Tag Archive: recovery

1. How much sleep is enough after training?

   10th March 2016 2:49 pm 16 Comments

   A Guaranteed, Free and Easy Way to Improve Performance…

                                                   SLEEP

   In a recent workshop we ran, every athlete was found to be SLEEP DEPRIVED. Find out how this can impact on your sporting performance here.

   In that little training diary that any successful athlete keeps, will be a history of:

   • the exercises they perform
   • the weights they lift
   • the foods they eat
   • how they feel (RPE -rating of perceived exertion) and ….
   • how much sleep they are getting

   Why we document exercises, weights, nutrition and RPE and how they affect training and performance is well understood, but why do we keep a sleep diary?

   Sleep has been shown to have a big impact on sporting performance as well as potentially changing the physiological effects of training.

   This article aims to highlight the importance of sleep for athletes and how it affects training and performance.

   Evidence of the effect of sleep on performance

   Studies have shown that sleep deprivation has lasting negative impacts on health!

   Sleep deprivation has an impact on the body’s metabolic and endocrine functions, with some of the effects listed below:

   • Affect glucose metabolism and appetite (Van Cauter & Spiegel,  1999)
   • Have a negative impact on the brain and cognitive function
   • Reduced immune system
   • Increase Cortisol levels (stress Hormone)
   • Affect on growth Hormone
   • Increased injury risk due to reduced muscular control

   Dr. William C. Dement, a sleep researcher at Stanford University, suggests that:

   “that alleviating the burden of sleep debt could save thousands of lives every year.”

   Cheri Mah who has been studying the sleep patterns of Stanford University athletes over the last few years has found increasing sleep has led to improved sports performance for all types of athletes (Mah et al, 2009).

   One specific study on University swimmers found increasing the athletes sleep to 10 hours a night improved their 15m sprint time, start reaction time and increased their kick strokes.

   She also replicated these findings in American Football athletes with increased sleep improving their 20 yd shuttle time and 40 yd dash time.

   With evidence that sleep deprivation can physiologically and psychologically affect individuals and evidence of increased sleep improving sporting performance, are you getting enough?

   Why does sleep affect trainability and performance?

   Firstly and most importantly sleep is very important for recovery.

   Sleep deprivation has shown to

   1. increase cortisol levels,
   2. decrease activity of human growth hormone,
   3. and reduce the efficiency for glucose metabolism.

   All of these things can affect our sporting performance (Samuels, 2009).

   In addition when we are tired concentrating is hard and our reaction times are slower, not great for competition!

   On top of these physiological changes sleep deprivation is also shown to reduce cognitive function and therefore reduce the ability to learn a new skill.

   Effect of Glucose metabolism

   So why is glucose metabolism important?

   The energy we require for any exercise comes from the metabolism of glucose. If this source of energy isn’t readily available then our body is unable to perform at its best.

   Food is our fuel but if we are unable to convert our fuel into energy then it becomes useless!

   Sleep deprivation also impairs the ability of our body to store glycogen so our energy stores are depleted, something that will hamper your preparation prior to a big competition!

   Effect of Cortisol

   Cortisol is more commonly known as the stress hormone. Sleep deprivation has been shown to increase the levels of this particular hormone.

   With cortisol the athlete will often feel irritable and short-tempered as well as have a lack of energy.

   Effect of Human Growth Hormone (HGH)

   Everybody knows rest and recovery are important or high-level performance as it gives the body time to repair and strengthen itself. HGH is the hormone responsible for stimulating this growth and repair.

   HGH is actively required for this tissue repair by stimulating growth via cell reproduction and regeneration. It is naturally produced by the pituitary gland in the brain and is a protein based peptide hormone.

   If our HGH levels are low or not doing their job properly then it can result in a decrease in muscle mass and energy levels.

   Therefore with sleep deprivation affecting the efficiency of this hormone you can see why it is not great for sporting success!

   Am I Getting Enough Sleep?

