ORLANDO – With the NWSL in a coronavirus enforced training moratorium Orlando Pride Strength and Conditioning Coach, Ivi Cassagrande, has found herself in a position she never thought she would be in, working from home.
That change has shifted her role from coaching to monitoring, checking in on player’s health and fitness which has meant she has missed the coaching aspect of her job. But with her apartment complex full of people in a similar position, working from home, and lacking access to their usual fitness routines, Cassagrande decided to use her skills to help and scratch the itch for coaching.
After working things out with residents of her complex the coach positioned herself in the courtyard and proceeded to stage a group workout session with the residents out on their balconies.
“I started to realize that I wanted to give back to the community in any way I could. It is extremely rewarding to impact people and give them something to be distracted from the anxiety of what is going on around us.”
Ivi Cadagrande
Originally things started out with just three of the residents but as the sessions continued, now up to five days a week more and more balconies have been joining.
To further the impact of her coaching workouts the Pride strength and conditioning coach has been uploading her workouts to twitter.
For the Pride, Cassagrande has been working on developing personal programs with the players, using an app to give them running and fitness programs. She says the players have bought in and are following the programs which will allow them to hit the ground ready to go when the moratorium ends.
Florida Soccer Report 