When developing an 8–12 week training plan, Michael Guzzarde, a Lane physical education teacher and certified strength coach, conducts research into sport-specific needs and collaborates with team coaches to cultivate workouts for each sport.
“Overall, my philosophy is heavily influenced by the concept of training movements, not muscles,” Guzzarde said. “I want athletes to approach training with the mindset of improving their movement patterns rather than simply developing a more muscular looking physique.”
These personalized approaches help athletes achieve their full potential while fostering a stronger team bond through shared training experiences.
Offseason training is no longer just an option for Lane athletes, it has become an important component of their preparation for upcoming seasons. With the spring sports beginning in just a few months, athletes, coaches, and conditioning specialists are attempting to build strength, endurance, and team chemistry to ensure a successful season.
“It’s always been part of our athletic culture,” Athletic Director Brent Bradish said. “But it’s really grown in recent years as more teams have taken advantage of strength and conditioning programs tailored to their sports.” Bradish highlights the role of certified strength and conditioning coaches, such as Guzzarde, who design workouts customized for each sport.
“A girls soccer player might need a different routine and a different workout than like a football player might need,” Bradish said.
Offseason training at Lane takes place in every available space, from weight rooms to hallways. The halls of the second and third floors of the building fill with activity after school as teams work through sprints, drills, and strength routines during the winter. The scheduling that goes into workouts is not simple with the large amount of involvement in Lane Athletics. Bradish’s scheduling and designation of workout areas is a puzzle of bright colors assigning hallways and weight rooms to spring sports.
Baseball is among the most active spring sports during the offseason. Senior pitcher Bennett Levison, who is committed to Tufts University, has been attending training sessions since early November. “We work with a really great program called Game Shape Training—Coach AJ and Coach Shep. They’re really, really great at what they do,” Levison said. “They structure our programming for the offseason. I would say the focus is on building strength and explosiveness, which is crucial for a sport like baseball.”
Levison also notes the importance of these sessions for team chemistry. “It’s not just about getting stronger. Being in the weight room with your teammates, with the music blasting, builds camaraderie. It shows your coaches and peers that you’re invested in the program and ready to put in the work.”
Lane’s offseason programs operate within Illinois High School Association (IHSA) regulations — official practices are not allowed, but general conditioning sessions are, and must be open to all students. “The rules are that it needs to be open like an open gym,” Bradish said. “Anybody interested in the offseason can come in and work out. As long as it’s open to everybody, it’s allowed.”
To spread the word about training opportunities, teams often use Google Classroom. Classroom allows coaches to communicate schedules and updates to interested students. Bradish highlights that these open workouts are especially valuable for underclassmen. “It’s a great way for freshmen and sophomores that are new to try to build a relationship with other kids in the program, like in the offseason the basketball open gyms that we have. Those kids get to come in and meet the coaches, get to know the coaches, get more comfortable around the other kids.”
Offseason training isn’t just about physical preparation. It’s also about longevity and success over a grueling season. “Our workouts are designed to make athletes more resilient, so they can handle the physical demands of a long season,” Levison said. “Many of us continue strength training during the season to maintain that edge.”
“In today’s athletic landscape, offseason conditioning is no longer optional if a team wishes to stay competitive,” Guzzarde said. “Athletes are now expected to specialize in their sport year-round, which has raised the overall level of competition. But it’s also about building team cohesion and understanding each other’s strengths and motivations—intangibles that are invaluable when the stakes are high.”
As Lane’s spring sports continue their training, these offseason sessions are laying the groundwork for success. Whether it’s in the weight room, the hallways, or even through Google Classroom, Lane athletes have embraced the offseason agenda.
“Stop by the weight room after school,” Levison said. “You’ll see us working hard, having fun, and getting ready for what we hope will be a great season.”