   This is the big question and below are some guidelines to help you answer it.

   It is recommended that adults get 7–9 hours of daily sleep and 9-10 hours of daily sleep for adolescents and teens!

   If you fall asleep within 20 minutes of going to bed and wake without an alarm you are probably getting enough sleep say sleep experts.

   However if you fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow and wake to an alarm you are probably sleep deprived!

   So I will leave you with a few tips to ensure sleep is not a factor hindering yours or your athlete’s performance:

   1. Firstly and most importantly make sure you are getting enough sleep (hours highlighted above).
   2. You can achieve the above by prioritizing sleep as a part of your regular training regimen (noting it in your training diary).
   3. Go to bed and wake up at the same times every day, get into a pattern.
   4. Take brief 20-30 minute naps to obtain additional sleep during the day, especially if training hard.
   5. Increase your sleep time several weeks before a major competition to ensure you are not sleep deprived!
   6. Switch off your phone/ tablet an hour before you go to bed: the blue light can reset your circadian rhythm to a later time, making it harder to fall asleep.

   I hope this article has highlighted the importance of sleep for athletes wanting to be at their best? It really is the #1 Recovery supplement

   Sweet dreams…

   Fran Low
   

   For further information on how sleep deprivation can lead to overtraining, read our free ebook here

   References

   Van Cauter E, Spiegel K (1999). “Sleep as a mediator of the relationship between socioeconomic status and health: a hypothesis”. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 896: 254–61

   Mah, C. (2008). Extended Sleep and the Effects on Mood and Athletic Performance in Collegiate Swimmers. Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

   Samuels, C. (2009). Sleep, recovery, and performance: the new frontier in high-performance athletics. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 20(1):149-59, ix.

2. Recovery Strategies for commited sports people

   9th March 2016 6:38 pm 7 Comments

   The Recovery Pyramid

   I use a pyramid method of recovery when coaching my athletes- there is little point going onto the next level until you have done the first. The further down you go, the less proven are the strategies.

   You will notice that many of these require minimal cost. This may seem unusual to you.

   That is because most recovery methods you hear about are trying to sell you something! Sleep is free, as is water (mostly).

   

   1. Cool down 10-15minutes of movement at 50% of maximum effort.
   2. Fluid and fuel intake within 15mins post exercise. main meal within 2 hours. 1.5 litres of water for every kg lost or for every hour of exercise (depending on climatic conditions). This should contain some protein and carbohydrate. A banana sandwich, Apple and Greek Yoghurt, and a glass of whole milk are all nutritious.
   3. Contrast showers- 30secs hot\ 30 secs cold four sets, then normal shower.
   4. Massage- self or other if you are lucky.
   5. Relaxation– may not help physical recovery, but it can help deal with stress of competition, allowing better quality sleep, which will then assist physical recovery.
   6. Ice bath– may be especially beneficial after contact sports or excessive volume.
   7. Compression suits– might be useful for journeys after competition where you are sat down for a long time. Could be useful on flights too. Avoid sleeping in them as they create too high a body temperature. Never, ever train in them.

   I see many athletes wearing expensive compression suits, but neglecting the simple, cheaper and better proven methods of recovery. (see recovery infographic).

   These are all designed to help you sleep better, which is the Number 1 recovery tool.

   Coaches should look at allowing time for these recovery strategies to take place, especially when you are competing on a weekly basis.

   The sooner you recover, the sooner you can train again.

3. Ice Baths- Giving muscle soreness the cold shoulder?

   1st September 2014 9:54 am 4 Comments

   What is the current thinking on Ice Baths?

   Success in sports depends on an athlete’s ability to perform functional movements, such as running, jumping or changing direction, to a high level on a daily basis. However, the fatiguing effect of high intensity competition and training experienced by elite athletes can reduce the quality of performance.

   

   In recent years, ice baths or cold water immersion (CWI) have been used widely in an attempt to help athletes recover following training and competition.

