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.

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Thanks for taking the time to read it.

James Marshall

1. Cannonball Tennis: Mike Sangster

   12th July 2017 11:04 am

   “Devon has everything to offer that I want in life” Says Mike Sangster in his book “Cannonball tennis”.  Mike took up tennis when he was 13 (yes 13) and went on to become the British #1 player, played in many Davis Cup matches and got to the semi-finals of Wimbledon. Growing up in Torquay, he […]

   0 Comments | Read More | book review, tennis

2. Reconditioning athletes: Bill Knowles seminar

   10th July 2017 7:12 pm

   “An exercise is something you do a movement is something you feel.” Was the title of Bill Knowles’ seminar on rehabilitating (reconditioning in his terms) athletes from sports injuries. The question he asks himself is “what’s in the best interest of the athlete?” This often means pulling the athlete out of the injured body and […]

   4 Comments | Read More | GAIN, GAIN2017, rehab, sports injury

3. Dr Mike Joyner “Sport Science: Servant or Master?”

   7th July 2017 2:23 pm

   “Don’t get distracted by the latest and greatest” Said Dr Mike Joyner at the head of his 2nd seminar at GAIN. His talk covered four key questions we need to ask before implementing a new scientific find in our training, as well as interesting insights that he has found useful. In a discussion the evening […]

   0 Comments | Read More | GAIN, GAIN2017, sports science

4. Steve Magness on the Volume Trap

   6th July 2017 11:15 am

   “How many miles should I run”? Is the question that endurance coach Steve Magness gets asked the most when presenting at workshops.  His seminar at this year’s GAIN covered volume and other training parameters which apply to many different sports. “There is no difference between 99 miles and 100 miles, but people want to get […]

   0 Comments | Read More | endurance, GAIN, GAIN2017

5. Steve Myrland: “Coaching better every day”

   4th July 2017 12:27 pm

   “I thought I was a good coach because I had a good job” said Steve Myrland in the opening part of his presentation at GAIN. “By that logic if we put on snowshoes and walk outside it will start snowing”! This very experienced and enlightened coach gave his thoughts on creating meaningful athletic development rather […]

   4 Comments | Read More | GAIN, GAIN2017

6. 7 Sports Science Myths: Dr Michael Joyner (Mayo clinic)

   30th June 2017 9:02 am

   GAIN reflections Dr Mike Joyner is a faculty member of the Mayo clinic specialising in human performance physiology. I met him early on the Wednesday morning when he was attempting to roll around on the floor and get up despite his very long levers.  What impressed me was his effort and concentration in attempting a […]

   0 Comments | Read More | GAIN, GAIN2017, sports science

7. GAIN 2017: Coaching reflections

   29th June 2017 10:39 am

   I recently spent 5 days in Houston, Texas at Vern Gambetta’s GAIN conference. In this post, and those to follow, I shall attempt to share some of the main ideas and reflections gained whilst there. This should be of interest to fellow coaches and some to parents of athletes too. Opening address and overview by […]

   0 Comments | Read More | GAIN, GAIN2017, reflective practice

8. Summer Reading for Sports Coaches

   23rd June 2017 11:59 am

   Book recommendations for sports coaches Summer is here and I have just returned from the GAIN conference in Houston where fellow sports coaches and bibliophiles shared book ideas and recommendations. Here are some of mine from this year, plus a full list of what I have read with a brief summary. Best coaching book I […]

   0 Comments | Read More | book review

9. Does sleep affect sporting performance?

   20th June 2017 9:26 am

   A recent BBC article highlighted the variations in sporting performance for individuals at different times of the day (1). These differences are down to biological processes which change throughout the day.

   0 Comments | Read More | sleep

10. What the academics are keeping from the public

    13th June 2017 9:43 am

    “The average number of readers of a scientific paper is…”

    Sir Martin Rees in his book “Before the beginning: our universe and others” discusses science, evidence and why information fails to get through to the public (Answer at the bottom of the page).

    0 Comments | Read More | book review, sports science