Buckeyes Take Part in Speed School

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Just because it is the offseason does not mean it is time to rest for many Buckeye athletes. An average of more than 60 athletes per day take part in voluntary workouts held by the Ohio State strength and conditioning staff called Speed School.

Strength and Conditioning coach Anthony Glass and his staff hold two sessions each Tuesday and Thursday throughout the summer at 6:50 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. to help mold the well-rounded athlete.

“Each workout is designed to enhance the speed, agility and endurance of each athlete whether they play volleyball, soccer, hockey or softball -- we even have a number of swimmers come out,” said Glass. “The turnout has been great and our athletes are progressing with every workout.”

 A number of Buckeyes have stuck with the program and seen what improvements it can make on the field or court.

Junior volleyball player Steven Kehoe is in his third summer of Speed School and has witnessed the gains firsthand.

“You really gain a great work ethic from being here and it’s all voluntary,” the All-American setter said. “Having people push you and design a workout for you so that you can be the best that you can is the driving force to be here.”

To softball player Rebecca Schultz, Speed School has brought a new challenge compared to years past.

“The first few summers I was continuously aiming to improve my agility and quickness and through Speed School I was able to do that,” the senior infielder said. However, Schultz spent a good portion of 2009 trying to recover from offseason hamstring surgery that was a setback after the gains she had previously made at Speed School. “I feel as if I just got back to how I was before the surgery but now I’m going to both sessions each day to see if I can surpass that this summer.”

Although each athlete takes something different out of Speed School, it has been and will continue to be a key component to the Buckeyes’ success on the field, court, ice and even in the pool.