   But are they really effective? And what is the correct protocol? We take a look at the research behind the practice.

   Reducing Muscle Soreness

   One of the potential benefits of CWI is the reduction in muscle soreness associated with intense exercise, otherwise known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

   There is now a vast body of research which supports the use of CWI following intense exercise to reduce DOMS ^{(1, 3, 6, 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 20,)}, with benefits including reduced pain at rest, reduced pain on stretch and increased active range of motion.

   Several mechanisms have been suggested to be responsible for this reduced soreness including:

   1)     Reduced swelling due to hydrostatic pressure of water ⁽²⁰⁾

   2)      Reduced swelling due to constriction of blood vessels at low temperature ⁽⁶⁾

   3)      Reduced nerve conduction velocity due to cold temperature, resulting in increased pain tolerance ⁽¹⁾

   It is not known for certain which of the mechanisms play the biggest role in relieving soreness.

   However, a recent study ⁽⁹⁾ comparing different CWI strategies has found that water immersion at 6°C was more effective than both water immersion at 10°C and contrast water immersion alternating between 10°C and 38°C. This would suggest that the cold temperature plays a more important role than the water immersion itself.

   This benefit may only exist with trained athletes, and that those new to exercise or performing a new training regime will not see a reduction in muscle soreness. 

   Recovery of Performance

   Despite the benefits of CWI for reducing muscle soreness, the effects on recovery of physical performance are less clear. Numerous studies have examined the effects of CWI on a variety of performance related parameters; however the mixed results make it difficult to draw solid conclusions about its effectiveness.

   The table below indicates the discrepancies between studies:

   Table 1. Details and results of studies investigating the effects CWI strategies on recovery of performance

   

   Although the results are varied, some patterns do exist across the studies. For instance, the studies which retested performance on the same day seemed to find either no effect or a negative effect. This has been attributed to decreased nerve velocity and also restricted blood flow to the muscle ^{(1, 8)}.

   Whereas studies which tested between 24-48 hours later were more likely to find a positive result, suggesting that CWI could help recovery for next day performance. This could be due to a reduced perception of fatigue and/or a reduction in localised swelling which has been shown to reduce force generation ⁽⁵⁾.

   These could be important implications for the use of CWI in sport. Sportsmen and women in sports involving several bouts of competition within one day such as multi-event Athletics or Rugby Sevens would be advised to abstain from CWI in between bouts.

   On the other hand CWI may be beneficial for athletes competing on consecutive days such as Tennis, Cycling or Tournament Football.

   Due to the varied nature of the results however, there is no ‘best practice’ which can be advised regarding the use of CWI and so athletes should use with caution on an individualised basis as part of their recovery strategy.

    Reducing Adaptation

   Despite some research supporting the use of CWI for recovery of short term performance in sport, there are suggestions that long term use could actually have a negative impact on physical adaptation.

   Immersion in cold water has been shown to illicit an increase in the stress hormones cortisol and norepinephrine for up to 60minutes post immersion ⁽⁴⁾. These hormones are catabolic in nature, meaning that they act to break down muscle tissue, which would reduce the body’s ability to adapt to training.

   In addition, the reduction in swelling associated with CWI and relieving muscle soreness may also be detrimental to adaptation. MacIntyre and colleagues ⁽¹³⁾ suggested that:

   “the inflammatory response may be responsible for initiating, amplifying, and/or resolving skeletal muscle injury”

   They also present evidence of the role of white blood cells in the inflammatory response, which would be significantly reduced during cold water immersion due to the vasoconstriction of localised blood vessels.

    Conclusions

   The role of cold water immersion in recovery from intense exercise is still unclear. There is strong evidence which suggests muscle soreness resulting from exercise can be reduced in trained athletes, and that this may have a positive effect on performance in the following days.

   However the long term effects of cold water immersion on the physical adaptation to exercise remain uncertain. With this in mind, cold water immersion following training should be limited. 

