Mission Statement
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Strength and Conditioning program will commit to providing a sport-specific and comprehensive programs for enhancing all aspects of athleticism in a safe and professional environment.

Program Objectives
Every sport has its own unique demands on an athlete's musculature, biomechanics and cardio-respiratory system. Every athlete is unique as well, in their genetics, weaknesses and strengths in relation to their respective sport.

The UAB Strength and Conditioning Program is committed to providing a physiologically and scientifically comprehensive program designed to meet the demands of each sport and develop the physical qualities of the athlete as he or she develops into a college athlete.

Program Methods
Resistance Training

1. To provide and apply instruction on using correct techniques and emphasizing the specificity and importance of each exercise as it relates to the athlete's sport.
2. To provide each team with a yearly periodization schedule which is dependent on their respective competitive season. Periodization is utilized to avoid overtraining, reduce the risk of injury, and to provide strength, endurance, and power at appropriate intervals.
3. To provide a safe and clean environment. There are policies and procedures that all the athletes and personnel must adhere to ensure a safe environment for all. A coach or supervisor is present during all scheduled workouts.
4. To prescribe exercises which develop and maintain muscular balance between antagonistic muscle groups in order to decrease susceptibility to injury and enhance performance.

Conditioning

1. To provide appropriate exercises and drills for athletes that produce training outcomes specific to the cardio-respiratory demands of the sport and individual athlete's needs. Any of the following parameters may be included in the Strength and Conditioning program:

• Lateral Speed and Agility is used to improve the ability of moving laterally and changing the direction of the body and body parts rapidly, efficiently, and under control.
• Speed Development is utilized to increase the efficiency, technique, and rapidity of movement forward, backward and laterally within acceleration and maximum speed.
• Anaerobic/Aerobic Conditioning are used to improve the ability of the aerobic or anaerobic energy systems based on the requirements of the sport. This will improve the amount of work an individual can perform, normally determined by the rate at which oxygen is utilized during exercise.
• Lower and Upper Body Plyometrics are used to enable the muscles to reach maximal strength and power in as short a time as possible by storing energy. Increased power comes from the ability to release the stored energy quickly and forcefully. oQuickness and Foot Speed drills are used to increase the ability of the feet to move and coordinate with each other and independently in chaotic situations.

2. To identify acute and chronic physiological adaptations to training and the implications to the design of sport-specific training programs.

Flexibility

1. To prepare the muscles for high intensity movements using explosive sports dynamic warm-up and stretching regimens.
2. To provide effective and consistent warm-up and stretching, which may increase the range of motion about a joint and help reduce the risk of injury.

Physical evaluations

1. To monitor all athlete's progress and assess strengths and weaknesses.
2. To appraise the effectiveness of the strength and conditioning program relative to the requirements of the sport.

Education

1. To inform, explain and demonstrate the purposes and effectiveness of all methods of training utilized.
2. To educate athletes on the role of valuable and appropriate nutrition and hydration in physical performance and general health.
3. To educate athletes on the abuse and effects of performance-enhancing substances and viable legal alternatives relative to NCAA and school regulations.