periodisation and planning strategies for long term … hayes would like to thank dean robinson, dan...

Periodisation and Planning Strategies for Long Term Athlete Development © Joey Hayes 2010 | 1

Periodisation and Planning Strategies for Long Term

Athlete Development

By Joey Hayes

2 | Periodisation and Planning Strategies for Long Term Athlete Development © Joey Hayes 2010

Contact Details

In Joe We Trust Strength and Conditioning

[email protected]

WARNING

Please note information contained in this manual is the author’s opinion and is no substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a doctor or registered health professional before implementing any of the above techniques or guidelines. The author takes no responsibility for the incorrect technique or dietary modifications as a result of unsupervised performance of methods outlined in the manual.


A NOTE FOR COPYCATS AND PLAGIARISTS

This manual is the authors’ original work.

No part of this manual can be reproduced without the author’s written consent and permission.

If you steal or plagiarize the manual, I will sue your arse and have one of the bouncers I train personally pay you a visit and teach you a lesson in head punches!

Enjoy and may you achieve your lofty dreams and goals you have set for yourself!

Joey Hayes would like to thank Dean Robinson, Dan Baker,

Joel Marion, Eric Cressey, Chris Mohr, Joe Defranco, Zach Evan Esch, John

Berardi, Charles Poliquin, Paul Chek and Alwyn Cosgrove for their assistance

and knowledge contained in and compiling the Performance Manual.


Contents

Introduction 5

Chapter 1 7

Chapter 2 - LTAD Framework 9

Chapter 3 - Chronological v/s Training Age 17

Chapter 4 - Screening and Assessment 18

Chapter 5 - Program Design 26

Chapter 6 - How to Structure a training Session 30

Conclusion 33

About the Author 34


Introduction

I feel this resource is one of the most crucial resources that I have developed. Myself, and other elite coaches have concluded that the current state of junior athletes’ physical preparation and development is not at the level it should be. What I mean, is that the so called elite junior athletes I coach are severely under-developed and presenting with major limitations in their physical development. And often have difficulty completing basic physical tasks such as performing a body weight squat, balancing on 1 leg, doing a few chin ups or a push ups.

So how does this affect the athlete and your coaching? Take for example, the ability to side step or swerve during a drill; this will challenge the athletes’ body to produce, reduce and stabilize force at the same time. Yet, how do we expect the athlete to be able side step, sprint, jump or kick if they can’t balance on leg? Put simply, the athletes must have the physical qualities (stability, flexibility, strength, body awareness) to do the technical stuff (sprint, jump, hop, kick, side step) and the technical qualities to do the tactical stuff (Competition strategy, style of play, tactics) in that order.

However, if you view and watch most junior coaches training sessions there is very little emphasis on developing the athletes’ physical qualities. The majority of the time is spent on developing skills and match play tactics. Yet as described above the athlete skills and tactical development will suffer as a result of being physically unprepared!

This is not the fault of the coaches’; after all, they are generally doing what the coaching certifications have told them to, which is focus on developing the athletes’ skills. Which is great, but how can the athlete perform the skill without the appropriate physical development? Most junior coaching certifications have very little information on growth, development and maturation and very little structure and guidelines when it comes to the physical aspect of the junior athlete.

When long term athlete development strategies are not implemented, irreparable damage is done and can never be corrected, which can mean general motor skills are not learned and athletes’ will never reach their full potential, resulting in mediocre elite competitions.

Do not be fooled into thinking the current system is working because it produces 1, 2 or 3 athletes that go onto professional ranks, as these athletes are making it in spite of the system!

The development of this resource is not to lay blame or point the finger, but simply to provide the coach with a framework and knowledge from which to work from in order to build better physically developed, injury free athletes that have a chance of reaching their full potential in both the sporting world and life after sport.

Through my experience I have not seen any resources devoted and encompassing all aspects of long term athlete development and planning for a strong athletic future.


This resource will highlight the importance of long term athlete development and what that entails. I’ll also discuss the consequences of no long term athlete development structures and mechanisms behind the lack of athletic progress in terms of physical development.

The manual will explore the 6 phases that comprise long term athlete development. The impact of an athletes’ training age vs. chronological age will also be discussed.

The importance of screening and assessment and the impact that has upon program design and exercise selection will also be discussed in detail.

Methods of progression, based upon ability will also be outlined. Athletic goal setting and targets for each phase of long term athlete development will also be outlined.

The manual will conclude with how to incorporate the information to develop and design your own program to meet the needs of your individual athletes.

We will also discuss how to structure a training session. This is vitally important as it allows the coach to see the exact order required to maximise the use of training time available to develop better athletes.

I will close with a discussion of coaching philosophy and how all the information presented in this manual is irrelevant unless it is acted upon and supported in its entirety. If your philosophy

I will explicitly tell you now that your coaching philosophy will dictate the long term success of the athletes under your guidance. Does your philosophy involve doing the best thing by the athlete or doing what’s best for yourself and placing your entire self worth upon whether the team you coach wins the grand final?

Because, if it is, then this program will not suit you! If, on the other hand developing footballers to reach their full potential so they can progress to higher levels is most important to you then this should be your bible!


Chapter 1What is LTAD?

Long Term athlete Development is the theory that the physical qualities of the athlete should be developed according to the long term goal of the athlete and in conjunction with the growth and development of the athlete. This is achieved through optimal training, competition and recovery throughout an athlete’s career.

There are five important reasons for introducing a long term athlete development approach:

1. To establish a clear football development pathway.

2. To identify gaps in the current football development pathway.

3. To realign and integrate the programs for developing footballers.

4. To provide a planning tool, based on scientific research, for athletes, parents, coaches and administrators.

5. To guide planning for optimal performance.

So why do we need a long term athlete development structure? Through my experiences and other elite coaches’ experience we have seen a large rise in the number of teenage athletes presenting with numerous injuries and extensive limitations in their athletic, functional and technical abilities. The limitations relate specifically to strength, flexibility, running mechanics, force reduction and the ability to perform basic exercise technique. The athletes’ inability to perform basic physical tasks such, as (balance on 1 leg, squat down and hold) will cause the athlete to develop sporting limitations in the future, that may come in the form of injuries, poor technique or limited inadequate, imperfect, flawed, faulty, defective skill execution. As a consequence the athlete will never reach their full genetic potential, which will create a poor foundation and mediocre athletes at the elite level.

So the question needs to be asked ‘Why are the athletes presenting with severe physical limitations’?