   Whilst ice baths may look cool and feel nice, there are better and more convenient ways to recover.

   Matt Durber 

   Futher reading:

   • The best methods for recovery and how they should be used: The recovery pyramid

   References

   1)      Algafly, A.A., & George, K.P. (2007). The effect of cryotherapy on nerve conduction velocity, pain threshold and pain tolerance. British Journal of Sport Medicine, 41, 365-369.

   2)      Ascensao, A., Leite, M., Rebelo, A.N., Magalhaes, S. & Magalhaes, J. (2011). Effects of cold water immersion on the recovery of physical performance and muscle damage following a one-off soccer match. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29, 217-225.

   3)      Bailey, D.M., Erith, S.J., Griffin, P.J., Dowson, A., Brewer, D.S., Gant, N., & Williams, C. (2007). Influence of cold-water immersion on indices of muscle damage following prolonged intermittent shuttle running. Journal of Sports Sciences, 25, 1163-1170.

   4)      Bleakley, C.M. & Davison, G.W. (2010). What is the biochemical and physiological rationale for using cold-water immersion in sports recovery? A systematic review. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 44, 179-187.

   5)      Brophy-Williams, N., Landers, G. & Wallman, K. (2011). Effect of immediate and delayed cold water immersion after a high intensity exercise session on subsequent run performance. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 10, 665-670.

   6)      Cochrane, D.J. (2004). Alternating hot and cold water immersion for athlete recovery: A review. Physical Therapy in Sport, 5, 26-32.

   7)      Crampton, D., Donne, B., Egana, M. & Warmington, S.A. (2011). Sprint cycling performance Is maintained with short-term contrast water immersion. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 43, 2180-2188.

   8)      Crowe, M.J., O’Connor, D., & Rudd, D. (2007). Cold water recovery reduces anaerobic performance. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 28, 994-998.

   9)      University of Ulster (Pre-Publication). Post exercise recovery research.

   10)   Eston, R., & Peters, D. (1999). Effects of cold water immersion on the symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage. Journal of Sports Science, 17, 231-238.

   11)   Goodall, S., & Howatson, G. (2008). The effects of cold water immersions on indices of muscle damage. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 7, 235-241.

   12)   Lane, K.N., & Wenger, H.A. (2004). Effect of selected recovery conditions on performance of repeated bouts of intermittent cycling separated by 24 hours. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 18, 855-860.

   13)   MacIntyre, D.L., Reid, D.W. & McKenzie, D.C. (1995). Delayed Muscle Soreness. The inflammatory response to muscle injury and its clinical implications. Sports Medicine, 20, 24-40.

   14)   Patterson, S.M., Udermann, B.E., Doberstein, S.T., & Reinke, D.M. (2008). The effects of cold whirlpool on power, agility and range of motion. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 7, 387-394.

   15)   Rowsell, G.J., Coutts, A.J., Reaburn, P. & Hill-Haas, S. (2011). Effect of post-match cold-water immersion on subsequent match running performance in junior soccer players during tournament play. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29, 1-6.

   16)   Sellwood, K.L., Brukner, P., Williams, D., Nicol, A., & Hinman, R. (2007). Ice-water immersion and delayed onset muscle soreness: A randomised control trial. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 41, 392-397.

   17)   Skurvydas, A., Sipaviciene, S., Krutulyte, G., Gailiuniele, A., Stasiulis, A, Mamkus, G., & Stanislovaitis, A. (2006). Cooling of leg muscles affects dynamics of indirect indicators of skeletal muscle damage. Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, 19, 141-151.

   18)   Vaile, J.M., Gill, N.D., & Blazevich, A.J. (2007). The effect of contrast water therapy on symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 21, 697-702.

   19)   Vaile, J.M., Halson, S., Gill, N.D., & Dawson, B. (2008). Effect of hydrotherapy on recovery from fatigue. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 29, 539-544.

