There seems to be some confusion in the sport world about what exactly Sport Specific Performance (also referred to as SSP) is and what it involves. So, let’s clear things up. Here at Quantum Medical & Wellness Center, Sport Specific Performance is designed specifically for athletic performance enhancement in the athlete’s specific sport. The central factor and goal is to IMPROVE PERFORMANCE in a specific sport that separates the athlete from everyone else on the field. Dr. Craig Kuhlmeier has implemented technical aspects of the program that will differ for each athlete as it depends on their sport, position, strengths, and weaknesses.

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There is an important difference to note between sport specific skills and sport specific performance enhancement. Sport specific skills, for example, would be hitting a baseball, while sport specific performance enhancement would involve footwork, hand-eye coordination, strength, and power. The next most common question is surrounding the effectiveness of sport specific performance. Are these methods effective at helping you to improve in your sport? And should you be sport specific training?

Let’s start this off by saying that the most sport specific training you can do is in the sport itself. If you want to get better at baseball, you must be on the field. However, there are also several ways that you can improve your athletic ability, in relation to your specific sport and position, within the gym. You must put the ball down to focus on all aspects of SSP.

The Four Main Areas of a Performance Program

The four main areas in a performance program that can help you improve your athletic ability are:

  1. Strength and power
  2. The appropriate energy system for your sport and position
  3. Recovery
  4. Injury prevention

Injury Prevention

Here at Quantum Medical & Wellness Center, injury prevention is a major reason why you should be incorporating Sport Specific Performance into your program. There are many studies out there about the most common injuries for athletes based on sport and position. So, you should understand what injuries you need to work to prevent. You can add training into your program to strengthen areas that can help prevent those specific injuries.

For example, in some sports, ankles, knees, shoulders, rib strains, and hips are the most commonly injured. So, in your sport specific training, you could practice bending and absorbing the shock these joints sustain during sports. While general training is great for overall fitness, it does not address the specific needs of athletes participating in sports to reduce injuries. Therefore, Sport Specific Performance is essential.