Tag Archive: volleyball

1. Athletic Development in Schools

   27th November 2013 10:15 am 3 Comments

   “You can power clean 9000lbs, but if you can’t synchronise, you won’t be able to apply it.”

   Jim Radcliffe said this at GAIN this year. “Synchronisation” was one of the main themes of the Coach/Teacher CPD session last Saturday. I was presenting some of the key lessons I learnt from attending GAIN, plus looking at how schools can implement an effective Athletic Development programme.

   Where we are now

   When reading about fitness programmes for young people, the outcome is often emphasised. Especially when dealing with “academies” or National Governing Bodies. However, if we try to do a “mini me ” version of what professional clubs or senior players are doing, then things can go wrong in a hurry.

   Instead, I look at what state of physical readiness the kids are in, plus what their playing; training ratio is. We discussed at some length the amount of competition that kids are forced into: school, club, county and the pressure they are under.

   This lifestyle together with enforced periods of poor posture, means that they commonly exhibit:

   • Limited range of motion in thoracic spine
   • Tight hip flexors
   • Poor ankle, knee, hip integrity
   • Poor body composition
   • Poor running mechanics
   • Unstable torso

   Putting the athletic into LTAD

   Knowing this, and knowing where we need to be, it is then important to devise exercises and training programmes that work on rectifying “lifestyle” type ailments: the “disease of disuse” (Gambetta).

   I showed the coaches some of the exercies that I use regularly with all my young athletes: working on hip and knee control, hip and T-spine mobility. These are done in sequences and also help synchronisation of the muscles.

   (I have moved away from doing things such as flexibility and balance in isolation, instead I look to combine the movements).

   Sprint mechanics

   After lunch we looked at putting this theory into practice, more specifically at sprint mechanics and a resistance training session.

   I kept the speed session simple, and just used these 3 points gained from Gary Winckler:

   

   Winckler went through this in more detail at GAIN, but in summary he says that:

   • Posture highly dependent on the means of force application.
   • A correct force application should result in an appropriate posture.
   • A correct posture will improve the result of a good force application.

   (There is that word posture again). I then took the coaches through a practical warm up drill (courtesy of Jim Radcliffe) that worked on all these aspects. The use of some rusty old athletics hurdles was especially poignant as they resembled the fluidity of the coaches’ hips!

   Strength training

   The final session was the work done in the gym. Here I showed two sessions that follow my “4 cornerstones” principle of preparation, adaptation, application and regeneration.

   Both are designed for field hockey players in mid season. The beginner is for those relatively new to resistance training, but with sound mechanics. The intermediate is for those who have been training for at least 1 year.

   

   I went through the practical aspects of these sessions, plus the rationale behind each exercise and the sequencing. Our aim is to get the players more athletic, robust and to be able to express this on the hockey pitch: where it counts.

   I start assuming the players have either been hunched over in classrooms, or spent time driving in the car to get to training: we have to get them moving. We then work from fast to slow, co-ordinated and synchronised to more simple exercises.

   Each session finishes with the players moving fast and in different directions, followed by regeneration work to help prepare for the next training period.

   Coaching the people

   We discussed at some length ways of getting young female players involved and enthusiastic about resistance training (the boiling frog scenario).

   We also discussed how to get young male athletes away from the “look good nekked” programmes and instead following programmes that help them as athletes. This is an ongoing source of frustration, but these coaches at least recognise what should be happening.

   Brett Richmond and Tom Tuthill at Bloxham School have done a great job with their gym: very well designed.

   Thanks to the school for hosting, thanks to the coaches and teachers for getting stuck into the learning and asking some really good questions.

   If you would like to host a CPD event for p.e. and games teachers at your school, please contact us.

2. International Debuts: Good luck girls

   30th April 2013 4:18 pm 1 Comment

   Jenny McGeever and Torzie Boylett overcome hurdles to get honours

   One of the best moments in my Coaching career was last week when these two ladies were talking about their selection for Internationals this week.

   Both have had to overcome some big hurdles and I am chuffed to bits for them and their families.

   Both came from the South West Talent group of athletes and I have been training them since (4 years now for Jenny, 3 for Torz).

