-
Subscribe to site feed
February, 2008
Strength Training for High Performance Sport - An Overview
It was not all that long ago when the words “strength training” and “gymnasium” conjured up images of muscle hulks and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
However, in recent years, strength and conditioning has gained acceptance as an applied sports science and is respected as a profession in its own right in many high performance sporting systems around the world. It has become a fundamental and integral aspect of the training and preparation of elite athletes in a wide range of sports.
February 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Tags: AFL, American Football, Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, Cycling, Diving, Football, Hockey, Netball, Rowing, Rugby, Rugby League, Soccer, Swimming, Triathlon
Making Sense of Testing Athletes
A renowned swimming coach was walking up and down the side of the pool working with a world record holder. A younger, relatively inexperienced coach who was eager to learn, asked, “How do you know how your swimmer is going?” “How do you know when she is ready to do her best?”
The senior coach replied, “I just know”.
Testing does not replace the skilled eye or instinctual feel of an experienced and talented coach. It aims to provide measurement and objectivity to some of the elements of performance that coaches “see” and “feel” and “know”.
This article discusses some of the current issues in the testing of high performance athletes and looks at the crucial aspects of the measurement and evaluation of elite sports performance.
February 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Tags: AFL, Athletics, Basketball, Cricket, Football, Netball, Rugby, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Soccer, Swimming, Triathlon
Sports Science: Observations of Philosophies in Sports Science and Sports Medicine in High Performance Sport
Sports Science has to Change
Over the past year I have had the fortunate experience of working with some of the leading sporting nations in their quest for elite sporting excellence. I write this article as a plea to all sports scientists, regardless of discipline, to evaluate what they are doing and think about being more innovative and creative in their methods and practices.
February 21, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Tags: AFL, American Football, Baseball, Basketball, Coaching, Coaching Tips, Cricket, Cycling, Diving, Football, Hockey, Netball, Rowing, Rugby, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Soccer, Triathlon
Analysis and the Era of Negativity
Seems like every coach has a video, a camera, a DVD player and some analysis software these days.
Coaches spend more time behind a desk, staring at replays and performance analysis data than they do actually working and communicating with athletes and staff!
Modern analysis techniques and equipment have given us the luxury of detail- the ability to evaluate, measure and analyse performance in far greater depth than ever before.
Most analysis techniques used in elite sport evolved from research methods used in the academic world, where a wide range of analysis tools are used to systematically investigate technique, movement, skills, decision making etc as part of a the study behind a journal article, research project or thesis.
The problem with all this analysis is that analysis, by its nature is destructive. Analysis breaks down performances, techniques, skills etc into component parts or measureable events. It looks to identify what went wrong with an athlete or team and what problems, faults and mistakes led to a poor performance.
The biggest challenge in the analysis era is to learn to use what is ostensibly a destructive activity for a constructive purpose - the enhancement of performance. Read more
February 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Tags: AFL, American Football, Basketball, Cricket, Football, Netball, Performance Science, Rugby, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Triathlon
The Jersey is Dead: Long live the Players
The Jersey. The Strip. The Colors. The Jacket. The Jumper.
Doesn’t matter what you call it - the “jersey” is dead.
Gone are the days when a bunch of blokes could train two or three days a week, have a poor diet, skip training sessions, enjoy a few beers and then, come Saturday, suddenly get AMAZING SUPER POWERS because of the magic of putting on the “jersey”.
In those days, poorly prepared players relied on the emotion of the jersey for their performance. Putting on the old “black and green” colors - usually incorporating a “rev-up” by a former player about the “pride of the jersey” etc was enough to fire the spirit and inspire the soul.
That’s not to say that tradition is wrong or respecting and celebrating the past is a bad thing. The point is that the jersey is just that - a jersey - a piece of clothing (usually made in China) - and, as a performance enhancement tool in 2008 - it is dead. Read more
February 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Tags: AFL, American Football, Football, Football (Soccer), Rugby, Rugby League, Rugby Union
Multi-Disciplinary Sports Science: The Obstacles to Overcome
Over the past fifteen years Wayne Goldsmith has worked with coaches, athletes, sports scientists and sports administrators in Australia and around the world.
During the past year he has worked as a consultant to the United Kingdom Sports Institute, United States Olympic Committee, the New Zealand Academy of Sport and the Australian Sports Commission on high performance sports science and coaching education.
This article presents Wayne’s observations on the field of sports science and raises some challenges for sporting and academic institutions. Read more
February 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Tags: AFL, American Football, Athletics, Basketball, Coaching, Cycling, Diving, Football, Netball, Rowing, Rugby, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Soccer, Swimming, Track and Field, Triathlon
101 Coaching Tips
It takes 20 years to become an overnight success. Successful coaches have by a combination of experience, skill, education and practice, developed ways and means of getting the best out themselves and their athletes.
Here are 101 Coaching Tips to help you achieve your coaching goals. Read more
February 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Tags: AFL, Athletics, Basketball, Coaching, Cricket, Football, Netball, Rugby, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Triathlon
Coach = Athlete = Coach
Apply the same standards and expectations to yourself as you expect from your athletes.
Apply the same standards and expectations to yourself as you expect from your athletes.
One more time, just in case you didn’t get it.
Apply the same standards and expectations to yourself as you expect from your athletes.
Think about it. How can you coach at your best and provide quality coaching services to talented athletes when your own standards and what you expect of yourself is LESS than what you expect of your athletes? Read more
February 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Tags: AFL, Athletics, Basketball, Cricket, Football, Netball, Rugby, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, Triathlon
Ten Tips to Make Sure Your End of Season Re-view is a Pre-view for Success for Next Year
The end of season is fast approaching for all AFL teams. Typically the end of season means a well earned rest, a few quiet drinks with team mates, some time with family and then… the end of season review.
Every team does some kind of season reflection or review – in most cases motivated by one or more “P” – Performance, Politics, Pressure.
The Performance Review: is one motivated by a drive to improve the performance of the team – players, coaches and staff – for next season.
The Political Review: is a review often driven by the Board or Executive to achieve a political agenda or philosophical shift in the club.
The Pressure Review: is one forced on a team by media, fans, club, Board or other stakeholders as a result of a poor performance.
By far the most effective review is one that is deliberately and strategically placed in the team’s “performance cycle” each year and is embraced by coaches, players, staff, Management and Board as being an important and positive aspect of progressive performance from season to season. Read more
February 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Tags: AFL, Coaching, Football, Rugby, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Soccer
Yes You Can!
The importance of “Self Confidence” in achieving Your Goals
Belief is the knowledge that we can do something. It’s the inner feeling that what we undertake, we can accomplish. For the most part, all of us have the ability to look at something and know whether or not we can do it. So, in belief there is power: our eyes are opened; our opportunities become plain; our visions become realities. - (Unknown Author)
Have you said (or thought) any of the following in the past few months:
February 8, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Tags: AFL, Athletics, Basketball, Cricket, Football, Netball, Rugby, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, Triathlon
