After 10 weeks of participation in the Englebert Training Systems (ETS), Perry’s student athletes have begun to gain in strength, speed and agility, the school district announced Tuesday, drawing on data provided by ETS.
ETS has partner with Perry Community School District in the sports performance enhancement program, and ETS shared the results achieved through its summer training program as it “tracked positive advancements in key physical metrics that aim to enhance student-athletes’ physical preparedness and overall performance while increasing student safety.”
Gains were made, for instance, in the 10-yard dash, a standard measure of speed and agility. Perry’s young athletes showed an average improvement of -0.17 seconds in the event. ETS said it typically sees an improvement of -0.16 during the same period.
The ETS pro-agility drill, which measures participants’ agility and change-of-direction skills, displayed an average improvement of -0.33 seconds for Perry players, exceeding the -0.31 second average ETS usually sees.
In the vertical jump category, participants experienced an average improvement of +1.07 inches, with ETS typically seeing a gain of 2.5 inches over the same period. This enhancement underscores explosive power and vertical leap capabilities, crucial for various sports.
ETS is now transitioning to the fall strength-and-conditioning program, led by Scott Pierce at Perry High School, who has more than 10 years’ experience in strength and conditioning.
“It’s important to align programs from the youth level to high school sports and the in-school strength program,” Pierce said, “in order to make sure the needs of students are being met, to prevent overworking of muscles and to keep students safe and maximize performance.”
Pierce said he is enthusiastic about the opportunity to collaborate with Josh Vannornam of ETS and to “brainstorm and learn more from each other.” He said ETS “asks for as much input as they offer, and that helps us individualize training for student athletes and non-student athletes alike.”
The Fall ETS training for students in third through sixth grades will start Wednesday, Aug. 30 at the Perry High School. These sessions will be held on Wednesdays and Fridays from 5:15 to 5:45 p.m. in the “turf room,” the multipurpose room at the high school.
Thanks to a grant awarded to the Perry Community School District, students will be able to participate in the fall ETS program at no cost. Vannornam of ETS said he hopes to build on the success of the summer program.
“The summer program was an awesome experience for the kids and myself,” Vannornam said. “The athletes who showed up consistently put in the work, and it definitely paid off. We’re just getting started with Perry athletics, one brick at a time.”
ETS is partnering with the Perry Community School District and Perry Youth Sports Programs. One of the district’s goals for the fall is to increase the number of students participating in ETS, according to a district representative. Onsite registration will take place Wednesday, Aug. 30. For more information, contact Katelyn Whelchel at katelyn.whelchel@g.perry.k12.ia.us.
