The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2017 THE WOLVERINE 59 ing in 2015, he switched gears to be- come the information sharer, putting his thoughts into words. "I used that travel time, a ton of charter flights, bus trips, time at the hotel," he said. "I tried to be a good steward with time, but there were evenings I'd tuck the kids in bed and work on it after 9:00 p.m. just to keep moving it forward." He kept chipping away, and the result was 120 pages of elite strength and conditioning knowledge. It took over a year, but it turned out to be well worth the effort. "It's been really well received," he said. "I didn't have big expectations, and this wasn't about making money … just fulfilling something I've wanted to do and to be a resource for high school coaches. "For years I've gotten — and still get — emails and requests like, 'What do you recommend? Can you send programs, and what would you recommend I do in this scenario?'" he said. "That's one of the reasons I wrote the book — to answer a lot of questions and have a resource for coaches interested in what we do." He didn't give all of his trade se- crets away, he said with a laugh, though he's always looking out for the best interest of student-athletes. At the end of the day, he noted, it's the execution that matters, and his is among the best in the business. "It's about having relationships with players and getting them to buy into it, motivating them, pushing them, hold- ing them accountable every single day," he said. "That's what gets progress. "A plan is a plan, but you've got to execute the plan. Coach Beilein, for ex- ample, has an unbelievable offensive system and his playbook is remark- able, but I don't think anyone can ex- ecute his playbook like he does." Nor can others with Sanderson's, his former players say. Sanderson, though, is as much about sharing with others as his own end result. "For me, I'm just happy to help out and be a resource to a lot of coaches," he said. Just one more thing that sets him apart. ❏ Michigan basketball strength and con- ditioning coach Jon Sanderson was prob- ably born for his profession, even if he didn't realize it until he got to college. He relates so well to his players that he often works out with them, as he did with junior Moritz Wagner this summer when Wagner stuck around for three days after his teammates were given some time off. All of his former student-athletes say the same thing — Sanderson made them better men as well as players. For- mer forward Zack Novak, a 6-3 (maybe) forward, was one who benefited greatly by increasing his athleticism. Asked how much, Novak responded, "Just show the picture of me dunking between the legs [one year during mid- night madness] and caption it, 'Jon Sand- erson: Miracle Worker,'" Novak quipped. Sanderson was even invited to test prospects at the 2013 NBA Combine, attended by former Wolverines Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke. An excerpt from the introduction of Sanderson's Book, Basketball Strength and Conditioning: Above the Rim With Camp Sanderson: Training has evolved exceedingly over the past few de- cades; many of us grew up training on machines or utilizing body weight calisthenics instead of weights. Three has been much advancement in training methodologies, a few exam- ples being the use of accelerometers, force plates, heart rate systems, GPS systems and sleep trackers. Even with all the new advancements, there will always be a need for strength and power development. One of the staples in our program are the Olympic lifts. I believe in these lifts because they've stood the test of time. They are just as relevant now as they were 30 years ago be- cause physics haven't changed. There will always be a need to apply force in the ground quickly in order to move. The athlete that produces the most force in the shortest amount of time has a huge advantage and will always run faster, jump higher and accelerate quicker, but a GPS system will not make them im- prove in any of those qualities. In other words, we embrace the advancements in technology and believe that technol- ogy can enhance what we do, but at the end of the day technology will not make anyone a better athlete. You still have to grind it out and train hard every day. Another major change in training is the use of assessment or screening pro- tocols. The goal is to always know the strengths and weaknesses of your ath- letes because with this information train- ing can be very specific and efficient. The days of everyone doing the same generic program are over and coaches are able to consider individual needs. We believe that doing athlete assessments or screening should always be the first step taken when training athletes. The assessment process starts with getting their measure- ments: height, weight, wingspan, standing reach and body composition. Then a movement screen is performed which assesses how well the athlete moves. We specifically focus on ankle, hop and T-spine mobility. Part of the screening process evaluates landing mechanics, valgus knee tenden- cies, gait analysis and foot screening. We use the motion capture suits as an advanced method to assess movement strategies. The goal with the movement screens is to identify dysfunction. When we see something that is off, we always dig deeper and, if needed, bring in a specialist. If we get this part right, our athletes will have a greater chance of staying healthy over their careers. For more information on Basketball Strength and Condition- ing: Above the Rim with Camp Sanderson, visit www.malloy- books.com/JonSanderson.html Sanderson's book covers all areas of training basketball players, including strength, power, speed, conditioning, mobility, nutrition and more. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS An Excerpt From Basketball Strength And Conditioning