Blog
7 Things I Learnt In 2016
Reflective practice I try to learn more than 7 things a week, let alone a whole year, but part of reflective practice is being disciplined and accountable. Limiting myself to listing the 7 things in a year helps focus my mind and stop readers from being bored. Speaking on the phone to Mark Sheppard yesterday…
Read More5 ways to keep your hockey team fit all season
“The best way to stay in shape is not to get out of shape”
Jim Radcliffe.
As coaches we are here to help our athletes improve their skills and enable them to play as much as possible. Keeping players fit for the whole season can be a hard task and we often have to deal with injuries throughout the season.
Read MoreBite Size Agility
I am trying to make agility workouts more frequent, more specific and a lot shorter in duration than has previously been done for the athletes I work with.
“What are the best vegetables to eat?”
Powerhouse your diet with the best fruit and veg
A new study1 has identified 41 “Powerhouse” Fruit and Vegetables which can significantly improve health. These nutrient dense foods have been found to be the most effective in reducing chronic disease.
Here is a review of the main findings of the research, as well as some practical guidance for getting the most out of your nutrition:
Read MoreWhy disengaged girls hate school sport
I have recently been asked to help coach “disengaged” girls in school p.e. I am doing weightlifting at one school, gymnastics at another. Funding is available to help these girls as they are unenthusiastic about “traditional p.e.” My experience coaching them is different from what I was told to expect. What is “traditional p.e.”? I…
Read MoreHow to increase golf club speed
Diabetes and Exercise: What the experts say.
How Diabetes affects athletes
Can I say how delighted I was to hear that Fran Low firstly has undertaken to cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats and secondly, that she is raising money for Diabetes UK (DUK) -the charity for people living with diabetes? Thank you.
As a mum of an aspiring athlete (rugby union) and a Doctor looking after people with diabetes, I spend a lot of time thinking about training, keeping fit, preventing diabetes as well as treating it.
Read MoreCoaching Philosophy: Book Reviews
When delivering strength and conditioning coaching courses, we always discuss coaching philosophy and how to develop a club culture. Two books I have read this year have helped with this process, both by NFL coaches. Here is a brief review of both. Win Forever by Pete Carroll (recommended by Mike Bahn) A frank and revealing…
Read MoreScottish Athletics Conference 2016: Review
Scottish Athletics Conference: Coach Development I was lucky enough to be invited to present some workshops with Vern Gambetta and deliver one of my own this weekend in Glasgow. The Scottish Athletics Conference was organised by Darren Ritchie who did a great job. Here are some of my reflections and lessons learnt. The State of…
Read MoreAthletic Development Workshop at Christ’s Hospital
Athletic Development in action at Christ’s Hospital Last week I ran 2 workshops for some of the Sports Scholars at Christ’s Hospital School in Horsham, West Sussex. Whilst the title was Athletic Development, the content was all about teaching the pupils about movement. Movement is the foundation of physical education (p.e.). So you could just…
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