Cardinal Points

Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: Sports

Senior Travis Gorham, a forward on the men's basketball team, works out in the fitness center in Memorial Hall. Training and conditioning is important for an athlete's success.

At the college level, athletics are very competitive. There are many ways to stay in contention, and conditioning is a big part of that.

Conditioning means getting and staying in shape. Agility drills, sprinting, lifting weights and a balanced diet all contribute to an athlete staying in top shape for the season.

Head Athletic Trainer Jason Pachter works with Plattsburgh State's athletes to get them in shape for the season. He said off-season conditioning is the most important part to the success of an athlete because it gets the player ready for the season. The first few practices are the toughest, and showing up out of shape can show poor work ethic and even lead to injuries.

"Stress fractures, tendonitis and improper technique can lead to muscle or skeletal injuries," he said, referring to athletes who show up out of shape. "The heart can't take the stress associated with an hour long practice."

He said eating a regular diet and drinking plenty of fluids consistently are also important, and training varies from sport to sport.

"We do our best to educate them," Pachter said. "I personally try to teach the food guide pyramid. Calorie intake versus calories burned is a big part of staying in shape."

Plattsburgh State's men's basketball team has won two consecutive SUNYAC titles and is ranked 16th by the preseason Division III coaches poll. That kind of success comes only after lots of hard work and dedication.

Assistant coach Cameron Conover agrees that off-season workouts are vital to a team's success.

"We expect the players to come into the season in shape," Conover said. "We hold competitive practices with emphasis on conditioning. We go pretty hard."

Conover also said the coaches are not allowed to enforce a training regimen during the off-season due to NCAA rules.

"We encourage them to workout and eat right, but the important thing is that everyone buys into the 'team first' attitude," he added.

Senior co-captain Travis Gorham knows what it takes to be successful. Last season he averaged 13.2 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per game. That was enough to earn him the honor of preseason All-American honorable mention status.

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