West Ottawa athletic performance coordinator Frank Lerchen improving all sports
HOLLAND, Mich. — Athletic trainer Frank Lerchen was promoted to “Athlete Performance Coordinator”—the first in school history—on February 4. “This is going to take WO to the next level,” West Ottawa Athletic Director Bill Kennedy said.
“Right now, we’re second in the conference for conference titles. With hiring this position, we’re coming for that orange banner,” Kennedy said as he pointed to Rockford High School’s flag, the school currently in first place for conference titles this year.
“We’ve got 29 teams all doing a little bit here and a little bit there as far as strength and conditioning,” Kennedy said. “We need that one person to really bring all those people together and unite them under common [training] guidelines.”
Kennedy said Lerchen has proven himself diligent and loyal to West Ottawa, with a very strong knowledge base and skill set for the job. Lerchen received his athletic training degree from Grand Valley State University and has worked as the head athletic trainer at West Ottawa for the last six years.
“The overarching theme is to create a unified culture of strength and conditioning at WO,” Lerchen said. “Building continuity across our programs in terms of biomechanics, fundamental lifts, and also getting into sport-specific training is a big goal of mine. Another goal is to continue to foster positive relationships and begin to identify individuals who are interested in athletic mentorship.”
Lerchen plans to form a new identity for WO athletics, where coaches, trainers, and experienced upperclassmen lead their teams with a solid knowledge base. In addition, Lerchen will guide athletes beyond lifting, including efficiency in the weight room, recovery, nutrition, and sleep.
“I’m taking a global approach in terms of performance enhancement,” Lerchen said. “There’s so much more that goes into strength and conditioning beyond just the weight room.”
Previously an athletic trainer, Lerchen is able to converse with athletes on precisely what they can and should do to optimize their performance on and off the field. “The other thing is consistency,” he said, “getting athletes to understand that it’s about putting in work. Don’t get fixated on hitting a new max/PR weekly. Trust the process and know that sometimes the best rep is the one that you didn’t do in terms of not hurting yourself. The longer you stay healthy, the more consistent your training becomes. Consistency over a long period of time equals the compound effect.”
Lerchen plans on educating high school athletes on proper technique and form in the weight room, ultimately optimizing strength output and minimizing the risk of injury. Specific details, such as ligament and tendon strengthening exercises, will be incorporated into certain workout plans in hopes of decreasing the risk of injuries for athletes.
Physical wellness classes such as Advanced Strength & Conditioning and PEAK Performance will begin to incorporate these new lifts into their training schedules. “I plan to continue to emphasize proper biomechanics and basic neurodevelopmental firing patterns with our younger athletes,” Lerchen said. “If you’re doing the prescribed lifts correctly, a lot of that is going to improve tendon resiliency and promote stronger joints.”
Lerchen also plans on creating sport-specific training programs, addressing issues such as shoulder problems for swim, ankle injuries for basketball, and knee health for football, for example. For the athletes, Lerchen hopes this training will translate to both increased athleticism and a decrease in injuries.
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