was established to ensure students are only
exposed to those movements and loads that
they can execute with technical correctness.
A growing body of research is highlighting
that strength training is both safe for young
and adolescent bodies, and vital in the
optimal development of movements that are
required for sporting success and everyday
living. If your son is playing organised sport,
then he is capable of participating in an age
appropriate, supervised strength program.
A simple motion like running and jumping
impart a high load through your son’s body.
The strength program aims to improve your
son’s tissue tolerance in a safe, controlled
environment, thus improving performance
whilst reducing the risk of injury.
On the training track, first level students are
being exposed to technology once reserved
for professional teams like the West Coast
Eagles or the Western Force. Global Position
System (GPS) devices are providing coaches
with a greater understanding of school boy
sport. Informed decisions can then be made
regarding the importance of the various
fitness components and appropriate training
drills. Technique examination is now possible
with tools such as Dartfish and Coaches Eye.
Sports Code allows for a higher level of game
analysis and adds to the professionalism that
now surrounds our 1st teams.
Rowing sets the standard in regards
to embracing the importance that
strengthening and conditioning plays in
developing rowers of a high standard, and
utilising available technologies to maximise
the output of their boats. The 1st Football
Team have been fortunate enough to be
led by a coach who understands and utilises
all available resources to maximise the
performance of the team. As more students
and sports embrace the facilities and
equipment available to them, today’s actions
will sow the seeds that will benefit students
into the future.
Mr Jeffrey Giles
Director of Strength and Conditioning
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