   Wheelchair and bust

   Last summer I spent some considerable time coaching both girls.

   Jenny was hoping to get selected for the Oympics as part of the epee team, Torzie was preparing for her hockey season with England under 16 aspirations.

   British Fencing selected fencers from other weapons (they got embroiled in their own selection legal battles as a result) and so Jenny narrowly missed out.

   When Jenny asked Alex Newton (fencing performance director) for feedback and areas for improvement she was told “you’re not fit enough“.

   Two weeks into hockey season in September, the bullet proof Torzie Boylett had her patella smashed by a hockey stick.

   Things were looking less than promising.

   Pick yourself up, dust yourself off.

   With British Fencing involved in an internal politicking situation, Jenny decided to try her hand at Modern Pentathlon for a year.

   Better to focus on positive aspects of what was in her control, rather than at the beck and call of a disorganised NGB.

   Torzie’s plan A was in tatters, a major setback had occurred. In conjunction with her physio, Polly, we started rehab straight away. Bearing in mind Bill Knowle’s adage that “ A knee injury is a brain injury” I got Torzie working on her good side to encourage correct movement patterns. 

   Jenny and I sat down each month to look at her overall training plan and the best way to ft that in around her studies. We did an analysis of the 5 disciplines and how we could best incorporate cross training and economic use of time/effort/ money:

   • Fencing: Excellent, needed to maintain in London.
   • Horse Riding: could ride, but needed jump practice. at home with her Mum.
   • Swim: quite good previous, but just unfit at it. Would use hours in the pool to improve efficiency of technique and gain aerobic fitness. In London and Tiverton Swim Club.
   • Run: vast improvement over 4 years, but too much time spent jogging. Would work on intensive intervals and specific technique and increase anaerobic fitness with me.
   • Shoot: Abysmal. Safest place to stand was directly in front! Had the accuracy of an Imperial Stormtrooper. Coach Drew Wilsher to help.

   We also talked about the need for getting stuck into competition for experience: having to take kit for the extra disciplines, how to warm up, how to switch on/ off between all 5 areas. Jenny needed to know how to fence after a swim, or how to ride after a run, how to get from start line to start line on time.

   We also focussed a lot on nutrition: Jenny was constantly losing weight away from home. Together we came up with our Recovery Flapjack recipe which is now used by all our Excelsior athletes!

   Torzie’s main goals were in order

   • Stay motivated despite the setback
     
   • To walk
   • Get strong
   • Get agile
   • Get fast
   • Get fit
   • Play hockey.

   This required careful communication between Mum, me and her physio. Torzie’s right buttock and hamstring practically disappeared, and we had to work constantly to get her to feel where they should be.

   We celebrated milestones in a big way to stay supportive: First step out of the chair, first skip, first hop, first run, first training session, first match and so on.

   We are still working on all of the above to maintain her new found gains and ensure she is confident under pressure of tournamnet play.

   Having what it takes

   Both girls have got very supportive families, and seem to be the “sporty younger sibling”.

   Both went to Blundell’s school. Jenny Left at 16, Torzie is leaving this summer due to lack of support (you are either on sport or off sport, there is no grey area!) and a male emphasis on facilities. Getting told off by teachers for being late to lessons when struggling in a wheelchair says a lot.

   This is common at other schools and even Universities: priority gym access and coaching seems to go to boys’ teams first. Jenny has the same problem at St Mary’s in Twickenham! 

   This lack of support would cause most people to quit. Instead, “it is the dab of grit that causes the pearl to form in the oyster”. They have indeed undergone a “Quest“

   The girls dug deep, drew on the support from their families and coaches (Drew, Anne Baker) and followed the plan. This stickability is often forgotten about. Not for them the excuses of doing what is familiar and comfortable.

   The Future

   They have both become comfortable in feeling uncomfortable. I am uncertain as to what the future holds, but I am certain that these girls can take on challenges and overcome obstacles.

   The work I have done with these girls is the best I have done. It has challenged all aspects of my coaching, and I have worked very hard to keep ahead of their development.

   I hope to be able to coach these girls in some form or another throughout their careers. I am applying the lessons learnt with the next generation of developing athletes.