Men's Basketball Bulks Up With Offseason Workouts
Sept. 23, 2009
by Dick Dornan
Special to PepperdineSports.com
MALIBU, Calif. - In the basketball world, it has been said by coaches many times that "players are made during the summer and teams are made during the winter." Under the guidance of Ryan Capretta, who leads the men's basketball team's strength and conditioning program, the Waves have begun their quest of that goal by being a part of an intense off-season summer workout program and soon to be in-season program.
Capretta, executive director of Proactive Sports Performance in Westlake Village and in his third season working with the Waves, has created an atmosphere that can be described as physically demanding, arduous and highly productive.
"Our philosophy is about always improving and always doing more than you did last time," Capretta said. "The true measure of an athlete is consistency and work ethic. Have the mindset to improve each time we lift. These guys are doing that. They have pride. They have instilled that in each other and it has really changed the program for the better."
Summer workouts consisted of three four-week sessions in May, June and July. The whole team was together for eight out of the twelve weeks. Being together is instrumental in the team's development, chemistry and cohesion as a unit. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays comprised of full-body lifts for an hour and fifteen minutes each day. Capretta called Tuesdays and Thursdays a "gut-check" when the Waves would leave campus and travel into the Santa Monica Mountains to partake in the grueling and exhausting "tire course."
Also known as "strong-man hill," Capretta would put the Waves through a series of difficult tasks such as tire flips, tire jump throughs, tire drags, sledgehammer hits and medicine ball toss. The power obstacle course and its eight exercises not only physically challenged each player, but it tested each one mentally.
"The mental side really changed in the guys," Capretta said. "Coach Asbury really stresses the importance of being tough on the court and this helps develop that attitude. It's old school work but these guys have embraced it. The results are there. Look at Mychel Thompson. In three years, he is light years ahead. He is jumping higher, running faster and he is much tougher."
This valuable workout program is vital for the Waves to take the next step in their return to prominence on the basketball scene. The 2009-10 squad features 12 returning lettermen and four starters off a team that finished 9-23 and 5-9 (sixth in the West Coast Conference). Their main focus in the off-season has been primarily on strength and conditioning.
Tom Asbury, in his second stint with the Waves and his eighth season overall as head coach, knows the importance of a successful off-season workout program in order for his players to compete with the best on a daily basis.
"Every single time we have had the opportunity to meet, I've reminded them that when they turned on the TV set in March and saw who was still playing, think about bodies and the size of the guys that were still playing, and that's what you need to look like," Asbury said. "That's what you will look like. And they've done a great job. Each and every one of them has gotten bigger and stronger and noticeably so. The key is not necessarily getting the weight on, it's keeping it on, and that's what we have to do a good job of during the season. "
Andy Shannon, a 7-foot, 245-pound sophomore center out of Carmichael, Calif., has gained 40 pounds onto his body since he arrived on campus in the summer of 2008. He has experienced two summers of Capretta's program and appreciates the time and effort Capretta dedicates to the players.
"He is really personal," Shannon said. "He pays attention to each one of us."
When asked about the infamous "tire course," Shannon had no issues and welcomed the challenge each time he step foot on the course.
"I thought it was fun. It wasn't like we were there for two hours," said Shannon. "For 45 minutes it was intense and we just worked hard. When we got there, it was like 'let's go, let's go' and we did."
Teammate Corbin Moore, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound sophomore center from Cypress, Calif., agrees with Shannon.
"He really modifies workouts to what each player needs," Moore said. "He helps identify specific weaknesses and helps you limit them from the year before."
Moore, a returning starter from last year's team, recognizes the positive results that he has seen from the strenuous "tire course."
"At first, my legs were dead after each of the workouts," Moore stated. "By the end, my legs were thicker and stronger. We had to make sure we brought Gatorade and water. They were tough but the workouts have definitely helped us."
Players like Shannon and Moore who accept this challenge with open arms will be rewarded as the regular season begins October 17. Being stronger and physically fit raises one's self-esteem and confidence and, as a result, their personal games are improved and the team benefits as a whole.
"Corbin Moore has totally rebuilt his body. Andy Shannon put on 40 pounds since last year," said Asbury. "They all have become stronger."
With a non-league schedule intent on preparing them for league play, Pepperdine will play traditional powers such as UCLA, Georgia, Utah, and Miami (Fla). Mix in very good Gonzaga, Portland and Saint Mary's teams and one can see how important it is for the Waves to be stronger, quicker and faster than a year ago.
"Our whole (strength and conditioning) program is about being powerful," Capretta stated. "We need to be powerful over the course of the whole game. What good does it do for the team if we aren't powerful in the second half?"
Asbury and Capretta quickly recognized a couple of the major deficiencies in the program when Asbury took over as head coach in February 2008. The strength and conditioning program was behind the curve and the weight room was below standards for a Division I athletic program.
"One of our shortcomings last year was our strength and conditioning. It made a difference in games that we lost," Asbury stated. "But we are now on schedule. We are never satisfied and always looking to improve. We really have a good group of kids. They have worked extremely hard and are making a huge difference."
Asbury sees the improvement in the basketball program and is excited to see how far they have come.
"There are three reasons why we are improving and rebuilding this program," he said. "One is Ryan (Capretta). He is good at what he does. Second is the lack of physical maturity of these players. They are young and now their bodies are responding. And third, the players have bought into it."
Pepperdine senior associate athletic director Steve Potts played a major role in the development of the brand-new Athletic Performance Center, which was dedicated on September 2. It is home to state-of-the-art strength and conditioning equipment that will benefit all Pepperdine student-athletes. Capretta has told the players that everything is now in place to elevate their game. It has a lot of equipment that is suited just for basketball.
"The new weight room is amazing. Not a lot of college programs have this type of equipment," Capretta said. "We now have the tools to maximize our training. It's all about work ethic and not settling for a poor past performance."
The "tire course" has been set aside until May of 2010. The Waves will continue to lift three days a week and then scale it down to twice a week during the regular season.
"Maintaining strength and weight and not losing a lot is important during the season," Asbury said. "Every team goes through it. But we need to keep pace. If you look where we were and where we are now, it's a big difference."
Pepperdine has their sights set high for a successful 2009-2010 season. Bigger, faster, stronger. The new-look Waves are just that and hopefully more!