A more sedentary lifestyle lacking traditional physical activity due to the technological age (computer games, the internet), combined with a lack of physical education programs in schools is hindering the development of junior athletes. Unfortunately, most coach education programs lack specific resources, knowledge and commitment in the area. Parent education is neglected with regard to long term athlete development (nutrition, regeneration, maturation and psycho-social development. As most coach education courses marginally covers the basic issues of growth, development and maturation.

Over-competition and under-training and win at all costs mentality are the main causes for the limitations seen in many junior athletes.


Numerous problems can be attributed to not having a long term athlete development structure in place. This includes young athletes’ under-training and over-competing due to the high ratio of competition to training activities, which inhibits optimal athletic development, especially in team sports. The system of competition, or the non-existence of a system of competition, often inhibits optimal training and performance. As the competitive season and planning is not based on technical knowledge, but on traditions and improvisations.

Adult training programs are superimposed on young athletes. This is detrimental because it means the coaching is conducted without taking into account the principles of childhood development. Adult competition schedules are superimposed on young athletes. As a result, too much time is spent competing and not enough time is spent developing the required physical qualities and learning and mastering basic, sport-specific skills.

Training at beginner and intermediate levels is extremely focused on the outcome (winning) and not on the processes (optimal training). This affects the junior athletes’ development as the basic components of athletic preparation are not being implemented in a systemic manner (for example, the ABCs of athleticism and the ABCs of athletics).

Training and competition structures are dominated by chronological, not biological, age for young athletes between 12–16 years. Which adversely affects the athletes development and misses the ‘critical’ or ‘sensitive’ periods of accelerated adaptation which are not fully exploited by the coach during the Training to Train stage. Therefore, young athletes are not introduced to skills at the time when they are developmentally ready to learn them. Another pertinent issue directly related to the use of chronological age groups is that their use does not factor into account the varying degrees of physical development. For example the best athletes and ones that dominate their age groups are usually the ones that went through puberty when they were 8 years old. However, the late developer may be 6-12 months behind in terms of physical development. Yet they both have to operate under the same training conditions, rules and outcomes. By their late teens when everything has evened out, the early developer is usually burnt out and the late developer has already dropped out.

Poor training and coaching processes between the ages of 6-16 can never be fully corrected.

Due to shortcomings of athlete development during the Fundamental, Training to Train and Training to Compete stages, many athletes will never reach their optimal performance levels or genetic ceilings/potential. Regardless of the sophistication of the support programs at the elite level, they do not compensate for the shortcomings in the systems. Thus, the national sport centres will not be able to fulfil their roles unless changes are made at the junior level to encourage better physical preparation strategies during the early training ages.

Coaches, Athletes and Parents Administrators and officials are not educated in LTAD principles as most coach education programs contain little information with regard to the growth, development and maturation of young people. The best coaches typically work at the elite level. Volunteers or level 1 coaches coach at the Fundamental (6-10 years) and Training to Train stages (10-14 years). This is ironic, as it is the Fundamental and Training to Train stages that are the most crucial to long-term athlete development. Coaching at these levels requires knowledgeable and experienced coaches that are well versed in the physiological, cognitive and emotional development patterns of children and adolescents. The damage done due to incompetent coaching during the Fundamental and Training to Train stages cannot be fully repaired during the Training to Compete and Training to Win stages.


Chapter 2LTAD Framework

Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) is a sports development framework that is based on human growth and development. In short, it is about adopting an athlete centred approach to a footballers’ development. All young people follow the same pattern of growth from infancy through adolescence, but there are significant individual differences in both the timing and magnitude of the changes that take place. It’s important to understand that human growth and development occur without training, however football training can enhance all of the changes that take place.

A number of scientists have concluded that there are critical periods in young athletes’ life cycle, when the effects of training can be maximised. This has led to the belief that young people should be exposed to specific types of training during periods of rapid growth and that the types of training should change with the patterns of growth. These have been used by Dr Istvan Balyi to devise a five stage LTAD framework that has been adapted to football.

Stage Goal Example Age

Fundamental Basic movement literacy

Fundamental motor skills.

6-10

Training to Train Building the engine Sport/ event specific skills

10-14

Training to Compete Optimising the engine Sport/ event/ position specific skills

15-18

Training to Win Maximising the engine Sport/ event/ position specific skills

18+

Retirement Retraining and retaining

Athletes as coaches, officials, managers, etc

30+

For late specialisation sports, specialisation before the age of ten is not recommended, as it can lead to early burnout, dropout and retirement from training and competition. One of the most important periods of motor development for children is between the ages of nine and 12. During this time, children are developmentally ready to acquire fundamental movement skills that are the cornerstones of all athletic development. These fundamental skills include running, throwing, jumping, hopping and bounding – the ABCs of athletics. The introduction of the ABCs of athleticism (agility, balance, coordination, speed) and the KGBs of skills (kinaesthesia, gliding, buoyancy and striking) during this period will lay the foundation of athletic excellence for the later years to come.


Stage 1 – Fundamental

The primary focus of the fundamental stage is in the development of overall athleticism, basic movement literacy and fundamental movement skills for athletes in the 6-9 year old age bracket that will be the cornerstones to future athletic success. The fundamental stage of development should be a fun, positive and enjoyable experience for young athletes and performed pain free! During this stage athletes’ should be introduced to the simple rules and ethics of sports.

The skills to be developed in the fundamental stage include the ABCs (Agility, Balance, Coordination, Speed), RJT (Running, Jumping, Throwing), KGBs (Kinesthetics, Gliding, Buoyancy, Striking with the body) and CPKs (Catching, Passing, Kicking, Striking with an implement).

There is an early window and opportunity for speed and agility development that can be exploited between the ages of 7-9. Speed, power and endurance should be developed using games and drills that are fun. Examples of these drills include speed tag, rats and rabbits and everybody’s it! These drills can be seen on the speed, agility, reaction and quickness training for athletes DVD.

Body weight strength training exercises should be incorporated during this stage of training to increase strength, balance, co-ordination, and stability throughout the athletes’ body. The strength developed through the use of bodyweight exercises will enhance the athletes’ ability to perform the basic fundamental athletic skills. A progressive variety of body weight strength training exercises can be seen in the Ultimate bodyweight exercises for athletes DVD.

With athletes at this stage of development it is imperative that total training and playing volume and duration be kept low and intensity kept very low! This will ensure the coach limits the risk of overuse injuries and growth as well as growth and development problems such as Osgood Schlatters (knee pain)

In order to successfully develop the basic movement literacy skills outlined above, it is recommended the athlete participate in as many different sports as possible. If athletes and parents have a preferred sport, participation once or twice per week is recommended but participation in other sports three or four times per week is necessary for future excellence.

