El Segundo
D1 College Recruiting and High School Strength Training: What It Takes
D1 college programs look for athletes who are physically ready for the step up in competition. Here's what the strength and conditioning standards at D1 programs actually look like — and how South Bay high school athletes can build toward them at Gate 14.
Every D1 college program has a full-time strength and conditioning staff. When athletes sign and arrive on campus, the S&C program assesses where they are physically and builds from there. Athletes who arrive with a foundational strength base developed in high school integrate faster and contribute earlier. Those who arrive underprepared spend Year 1 just catching up to their teammates.
Gate 14 at 130 E. Grand Ave, El Segundo provides the coached S&C infrastructure that South Bay high school athletes can use to build toward D1-level physical readiness.
What D1 programs actually assess
D1 athletic programs conduct physical testing on incoming freshmen. The specific tests vary by sport and program, but common assessments include:
Football: Bench press (max reps at 225 lbs for linemen, often bodyweight bench for skill), squat, power clean, vertical jump, 40-yard dash, broad jump. The NFL Combine testing battery is the standard most D1 programs model.
Basketball: Vertical jump, lane agility, three-quarter court sprint, bench press reps.
Volleyball: Vertical jump approach, standing reach, agility.
Soccer: Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test (aerobic capacity), sprint times, strength assessments.
Track and field: Event-specific strength assessments alongside technical testing.
The common thread across all sports: D1 programs measure physical attributes that are a direct function of strength training. Athletes who have done serious S&C work test better than those who have not, across every sport.
The gap between high school and D1
The physical step from high school to D1 is significant. D1 freshmen typically spend 12-18 months in their program's S&C system before their physical development reaches the level of upperclassmen. That development gap is the cost of arriving underprepared.
Research on D1 athletic performance supports this. A 2019 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that D1 football players who had participated in organized resistance training programs in high school had significantly higher strength assessments at the start of their freshman year than those who had not.
The implication: the strength gap between a well-prepared high school athlete and an unprepared one is visible at the D1 level. It determines how quickly each athlete can contribute.
What D1-quality training in high school looks like
The programming that D1 S&C coaches use is not secret — it is a periodized barbell program built on the five foundational movements: squat, hip hinge, horizontal push, horizontal pull, vertical pull. Progressively overloaded across an annual cycle. Coached for technique. Managed for recovery.
This is exactly what Gate 14 delivers. The difference is not the program — it is the access. D1 programs have full-time S&C coaches because they know what it produces. South Bay high school athletes have Gate 14.
The realistic timeline
| High school year | Training focus |
|---|---|
| Freshman | Foundation — movement patterns, technique, baseline strength |
| Sophomore | Build — progressive overload, first meaningful strength gains |
| Junior | Develop — strength peaks, sport-specific demands addressed |
| Senior | Peak and maintain — physical readiness for college assessment |
Athletes who start in their sophomore year arrive at senior combine testing with two years of progressive S&C behind them. That is a meaningful physical advantage.
See high school athlete strength training in the South Bay for the full picture. See Gate 14 membership options or gate14.net/thegate14.
Frequently asked questions
- Do D1 college programs care about high school strength training?
- Yes. D1 strength and conditioning programs assess incoming freshmen and develop athletes over 4 years. Athletes who arrive with a foundational strength base adapt faster and perform earlier. Scouts and coaches at the D1 level know the difference between an athlete who has trained systematically and one who has not — it shows in physical testing, body composition, and movement quality.
- What strength levels do D1 athletes typically have?
- Standards vary by sport and position, but D1 football freshmen at major programs typically bench press 200-225 lbs, squat 300-350 lbs, and power clean 200+ lbs at weigh-in. Skill position and non-football D1 athletes have sport-specific standards that their S&C programs test. The common thread is that D1 programs assume incoming athletes will need 1-2 years of S&C development.
- How does Gate 14 help high school athletes preparing for D1?
- Gate 14 provides coached barbell S&C — the same quality of programming that college S&C programs deliver. High school athletes who train with a dedicated S&C coach build the foundational strength that arrives at D1 programs ahead of where athletes from weaker training backgrounds start.
- How early should a high school athlete start training for D1 preparation?
- The earlier, the better — but the most impactful window is sophomore through senior year. Two to three years of consistent coached S&C training produces athletes who arrive at college programs physically ahead of their peers. Starting freshman year gives the full four years of the high school window.
Keep reading
- High School Athlete Strength Training in the South Bay (2026)
- El Segundo High School Eagles: Strength Training at Gate 14
- High School Athlete Strength Training in the South Bay (2026)
- CIF Track & Field Strength Training: South Bay High School Athletes
- Youth Athlete Development in the South Bay: Building the Physical Foundation
- High School Soccer Player Conditioning: How Strength Training Builds Field Athletes
- High School Volleyball Strength Training in the Beach Cities