Tag Archive: archery

1. Getting fit for Archery

   13th September 2015 1:53 pm 2 Comments

   “Whatever’s wrong ain’t the bow and whatever’s right is the archer.”

   For the last 18 months I have been working alongside the Gloucestershire Archery Society and a number of local clubs as part of the.

   My role has included working directly with the young archers as well as workshops to help educate coaches and parents to apply the key principles for physical development.

   LTAD

   The emphasis of any of these sessions has been the Long term development of the athletes, and developing fundamental movement skills as a foundation on which to build.

   Although Archers rarely have to run fast or lift heavy weights off the floor (despite what a job application for a recent position with high performing archers stated!), there are many physical abilities which are important for successful performance.

   Mandigo et al., 2007 listed a number of fundamental movement skills, many of which can be directly linked to archery including:

   1)      Stability

   • Balancing- maintaining centre of gravity above base of support
   • Stretching-being able to efficiently hold different postures
   • Twisting- rotating parts of upper body/ resisting rotation of torso
   • Pushing- strengthening front shoulder
   • Pulling (drawing)- strengthening rear shoulder during rotation

   2)      Locomotor

   • Walking/Running-important for developing efficient aerobic system
   • Jumping- developing lower body strength and stability
   • Hopping- lower body stability and coordination
   • Skipping- coordination and timing
   • Climbing- increasing upper and lower body strength

   3)      Manipulative

   • Throwing (over and under arm), Catching, Striking
   • All good for improving hand-eye coordination and accuracy

   It is important to note that fundamental movement skills are the building blocks of sport skills, which is why these movements form the basis of the sessions for all of the archers I have worked with.

   Despite varying broadly in terms of age and training experience, most of the athletes have developed deficiencies in mobility and posture due to the environment they find themselves in either at school hunched over a desk, or by regularly shooting (consistently using uneven posture).

   A lot of emphasis during coach education sessions is on regularly practising exercises which will reinforce good posture, balance, stability and mobility to develop the Structural Integrity of the archers. This could include using exercises during warm ups or encouraging athletes to practice exercises away from training.

   Cooperation in Coaching

   I have been very fortunate to work with some fantastic coaches (Roger Crang, Steph and Dan Gill and Graham Williams to name a few) who have all bought into the need to develop physical skills as well as technical skills.

   The Excelsior athletic development centre was set up to help young athletes by either working with them directly, or by running courses and workshops with the coaches, parents and teachers who are working with them week to week.

   By working together with sports coaches, positive behaviours and habits can be constantly reinforced rather than competing with contradicting messages.

   Click here for the full Archery Guide to Fundamental training

   Matt Durber 

2. Young sports people in Oxford get expert support

   28th April 2014 1:45 pm Leave a Comment

   Excelsior Athletic Development Centre comes to Oxfordshire.

   Easter saw the first Athlete Support Day of 2014 for Oxfordshire athletes, with 5 different sports represented. 

   We got moving with some gymnastics. This challenged most of the athletes to try something unusual to them. All rose to the challenge, throwing themselves into the movements and having fun. 

   Having warmed up they then paired up to assess one another, they looked at how well an athlete can perform basic movements that are required for all sport, this enabled them to know what to look for and feel how they move themselves. 

   The day consisted of 4 main topics:

   • agility
   • injury management
   • power
   • recovery.

   Agility: specifically the  need to be able to brake before working on acceleration. We need to be able to do this in all directions. Whilst accelerating forwards with no cues is easy, doing it under pressure or having to brake is where most sports people struggle.

   After introducing a reaction cue before the acceleration we quickly found everyone moving backwards to go forwards (the false step) so then addressed this. 

   Having worked hard on agility they spilt into groups and looked at what injuries they know of and how we can manage them if they occur, going through PRICE principles. 

   Power was the next topic, after discussing how we can improve power we went through building a solid foundation, where we challenged the athletes again to get out of their comfort zone. 

   We finished the day talking about recovery methods and then going through some exercises they could use after training or playing. 

   It was a fantastic group to work with and Matt and I agreed they had all worked well and improved in different areas.

   • Excelsior Athletic Development Centre 
   • PRICE guidelines for injury treatment

3. Getting teenagers to take control of their sport preparation

   20th February 2014 10:15 am 1 Comment

   “I don’t have a warm up routine”

   was the quote of the day from a 16 year old experienced competitor on our Athlete Support Day on Monday.