If the athletes later decide to leave the competitive stream, the skills they have acquired during the fundamental stage will still benefit them when they engage in recreational activities, which will enhance their health and well being as well as their quality of life.


Stage 2 – Training To Train

The primary focus during the Training to Train stage is for young athletes to learn the process for how to train as well as the basic skills of a specific sport. As this stage coincides with peak motor co-ordination, therefore there should be great emphasis placed on skill, speed and agility development. This is critical as the trainability of the sports skills (kicking, marking, handballing) decreases after 9-12 years of age.

During this stage of training the athletes are introduced to the basic technical/tactical skills, and additional components that comprise professional training such as a warm-up, warm down, stretching, hydration, nutrition, recovery, regeneration, mental preparation, relaxation, focussing and post-competition recovery which are all detailed in various resources in the How to Physically Prepare AFL Players Coach Education Package.

During competitions, athletes play to win, but the major focus of training is learning the basics as opposed to competing. Training and competition ratios are optimised as too many competitions waste valuable training time, however too few competitions inhibit the practice of technical skills and learning how to cope with the physical and mental challenges that arise during competition. Elite coaches recommend a 75 per cent training to 25 per cent competition ratio during the Training to Train stage; however, these percentages vary according to the sport and individuals specific needs.

Athletes undertaking this type of preparation will be better prepared for competition in the short and long term in comparison to athletes that focus solely on winning. In the training to train stage, athletes train in competitive situations on a daily basis which takes place in the form of practice matches, competitive games or drills.

What does the coach need to be aware of?

During the training to train stage there are numerous Physical Development Characteristics and significant implications the coach needs to be aware of. These include the male athlete growth spurt that usually occurs between the ages of 12.5 -15 years of age. The result is significant changes in muscle, bone and body fat composition. With the smaller the muscle groups becoming more developed, bone length increasing and body fat decreasing.

The growth spurt causes various rates of development for different segments of the body; for example the legs and arms may grow before the trunk. This alters the athletes’ centre of gravity and may affect the athletes’ balance, proprioception, co-ordination and ability to execute technical skills, forcing the athlete to re-visit and re-learn the correct technique.

Due to varying rate of growth and development amongst athletes’, the coach needs to monitor and individualise the content of training to ensure sustained progress. Simply using the athletes’ chronological age may not be the best way to group athletes for competition or training due to various differences in muscular, skeletal, cognitive and emotional development. The coach should use peak height velocity (PHV) to ascertain training needs and abilities of athletes in this stage of training. This concept will be discussed in the next chapter.


So how do we train them and what do we focus on?

Speed

The coach should introduce key concepts and techniques for running speed, agility and acceleration development during the training to train stage as the crucial periods for speed development for males is 7-9 and 13-16 yrs of age. It’s recommended speed drills be performed relatively early in the training session when the athletes are fresh. The training volume should be kept low with adequate recovery between reps. The key speed and acceleration concepts are discussed in the Speed, Agility, Quickness and Reaction Training for Athletes DVD, with the exact sequencing detailed in the How to structure a training session DVD.

Aerobic

Aerobic development is critical between the ages of 12-16. The coach should develop the athletes’ aerobic abilities through the use of non weight bearing methods. Traditional cross training methods such as swimming, cycling, boxing, rowing are ideal. I do not endorse the use of long slow distance road runs that are traditionally used to increase the fitness of athletes. The use of those methods increases the risk of injury, decreases flexibility, decreases speed, decreases power and does not develop any other specific and transferable skills such as kicking the football. The use of games based fitness drills are a better alternative. Provided the athlete has a sufficient skill base and physical development, games based fitness drills may occasionally be incorporated to develop all the athletes’ physical, tactical and technical skills in a competitive environment. A sample of the games based fitness drills are included in the how to structure a training session DVD.

Strength (teach lifting technique 14yrs)

The focus for strength training during the train to train stage should be on developing ankle, knee, hip and shoulder stability which can be achieved using body weight exercises such as push ups, chin ups, dips, lunges, squats and bridges. These drills are all included on the Ultimate Body Weight Exercises for Athletes DVD. Towards the end of the train to train stage the athlete can begin to implement strength training exercises with light to moderate implements such as sandbags, medicine balls, broomsticks and barbells. Strength training exercises can be performed during the skill based training session or as an additional session away from club training. For the best results strength training, exercises should be performed 2-3 times per week. Athletes’ will experience improvements in relative strength via improved neural efficiency. This will directly increase speed, agility and the ability to perform the sports technical skills. Enhanced sporting improvements are usually due to increased neural adaptations as opposed to significant increases in muscle mass and hypertrophy.

Flexibility

Due to the rapid growth often experienced in the train to train stage, a concerted focus on flexibility development is essential. The yoga for athletes DVD outlines the key stretches to keep your athletes injury free. Coaches should emphasise/highlight the benefits and importance of flexibility to athletes at a young age and encourage athletes to stretch at home. The flexibility component should be included as part of the warm up, warm down and recovery section of the training session. Flexibility work can be performed every day.


Stage 3 – Training To Compete

The training to compete stage is introduced after the goals and objectives of the Training to Train stage have been achieved. This is usually around 15-18 years of age. If the technical skills and physical development goals and objectives of the previous stage have not been achieved, mastered and consolidated the training to compete stage is irrelevant as the athlete will never reach their full potential or progress to the elite level regardless of the intervention attempted.

The specific purpose for this phase is to optimise the engine for competition. During the training to compete stage there is a continued emphasis on physical conditioning with a focus on maintaining high volume workloads with increasing intensity.

The focus during this stage of development is placed on optimal preparation. This is done by performing game specific training as well as planning and periodising training in order to peak for competition. Strength and conditioning programs, recovery, nutrition and supplementation protocols, psychological preparation, and technical development should be individualised to suit the needs of the athlete and are used to address any individual weakness an athlete presents with.

During the Training to Compete stage, high intensity individual and sport-specific training is provided to athletes all year round. Athletes, who are now proficient at performing both basic and sport-specific skills, learn to perform these skills under a variety of competitive conditions during training. Technical and tactical skills are further developed through the use of skill and game based fitness drills. These drills combine all relevant tactical, technical and physical elements into a game specific and replicable manner.