   20)   Wilcock, I.M., Cronin, J.B., & Hing, W.A. (2006). Physiological response to water immersion: A method for recovery? Sports Medicine, 36, 747-765.

    

4. Strength and conditioning coaching course reflections

   7th July 2014 9:06 am Leave a Comment

   “Plyometricky: an exercise that purports to be elastic, but is performed slowly”

   a new phrase coined last week on the level 2 Coaching Strength and Conditioning for Sport at Oxford Brookes University.

   The candidates came up with that term when we were discussing the myriad of “power” exercises that are just slow jumps.

   Any time you add weight to a movement (or height in the case of depth jumps) you are SLOWING it down. Taken to an extreme and the stretch shorten cycle (SSC) is absent and instead you get an eccentric contraction, an isometric pause and then a concentric action to rejump.

   That may be ok for certain actions, but be clear what you are trying to achieve. We did this series of pliometric drills outside to emphasise the need for speed.

   Models of training came up a lot on this course: speed, agility, strength, LTAD, endurance. I was quoting a lot of good coaches who had come up with a system (or model) of training that worked for them.

   When I started out as a coach, I was using random bits of stuff from everywhere. I also relied heavily on “what I have done in training“.

   Now, I have a decent framework from which I adapt according to the athlete or the sport in front of me.

   This helps in planning and progression.

   However, one of the candidates said “you’re about mobility not stretching”. I am not “about” anything! I want what works (why stretch?). It is important that we avoid becoming slaves to an ideology or have a framework that is inflexible. 

   More dialogue, less monologue

   Myself and Andy Ellis assessed the previous course’s candidates on Friday. Nerves get the better of even the most experienced coach. If you are talking incessantly and demonstrating at the same time, how much can your athletes learn?

   Coaching groups is different from coaching individuals: positioning, vocal cues, observing many people at once and engaging everyone is hard work.

   Silent demo, 1 coaching cue, observe, ask a question, athlete demo, observe, repeat.

   There were some really good examples of practice and progression in the practical speed and agility sessions.

   • well planned.
   • had clear progressions.
   • started with simple drills to more complex/ random drills.
   • had the athletes asking questions or making observations without being prompted. 

   The theory paper proved simple for all of those who had done the Level 1 course previously. Those who had prepared and revised from the syllabus also passed.

   The take home message?

   Clear aims and purpose, plus proper preparation, leads to a successful outcome.

   Well done to all concerned. I am looking forward to working with these coaches in the future.

   Further reading:

   • How to pass a strength and conditioning coaching course 
   • 4 steps to planning an agility session 

5. Strength and conditioning coaching

   10th April 2014 10:34 am 3 Comments

   “Lost in Transition”

   was the motto of the recent Level 2 strength and conditioning course I ran at Oxford Brookes University (The coaches were kept busy going from venue to venue and task to task, we lost a few on the way sometimes!).

   Day 1 was spent looking at fundamental movements, with a special look at posture. As most people who want to be “S&C coaches” think of the outcome for “elite athletes” or “where are the Olympic lifts” this was a bit of an eye opener.

   However, as the next two days developed, the coaches realised how important the ability to move correctly is. 

   Indeed, with 1or 2 exceptions, they realised how their own inability to move seriously hampered their speed and weightlifting training.

   For example, poor slumped posture leads to a tight thoracic spine and shoulders. If you are unable to press a bar behind the head in a parallel squat position, there is little point trying to do a snatch.

   It is very easy to get good at lifting on a platform, but I am only interested in how we can apply that where it counts: in the sporting arena.

   Co-ordination challenge

   The next eye opener was the importance of co-ordination in training. Whether this was doing skipping, running or performing complex dumbbell movements in the gym.

   Whilst I have been told that maximal strength is the primary consideration for speed training, I have yet to see this in practice.

   The speed drills we did were designed to enhance co-ordination and technique.

