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.

Comments are welcome (please leave your name) and you can subscribe by clicking on the RSS feed.

Thanks for taking the time to read it.

James Marshall

1. Sports Science for sports coaches

   13th July 2018 11:36 am

   Sports Science for coaches Last month I attended Vern Gambetta’s GAIN conference in Houston, Texas.  A great mix of practical sessions, seminars and informal idea sharing, it is my annual chance to take time out and immerse myself in learning. I shall be sharing some of the ideas and insights learnt this year. The act […]

   1 Comment | Read More | GAIN, GAIN2018, sports science

2. Summer reading recommendations 2018

   1st July 2018 8:07 am

   Summer reading recommendations Half of the year has gone, Britain is currently enjoying (enduring?) a heatwave and my American colleagues and friends are about to have their 4th July vacation. Time to share some of the books I have read this year and that you might want to try. The full list is below which […]

   2 Comments | Read More | book review, reading

3. How to make Pre-Season Training Interesting, Relevant and More Fun

   19th June 2018 11:25 am

   I Hate Pre-Season Training

   This is often the thought of players who are forced to undergo various fitness tests and long slow runs as part of a pre-season fitness programme.

   Doing repeated doggies, shuttle runs and various circuits, with barely a ball in sight is enough to put most players off.

   It doesn’t have to be this way.

   38 Comments | Read More | agility, pre-season, speed, strength

4. LTAD: building young people

   31st May 2018 8:00 am

   “Life is a process, but it’s hard to get through to the kids”

   Finn Gundersen, GAIN VII.

   “What is LTAD?” has been demoted to a project question for students, a scientific discussion, or a pdf issued by National Governing Bodies (NGBs).

   1 Comment | Read More | GAIN, LTAD

5. Are you fit enough to play in the Champions League Final?

   20th May 2018 9:20 am

   Bayern vs Chelsea: Only the fittest will prevail.

   As the world’s top footballers prepare to meet in the Champions League Final this weekend, we explore what it takes to make it at the highest level.

   Advances in Sports Science have revealed the highly energetic demands within the modern game, what we as coaches then do is help you get ready to play and meet those demands.

   3 Comments | Read More | coaches, football, planning

6. How to Get Stronger: Learning from the Strongest.

   4th May 2018 1:45 pm

   How Strong is Strong Enough?

   This is a current “Hot topic” in the UK and Australia. “How much strength training should I do?” is a question I am often asked, or more likely “Why should I lift weights?“

   Our regular readers and athletes will know the approach we take working on all aspects of the Strength Spectrum, but in different degrees according to age, stage and sport.

   3 Comments | Read More | strength, weightlifting

7. Over coaching – let the kids play

   1st May 2018 1:17 pm

   Do you let your kids play?

   Do you allow them to be free spirited and learn and experiment? Do you have excessive structures and control over sport? You could be stopping your kids from developing into creative instinctive athletes.

   0 Comments | Read More | LTAD

8. Dumbbells or Machines? Istvan Javorek

   5th April 2018 8:28 am

   The benefits of dumbbell training by Istvan Javorek

   • Dumbbell training is generally safe.
   • Does not need a large practice area.
   • Is easy to teach (compared to barbell lifts).
   • Can be done simultaneously and very efficiently with a large number of athletes.
   • Is dynamic with a large range of motion (actually the range of motion is unlimited).
   • A large range of
     2 Comments | Read More | dumbbells

9. LTAD- USA versus UK

   27th March 2018 8:48 am

   I had the pleasure of meeting Mauro deGennaro, Director of Athletics at Hoboken High School, last week. We were talking about his schedule of training for his football team this autumn, and he was saying that they were going to be training easy in the week because of the amount of contact in the game. How many games a season do they play?

   9. That’s right 9. His 14 year old Freshman play 9 football games a season, then move to another sport next term.
   

   1 Comment | Read More | LTAD

10. Speed Training: co-ordination versus strength.

    23rd March 2018 9:12 am

    Adjusting the dials for your athlete

    When looking at a new athlete and their running, I try to assess whether we can improve speed through co-ordination training or strength training, or both.

    I use the analogy of having two dials with the athletes: they both are necessary, but we adjust one at a time according to the athlete’s needs.

    2 Comments | Read More | rugby, speed training