Main Menu
Latest Blog Entry
User login
Blog
Welcome to the Excelsior blog. It is a mix of current research and thoughts on Athlete and Coach Development, Strength and Conditioning and personal reflections.
Comments are welcome (please leave your name) and you can subscribe by clicking on the RSS feed.
Thanks for taking the time to read it.
James Marshall
-
How to change habits: part 3
“Good habits formed at youth make all the difference”
1 Comment | Read More | goal setting
s Aristotle gets it right again. In the 2 previous blogs we have looked at the importance of lifestyle in athletes’ lives and how to use goal setting to set plans. -
How to change habits: part 2
“Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.”
compass Alexandre Dumas.
3 Comments | Read More | goal setting
In part 1 I set the scene of how athletes need help in adopting behaviours that will improve their sporting performance. Today I will look at how to set goals that will get them started. -
How to change habits: part 1
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
9 Comments | Read More | goal setting
Aristotle’s quote is often used, but it is hard to follow. When working with athletes, it is often the intangibles that make the difference to the overall outcome of the training programme. -
Handy videos for parents of sports children
Trustworthy information to help parents I don’t profess to know everything, but I am lucky enough to know enough great coaches and experts that I can draw upon for advice. This means I can give the best advice to parents of our club members and individual athletes. Here are two great examples of conversations I […]
1 Comment | Read More | LTAD, sports nutrition -
Excelsior ADC Club Update December 2017
Merry Christmas to all our club members Thanks to all our athletes, parents, volunteers and suppliers for a great 2017. A lot has happened over the last year, and more is planned for 2018. Here is a summary and update for January 2018. Please share with family and friends, you never know who might want […]
0 Comments | Read More | athletics, gymnastics, weightlifting -
Best books on coaching and teaching 2017
Reading highlights for coaches and teachers Here are my top 5 books from 2017, plus a synopsis of the other books I have read this year. It is easy to jump on the “It’s new and shiny, you must get it” bandwagon. Hopefully you will find some alternative ideas in this list. Top 5 books […]
0 Comments | Read More | book review -
An athlete’s guide to avoiding the flu.
Intro Getting ill sucks! We’ve all been there, tucked up in bed shivering and feeling sorry for ourselves. Here is my guide to avoiding the flu. Nobody enjoys being ill and it can have a terrible effect on an athlete’s fitness, training and performance. Not only does having a blocked nose reduce performance, it […]
2 Comments | Read More | health -
Multi Planar strength training
Here is a quote from John Jesse, in his “Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia“
“The writer has consistently maintained over the years that very few, if any, athletes in the modern industrial culture, ever develop all -round body strength. Even those who accept the concept of progressive weight training overemphasize great strength development in the arms, shoulders and legs.
0 Comments | Read More | strength -
Excelsior ADC Club Update September 2017
Autumn Term means new beginnings School term has resumed which means the end of Summer Athletics and the resumption of gymnastics and weightlifting in Willand and Wellington. Here is a brief synopsis of what is happening. Fundraising: we have been short listed from over 700 applicants for the Skipton Grassroots Giving Campaign. In order to […]
3 Comments | Read More | athletic development, athletics, Club update, gymnastics, weightlifting -
Brian Aldiss RIP
Britain’s best Science Fiction Author dies I am sorry to hear today that Brian Aldiss has died. My thoughts go out to his family. His books have given me great pleasure over the years right up until the current day (one of his books usually features on my reading review of the year). Aldiss was […]
0 Comments | Read More | book review
Client Testimonials
Blundells School
James has a huge breath and depth of knowledge on fitness issues. He is able to implement this knowledge into a practical course both making the task of fitness and conditioning both different and interesting from other fitness training that most are familiar with. He understands the safety issues when dealing with young adults strength and conditioning programmes. Programmes he sets are tailored to the individual needs of the group. There was a huge amount of progress made with some of these individuals in terms of their understanding of fitness and their own fitness levels.
More