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Show '1 ! 4 Student athletes use the weights in the campus weight room for their conditioning. Lifting cycles and circuit training help keep athletes exercises dynamic and well balanced. BY PORTER LARSEN PLarsenDSN Throughout the season, s are often seen s alley-oopdown or throwing catches. reeling in that isnt Something usually seen is the effort and dedication it takes to be able to perform those tasks. Just walk in to the school gym and youll see exactly where that effort and dedication takes student-athlete- one-hand- Before, during and after the season, Dixie State athletics teams put in countless hours of work to prepare for their time in the limelight. ed place, not only in football and basketball, but also in tennis, volleyball and numerous other sports. Countless hours are put into the gym by the athletes. Bryce Patterson, Dixie State strength and conditioning coach, is at the helm of all of it. His extensive career throughout the NCAA ranks is a testament to his experience in the field. Pat terson is a certified USA weight lifting coach. Patterson oversees all student-athlete- s workout regiments, specializing exercises for each specific sport. There are three daily lifting sessions, at 9 a.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Junior basketball player Robbie Nielson, a business administration major from Gresham, Oregon, says the attention paid to each sport is extremely effective. We usually alternate between lifting cycles, and that helps us maintain our overall strength throughout the year, Nielson said. I think its really helpful for the demand of each sport. The demand Nielson is talking about is answered by the variations in lifts and workouts that Patterson assigns to each athlete. He said every player is different, and it is a constant struggle to maintain balance in their workouts. Balance is Pattersons main focus as the strength and conditioning coach. Junior linebacker Robert Metz, an integrated studies major from Tucson, Arizona, confirmed that. We do a lot of different exercises that work different muscles, Metz said. His Patterson programs are designed to make you stronger and more athletic, not necessarily bigger. To achieve that balance, Patterson employs five different techniques in his lifts: Pushing, pressing, pulling, squatting and hinge workouts are all designed to create different movements for different muscle groups. I try to fit every athlete with lifts and workouts that help them in their particular sport, Patterson said. Basketball players need more focus on lateral explosiveness and single leg workouts, while football players can focus on speed and strength. You can see the programs efLook fect in action for the teams schedules on the school athletic site. year-roun- d. tl BY KARLI KUHN karlikuhn For Dixie State Univers- ity football, this semes- ters preparation is key for success during the season. off-seas- Dixie States foot- team has grown in numbers the past three semesters. The growth of the school has helped the growtn of the football program witn the addition of new assistant coaches, head coach Scott Brumfield said. In the past, the football staff was considerably small with only one or two assistant coaches. Now the staff has five assistant coaches, which makes it a lot easier for the coaches to stay on top on the students grades, Brumfield ball j said. There have been two assistant coaches just this year: Director of Defense Shay McClure and Director of Offense Blaine Monkres. The growth of the has also created more resources that are nvailable for the team. The students who go to study hall are also are required to meet with an academic new hired uni-versi- ty ndviser. Junior wide receiver Aubrey Reed, a communication major from Tacoma, Washington, said this semester has been the most strict concerning grade checks, and even practices. Each football player is required to have a 2.0 GPA, but the coaches want more for their athletes, Brumfield said. The team requires grade checks periodically, and if these arent turned in, the penalty is running after practice, Reed said. All freshmen, transfers or anyone who is struggling with their grades are also required to go to study hall for a couple of hours a week. The coaches decide which athletes need to go to study hall after each semesters grades are posted, Reed said. In order for a student to get out of study hall, he must have a 3.0 GPA, Brumfield said. Knowing that the coaches are actually going to check my grades and discipline me if I dont have good grades really helps me stay on top of my classes, Reed said. Sophomore wide receiver Hayden Cooper, a business administration major from Overton, Nevada, said the running penalty to helps motivate the team turn in grade checks. I just think it helps everyone stay on top of woik things and get the done in the classroom first, Cooper said. The coaches help them under stand that they cant help T' the team if they dont get it done in the classroom first. Running and different types of drills like suicides and bleachers f are some of the coaches forms of punishment. I definitely think the W new coaching staff is going to lead to more victoV ries, Cooper said. The new coaches bring a lot of intensity and that has helped the team a lot. Each assistant coach is I o able to specifically focus c on the teams they are in 5 charge of which makes practices more specific to what the players need, Brumfield said. Each position coach is in charge how they want to discipline and reprimand the athletes, Brumfield said. Team member Hayden Cooper, a sophomore business administration major from academics and The team practices four Overton, Nevada, feels the crunch himself as he tries to balance his hit the books to and lifts three a week felt the have teammates pressure football career. Dixie football days increased. have is GPA McClure expectations more often as the cumulative days a week. strict, Reed said. There is no walking . on the field, ever, Reed, said. If he sees you walking, he will make you do v C D rru2jnAJU2'i up-dow- All of these new procedures have the team preparing for the football season with hopes of a better record than last years season with the one-wi- n coaches new of help I think Dixie football is going to do big things next year with the help of the new coaches, Cooper said. 2014 c;ti5c:i i;;l DSU 4 vJ 4 4 , ' ST. GEORGE 2013 a; .::Jiii.;feJ.!iiii Our location on the blvd University Parkway |