Fastpitch Head Coach Mike Rapp explaining the ground rules to the ump before the start of the Senior Night Game in 2017
by Cassie Mattia
Loveland, Ohio – As the COVID-19 outbreak continues students and teachers will now not be returning back to school until May 4th. So what does that mean for LHS’s athletes?
Here at Loveland Magazine, we have made it our mission to talk to both LHS’s coaches and athletes to see just what they are doing to stay in shape in order to prepare for their potential seasons! This week we chatted with LHS’s Head Women’s Softball Coach, Michael Rapp, and LHS’s Strength Coach, Derek Berry, to see just what their athletes are up to.
Coach Rapp said that although it’s been tough for all of the LHS athletic programs, Strength Coach Derek Barry has really come through with some excellent workouts for the athletes.
Photo of Derek Berry from IGNITION ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE GROUP, LLC
“Our strength coach, Derek Berry, has created some training programs for our athletes,” Rapp said, “He just rolled out an App for the athletes to use on their phones from home!”
Coach Rapp added that although the new workout App that Berry rolled out has been primarily what the Women’s Softball Team has been using to stay in shape, Rapp has also been giving his Lady Tigers a few softball related workouts of his own.
“I told my softball players they could do 100 reps a day (3,000) for April including swings, and band work or our ab routines to stay in shape. Some are throwing with family members and some are doing the program that our Coach Berry sent out. I even promised them that I would do 100 reps a day plus walk the local park,” Rapp added.
Derek Berry, who is the Director of Sports Performance, is head of the LHS weight room. Berry stated that during these times he has been forced to get a little creative, but has received a lot of great feedback on the new workout app he has launched with LHS’s Athletic Director, Brian Conaster.
LHS Fastpitch Softball Coach, Mike Rapp recieved the prestigious 2019 Southwest District; Sportsmanship, Ethic & Integrity Coaches Award.
“We have partnered with a company called Teambuildr that provides an online Athlete Management System. Once the athletes register with their teams, they have full access to any workouts I put on there,” Berry explained, “Some features of the app include videos for all the exercises, a leaderboard for kids to compete with each other, and options to either check off the exercise as completed or how many reps you did. Coaches can then have a master account which shows them the progress of their team. On the app, I have only been releasing bodyweight workouts for the time being, but outside of that, I have been sending coaches two other options for athletes that may have a more advanced setup, which is a dumbbell workout, and a home gym workout,” Berry added.
Strength Coach Berry is apart of a contracted sports performance company called Ignition APG. Ignition APG was ultimately responsible for the partnership with Teambuildr. Ignition APG also offers a similar app to Teambuildr to the public for a small monthly fee.
Berry has also been releasing informative videos on social media that display creative ways to exercise.
“On @lovelandstrength I have been releasing informative videos on how to get creative with limited exercise options, and we’ve been having the kids post time-lapses of their workouts,” Berry explained, “I have also begun a wall sit competition for the month of April. Whoever can hold a wall sit for the longest time receives a prize!”
Thank you to the coaches and athletes that have been sharing their at-home workouts with Loveland Magazine and all of our readers! Stay tuned for the next “What are LHS’s Athletes Doing to Stay in Shape?” segment!
by Cassie Mattia
LHS Fastpitch Softball Coach, Mike Rapp recieved the prestigious 2019 Southwest District; Sportsmanship, Ethic & Integrity Coaches Award.
