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. Summer reading 2016

   15th July 2016 3:10 pm

   Book recommendations for reading this summer I hope you get time for some summer reading (if we get a summer). I try to read more fiction or biographies of non work related people whilst on holiday, rather than technical manuals.   Here are my Top 5  summer reading books for coaches I have read so far this year […]

   3 Comments | Read More | book review, reading

2. District 13- Parkour, Gymnastics

   12th July 2016 1:46 pm

   I watched the French film District 13 a couple of weeks ago. There is some truly impressive athletic movement in this film. The freestyle attitude of Parkour, making use of the local environment, looking at everyday objects in a different light, is in total contrast to some sports environments where free expression is constrained.
   I wonder whether young children especially would be better off developing this type of movement and awareness, rather than being taken to a class and put through highly disciplined and structured movement patterns.
   

   0 Comments | Read More | gymnastics

3. How can I stop my child getting injured?

   10th July 2016 11:50 am

   The evidence is quite stark if your child is spending too much time in organised activity rather than free play, if they have specialised in one sport and if they have gone through their growth spurt, then they are more likely to get injured (1).

   0 Comments | Read More | injury, injury prevention, LTAD, sports injury

4. Middle distance running: science, myths & practice

   4th July 2016 1:59 pm

   “Why get obsessed with details if they don’t matter yet?” Steve Magness, at GAIN 2016 presenting on “Current concepts of endurance training“. I have been privileged to meet up with Steve for 3 GAIN conferences, and his thoughts have greatly shaped the work I do with our Middle Distance Running group. Here are some of […]

   1 Comment | Read More | athletics, endurance, running

5. Plyometrics and Agility: Jim Radcliffe

   27th June 2016 3:46 pm

    “Try to be more like a super ball not a tomato”

   Jim Radcliffe’s advice on plyometric training rang true as he went through a series of progressions for plyometrics.

   6 Comments | Read More | agility, plyometrics

6. Top Broscience Myths

   24th June 2016 3:01 pm

   Broscience is overrated I am privileged to work with many good athletes, and I interact with many excellent coaches. I last worked in the Health and Fitness industry  15 years ago (pre Internet boom). It therefore came as a shock to me the other day when I assessed some Personal Trainers in their fitness studio with their […]

   1 Comment | Read More | broscience

7. Movement and People: GAIN 2016

   21st June 2016 7:08 am

   Coach education at its best “Movement and people” is how Andy Stone summed up his approach to coaching. That matches my philosophy too. Care about the people and teach them to move well; good things happen as a result. At Vern Gambetta’s GAIN conference in Houston, Texas, there were many good coaches (as well as […]

   2 Comments | Read More | GAIN

8. Coach development

   13th June 2016 11:29 am

   Annual Conference on Athletic Development In the early hours of tomorrow morning I fly to Houston to attend the GAIN conference for 5 days. This will be my 5th visit to Vern Gambetta’s athletic development masterclass. There is no other conference like it: containing a mixture of practical sessions, lectures, talks and discussions. The diverse […]

   0 Comments | Read More |

9. Giving our youth roots to grow and wings to fly

   27th May 2016 10:50 am

   The above is a quote from Frank Dick. It is brought to mind because last week a young athlete said she wasn’t good enough to get to the Olympics.

   At 13 years old, no she isn’t. What was disappointing was it appeared that any flame of ambition had been doused.

   0 Comments | Read More | LTAD

10. What should I eat for breakfast?

    25th May 2016 10:45 am

     “Fill me up with sugar and watch me crash”

    

    Parents and coaches often ask me “What should my child eat for breakfast?”

    Eating the right thing will aid concentration and help overall health and performance.

    Eating the wrong thing will lead to rapid increases in blood sugar, followed shortly by an insulin rush and onset of lethargy.

    19 Comments | Read More | breakfast, sports nutrition