Join ORU Athletics every Friday in a weekly series featuring interviews with coaches and staff members.
10 Questions with Ashtin Meerpohl, Assistant Director of Sports Performance at Oral Roberts University:
- Personally, how are you doing as you work from home?
Working from home was definitely an adjustment at first, but now that I've got my daily routine down it's been pretty smooth. I start my day with some coffee while I cook my breakfast then I sit down and get to work. As a coach, I am used to being on campus for 12+ hours a day. We typically start training sessions at 6AM during the school year and then depending on when practice and/or games would end I wouldn't get home until after 6 or 7 or even later sometimes. Having some extra time at home has allowed me to focus in on some personal development which has been nice, but needless to say I'm ready to get back in the weight room and on the court with my athletes!
- What are you doing to pass the time?
Even though we haven't been able to get on campus, I still stay pretty busy getting training programs sent to my student-athletes and staying in touch with them on a regular basis. It's been an adjustment for all of us transitioning into training remotely. In my free time, I make sure to get a workout in as well as going for a walk or two outside to get me out of my chair and off my computer. Movement is key! There has also been a handful of online sports performance conferences that I have attended through Zoom and other social media outlets which has been great for my personal development as a sports performance professional. As far as things I like to do to unwind or relax, I'm always listening to music, I have a handful of podcasts I listen to, and a few shows on Netflix I enjoy watching. I might even turn on the N64 and play some old video games from time to time.
- How challenging is it to oversee a workout program for our student-athletes when you can't be with them?
The NCAA has put some limitations on what we can do as sports performance coaches to monitor our student-athletes during this time. This has made things challenging for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I can't physically see my student-athletes while they're training so I'm not able to make the necessary adjustments I normally would if we were training in the weight room face-to-face. Secondly, there's just a lot that goes into planning these programs for our student-athletes. Each of them has access to different types of equipment at home and unfortunately some kids don't have access to any equipment at all. The key is just staying in constant contact with them and making sure they are getting the most out of their training programs. Our sports performance staff has been filming a ton of videos of exercises and sending them out to our student-athletes. We are currently in the process of setting up and implementing an online training platform called EliteForm and creating a YouTube channel in hopes of streamlining this process.
- From what you have seen so far, how well have the student-athletes kept up with their workout plans?
Based on conversations I have had with them, my student-athletes are doing a great job with their training programs. Due to the rules the NCAA has put in place, I can't require my student-athletes to send me videos confirming they have been doing their programs. However, I have had a handful of them voluntarily send me videos of them training. Some of the athletes are getting very creative in finding ways to complete their workouts. Eli, from the basketball team sent me a video of him doing squats while holding a large speaker he had in his home in order to make his squats more challenging. Seeing things like this really gets me excited! Again, the key here is communicating with them regularly so that if they have any questions or concerns we can find a solution to their problem and they can continue to train. As coach Mill's always says, "communication prevents disaster!" I want to ensure our student-athletes are in the best position possible when they are able to return to campus, whenever that might be.
- During the summer and considering the circumstances, what is more important – strength or conditioning?
To be honest, I can't say that one aspect is more important than another because strength, power, mobility and conditioning are all key components in the physical development of a student-athlete. With that being said, the focus of a training program may shift due to the demands of the sport itself and how soon their season kicks off when we return to school in the fall. When quarantine began my main focus for all of my student-athletes was simple… keep them moving! As we have progressed through this quarantine their programs have become more specific to what they need for their sport. This means for a sport such as volleyball, whose season typically starts early in the fall semester, I have begun to program more plyometrics and conditioning for them. For a sport like basketball we have a little more time before the season starts, meaning I don't need them in game-shape right when they return to campus. This doesn't mean their conditioning isn't important though, they still need to maintain a solid aerobic base in order to make their transition back to practice a smooth one. In a typical basketball off-season, I don't do a lot of conditioning drills with our guys due to the fact that they are playing basketball in pick-up games almost year-around. However, this is not a typical off-season so I will begin to add more conditioning into their programs as we progress into the summer months.