   Another young athlete I work with was a bundle of nerves before a recent competition. I am trying hard to get these young people to establish a warm up routine that is regular, specific and gives them confidence.

   Too often I see the well prepared athlete unravel as the competition approaches: distracted by the venue, other competitors or their own inner demons.

   I got the athletes to divide the warm up into 3 different phases and to come up with exercises that were suitable for each phase:

   1. “Just out of the car”. They have travelled to the comp for 1-3 hours, or been sat down at school. The body has to just move and get warm. General work
   2. “Sporting movements”. Build up to run, jump, throw, tackle in different directions. This can be similar to the event, rather than replicate at this stage: long jumpers can do 2 footed jumps for example, rugby players can do some grappling drills, soccer players can practice pass and move.
   3. “White line fever”. 5 minutes before the event you need to be moving fast and furious, with the warm up looking very similar to what is about to happen. You need to be ready to beat your opponent as soon as you cross the line.

   Despite my best efforts, this is still a work in progress. When asked to show me each stage I often see the default “pull arm across the body stretch” or the “jog“. 

   Regeneration

   Sorry to disappoint Dr Who fans, this is about regenerating the body and mind after exercise and life. We have covered nutrition on other support days, this time we looked at the improtance of getting a good night’s sleep.

   We discussed sleep routines and reasons why sleep may be disturbed. We then did a Progressive Muscular Relaxation (PMR) session (which had a delayed start due to a fit of giggles from the team, laughter being an important part of regeneration).

   PMR is a useful tool to have as an athlete. It helps toward getting sound sleep, and it is also useful in sport itself if practiced regularly.

   Eventually it becomes possible to shorten the relaxation time to a few seconds. This can then be used to calm nerves pre match, or in the match in itself for things like free kicks, free throws and pistol shooting.

   Strong and agile

   I introduced the athletes to the “Squat matrix” followed by either a dumbbell complex or snatch variations. Teenagers seem to be caught between “no weights” or “beach weights” with “adult weights” being imposed upon rugby players somehere in between.

   The squat matrix is designed to develop leg strength through multiple planes, angles and speed whilst challenging balance and coordination. It is somethingI learnt from Kelvin Giles who reminded me recently that it is all too easy to do body weight squats for a few weeks then “load ’em up” with a barbell.

   Young athletes need to fully develop their spectrum of movement abilities as this helps their overall athleticism. It is easy for teachers and coaches to regress to “what teenage boys want” or “what the senior players are doing“. 

   I finished the day with a series of agility exercises, moving over and under things, from two foot to single foot and challenging coordination again. This is something I have been working on the last 4 weeks with the senior footballers I coach.

   It does require the athlete to be strong and agile, but they are seeing the beenfits on the field: where it matters.

   Thanks again to Exeter University for hosting and for the parents for supporting their children.

   Please contact me if you wish to attend our next workhop.

   Further reading

   • Athletic Development Centre celebrates 1 year anniversary 
   • Why your warm up isn’t dynamic  
   • How much sleep do I need after training? 

4. Do your athletes thrive or survive?

   5th August 2013 8:04 am 1 Comment

   Every get the feeling you are muddling through?

   That is what a lot of parents of young athletes feel like. Buffetted along the river of teenage years, carried by a current of car journeys,camps. training sessions, angry coaches, exams and hormones.

   The 5th Athlete Support Day was designed to put some sense into this madness and give the parents and young athletes a rudder to help them steer their way through (enough of the boating analogy).

   11 questions every athlete needs to ask themselves

   This was our starting point. I got the athletes in pairs to discuss where they were and give themselves a mark out of 5 on each point. These questions highlight the key areas that differentiate those who participate from those who are trying to perform.

   Part of the remit of the Excelsior Athletic Development Centre is to make the athletes self-aware. We have previously got them assessing their own physical capability, this session was designed to get them thinking about their training habits.

   There is a nexus at 15-16 where parents have less of a role and the developing athlete is trying to form habits that last into senior years. Those habits are crucial in developing potential once maturation has evened out. (Earlier success is often due to early maturation or heavy parental input, hence one reason why “early specialisation” fails).