The athlete continues to develop the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems utilising more structured and specific training methods such as interval training. Specific times, distances, sets and reps as well as work, rest ratios are used to develop each aspect of the athletes’ energy system. The exact protocols the coach uses will depend upon the athletes’ weaknesses and position played. To determine what weaknesses the athlete has refer to the Physical Assessment for Athletes DVD. The How to Physically Prepare AFL Players manual also provides an extensive overview of the methods to develop each specific energy system.

During this stage of training coaches often use other non traditional methods to condition their athletes. Some examples of these non traditional methods include the use of strongman training and wrestling. These sports develop strength, endurance, power and other transferable skills for athletes involved in body contact sports.

Through experience I have found that having athletes perform modified versions of other sports during the off season and pre-season helps develop the athletes physical qualities such as speed, strength, agility and endurance. For example, having an AFL footballer playing basketball, soccer or touch football would help enhance hand eye co-ordination, develop transferable skills, alleviate boredom and reduce the risk of developing over-use injuries. On a side note, to further support the concept outlined in the fundamental segment that athletes should be exposed to multiple sports between the ages of 6-10yrs. The overwhelming majority of athletes that I have coached that have since gone progressed to the elite level have all played multiple sports as young athletes!


Strength Training

Moderate to high intensity strength training during the training to compete stage is crucial, as it allows the athlete to prevent injury and enhance performance in all physical qualities. It is during this stage that the most pronounced gains in muscular size, strength and power will be seen. This can be attributed to the high concentrations of hormones that are released through the body during the adolescent into adult years. As the athletes chronological and training age progresses, the methods used to develop strength do also. Provided the athlete has progressed through the body weight strength training progressions during earlier stages of development, the coach can incorporate, heavy duty power lifts, olympic lifting and plyometric training techniques. For more detailed information for how to perform the Olympic and Strongman lifts refer to the Olympic Lifting for Athletes DVD and the Strongman Training for Athletes DVD. The How to Physically Prepare AFL Players Manual provides a table for strength training technique progression based on chronological age as well as a detailed table to prescribe sets and reps based upon the athletes’ needs and goals.

Speed Training

Basic speed, agility and acceleration technique skills need to be developed in the earlier stages. The speed training methods used in the train to compete stage combine tactical and technical elements that are specific to the athletes sport. The 2 man roll ball pick up drill involves a reaction component-whereby 2 athletes respond to the rolling of the football, an acceleration component-which involves the athlete getting off the ground and sprinting in the acceleration position, agility component-whereby the athlete has to trail a ball that is moving in multiple directions, ball handling and skill component-whereby the athlete has to pick the ball up off the ground whilst under pressure, a tackling pressure and competitive component-whereby the athlete will receive physical contact upon picking the ball up off the ground. A sample these drills can be seen in the AFL Specific Drills chapter on the Speed Agility Quickness and Reaction Training for Athletes DVD. Intensity and effort is kept high but total volume of training drills is kept low.

Flexibility

Flexibility training for performance enhancement and injury prevention cannot be underemphasised. At this stage of development the athletes should have developed appropriate flexibility and good flexibility habits. Limited flexibility at this stage of development severely detracts from performance and will impede future success. A variety of methods can be utilised for flexibility development. These techniques are covered in the Flexibility section of the How to physically Prepare AFL players Manual. The yoga for athlete DVD also outlines the key stretches in great detail.

Fifty per cent of training is devoted to the development of technical skills, tactical skills and physical improvement whilst the other fifty per cent is devoted to competition-specific training and competitions. The number of competitions should be similar to the end of the train to train stage but the emphasis should be on developing individual strengths and rectifying weaknesses through nurturing technical and tactical skills based around specific skill and fitness based drills.


Stage 4 – Training To Win

The training to win stage is the final component of athletic preparation and is typically concerned with athletes over the age of 18-20. At this point in time athletes are typically full time professionals and usually have an amazing array of support staff and specialists in all aspects of physical and sporting performance. The emphasis should be on specialisation and performance enhancement. All of the athletes’ physical, technical, tactical and mental qualities should now be fully established with the focus shifting towards optimising performance. However, physical training should continue to develop all of the physical qualities of strength, speed, power, agility, endurance and flexibility.

All aspects of training and preparation are individualised as much as possible. This is due to the availability of specialised coaches for each aspect of performance. Full time coaching staff for each position, specialised coaches for all aspects of performance e.g. strength coach and conditioning coach, nutrition coach, speed coach, wrestling coach, skills coach, ruck coach, full time medical staff including physios, doctors, pharmacists, surgeons, exercise rehabilitation therapists and psychologists as well as the use of performance analysts and sports scientists to perform physical performance testing and monitor training loads supports the individualisation for coaching elite athletes.

Training loads in the pre-season are characterised by high intensity and relatively high volume. Whereas training during the competitive season is relatively low volume with only 1 moderate to high intensity session during the in-season training week. This allows athletes to peak for specific competition. It appears that recovery modalities are more highly emphasised and the athletes support structures are usually more advanced. Athletes typically have more time to rest, recover and regenerate to prevent injuries and minimise mental burnout. Training and competition-specific training/competition ratios are 25:75.


Stage 5 - The Retirement/Retraining Stage

The retirement stage refers to the activities performed after an athlete has retired from competition permanently. During this stage, athletes typically need to undertake re-training not in a physical sense but in terms of professional development. Sporting organisation are now educating athletes in the train to win stage about the merits of having a career away from sport and to plan for life after sport of possible forced retirement due to injury.

It is common for ex-athletes to move into sport-related careers that may include coaching, officiating, sport administration, small business enterprises, masters competition and the media. Although, not specifically part of the athletic development stage. It is the athletes that have reached the elite level that would be a great fit to stay involved in their sport of choice.


Chapter 3Training Age v/s Chronological Age

So what does chronological age have to do with anything anyway?

Chronological age refers to the athletes’ actual birth date in terms of years. Training age refers to the actual number of years the athlete has been training for. For example 2 athletes may be 12 years of age, however 1 athlete may have been training since they were 6 years of age, whilst the other athlete has only been training for 1 year. The needs and requirements of the athletes’ training will differ due to different training ages and skill development. It is up to the coach to devise the best way to cater for athletes of differing training ages and skill abilities. This will be discussed in the assessment and program section of the manual.

The other issue is stages of growth and physical development. It is well recognised that children develop at various rates in terms of physical, psychological and structural development. It is up to the coach to recognise the growth and development factors and plan the athletes’ training and development accordingly.

Most experts agree the 8-12yrs of age are the acute learning years and if the period is not maximised, the athlete will not reach their full genetic potential.

