This article is authored by Doug Scott. Opinions expressed may not be that of SMARTER Team Training, STT sponsors or constituents. Coach Scott has been a member of the Pingry faculty since 1999 and has served as a Physical Education teacher and Strength and Conditioning coach since that time. Doug designs workouts for both male and female student athletes competing on a variety of Varsity and Junior Varsity athletic teams, including many county, state, and conference championship teams. Listen to Doug’s podcast on iTunes by clicking here.

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There has been much discussion regarding the benefits of plyometrics or “jump” training and athletic development. While there is no clear-­‐cut answer on how beneficial “plyo’s” are for developing explosiveness or power, they do serve a role in preparing an athlete for the rigors of their sport. This is especially true if their sport requires repetitive jumping and landing, such as basketball or volleyball.

Skill Set
Jumping, like all athletic skills, requires practice and perfecting basic techniques in order to be done safely and effectively. For this reason alone, jump training should be included in the off-­‐season programs for many athletes.

Jump
Start with your feet hip width apart, sit your hips back and keep your chest “tall”. Explode off the ground and strive to jump as high as possible.

Landing
Upon contacting the ground, bend the knees and sit the hips back. Never lock your knees and make sure the muscles of your hips and legs absorb the force.

Get Stronger
For jump training to be the most effective the muscles of the hips and legs must be as strong as possible. Developing the muscles of the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals and calves will increase your strength and power potential leading to more explosive athletic movements.


Doug Scott believes that strength training is a “means to and end” and should be a part of every athlete’s lifestyle; and it’s the coaches job to facilitate learning and put the athlete in the best position to get the most out of themselves and ultimately succeed. Mr. Scott has also worked as a personal trainer and has written a number of fitness-related articles and chapters. Coach Scott is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and hold the title of Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. You can contact him at dscott@pingry.org.