   Application, application & more application

   At every opportunity over the 3 days I reinforced how we we were going to apply these new found attributes into the sporting context.

   • How are our athletes going to start training?
   • How are they going to practice?
   • How are they going to be able to apply it in their own sports training and then when competing?

   Unless we can see that application, why are we training? 

   The coaches on this course were really keen to learn and I think they saw the importance of taking a long term approach to developing athletes.

   Whilst I do teach the “split style Olympic lifts” and train my athletes in them, the reality is that initially 90% of people have severely inhibited movement patterns.  

   Unfortunately just as athletes want short cuts, so do many coaches.  This is a serious problem. Luckily the tyrekicking “fast tracking” people tend to go elsewhere to get quick fixes. 

   I am lucky to work with athletes and coaches who are in it for the long haul. 

   • 5 tips on How to get started in strength and conditioning coaching
   • The importance of posture in athletes
   • How to run faster: programme and videos of drills. 

6. 6 ways to get better as a strength and conditioning coach.

   25th March 2013 1:08 pm 8 Comments

   Reflections from tutoring an S&C coaching course

   I am pleased to announce that on Saturday 6 people passed the level 1 Strength and Conditioning for Sport Course, and 2 passed the level 2.

   There were some excellent examples of coaching practice on the day, using skills and knowledge gained from the previous workshops, their studies and their own experiences.

   I always learn something from these days, especially on how the candidates approach the task. Most seem quite concerned about exercise choice, rather than how they deliver and stick to the plan.

   I was especially pleased that 1 candidate who made a complete hash of his first assessment, managed to turn it around on being given a 2^nd chance later in the day and showed that he is actually quite a good coach.

   Reflections on the course.

   One of the aspects of this course that has changed is that the final task is now a look at Reflective Practice and how this can help with Continuing Professional Development. This is sometimes a tricky period as people may have failed on the day, but it is an essential part of Coaching that is often overlooked. I don’t count the “score on 1-5” aspect of feedback, it is more random number gathering that doesn’t help.

   Some points came up from this group:

   1. Read the online resources (I add research articles or practical drills every month to the resources section of Excelsior for every candidate to access).
   2. Use reflective practice: Whether this is daily, weekly or half termly (teachers especially struggle with anything more than firefighting in term time). We talked about using tools like Dictaphones (Evernote is my preferred option at present) or notepad and paper to help.
   3.  Do something different. It is very easy to get institutionalised and work with the same group of people in the same environment and not be challenged. That leads to staleness and not enough critical analysis. Working with other coaches in the same environment, or change sports, or get out of sport all together will help. One of the coaches mentioned using Twitter as an opportunity to learn from others, people outside of your usual contacts and see what they say. Seth Godin, Vern Gambetta, Mike Boyle all add value. “Twitter is coffee break learning.” It is a “stream of consciousness and knowledge, that you can dip your toe into at any time.”
   4. Courses. Further down the list than you may think. Going on a course may seem like the easy answer, but you have to question how that course will help you. If it requires you to learn by rote some specific text in order to get an “accreditation” , then how is that helping? Of course, some stuff like First Aid is mandatory.  Learning is changing, and the current group of A level students will soon realise that there is more to education than “teaching to the test”. If you have to spend £30,000 on  90 weeks where you have 6 hours of contact with a faculty member in a class of 100 people, is that good value? How else could you invest £30,000 and that amount of time?  (PLEASE SUGGEST IN COMMENTS).
   5. Books. Again, everyone mentioned time. Those of us who work for a living, find the time to read a book cover to cover almost impossible. I suggested a couple that are easy to read and in digestible chunks. There is something to be said for learning from a sequence of thoughts and experiences in a well structured book, compared to random journal articles.
   6. Do it yourself. It has to be said that there seems to be a fear of “having a go”. No it may not be perfect, but all the coaches I saw at the weekend can help their athletes get better. Interacting with athletes, making mistakes, learning and improving is far better than just theorising or paying money out to go on courses.  It does take guts and a bit of a thick skin to put yourself out there, but “If not you, then who?”