Recognising chronological age is somewhat difficult, however parents teachers and coaches can use Peak Height Velocity (PHV) as a measure as to when to progress the athlete from the fundamental stage to the train to train stage. Peak Height Velocity is the point at which height rapidly accelerates by upwards of 5-10cm in a year. This is usually between 12-15yrs of age although it can commence earlier or later. Coaches need to monitor their athletes closely and watch for signs of rapid growth, having open communication channels with informed parents can also assist the process. This can be challenging when coaching large groups of athletes. However, in the how to structure a training session component of the manual we will discuss and devise ways this can be achieved.


Chapter 4Screening and Assessment

Unless you’re assessing, you’re only guessing. I strongly recommend coaches refer to Physical Assessment for Athletes DVD. This DVD showcases the key tests and forms of assessment the coach should undertake to assess the current abilities and limitations of their athletes. The screening and assessment allows the coach to see what weaknesses or deficiencies an athlete has. Testing allows the coach to see how successful the training program is and allows the athletes to see improvement as well as areas they are deficient in. But most importantly it allows the coach to see where the athlete is starting at in terms of their physical abilities. This information will enable to the coach to construct the individualised program.

So how do we do it?

Ideally the first thing a coach should do is undertake a health and medical history, this ensures the coach is aware of the athletes previous injuries. The coach should then be informed as to the number of years the athlete has been training and playing the sport for. This provides the coach with information related to the athletes training age. The coach should then be made aware of the athletes PHV or peak height velocity, in that the coach should be informed of any athletes that have grown significantly at an accelerated rate in the previous few months. This allows the coach to monitor the athletes’ growth co-ordination, development and know which phase of training the athlete should go through.

Once this information has been collected the coach can then begin to undertake the physical assessment of his athletes. The Physical Assessment for Athletes DVD outlines hundreds of physical tests and corrective exercises to rectify the weakness. The following testing categories are covered in great detail in the Physical Assessment for Athletes DVD

• PosturalAssessment • PhysicalAssessment • PhysioAssessmentflexibilityrangeofmotionassessment • FunctionalMovementAssessments • CoreStrengthandStabilityAssessment • SkillBasedAssessment

It may not be possible to conduct some of the tests outlined in the Physical Assessment for Athletes DVD due to time and or equipment constraints. The following tests require very little equipment and will provide the coach with vital information as to the physical development of the athletes.


The following is a Sample Test Battery for field sport athletes in the Fundamental Stage 6-10 year age group). The tests are suitable for field based sports such as AFL soccer, rugby etc as they are assess key muscle groups and movement patterns that are directly involved in sprinting, kicking, hitting, passing and tackling. Key cues and visual footage of the tests and exercises are included in the Ultimate Body Weight Exercises for Athletes DVD and the Physical Assessment for Athletes DVD.

Physical Competence Standards for the End of Fundamental Stage (10-11 yrs)

Line of

Movement

Exercise 5 4 3 2 1

Goal Above

Average

Average Below

Average

Poor

Core Stability Front Bridge >90 s 70-89 s 50-69 s 30-49 s <30 s

Side Bridge >90 s 70-89 s 50-69 s 30-49 s <30 s

Back Bridge >90 s 70-89 s 50-69 s 30-49 s <30 s

Back Extension >90 s 70-89 s 50-69 s 30-49 s <30 s

60° Sit Up >90 s 70-89 s 50-69 s 30-49 s <30 s

Quad

Dominant

Movements

Wall Squat >90 s 70-89 s 50-69 s 30-49 s <30 s

Bodyweight Squat >10 x 9-10 x 6-8 x 3-5 x 0-2 x

Overhead Squat >10 x 9-10 x 6-8 x 3-5 x 0-2 x

Stationary Lunge >90 s e/s 70-89 s

e/s

50-69 s

e/s

30-49 s

e/s

<30 s e/s

Split Squat >90 s e/s 9-10 x e/s 6-8 x e/s 3-5 x e/s 0-2 x e/s

Forward and Reverse

Lunge

5 x e/s 4 x e/s 3x e/s 2x e/s 1x e/s

1 Legged Squat 5 x e/s 4 x e/s 3x e/s 2x e/s 1x e/s

Upper Body

Pushing

Wall Push Up 15 x 15-13 x 12-9 x 8-5 x 4-0 x

Kneeling Push Up 15 x 15-13 x 12-9 x 8-5 x 4-0 x

Full Push Up 15 x 15-13 x 12-9 x 8-5 x 4-0 x

Close Grip Push Up 15 x 15-13 x 12-9 x 8-5 x 4-0 x

Incline Push Up 15 x 15-13 x 12-9 x 8-5 x 4-0 x

Upper Body

Pulling

Dips (feet on bench) 15 x 15-13 x 12-9 x 8-5 x 4-0 x

Fat Man Pull Ups 15 x 15-13 x 12-9 x 8-5 x 4-0 x

Chin Up Hold 30 s 25 s 20 s 15 s 10 s


Physical Competence Standards for Training to Train Stage (14-16 yrs)

