The excitement of having David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea is through the roof, in terms of Alabama fans, but what is it about them that makes their conditioning program better than what Scott Cochran had?
This is the question Crimson Tide supporters want to know, as the school continues through in-person voluntary workouts before the six-week practice plan begins. Ballou and Rhea are deep into the sciences of crafting the perfect way to train and condition athletic bodies to sustain excellence in performance for long periods of time. Whether it’s weights, speed, flexibility or injury prevention, the two have put together exercises for players and positional units that target specific muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints.
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Since the first day of sessions on June 1, players have been highly impressed with the new sports performance team and have a renewed vision for winning championships. As great as Cochran was, the number of season-ending injuries in the last few years and the lack of physicality from 2019 was enough for Nick Saban to pursue change.
Cochran helped the Tide to five national titles and six Southeastern Conference championships, but Ballou and Rhea are ready for more.
On Wednesday, yours truly of Touchdown Alabama Magazine named the two biggest differences between Cochran’s program and the system of Ballou and Rhea via In My Own Words.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
