The Physical and Time Demands
No matter the sport – from football and basketball to golf, tennis or swimming – physical demands are intense for athletes. Coaches, players and trainers are always cognizant of the tolls on the body, and work to take care of and repair their bodies after practices and games. “For baseball today, the biggest injury concern involves shoulder and elbow injuries for pitchers,” says Carroll. “Many professional pitchers now routinely throw 95-100 miles per hour – where 20 years ago, there were only a handful of pitchers reaching those speeds. The strain on the shoulder and elbow has become an even bigger concern for athletic trainers and strength and conditioning coaches.” OU’s Fulton agrees that the physical demands are great, but education and awareness are also greatly improved as they compare to prior decades. “Many athletes today are more aware of the physical and mental demands of sport, and recognition is the first step toward action,” says Fulton. “Now more than ever, preparation and recovery from such demands allow for some to separate from others. Resources for educating and addressing healthy habits such as sleep, diet, movement, strength and regeneration are all gaining popularity. Athletes are motivated by development and success. To each, recognizing the value of good habits and science-based practices drives the motivation for development and excellence.” Alongside the physical demands of the job, the time requirements are hefty. “Baseball is unique among other professional sports because of the number of games that are played,” says Carroll. “In the majors, there are 162 games each season, while with our team, we play 138 games in a season. Basically, from the first of April through the middle of September, the Drillers play every day – with the exception of Mondays almost always being an off day. For professional baseball players at all levels, the sport of baseball goes on all year despite games ending in the fall for most teams. “Players today are putting in more hours than ever,” he continues. “For Drillers players, their day begins with arrival at the ballpark around 1 p.m. for a 7 p.m. game. Everything from cardio, to stretching and mobilization drills, to weightlifting take place during the afternoons prior to games, with the activities switching from day-to-day. After that, it is batting practice and drills as well as fielding work for position players and individual, specific drills for pitchers. Most of the same drills are continued on a near daily basis in the off-season.” Discipline and structure are noted as key elements for every major athlete, says Matt Tumbleson, vice president of basketball communications and engagement at the Oklahoma City Thunder. “The schedule for professional athletes is structured in order to help prepare the individuals for high performance," he says. “A typical day in OKC will see a player arrive at the facility between 8:30 and 9 a.m. for an 11 a.m. practice. During those two hours, players are on a schedule that is prepared by the performance team that will see them do pre-practice court work, lifting, meeting with assistant coaches, eating breakfast and getting pre-practice treatment. Practice will typically last from 11 a.m. to 12:30 or 1 p.m. Following practice, depending on their individual plans, players will do more shooting, some will do post practice lifting, and some will do meetings with coaches and post-practice treatments.” 34
OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2024
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