Line of

Movement

Exercise 5 4 3 2 1

Goal Above

Average

Average Below

Average

Poor

Core Stability Front Bridge 120 s 90-119 s 60-89 s 30-59 s <30 s

Side Bridge 120 s 90-119 s 60-89 s 30-59 s <30 s

Back Bridge 120 s 90-119 s 60-89 s 30-59 s <30 s

Back Extension 120 s 90-119 s 60-89 s 30-59 s <30 s

60° Sit Up 120 s 90-119 s 60-89 s 30-59 s <30 s

Quad

Dominant

Movements

Wall Squat 120 s 90-119 s 60-89 s 30-59 s <30 s

Bodyweight Squat 15 x 12-10 x 8-10 x 6-8 x <6 x

Overhead Squat 15 x 12-10 x 8-10 x 6-8 x <6 x

1 Legged Squat 12 x e/s 10 x e/s 8 x e/s 6 x e/s <5 x e/s

Static Lunge 120 s 90-119 s 60-89 s 30-59 s <30 s

Dynamic Lunge 12 x e/s 10 x e/s 8 x e/s 6 x e/s <5 x e/s

4-Way Lunge 12 x e/s 10 x e/s 8 x e/s 6 x e/s <5 x e/s

Upper Body

Pushing

Full Push Up 30 x 25-30 x 20-24 x 15-19 x <15 x

Close Grip Push Up 30 x 25-30 x 20-24 x 15-19 x <15 x

Incline Push Up 30 x 25-30 x 20-24 x 15-19 x <15 x

Bench Press 10 x 50%

BW

8-9 x

50% BW

6-7 x

50% BW

4-5 x

50% BW

0-3 x

50% BW

Dips >12 x 10-12 x 50% BW 50% BW 50% BW

Upper Body

Pulling

Chin Ups 10 x 8-9 x 7-9 x 4-6 x 0-3 x

Bench Pull 10 x 50%

BW

8-9 x

50% BW

6-7 x

50% BW

4-5 x

50% BW

0-3 x

50% BW

Hip Dominant Glute Ham Raises >12 x 10-12 x 7-9 x 4-6 x 0-3 x

Leg Power Vertical Jump >60 cm 55-59 cm 50-54 cm 45-49 cm <45 cm

3 Hop Stick >6 m 5.5 m 5 m 4.5 m 4 m

Standing Long Jump >2.5 m 2.3 m 2.2 m 2 m <1.9 m


Physical Competence- Flexibility- All Training Stages

Joint and

Muscles

Exercise 5 4 3 2 1

Goal Above

Average

Average Below

Average

Poor

Anterior Hip Thomas 1- Thigh

Angle

5° Below

Horizontal

horizontal Horizontal

+ 5°

Horizontal

+ 10°

Horizontal +

>10°

Thomas 2- Shin

Angle

90-80 79-70 69-60 59-50 40-49

Thomas 3- Ankle,

Knee, Hip Alignment

Aligned 5 10 15 >+15

Ankle Ankle- Wall >12cm 10-12 cm 7-9cm 4-6cm 1-3cm

Hamstring Active Hamstring

(Foot cocked)

>90 85-90 80-84 75-79 <75

Static Flexibility Sit & Reach- Slump

(Chin on chest)

>+10cm +6 to

+9cm

+4 to

0cm

-1 to -5cm <-5cm

Sit & Reach

(Straight Back)

0 to +5cm -1 to -5cm -6 to

-10cm

-11 to

-15cm

>15cm


Physical Competence Standards- Functional Movement - End of Training to Train Stage

Functional

Movement

Exercise 5 4 3 2 1Goal Above

Average

Average Below

Average

Poor

Functional

Flexibility- Triple

Flexion

Squat (broomstick/

light bar on

shoulders)

Triple flexion Loss of

<Parallel ------------------------------------------------------------------ Depth

Heels Down Heels Up Squat- 50%

Bodyweight


<Parallel ------------------------------------------------------------------ Depth

Heels Down Heels Up Overhead Squat

(broomstick with arms

parallel)


<Parallel ------------------------------------------------------------------ Depth

Heels Down Heels Up Arms above Arms

Mid-foot/ ------------------------------------------------------------- Forward/

Trunk Aligned Trunk Forward Mid-foot-

10 cm

11-20 cm 21-30 cm 31-40 cm >40 cm

Functional

Flexibility- Triple

Extension

Walking Lunge Triple flexion Loss of

<Parallel ------------------------------------------------------------------ Depth

Coninuous Balance Balance Waistband Level/ Loss

Ankle, Knee ---------------------------------------------------------------- of

Hip Aligned Alignment Full Lack of

Triple --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Triple

Extension Extension

The goals and targets for the tests are outlined above. All the tests serve a dual purpose in that they are also training drills. As the athlete is getting tested they are actually training and when they are performing those drills at training they are actually testing themselves.

I recommend the coach conduct the physical testing over the period of a few training sessions. The coach may conduct the flexibility assessment during 1 training session, conduct the core testing during another training session etc. The choice is up to the coach. I recommend testing small groups of athletes and using as many assistants to record the information as possible. The coach can use the tables above to develop the athletes’ physical assessment. The tables also serve as starting points for athletes training programs.

Once the athletes have been assessed the coach can then organise the athletes into the appropriate training groups based on their strengths, weaknesses and levels of physical ability.


Chapter 5Program Design

Once the assessment has been conducted the coach can construct the training program. Program design deserves an entire manual on its own however, we will aim to cover the basics in this chapter. The coach needs to take the following variables into account. Athlete limitations and injuries, current ability level (test scores), training age and stage of development.

The easiest way to begin the program design is to simply start at the exercise level where the athlete was assessed and aim to reach the target and goal for the next level of development. For example using the table below if an athlete in the fundamental training stage scored 35 seconds in the front bridge which is (2 below average). The coach would simply have the athlete perform the front bridge with the aim of increasing the time from 35 seconds to 55 seconds which would progress the athlete from (2 below average) to (3 average) which would indicate improvement. The same concept is applied across exercise and physical competence tables. Therefore, the coach uses the tables above and works through each of the exercises during the training session.

Line of

Movement

Exercise 5 4 3 2 1

Goal Above

Average

Average Below

Average

Poor


It is mandatory that the athletes pass through the fundamental stage of development before attempting the routines and structures of the training to train stage.


Methods of Progression

The coach must endeavour to progress the athlete so that the level of physical development is slightly ahead of their level of skill or technical development. This will ensure the athlete has sufficient strength to perform the skill correctly. So how does the coach know when to progress an athlete to the next stage or level? Progression is based upon the coaches’ discretion but the following guidelines should be taken into consideration when progressing athletes to a new level. The coach can progress the athlete once they believe the athlete has mastered and consolidated their current exercise and movement pattern. The coach can use the exercise specific times and reps data as a guide for when to progress the athlete to the next level of exercise. Coaches and athletes should be aware that simply achieving the desired test goals is not sufficient enough to guarantee the athlete can progress to the next level. The coach needs to look for quality and accuracy of exercise technique, so the exercise and movement is fluid without any major technical flaws. Coaches should be informed that there is no need to rush the athletes through the exercise progressions and the athletes should spend as much time as necessary to ensure perfect technique prior to progressing to the next exercise or stage of difficulty. It is mandatory that the athletes pass through the fundamental stage of development before attempting the routines and structures of the training to train stage. It is recommended coaches do not use chronological age of the athlete as a measure of which stage the athletes are at. Coaches are encouraged to allow developing athletes to experience adaptation to the fundamental exercise system to establish their competence level.

Progress through the series of exercises is achieved by the athlete having a permanent adaptation to each exercise before moving it forward to more complex, faster or more loaded situations. The vital issue is that each exercise has a foundation of technique that must be mastered first and foremost. It’s of no use advancing an exercise without guaranteeing technical competence. Simply doing more rubbish reps will do little to aid in the long term development of the athlete. As errors developed at a young age will be carried forward into much more severely loaded exercises and result in injury and inefficient skill execution.

