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. Athletes come in all sizes.

   7th December 2011 10:46 am

   Some great news from our biggest and smallest athletes this week.

   Elliot Hoyte (6’5″, 120kg) American Football Defensive End, has won a full scholarship to Boise State College in the USA.

   0 Comments | Read More | athletic development

2. How can I engage my core?

   5th December 2011 7:09 am

   Lift something above your head and either: walk, lunge or squat with it above your head.

   “Engaging core” “Setting scaps” “Tower of power” these are meaningless coaching cues that create confusion.

   They are usually gleaned from a course that a well meaning coach has attended. But if could be a case of overcomplicating simple issues. 

   Your core is “engaged” every time you sit, walk, lunge, run, jump, throw, dive, tackle, or forget to eat enough fibre.

   3 Comments | Read More |

3. The World’s best coaching session.

   23rd November 2011 8:18 pm

   I train a group of about 24 developmental athletes from a variety of sports. This is a busy session, in a shared space with lots of information, distractions and big personalities.

   I wasn’t happy with the way I delivered 2 weeks ago, so I sat down, discussed with 2 interns (Duncan and Rhian), and really thought about coming up with a good solution.

   I designed the next session using a variety of exercises, mixing between a whole group and 6 sub groups, utilising the space better, and also the equipment.

   0 Comments | Read More | athletic development

4. Excellence at all levels

   21st November 2011 7:47 pm

   Do you save your elite coaching for your elite performers?

   Do you lower your coaching standards for athletes at younger age groups or who play in lower divisions?

   Or do you strive to deliver your best performance at every session that you take and with every athlete you encounter?

   I heard this week that one funded organisation stated “we are not about service delivery” and that “we don’t have to be excellent, we leave that to the EIS”.

   So their raison d’etre is what exactly?

   0 Comments | Read More |

5. Changing Behaviour in Athletes

   16th November 2011 7:25 am

   You start work with an athlete or team and you disagree with the warm up, the nutrition strategy, the fitness programme and maybe even the tactics.  It might be tempting to charge in and say “No, No, No, you don’t want to do it like that”. 

   This will not help you win friends and influence people, nor will it help modify behaviour.  Nor will handing out a manual 50 pages thick to 16 year olds and saying “Do this”.

   2 Comments | Read More | overload, vibration

6. Steve Jobs on Coaching

   21st October 2011 9:30 am

   I know this is a bit old now, but reading a lot of quotes from Steve Jobs and think a lot of it applies to how and why I coach too.

   1 Comment | Read More | equestrian, Young Athlete

7. How not to get a job in Strength and Conditioning

   19th October 2011 2:36 pm

   “How can I get a job in strength and conditioning?”

   Is a question I get asked a lot. Having recently advertised for several positions (paid and unpaid) for strength and conditioning coach, I was appalled at the standard of application.

   4 Comments | Read More | strength and conditioning qualifications, strength and conditioning qualifications

8. Coach Development: The journey so far

   17th October 2011 8:17 pm

   Having some thoughts and interactions with other Coaches recently and here are some questions that have arisen:

   • How have you developed in your coaching/ teaching so far?
   • How have you got the knowledge you have so far?
   • How do we know what is right or wrong?
   • Or even if we have “knowledge”?

   It might be time to start reflecting on this.

   1 Comment | Read More | equestrian

9. How can I improve my vertical jump performance? Diary of an intern

   14th October 2011 2:01 pm

   By Fran Low

   In my last post I reflected on the numerous aspects of coaching and the importance of focussing on overall development as a coach. Some of these aspects include improving technical knowledge regarding training and maximising performance, integrating knowledge from different areas to find effective solutions to training problems and learning how and when to apply these principles when coaching.

   0 Comments | Read More | american football, hom

10. “Adapting to suit the audience”: Diary of an Intern

    7th October 2011 9:11 am

    I have now had four practical sessions with James as one of the Excelsior interns. They have been some very interesting and eye opening sessions! 

    I have mainly been observing and picking things up along the way as I settle into it. I have picked up some great and useful information along the way, especially coaching styles and how to adapt them to allow the athletes or audience to learn. 

    1 Comment | Read More | american football