   Beginning strength training

   The next part of the day was building on strength training exercises developed previously. It is amazing to see that new people who have been part of “academies” for at least a year are unable to control their own body weight.

   I am flabbergasted at why anyone would suggest athletes should lift weights before they can do a single press up correctly.

   Rather than handing out the ubiquitous sheet of paper with exercises on it, I get the athletes to think of 2-3 variations of the movements: squat, push, pull, rotate, brace. Then they practice those and write them down. That then becomes their programme. For some that means body weight, some it is Dumbbells, some it is barbells. 

   Application

   The last two sections of the day were getting the athletes running fast and exploring different ways of moving. Using principles I have learnt from Frans Bosch and Gary Winckler I concentrate on 2 key points in any session at the most and then find 2-3 ways of developing that.

   The youngsters seemed to embrace the challenge, and then I have to turn it down a bit as the co-ordination fails to keep up! This is the tricky part of coaching a group: each person has a different framework, mindset and needs. It is also the fun part!

   Last up: stretch,curl, hop, roll, slide and soar. These key words describe what I want the athlete to do, they find ways of doing that. Very young children are expressive and have few inhibitions. This group were typical of the mid teenage years and were afraid of “getting it wrong” or “looking stupid“.

   That soon changed and they broke free of the societal shackles and became very innovative. I then set up a few puzzles and tasks that they could only solve using these movements: either individually or as a group.

   Do you want to become a better athlete?

   So far this year, 5 of the athletes from the Athletic Development Centre have gained their first International Caps: 3 in Hockey, 1 in Modern Pentathlon and 1 in Track and Field.

   That is really nice, but more importantly the other regular attendees are developing their athleticism and improving their performance: Injury Free! if you are a teenage sports player and want to learn how to train or a sports coach who wants your players receiving expert advice, then please contact me here

   There is no promise of International selection, no fads, no quick fixes, no “guru” talk: just sound coaching in a supportive environment.

   Thanks to Exeter University for hosting the day. 

5. Training young athletes: Part 7 Marco Cardinale

   5th March 2012 2:21 pm Leave a Comment

   In this Olympic Year, I thought it would be a good idea to hear from coaches who have worked with developing athletes and their thoughts. Today Marco Cardinale  who is the head of Sports Science and Resarch at the British Olympic Association.

   I started my career coaching young athletes. I was in fact a Handball coach, interested in developing young handball players. Our programmes started with kids in primary schools all the way to the senior national teams.

   Working with young athletes has always been rewarding as you see them growing and improving and very quickly you can see the ones having the right attitude about hard work and commitment which will lead them to sporting greatness. Rewards don’t come only from the one winning medals, they come from seeing everyone reaching their potential and maximising learning to become better. 

   So, here are few hints and tips. 

   1) Each training session counts, but only if the athletes are connected and willing to engage

   2) Each training session has to have a purpose, athletes need to know why they are doing it

   3) Learning happens with deep practice, so make sure the athletes are immersed in what they do

   4) Use random practice to create challenging environment, however keep in mind progression needs to be appropriate to the skills of the athletes you are coaching

   5) Make sure athletes write things down and are actively engaging in learning what they are doing

   6) Give ‘process orientated praise’. For example, praise the athlete’s effort and strategy. E.g: ‘You really tried hard’; ‘That was a good way to do it’

   7) Emphasize hard work and learning, you can get better if you learn more than your opposition

   8) Use interactive technology, the young generation likes interactions, persuasive technologies can be very effective  

   Coaching Generation Y

   The way we coach/teach athletes now needs changing as new generations cannot be coached in the same way as the old one. Some fundamentals are still valid. Hard work and learning are the fundamental aspects for a young athlete, deep practice, passion for the sport and knowledge are the building blocks of elite performers.

   Young athletes willing to excel in sport should look at young musicians or artists. You can only excel if you study your sport, if you develop a deep inquisitive knowledge of all the aspects relevant to your sport (equipment, nutrition, tactics).

   So, look at the best in the World, learn what they do, write notes, take pictures, save videos, analyse their performances, admire the skills and think about how you can develop new ones.

   The young athletes of today will be tomorrow’s champions only if they will play a different game than today’s champions.

   Marco Cardinale

    

   If you wish to have an easy to follow guide to training young athletes, then click on the book cover to the right. I wrote this standing on the shoulders of giants.