In some cases the competence level is primarily a technical one, in that the athlete can actually perform the exercise better. When an athlete achieves a level of competence in a certain exercise it is a cue for the coach to increase reps, complexity, speed or external resistance of the exercise. If the athlete achieves the desired competency at an early age across all exercise streams, the coach should consolidate this level rather than attempting to advance too fast into the next stage of training. The intention must be to develop competence across all areas of physical development.


There are many ways to advance an athlete. The following are examples of improvements and methods of progression:

1. Increase exercise complexity, this means that the athlete progresses to the next level of exercise in the progression.

2. Increase the number of reps, this means the athlete increases the number of reps during the set.

3. Increase the number of sets is a way to increase difficulty and overall volume for the athlete

4. Decrease the rest period, the decreased rest period between exercises increases the training density which results in a more challenging training drill.

5. Manipulate tempo and speed of exercise movement, the athlete can slow down the speed of movement during the exercise to increase the time under tension and increase the difficulty of the exercise, alternatively the athlete can increase the speed of movement to increase the plyometric effect.

6. Increase the loading with additional loading such as a sandbag or dowel rod can be used to advance the exercise.

7. Increase time under tension or set duration and length is another method to increase the difficulty of the exercise.

Each of the exercise categories on the Ultimate Bodyweight Exercises for Athletes DVD start introduced from simple to complex and can be used as a guideline for progression. The exercises are introduced at a slow pace with the key coaching cues involved. As the athlete becomes better, the coach can progress the exercise in the manner mentioned above.


Goal Setting

The following are goals and recommendations for flexibility, exercise progressions and functional movement skills.

• Thestrengthexerciseshavebeenbrokendownintotheirlinesofmovementandprovided a target goal in terms of reps or time.

• Theflexibilitygoalshavebeenbrokendownintomuscles,jointsandsegmentsofthebody.

• Thecoachshouldnoteandmonitorwheretheathleteisstartingfromtodetermine progression.

• Thephysicaltestingresultsneedtobeinterpretedfortheathlete.

• Theathleteshouldreceiveaclearsummaryoftheirresults,outliningstrengthsand weaknesses.

• Thecoachwillthenbeabletoencouragetheathleteonwardstothenextstageoftraining with a new plan to overcome their weaknesses and take advantage of their strengths.

• Thecoachcanusetheratingscale1-5todeterminewheretheathleteiscurrentlyat. Tests scores of 1-3 indicate the coach should possibly recommend the athlete to a physio to investigate the reasons for the low score. Coaches can see external reason for failure but the physio can investigate the reasons for failure. Scores of 4-5 indicate the coach can continue with the exercise and regular progression. This is to be done with vigilance especially around peak height velocity (PHV). 5 is the minimum requirement to progress to the next training exercise.

The following tables are recommended minimum standards and attainment levels required to advance to the next training stage. They are attainable for all youth not just those interested in sport. A young adult with physical competence across a wide range of exercises can look forward to an adult life with some degree of freedom from the ravages of muscular-skeletal problems that are experienced by the older population.

The tables have been broken down into physical or strength based competency, flexibility based competency and functional movement based competency. For further information regarding any of the exercises or tests the coach should refer to the Ultimate Body Weight Exercises for Athletes DVD and the Physical Assessment for Athletes DVD.


Physical Competence Standards for the End of Fundamental Stage (10-11 yrs)

Line of

Movement

Exercise 5 4 3 2 1

Goal Above

Average

Average Below

Average

Poor


Side Bridge >90 s 70-89 s 50-69 s 30-49 s <30 s

Back Bridge >90 s 70-89 s 50-69 s 30-49 s <30 s

Back Extension >90 s 70-89 s 50-69 s 30-49 s <30 s

60° Sit Up >90 s 70-89 s 50-69 s 30-49 s <30 s

Quad

Dominant

Movements

Wall Squat >90 s 70-89 s 50-69 s 30-49 s <30 s

Bodyweight Squat >10 x 9-10 x 6-8 x 3-5 x 0-2 x

Overhead Squat >10 x 9-10 x 6-8 x 3-5 x 0-2 x

Stationary Lunge >90 s e/s 70-89 s e/s 50-69 s e/s 30-49 s e/s <30 s e/s

Split Squat >10 x e/s 9-10 x e/s 6-8 x e/s 3-5 x e/s 0-2 x e/s

Forward and Reverse

Lunge

5 x e/s 4 x e/s 3x e/s 2x e/s 1x e/s

1 Legged Squat 5 x e/s 4 x e/s 3x e/s 2x e/s 1x e/s

Upper Body

Pushing

Wall Push Up 15 x 15-13 x 12-9 x 8-5 x 4-0 x

Kneeling Push Up 15 x 15-13 x 12-9 x 8-5 x 4-0 x

Full Push Up 15 x 15-13 x 12-9 x 8-5 x 4-0 x

Close Grip Push Up 15 x 15-13 x 12-9 x 8-5 x 4-0 x

Incline Push Up 15 x 15-13 x 12-9 x 8-5 x 4-0 x

Dips (feet on bench) 15 x 15-13 x 12-9 x 8-5 x 4-0 x

Upper Body

Pulling

Fat Man Pull Ups 15 x 15-13 x 12-9 x 8-5 x 4-0 x

Chin Up Hold 30 s 25 s 20 s 15 s 10 s


Physical Competence Standards for Training to Train Stage (14-16 yrs)

