Champion Sports Performance Progress Pyramid
For several years, Coach Chris Stratis has been pursuing the idea of establishing a method for standardizing and tracking athlete progress over time. We do regular (quarterly/seasonal) assessments which provide quantified metrics to demonstrate the improvements that athletes are making over time. However, we wanted to create a system that didn't *only* rely on how fast they can run or how much they can lift.
A lot of what we emphasize with our athletes at Champion Sports Performance is that we don't just want to help them become stronger, faster, and more athletic. We will pursue all of those things, but beyond that we want them to develop into good athletes and (more importantly) good human beings! We want them to learn *how* to train, *how* to receive and give feedback, *how* to think about the long term, *how* to be a good teammate and training partner. We want them to become the athletes that Coaches want on their teams, not just because of how they perform in competition but because of how they prepare, the mindset they bring to every rep of every practice, and their ability to be a role model for others.
So with all of that in mind, Coach Chris created our Champion's Code that we hang prominently near our entrance and discuss each week, rotating which portions we highlight every time.
Using all of these factors, we created our new Progress Pyramid which builds from Level 1 (Rookie) to Level 6 (Champion). Champion was intentionally placed above Gold to reinforce the idea that a true Champion does more than just win.
Each level has descriptions of what distinguishes them from the level before it. so that athletes and parents can understand what it takes to continue progressing up the Pyramid. We have also created a board that will hang alongside these graphics with nametags for each athlete showing which level they are currently on. As they move up, their name shifts on the board to their new level. Similar to a belt system in Karate, this system will provide an indicator of their long-term progress while also identifying those in the groups other athletes should rely on to set an example.
LEVEL 3: BRONZE
- At least a year of consistent training
- Proficient execution of exercises & concepts used in speed & strength training
- Continued improvements in coordination, strength, and mobility
- Arrives with proper training mindset and maintains focus during training
- Sets a positive example for other athletes through effort, attitude, preparation, respectfulness, and consistency
- Demonstrates understanding of Champion's Code
LEVEL 4: SILVER
- At least 18 months of consistent training
- Skilled execution & understanding of exercises & concepts used in speed & strength training
- Continued improvements in coordination, strength, and mobility
- Able to demonstrate & explain how to perform training movements for newer athletes
- Maintains proper training mindset and focus during training and responds well to coaching feedback
- Sets a positive example for other athletes through effort, attitude, preparation, respectfulness, and consistency
- Demonstrates an understanding of the Champion's Code
LEVEL 5: GOLD
- At least 2 years consistent training
- Skilled execution & understanding of exercises and concepts used in speed & strength training
- Continued improvements in coordination, strength, and mobility
- Able to demonstrate & explain how to perform training movements for newer athletes
- Maintains proper training mindset and focus during training and responds well to coaching feedback
- Sets a positive example for other athletes through effort, attitude, preparation, respectfulness, and consistency
- Demonstrates a strong understanding of the Champion's Code
LEVEL 6: CHAMPION
- 2+ years of consistent training
- Exemplary execution of exercises & concepts used in speed & strength training
- Significant improvements in coordination, strength, and mobility
- Consistently maintains proper training mindset and provides an example of focus, desire to improve, and coachability during each training session
- Sets a positive example for other athletes through effort, attitude, preparation, respectfulness, and consistency
- Embodies each facet of the Champion's Code
The true beauty of this system is that as athletes progress up the Pyramid based on those criteria of consistency, quality execution and understanding of training movements, proper mindset, effort & focus, and embodying the points in the Champions Code their quantitative metrics reflect similar progress. As they grow in their understanding of *how* to train and chase improvement, they always see their speed, strength, and skill-specific metrics improve as well.
Our hope is that this will help reinforce our training philosophy, remind the athletes about the importance of pursuing consistent improvement over time, motivate them to progress up the pyramid, and provide role models in each training group that they can look up to - and become.
We are excited to roll this out for our athletes and look forward to watching them all climb the Pyramid!