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. Pre season training and exam pressure

   23rd April 2019 12:30 pm

   “A pessimist complains about the wind, an optimist waits for it to change, a leader adjusts the sails.”  

   (source unknown) sent by John Mallett.

   1 Comment | Read More | stress

2. The Quest for Ultra Performance

   3rd April 2019 7:58 am

   “Each man delights in the work that suits him best”

   Homer, The Odyssey

   Odysseus had his 10 year journey home to Ithaca, Jason his search for the Golden Fleece, Percival his Grail Quest and Frodo had to destroy the One Ring.

   All these Heroes had to:

   3 Comments | Read More | Coaching, cpd. leadership, LTAD

3. How to get more agile and low to the ground for cricket fielding

   31st March 2019 8:48 am

   Become more agile in 5 days. 

   When fielding in cricket, you are putting your body under a lot of stress and strain due to the stretching/reaching and diving to catch the ball.

   If the underlying strength and mobility behind these movements isn’t poor then an injury is more likely. 

   To do these movements successfully you will need to have good hip and knee control, and good flexibility too.

   1 Comment | Read More | agility, cricket, flexibility

4. Weight training for women: Lessons from 1957

   26th March 2019 8:05 am

   “Continuity of exercise is most essential”

   The 1950s were the age of physical culture. Jack Lalanne was doing his TV show and “Health and Strength” magazine offered a monthly look at different aspects of training.

   3 Comments | Read More | female athlete, strength training, weightlifting

5. Excelsior ADC Newsletter

   13th March 2019 7:46 pm

   Excelsior AD Club newsletter March 2019 We have had so much happen in the last month, and exciting things happening in the run up to Easter, it is best to keep them all in one place. So here you go. 6 members complete their Athletic Development Coaching Course Archie, Daisy, Flora, Jakin, Rebecca and Stephanie […]

   0 Comments | Read More | athletic development, athletics, gymnastics, weightlfting

6. What is causing pain at the front of my knee?

   11th March 2019 7:49 pm

   Many athletes and recreational sports people suffer from on-going knee pain and soreness. Today Physiotherapist Sarah Marshall looks in more detail at one aspect.

   One of the most common types is Anterior Knee Pain (AKP). It describes pain at the front of the knee and can affect up to 40% of the population. It is especially common amongst athletes, yet not disrupt their sporting function or ability.

   5 Comments | Read More | physiotherapy, sports injury

7. Helping athletes to grow.

   10th March 2019 8:30 am

   

   At Sunday school many years ago I was taught a parable about a man who was given corn. He scattered it carelessly around. Some fell on dry earth, some fell on stones. Some fell in fertile land and was either eaten by birds or strangled by weeds. Some fell in fertile land and received the right amount of sunshine and water and grew into healthy corn.

    

   1 Comment | Read More | athletic development, LTAD

8. How to prevent over training in teenagers

   20th February 2019 5:39 pm

   How to prevent overtraining in young athletes

   Overtraining is common in young athletes due to the high demand put on them by schools and sports teams. Schools will get talented young athletes to compete in as many sports as possible and these same athletes will also train outside of school for a team they play for in one or more sports.

   An example week in the life of a young athlete –

   Monday – P.E., School netball training

   Tuesday – School hockey training, Team netball training

   0 Comments | Read More |

9. Making a Difference?

   8th February 2019 2:01 pm

   I had to do a brief presentation last week on what I do and who I have worked with. Some coaches said some nice things about my work, but I questioned how much of a difference I make. Sometimes you make a huge amount, sometimes it is small, but worthwhile, Sometimes any Coach could be in that place and the athlete would still be successful.

   0 Comments | Read More | equestrian

10. IFAC Reflections Part 3

    24th January 2019 10:46 am

    Finding the failure point in athletes My final thoughts on IFAC, reviewing Jerome Simian’s leg strengthening exercises and progressions. “If the structure is weak, it won’t allow the nervous system to show what it can do.” Regular readers and our athletes will know about Structural Integrity, Simian uses a different phrase, but the meaning is […]

    0 Comments | Read More | athletics, Coaching, cpd, strength