Tag Archive: strength and conditioning qualifications

1. 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 

2. Get the dumbbells moving

   2nd June 2014 8:33 am 1 Comment

   “Move the dumbbells as far away from your body as possible” 

   when doing reverse flyes. Or “lower and retract shoulder blades whilst body is at a 30 degree angle and work in the transverse and horizontal planes with maximal extension“.

   Which is better for motor learning?

   This proved an interesting sidebar on the level 1 strength and conditioning for sport assessment on Saturday in Wellington.

   Giving instruction and feedback used to be mainstays of coaching practice: in fact they are still prevalent.

   “Your knee is dropping, lift it higher” would be an example. The coaches on the assessment day at a pretty good eye for spotting errors, and then giving an instruction. This may see an immediate improvement in that practice session.

   However, motor learning research has developed over the last 15 years, and we now understand that getting the athlete to solve problems aids learning. This then transfers beyond the practice into competition itself (This could be called athlete centred learning, although I see that misinterpreted into just playing games at every opportunity).

   Think outside of the body

   “The task determines the muscle’s activation pattern, and not the other way round.” Eyal Lederman.  If you try and touch a point on the wall as high as you can, your body will extend itself.

   Terms like “engage” or “activate” may get the muscle to work, but who cares if there is no transfer to the movement we want?

   “We train movements not muscles” Vern Gambetta. This was reinforced time and time again on the course. Train the movement and the muscles look after themselves.

   Strength and conditioning can often default to a sets/reps recital from a spreadsheet: but I am a coach, and so were the people on the assessment day.

   If you want any of these exercises to transfer beyond the gym, we have to get the athletes solving the problems themselves (which we as coaches set) and making decisions. 

   John Brierley covered this well “How to acquire skill in strength and conditioning”

   Well done to all the candidates, they passed the theory and practical. We finished up with a look at continuing professional development: a discussion around different ways to learn and develop as coaches. 

   Thanks to Princess Royal Sports Complex for hosting.

3. 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?

4. How not to get a job in Strength and Conditioning

   19th October 2011 2:36 pm 4 Comments

   “How can I get a job in strength and conditioning?”

   Is a question I get asked a lot. Having recently advertised for several positions (paid and unpaid) for strength and conditioning coach, I was appalled at the standard of application.

   If you want to get a strength and conditioning interview, then you need to get the application letter correct.

   Here are some of the key errors that were made:

   • Get the name of the employer wrong on the application.
   • Attach a cv which is called “West Ham Football” or “Bristol Rugby” to a job with Excelsior.
   • Failing to write a covering letter which states your reasons for working with the company you are applying for.
   • Applying for a job in the South West of England, then telling me that “they got it wrong on the advert” when you live in Milton Keynes or Sussex and can’t get to the workplace.
   • Turning up to the interview unshaven or with a shirt that is unironed.
   • When asked to prepare for the interview, fail to research the company website.
   • When asked where do you research thoughts and ideas, answer “google” or “youtube“.
   • Over egging coaching experience when talking to a panel with over 100 combined years of experience and you have done 2 hours coaching a week for 6 weeks.
   • Blag your practical skills and miss the key points of what an athlete is doing in front of you.
   • Poor physical demonstrations of simple exercises.
   • Tell your future employer how Olympic Lifts are the best thing since sliced bread as part of your understanding of Long Term Athlete Development.
   • Say your main reason for wanting to work with Excelsior is “to gain access to your contacts” or “to rack up my coaching hours“
   • Rely on University lecturers to help you prepare for the workplace, when most of them have never worked with athletes for anything longer than a research study.
   • Calling me “mate”: far too casual approach and symbolic of working only with an immediate peer group.

   Luckily the interns I have hired are proving to be pretty good at their jobs , all of whom have got a sports coaching qualification first .

   It is a shame that the overall standard was so poor, with such easily rectified mistakes.

   If you want to get a job here are 5 tips on getting started in strength and conditioning