Line of

Movement

Exercise 5 4 3 2 1

Goal Above

Average

Average Below

Average

Poor

Core Stability Front Bridge 120 s 90-119 s 60-89 s 30-59 s <30 s

Side Bridge 120 s 90-119 s 60-89 s 30-59 s <30 s

Back Bridge 120 s 90-119 s 60-89 s 30-59 s <30 s

Back Extension 120 s 90-119 s 60-89 s 30-59 s <30 s

60° Sit Up 120 s 90-119 s 60-89 s 30-59 s <30 s

Quad

Dominant

Movements

Wall Squat 120 s 90-119 s 60-89 s 30-59 s <30 s

Bodyweight Squat 15 x 12-10 x 8-10 x 6-8 x <6 x

Overhead Squat 15 x 12-10 x 8-10 x 6-8 x <6 x

1 Legged Squat 12 x e/s 10 x e/s 8 x e/s 6 x e/s <5 x e/s

Static Lunge 120 s 90-119 s 60-89 s 30-59 s <30 s

Dynamic Lunge 12 x e/s 10 x e/s 8 x e/s 6 x e/s <5 x e/s

4-Way Lunge 12 x e/s 10 x e/s 8 x e/s 6 x e/s <5 x e/s

Upper Body

Pushing

Full Push Up 30 x 25-30 x 20-24 x 15-19 x <15 x

Close Grip Push Up 30 x 25-30 x 20-24 x 15-19 x <15 x

Incline Push Up 30 x 25-30 x 20-24 x 15-19 x <15 x

Bench Press 10 x

50% BW

8-9 x

50% BW

6-7 x

50% BW

4-5 x

50% BW

0-3 x

50% BW

Dips >12 x 10-12 x 7-9 x 4-6 x 0-3 x

Upper Body

Pulling

Chin Ups 10 x 8-9 x 6-7 x 4-5 x 0-3 x

Bench Pull 10 x 50%

BW

8-9 x

50% BW

6-7 x

50% BW

4-5 x

50% BW

0-3 x

50% BW

Hip Dominant Glute Ham Raises >12 x 10-12 x 7-9 x 4-6 x 0-3 x

Leg Power Vertical Jump >60 cm 55-59 cm 50-54 cm 45-49 cm <45 cm

3 Hop Stick >6 m 5.5 m 5 m 4.5 m 4 m

Standing Long Jump >2.5 m 2.3 m 2.2 m 2 m <1.9 m


I have not included a goals table for athletes in the training to compete stage as the goals outlined in the table above are usually sufficient for most athletes in the training to compete age groups. Most athletes will find the goals above challenging enough to master.

Athletes in the training to compete age groups can use AFL player draft camp test results as an indicator as to the physical abilities required to make it to the elite level. The testing data is broken down by playing position, height and physical testing results, and provides players with suitable goals and standards to aim for when reaching for the elite level. The results for the AFL Draft camp tests can be found on the afl.com.au website.

The manual touched briefly on the use of skill based tests to assess the athletes’ level of skill development. A detailed description of those tests is beyond the scope of this manual. However most major sporting organisations such as the AFL should have guidelines in this area. A description of the ratings scales for AFL skills can be seen in chapter 12 in the youth development manual.

So as can be seen by utilising the tables and data the coach can gain incredible insight as to the athletes’ strengths, weaknesses. This information can be collected and used from year to year to see the athlete progress and develop.


Chapter 6How to Structure a Training Session

The way a training session is structured will dramatically impact upon your athletes success. The How to structure a training session DVD goes into great detail with regard to the exact process to use to maximise training time and ultimately, the results your athletes will experience.

The suggested training structure is as follows:

GENERAL WARM UP

Stationary Warm Up Phase

Which consists of ground based neuromuscular based calisthenics drills to warm up and prepare the athletes body for the linear and lateral phase of the warm up. The stationary warm up drills enhance co-ordination, mobility, balance and proprioception and help prepare the athletes muscle, nerves and mindset for training.

Linear and Lateral Warm Up Phase

Consists of various multiple direction movement patterns and planes of motions to specifically warm up and prepare the body for the athletes sport.

Static Flexibility Drills

Are used to increase the athletes flexibility. I have positioned the flexibility drills here as it is the ideal time to stretch, it also allows the athlete to monitor how their body feels prior to undertaking any high intensity training. If there is any unusual pain or discomfort the athlete can inform the coach and training can be modified. The athlete should be instructed to focus on their own individual areas of tightness that should have been detailed to them following the physical assessment. This is not the time in training to attempt to develop flexibility, it is simply a time to gauge how the body feels and alleviate any tight muscles.

Muscle Activation Phase

Consist of drills that help activate the correct muscles, to do their optimal job, in the proper sequence as they were designed to do. The activation drills assist with Stabilisation, Performance Enhancement & Injury Prevention. The drills are placed before the strength training drills to maximise their effect.


PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Strength Training Phase

This section of drills are the cornerstone to the athletes’ physical development. The strength training drills are performed early in the training session whilst the athlete is fresh so they can focus and concentrate their attention towards these drills. The choice of exercise will be dictated to by the coach and will be chosen according to the athletes level of ability as defined through the physical assessment. To make the coaching and organisation process easier, the coach should endeavour to group athletes according to their level of ability and development. If this is done early in the year, it can make life a lot easier for the coach involved.

Speed Technique Drills

These drills are used to enhance running technique and efficiency which ultimately enhance speed.

Speed, Acceleration and Agility Drills

Specific acceleration and agility drills that focus on the correct biomechanics to develop acceleration.

Speed and Agility Games

Fun, skill, reaction and evasion based games that can be used to develop specific agility movement, patterns and decision making.

MAIN SKILL DEVELOPMENT

Non Competitive Skill Based Drills

Non competitive skill based drills that are not performed under pressure. The use of these drills is great for athletes in the fundamental and training to train stage.

Competitive Skill Based Drills

Competitive skill based drills that are performed under pressure. Competitive drills are implemented once the non competitive drills have been consolidated. These drills can still be used in the fundamental stage, but may be more suited to athletes in the training to train and training to compete stage.

Tackling and Wrestling Drills

Are technical specific skills that can be included for athletes and age groups that are allowed to tackle. This group of drills may be more relevant for the training to train stage. However, refer to the Tackling and Wrestling for AFL Players DVD as to how to modify and demonstrate tackling drills for junior athletes.


Games and Skill Based Fitness Drills

Develop both the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems, speed, acceleration and precise skills, whilst developing vision, spatial awareness and decision making capabilities under fatigue in a game like situation. Examples of these training drills can be seen on the How to structure a training session DVD. These drills can be used by all age groups, however are most commonly used in the training to compete and training to win stage. If endurance needs to be developed it should be implemented at this point during the training session.

WARM DOWN

Flexibility and Recovery

The completion of training is the ideal time focus on recovery and enhance gains in flexibility. The use of static stretching post training enhances recovery, decreases soreness and aids in injury prevention. The flexibility component at the end of the training session should focus on areas throughout the athletes’ body that have been identified through the physical assessment as tight. This facet of training is vital for all levels and stages of athlete.

The duration of each component in the training session will be determined by the athletes’ training age, ability, strengths, weakness and stage of development.

The following guidelines are provided to help assist you make the most of your time whilst training your athletes.

7 Key Guidelines to Follow When Conducting Your Training Session

• Groupathletesofsimilarphysicalabilitiestogetherwhenperformingstrengthexercises • Wewanttomaximiseuseoftrainingtimebybeingorganised • Havedrillsandconessetuppriortostartoftrainingsession • Useasmanypeopleasyoucantoassistyou • Useasmanyfootballsasyoucan • Havetheplayerstouchingthefootballasmuchaspossible • