Court Vision: Game-Changing Insights from Leading Basketball Strength Coaches
This presentation explores key strategies and insights for fostering peak performance and long-term health in women’s basketball athletes. Topics include bridging gaps for under-prepared athletes, navigating relationships with coaches with strong weight room philosophies, and tailoring development strategies for off-season versus in-season demands. Attendees will gain actionable advice on reducing ACL injuries, promoting tendon health, and emphasizing foot/ankle training to enhance performance and durability. The session also examines the growing professional opportunities in women’s basketball, offering advice for aspiring strength coaches, and highlights collaborative approaches to aligning strength training with team goals. Insights aim to empower holistic athlete development and team success.
AJ Whitehead is in her 15th year of strength and conditioning, finishing her fourth year with the University of Wisconsin-Madison as Associate Director of Strength and Conditioning for women's basketball. Prior to Wisconsin, Whitehead spent three years at Purdue University, four seasons at UMASS Lowell, and two years in Turkey with the women’s Turkish Basketball Federation and professional clubs. Whitehead earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sports Studies from Bethel College in 2001, where she also played basketball, and obtained her Master's in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from California University of Pennsylvania in 2017. She is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and is a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the CSCCa.
