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. 3 Books for your Christmas wish list.

   7th November 2018 11:41 am

   Books for your Christmas wish list Here are 3 books that may be of interest for you to read. All are well written and include practical advice. A full list of books I have read this year with one line summaries is included at the end. As usual, please leave your recommendations in the comments […]

   1 Comment | Read More | book review

2. How to develop speed: Gary Winckler

   2nd October 2018 1:46 pm

   “The hamstrings transfer force from the motor of the butt to the wheels of the foot.”

   Tenets of speed development

   Athletics coach  Gary Winckler  delivered an excellent overview on what he thinks is important on developing speed. A lot of the work is similar to what Frans Bosch did a couple of years ago, and he mentioned Bosch’s work a lot.

   5 Comments | Read More | plyometrics, speed, speed training

3. An A-Level PE strength guide

   27th September 2018 9:21 am

   Working with young athletes, many of whom are P.E. students we are asked the same questions a lot. Here are some answers to a few common ones on strength training.

   1 Comment | Read More | strength

4. The Daily Mile: Teachers “Must Try Harder”

   13th September 2018 11:29 am

   Why the Daily Mile should not be mandatory for pupils Two Primary School head teachers have mentioned the “Daily Mile” to me in the last 6 months. The first said he was going to introduce it in his school. The second asked me about it and had concerns because she didn’t want any of the […]

   0 Comments | Read More | physical education

5. Improving coaching communication through writing

   16th August 2018 11:52 am

   Coach communication: writing On every coaching course I have attended, the tutor has pointed out the section in the workbook entitled “communication”.  There follows a group nodding of heads where every budding coach agrees that “communication is a good thing”.  If we are lucky, the tutor might divide communication further into “verbal” and “non-verbal”.  We […]

   0 Comments | Read More | book review, Coaching, communication.

6. 5 Tenets of Sports Injury Rehabilitation

   7th August 2018 1:43 pm

   Movement is the foundation of sports injury rehabilitation Dr Grace Golden gave an insightful presentation on returning to sporting activity at GAIN 2018. I liked her systematic approach which was well illustrated with video examples. She also had a large amount of creativity and fun involved in her rehabilitation sessions. Coaching the injured athlete Grace […]

   0 Comments | Read More | GAIN2018, rehab, sports injury

7. Football training programme for under-18 player

   27th July 2018 9:17 am

   Needs Analysis of under- 18 football player A guest post by Simon Worsnop, this study provides a needs analysis and periodised football training programme for an 18-year-old male academy fullback, based on the requirements of football and the individual. (This is a case study of a player that Simon coached. For football players in Devon […]

   5 Comments | Read More | football

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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