West Ottawa athletic performance coordinator Frank Lerchen improving all sports
HOLLAND, Mich. — Athletic trainer Frank Lerchen was promoted to 鈥淎thlete Performance Coordinator鈥濃�攖he first in school history鈥攐n February 4. 鈥淭his is going to take WO to the next level,鈥� West Ottawa Athletic Director Bill Kennedy said.
鈥淩ight now, we鈥檙e second in the conference for conference titles. With hiring this position, we鈥檙e coming for that orange banner,鈥� Kennedy said as he pointed to Rockford High School鈥檚 flag, the school currently in first place for conference titles this year.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got 29 teams all doing a little bit here and a little bit there as far as strength and conditioning,鈥� Kennedy said. 鈥淲e need that one person to really bring all those people together and unite them under common [training] guidelines.鈥�
Kennedy said Lerchen has proven himself diligent and loyal to West Ottawa, with a very strong knowledge base and skill set for the job. Lerchen received his athletic training degree from Grand Valley State University and has worked as the head athletic trainer聽at West Ottawa for the last six years.
鈥淭he overarching theme is to create a unified culture of strength and conditioning at WO,鈥� Lerchen said. 鈥淏uilding continuity across our programs in terms of biomechanics, fundamental lifts, and also getting into sport-specific training is a big goal of mine. Another goal is to continue to foster positive relationships and begin to identify individuals who are interested in athletic mentorship.鈥�
Lerchen plans to form a new identity for WO athletics, where coaches, trainers, and experienced upperclassmen lead their teams with a solid knowledge base. In addition, Lerchen will guide athletes beyond lifting, including efficiency in the weight room, recovery, nutrition, and sleep.
鈥淚鈥檓 taking a global approach in terms of performance enhancement,鈥� Lerchen said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much more that goes into strength and conditioning beyond just the weight room.鈥�
Previously an athletic trainer, Lerchen is able to converse with athletes on precisely what they can and should do to optimize their performance on and off the field. 鈥淭he other thing is consistency,鈥� he said, 鈥済etting athletes to understand that it鈥檚 about putting in work. Don鈥檛 get fixated on hitting a new max/PR weekly. Trust the process and know that sometimes the best rep is the one that you didn鈥檛 do in terms of not hurting yourself. The longer you stay healthy, the more consistent your training becomes. Consistency over a long period of time equals the compound effect.鈥�
Lerchen plans on educating high school athletes on proper technique and form in the weight room, ultimately optimizing strength output and minimizing the risk of injury.聽Specific details, such as ligament and tendon strengthening exercises, will be incorporated into certain workout plans in hopes of decreasing the risk of injuries for athletes.
Physical wellness classes such as Advanced Strength & Conditioning and PEAK Performance will begin to incorporate these new lifts into their training schedules. 鈥淚 plan to continue to emphasize proper biomechanics and basic neurodevelopmental firing patterns with our younger athletes,鈥� Lerchen said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e doing the prescribed lifts correctly, a lot of that is going to improve tendon resiliency and promote stronger joints.鈥�
Lerchen also plans on creating sport-specific training programs, addressing issues such as shoulder problems for swim, ankle injuries for basketball, and knee health for football, for example. For the athletes, Lerchen hopes this training will translate to both increased athleticism and a decrease in injuries.
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