1. Planning and developing a training program
Write down your specific goals of your program
Are you starting a new program?
Refining an existing program?
Desire increases in power, speed, strength, cardiovascular endurance?
Outline the time frame you want to and can work with
One year or four year time frame
Number of days/week; months/year
Amount of time spent on goals at school or expected personal commitment

2. Planning and developing a training program
Understand and define which training tools are available to you and your athletes
Is there a designated weight room
What time are you provided in the rotation before school or after; can programs to be completed during physical education classes
Outdoor facilities
Athletic trainer or fitness trainer
In-school/out of school coaching situation

3. Planning and developing a training program
Analyze the skills which are the most fundamentally important building blocks of your sport
Sport specific as well as level appropriate

4. Planning and developing a training program
Breakdown the components of training: strength, flexibility, agility and speed
Design workouts which would be most beneficial to each group of athletes on your team

5. Planning and developing a training program
Implement the workouts
Collect important baseline data to assist in the evaluation of your program's effectiveness

6. Planning and developing a training program
Analyze your various forms of data; subjective (your thoughts and observations), objective (baseline, tests, time trials etc.) and empirical (practical, game specific performances)
Modify your program and start all over for next season

7. The Sliding Filament Theory of Muscle Action
Sliding filament theory in its simplest form states that muscle fibers shorten when actin filaments slide inward on myosin filaments - pulling the z-lines closer together.

8. When actin filaments (the light bands in the diagram above) slide over myosin filaments (the dark bands) the H-zone and I-band decrease.

9. What causes actin filaments to move?
Myosin filaments contain tiny globular heads, called cross bridges at regular intervals. These cross bridges attach to the actin filaments pulling on them to create movement.

10. The Sliding Filament Theory of Muscle Action
Each flexion of a cross bridge produces only a very small movement in the actin filament so many cross bridges throughout the muscle must flex repeatedly and rapidly for any measurable movement to occur.

11. The Sarcoplasmic Reticulum
Surrounding each myofibril (remember a myofibril is the portion of the muscle fibre that houses actin and myosin) is a system of tubules called the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The sarcoplasmic reticulum stores calcium and it is the regluation of calcium release that causes muscular contraction.

12. The Sarcoplasmic Reticulum
During rest most of the calcium resides in the sarcoplasmic reticulum and very few myosin cross bridges are attached to actin filaments - nor can they flex.
When the brain sends a nerve impulse (called an action potential)
How does that cause a muscle fiber to contract?
The action potential arrives at the nerve terminal and causes the release of a chemical called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine travels across the neuromuscular junction and stimulates the sarcoplasmic reticulum to release its stored calcium ions throughout the muscle.