Strength Training
WHAT IS DIAMOND SPORTS STRENGTH?
Diamond Sports strength training will focus on strength, speed, mobility, and stability that will help our athletes improve overall power, throwing velocity, bat speed, and sprinting speed all while reducing injuries.
Our strength program meets at Diamond Sports at least three times a week. All sessions will be led by a qualified strength trainer that will use a general strength program for beginners, and as players develop will be able to program athletes for specific lifting programs to help our athlete's performance.
WHO IS DIAMOND SPORTS STRENGTH FOR?
Youth (Pre-High School)
Our main focus for this age group is to improve players’ speed, agility, balance, stability, and flexibility. What this looks like in our weight room will be players performing primarily bodyweight movements. This will include explosive movements based on plyometric strength and speed. We will also utilize foam rollers, speed ladders, and post-workout band stretching in every lifting session. At this age, players will grow and become bigger over time on their own due to biology. The focus for them is growing into their bodies and learning movement patterns so that as they get older they are already familiar with the exercises. Creating good movement habits early is a huge benefit for any young player for their future in athletics.
High Schoolers
The main focus for this age group is improving strength and proper form. In our gym at Diamond Sports, this means players will be experiencing 3 lifting phases. The first is hypertrophy which will provide a stable base of muscle. This will allow them to perform large lifts safely as they move into the next phase. The second phase will be our strength phase; the bulk of the training. The two main movements that our players will be learning and improving are the squat and bench. After an extensive phase of strength, the players will finish in a speed and power block of training. This will engage what they’ve learned and put them in an environment to be as athletic as possible. Improving form and teaching the players the correct way to lift benefits them instantly, and for the future for proper technique and maintenance. This will give them an enormous advantage when they are moving on to the college level.
MEET DIAMOND SPORTS DIRECTOR OF STRENGTH MICHAEL VAN ORDEN
Michael Van Orden better known as “VO" is a graduate of Stadium High School where he lettered all four years as a two-way baseball player. After high school, he played at Clark College in Vancouver, WA earning an AA Degree before transferring to Washington State University where he finished his Sports Science degree. During his time at WSU, he obtained his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology with a focus on strength and conditioning. VO has more than 250 hours of experience as a strength and conditioning coach intern. During this training of D1 athletes, he has taken many of the skills he learned to the Diamond Sports gym. After graduating from WSU he was the strength and conditioning & player development coach for Green River College from 2020-2022. VO is now the Director of Strength at Diamond Sports.
VO has eight years of coaching from 13u to college, including time with Diamond Sports Elite and Untouchables. This additional knowledge allows him to better help each player achieve their goals in the weight room.
DS chose VO because of his passion for teaching young athletes and for his ability to help others gain confidence in the gym. Our staff hopes that with the right guidance by using the DS strength the athletes will enjoy lifting and have fun while doing it to create a base for a healthy lifestyle.
Strength registrations below sign up now!!