The main strength area has complete Championship Units. Each unit includes a multi-purpose rack, an Olympic platform, a multi-adjustable bench and a multi-use cable column. Each of these units also includes an adjustable dumbbell system ranging from 15 pounds to 105 pounds in 2.5-pound increments. Each Championship Unit encompasses its own Tendo weight lifting analyzer which when attached to the bar, gives peak power, average power and the velocity of the bar and the weight being lifted. The strength facility will be the only known paperless facility in the country, where each unit will have an interactive “controller box” with a screen. When the athlete enters his player ID code, his entire individualized workout will appear on the screen. Data completed by the athlete is then transmitted back via wireless communication to the server so that programs can now target individual athletes based on position and individual needs. This technology will allow for UConn’s strength and conditioning coaches to make fast and efficient analysis, interpretation of and program changes. The next time that athlete trains, his new updated program will once again appear on the screen of the “controller box”.
With all of this in place, the Mark R. Shenkman Training facility is the most modern, efficient and complete college strength facility in the United States. A unique part of UConn’s off-season training is a team competition that reflects the Bowl Championship Series. When the winter semester begins, 12 team captains are assigned. A draft is then held with five players on each team and there are six teams in a Blue and White conference. Individuals gain points in the competition for performance in the weight room and for other drills, such as the medicine ball, obstacle course and tire flip races. Academics and obligations in the athletic training room are also taken into account for an individual’s point total. As the beginning of spring football approaches, there are bowl games between teams. The top teams in each conference face off in the Rose Bowl while the second place teams face off in the Orange Bowl. The next two teams, regardless of conference, play in the Sugar Bowl and the next two play in the Fiesta Bowl. The goal of the program is to keep a competitive spirit throughout the UConn team during the offseason.