- How much can you monitor the student athletes' nutrition when they are away from campus?
This is a huge challenge for us as sports performance coaches whether we have the students on campus or not. Even when they are here, we can't be with them 24/7. This is why it is so important for us as sports performance coaches to educate and empower our student-athletes so that they can choose to make smart decisions on their own. Knowledge is power! You want to talk about a game-changer, in my opinion there are no two aspects more important to a student-athlete's success on the court than their sleep and nutrition. We as coaches can give them the best training in the world, but until they dial in those two things they'll never truly maximize their genetic potential. Whenever I check in with my athletes I make sure to bring up these two subjects because they truly are the key to their success. FACT: Getting less than 8 hours of sleep per night increases an athlete's likelihood of injury by 170%. GET YOUR SLEEP!
- Is the situation much different now than any other year since the students are on summer vacation?
For sports like volleyball and golf it is less different as I don't typically see them during the summer months. However, for a team like basketball who is usually on campus for at least some of the summer, this quarantine may create some challenges, but nothing we can't get through.
- How is the pandemic changing best practices in your industry?
I think the sports performance industry as a whole has done a great job throughout this quarantine coming together. This field can feel divided at times but this pandemic has actually brought us together in a great way. This is unchartered territory for all sports performance coaches and something that we are learning how to handle together. It's really been cool to see coaches across the country come together to share their ideas. As I previously mentioned, there has been a handful of online conferences and webinars available throughout this quarantine. In a typical year you would have to pay to go to these conferences in person, forcing you to pick and choose which ones you wanted to attend. However, a lot of the conferences have waved their registration fees, giving coaches access a ton of information they would normally not have been able to access otherwise. Our sports performance staff here at ORU has also been on a few Zoom meetings with other sports performance staffs to discuss how we are approaching remote training and how we plan to attack training when we get our student-athletes back on campus. I really hope that discussions like this continue to happen even after we transition back into our normal schedules and routines.
- What will be some of the challenges our sports performance staff will face when the student-athletes return this fall?
This pandemic has created by far, the longest break in athletics that any of our student-athletes have ever experienced in their playing careers. Even though we have been providing them with at-home training programs you simply cannot replicate the stimulus they would typically receive from being on campus working with us in the weight room and on the court with their sport coaches. Although this time away has definitely given our athlete's a nice break form the constant pounding their bodies typically receive throughout the year, we must remember that our student-athletes aren't just being de-loaded but being de-trained. It is super important for us as a sports performance staff to take an intelligent and scientifically backed approach to returning our student-athletes to the field of play. If we try to rush their return and simply throw them back into their sports I fear we will see major consequences and their bodies will take a toll. How we approach this will greatly depend on the time-table set forth by the NCAA and will require great communication between our sports performance, sports medicine and coaching staffs to ensure a safe and healthy return for our student-athletes. I have full-confidence that our athletic department will do a great job in handling this unique situation.
- What encouraging words do you have for those who are anxious about the world as it is today?
I just want to say, I hope everybody is staying healthy and safe in this challenging time. Enjoy the extra time with your families and be sure to find a way to stay active as we see this thing through. This is a difficult time for everyone, but I'm a huge believer that EVERYTHING happens for a reason. It may not always be easy to see and we may not always understand it, but God does have a plan for us. It's important that no matter what happens we continue to BELIEVE, especially in times of suffering and uncertainty. I have full faith that our university and our country will come out of this pandemic stronger and more united than ever! Stay safe, stay healthy and stay active! God bless! Go Golden Eagles!
10 Questions with....
March 27, 2020 – Mike Carter
April 3, 2020 – Ryan Bush
April 10, 2020 – Mark Milner
April 17, 2020 – Joe Dial
April 24, 2020 – Lance Watson
May 1, 2020 – Roger Bush
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