   The Future of Learning

   Everyone then wrote down 3 things they were going to achieve in the next 2 months. I emphasised the need for communities of practice, and not to get isolated. Hopefully I will see some of them in the future.

   If you are interested in developing your skills, and improving your craft, then why not host one of our cpd coaching courses?

7. Recovery Infographic

   5th November 2012 3:17 pm 6 Comments

   

   More detail on ice baths here

8. Coaching disabled athletes: Global Coaches House

   12th October 2012 8:17 am Leave a Comment

    Paralympics Wrap Up

   After watching the blind football team play at the Paralympics, I went to the final session of the Paralympics Global Coaches House, chaired by Professor Pat Duffy.

   This was a 2 part seminar with part 1 looking at experiences and thoughts of working with disabled athletes, and part 2 looking at future considerations for coach development.

   A discussion was held with the coaches present offering insights from their practical experiences. It was agreed that there is no “blue print for coaching disabled athletes”. 

   I made the point that within the same sport and the same disability, individuals vary greatly. Just labelling people as “disabled” is much the same as labelling “women” or “Chinese“. Disabled athletes are not a homogenous group.

   Another coach made the valid point that because of access to funding some disabled “participation athletes” are actually thrust into “performance” environments, even though they may not be ready, or may not ever be ready for that.

   Pat Duffy then said that as ongoing coach education:

   • All coaches should have the mindset, philosophy and capability to coach athletes with a disability
   • The education of all coaches should address mindset, philosophy and capability so that coaches can respond accordingly to the needs of all athletes.

    International Council for Coach Education  

   The second part of the seminar then looked at Coach Education for the different types of coach and the diffferent levels of athlete they work with.

   This was quite comprehensive and showed that recogniton of ALL coaches is important, not just professional coaches working with Olympians.

   In the U.K.:

   • Less than 5% of coaches are full time and paid.
   • 25% are part time and paid.
   • 75% are unpaid volunteers

   (Some interesting stats for those of you studying and thinking of Coaching as a profession.)

    Coach development can include 3 areas:

   1. Professional Knowledge (The technical stuff)
   2. Interpersonal Knowledge (How to share and interact)
   3. Intrapersonal Knowledge (How you are as a person).

   This formed part of a thorough framework that has been designed to assist all coaches at all levels.

   (You can download a copy of the International Sport Coaching Framework here )

    Summary

   I found the evening useful as it got together, coaches and academics in the same room. Pat made the point that beauracrats and administrators make decisions that impact sport as a whole, but coaches don’t get involved in committees.

   • Administrators need to seek out and understand what is happening in the real world.
   • Coaches need to share and communicate upwards as well as downwards to help the overall body of knowledge develop.

   Personally, I think that when academics publish papers or get asked to present at conferences, they need to name the coaches who have contributed.

   It was good to see the overall picture, and then combine that with speciifc detail and examples.

    Have a look at the frameworks and see how that fits into your coaching.

   I am constantly frustrated with people just wanting to get a certificate, rather than looking to improve the quality of their coaching!

    

    

9. What is your number 1 coaching concern?

   3rd October 2012 10:30 am Leave a Comment

   “If in doubt, do no harm”

   On Tuesday I asked a group of coaches from different sports what their main concern was in regards to strength training.  It came down to these two:

   • Not hurting my players
   • I don’t know where to begin

   With so much information out there, a lot of it conflicting, these coaches were not sure how to begin, or what was appropriate for their players.

   I come across this a lot. Parents, teachers and coaches really do find this difficult.

   That is why everything we do is designed to help the young athlete, or their coach and parent.

   I spent 90 minutes helping these coaches understand the principles behind training beginners, and gave practical exercises to get started. We also dispelled some of the common myths of strength training,

   If this resonates with you, then come along to our “Making sport better” workshop next month.