Performance Slumps and Out-of-Season Training for High School Athletes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if out-of-season strength and speed training programs impact performance slumps for high school-aged athletes. The measurement tool for the study was game statistics that already were being recorded. The statistics that were analyzed were give-away’s, take-away’s, contested 50/50 balls, and touches on the ball. This study was a causal comparative study analyzing performance slumps for athletes who participated in an out-ofseason strength and speed training program as compared with performance slumps of those students who did not participate in such a program. There was no significant difference in performance slumps recorded for the Spring 2013 semester for those athletes who participated in an out-of-season training program compared with slumps for those who did not participate. Studies related to this topic should continue as there has been little research done on the impact of out-of-season training impacting in-season performance slumps.