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. Innovative catching drill

   25th October 2010 7:13 am

   What a great idea for basketball, netball and rugby coaches, you can get all your players practicing this when they go to music festivals next summer. 

   Harry Carson was a running back with the New York Giants in the 1980s. He has made the transition to coach well, and this is a great example of Innovation.

   0 Comments | Read More |

2. Transformational Coaching Course

   11th October 2010 9:05 am

   I attended the first meeting of the new intake of the Transformational Coaching course at Bath Uni on Friday night. Organised by Paula Jardine and led by Will Roberts, this course is designed to help challenge, educate and develop coaches from across the South West of England.

   It was a productive meeting for me, with my thoughts and ideas being challenged and stimulated- despite it beinglate on Friday night.

   4 Comments | Read More | beetroot supplements, south west talent

3. Female athletes and boiling frogs part 2

   7th October 2010 9:15 am

   I am enjoying working with a group of female athletes on Monday mornings at 0730 at Millfield school. Coming from 3 different sports, this group of 6 are being introduced to resistance training and overall athletic development gradually.

   One concern with working with young females when they feel their legs aching and the flow of blood to parts previously untouched is the “ I can feel my bum getting bigger!” quote.

   I took the time and effort to explain to this young group, that what they were feeling was probably blood flow, rather than an immediate increase in mass.

   0 Comments | Read More | muay thai

4. Complexes

   6th October 2010 9:14 am

   I use complexes as part of warm ups, as part conditioning work or used as preparation before commencing a strength or power training block.

   They involve several different exercises performed as part of a sequence, building on one to the next.

   For example, using a barbell one could work from the ground up: deadlift, bent over row, hang lean, front squat, military press and then back squat.

   Popularised by Javorek, they are not a catch all answer to everything, but they are time efficient and can get a lot of areas covered in a short time.

    

   0 Comments | Read More | toddler fitness

5. Pumping up your tyres- How to improve performance.

   28th September 2010 11:22 am

   I had a great session screening a couple of young multi event athletes last week. The coaches were present which made exchange of information very clear and easy for all concerned.

   2 Comments | Read More | Transformational Coaching

6. Motor skills development- spatial awareness and catching.

   23rd September 2010 9:44 am

   I am using a block of Autumn training as a motor skill development with endurance training period.

   I am using tennis ball drills: catching, dribbling, turning, evasion and throwing for one set of development.

   The other set is using the 4 limbs to perform different tasks whilst standing and then moving in different directions.

   Most of the athletes can do 2 different things simultaneously, but not many 3.

   1 Comment | Read More | athletic development, LTAD

7. Work Capacity- Lunge walks

   21st September 2010 7:16 pm

   Whilst not being a strict training principle, there is a need to develop a work capacity in conjunction with the four pillars of balance, flexibility, strength and posture.

   The capacity to perform exercises that develop your physical attributes, or the capacity to sustain work rates within training sessions will help you become better at your sport.

    

   0 Comments | Read More |

8. Jumpers for Goal Posts

   16th September 2010 12:53 pm

   Play, not train.

   Working within school or university environments and on training camps, there seems to be a need to structure every session.  The time tabling of lessons and lectures, meal times, and transport means that very minute is accounted for. 

   On camps there is the additional problem of support staff having to prove their worth and being given sessions to do. So the timetable is dictated by fitting around the staff having something to do, rather than what works for the athlete. 

   2 Comments | Read More | equestrian

9. Martin Rees Quote- Reith lecture 2010.

   1st September 2010 9:05 am

   Martin Rees in the third of this year’s Reith lectures has a good quote about reductionism in Science.

   “You can not understand the concept of time by taking apart a timepiece.”

   Think about this when coaching athletes. You can not reduce everything to the cellular level or analyse things in a lab, without looking at the overall athletic movement.

   0 Comments | Read More | dan baker

10. What do I actually do? South West Talent.

    31st August 2010 8:57 am

    I am often asked “What do you actually do?” One of my contracts is with Bath University and the South West Talent programme. A case study of one of the guys I have been working with is uploaded here.

    The newsletter also highlights some of the Coaching programme I will be involved with.

    This programme is an excellent example of Administrators, Coaches, Parents, Physiotherapists and Athletes working well together. The ones that have been regulars are showing real progress.

    0 Comments | Read More | running