Tag Archive: american football

1. How can I improve my vertical jump performance? Diary of an intern

   14th October 2011 2:01 pm Leave a Comment

   By Fran Low

   In my last post I reflected on the numerous aspects of coaching and the importance of focussing on overall development as a coach. Some of these aspects include improving technical knowledge regarding training and maximising performance, integrating knowledge from different areas to find effective solutions to training problems and learning how and when to apply these principles when coaching.

   During my recent coaching experiences with Excelsior, I have certainly begun to increase my understanding in each of the different areas of coaching.

   Coaching Tools-

   A coaching session at Millfield School last week provided a perfect opportunity for me to add to my technical knowledge, with a new tool for the coaching toolbox. When an athlete asked James “How can I improve my Vertical Jump performance” I immediately thought of various exercises including squats, jumps and plyometrics. However with so many exercises and protocols available, which are the most effective?

   The practice which James demonstrated in fact included a number of different exercises. By using a combination of isometric and dynamic movements, James explained how you can first optimise recruitment of many fast twitch muscle fibres before performing the more powerful movements which benefit from the activation of these muscle fibres.

   This experience has highlighted the importance of integrating knowledge of different disciplines when selecting training methods rather than just selecting an exercise which replicates the movement pattern of the skill. By analysing the physiological processes which occur during an exercise or exercises, you can begin to determine the most effective way of achieving the desired outcome.

   Adapting Coaching-

    However none of this knowledge is of any use without being able to apply it correctly and deliver appropriate information to the athletes.

   One very valuable lesson I have begun to learn through my experiences observing James so far is the ability to adapt a coaching session to suit the athlete or athletes involved.

   This can include reducing the intensity of a session to ensure a tired athlete is not overworked, mixing up the order of exercises to keep sessions fresh and challenging for the athletes and varying the difficulty of exercises depending on the skill level of the athletes.

   However in addition to making subtle modifications to a session plan, it is also occasionally necessary to change a session completely in order to ensure that athletes can successfully master a skill.

   A good example of this occurred during a coaching session with some young athletes, who were asked to complete a series of medicine ball exercises.

   However, the first movement was an overhead squat which none of the athletes managed to perform correctly. Rather than move on to the next exercise, James stopped the session and put the athletes through an overhead squat master class.

   By the end of the session all of the athletes had improved their technique dramatically, and all understood their targets for improvement. This is a vital lesson in the difference between coaching and just instructing a series of exercises, and is vital to ensure athletes stay fit and healthy.

   If you want to learn more, please come on one of our strength and conditioning courses.

2. “Adapting to suit the audience”: Diary of an Intern

   7th October 2011 9:11 am 1 Comment

   I have now had four practical sessions with James as one of the Excelsior interns. They have been some very interesting and eye opening sessions! 

   I have mainly been observing and picking things up along the way as I settle into it. I have picked up some great and useful information along the way, especially coaching styles and how to adapt them to allow the athletes or audience to learn. 

   I have had two sessions at Millfield School with a group of female athletes. In the first session James went through some lower body exercises to aim to help stabilise their knees and strengthen their legs. As you can imagine, a group of young girls at 7.30am on a Monday morning may not be the easiest group to teach but there was a real mixture present. It was interesting to see how James dealt with them compared to how he dealt with two of his athletes I had met on my first session. ‘Adapting to suit the audience.’ 

   He also had to adapt during two workshops; injury prevention and athletic development. The first workshop had some coaches, parents and some athletes involved and they all brought up very good questions which helped everyone’s understanding overall. James had to show a lot of ways to correct a movement or exercise which was good for everyone to see so we knew what to do if one of their athletes had similar trouble.

   For the second workshop at Ocean Physio , there were a lot of experienced Physio’s present. Their questions were a lot more in depth and thorough as they liked to understand the ins and outs of the exercises James was showing. As James said, Physio’s are used to seeing broken athletes so they aren’t quite sure how a fit one should look like.

   Teaching a coach how to adapt their style to suit all participants isn’t something you can go onto a course and learn. It needs to be picked up either by learning with the athletes, or from observing what another experienced coach would do. Having the knowledge is one thing, passing this knowledge onto the athlete/parent/coach/physio is another.

   Gemma Robertson (Follow me on twitter here)
   

    

3. Making not breaking young athletes- Diary of an intern part 10

   16th December 2010 10:59 am 1 Comment

   How proper screenings can help prevent injuries Jason Slade

   Having been coaching with Excelsior now for a couple of months, I was given the opportunity to work some different athletes on the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) based in Devon and to assist in a number of athlete screenings, with Ocean Physio, both of these opportunities have been beneficial to my personal conditioning development and provided positive learning experiences.

   It was great to work with different athletes, in sports that I don’t know much about, and not comfortable delivering specific training, as I might have limited experience and knowledge in the physiological and bio–mechanical movements required in the sport, an example of this is dinghy sailing. I have never been sailing so I couldn’t imagine the work and movement this type of athletes complete. It was Sophie’s first conditioning session with Excelsior and as she completed some basic movement patterns and completed a medicine ball workout, both myself and James were surprised by her movement and exercise technique. She had a great attitude towards training and worked hard.

    

   On the other hand I did help condition another athlete who was the complete opposite, clearly very strong and powerful, but struggled to lift anything over his head, without causing back pain. The conditioning he used to complete was just aimed at stats, how much can you bench and deadlift? Being a common question most gym goers get asked. So the conditioning James has put in place in all about movement, and corrective exercises to increase his mobility, and reduce his pain in his thoracic spine.

    

   Since joining Excelsior the importance of correct posture and efficient movement have been bought to my attention as a foremost aspect of conditioning, and this was backed up when I was assisting in a number of athlete screenings, (a female England cricketer, and a GB wheelchair tennis player) which I had just been inspired by.

   The screenings are completed by Dave MacLellan at Ocean Physio, and James. The amount of detail these professionals go into was incredible, assessing everything about the athlete’s lifestyle. The screenings start off by an athlete consultation, just asking questions you find out so much about your athletes lifestyle and habits.

   The screening also consist of standing postural analysis and movement analysis and this is an area that I would like to get more experience and knowledge in as it is so important and interesting. Each athlete is complete different, different lifestyle, habits and correcting these habits, such as leaning, or sitting in an incorrect position may in the future impact a negative performance factor.

   In the words of James Marshall “All athletes are very different, all of the screened athletes were within 1 year age gap and generic programming not possible”! I am learning so much, and really enjoying working for Excelsior and with James, looking forward to developing the company further.

   I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a pleasant New Year. Don’t eat too much!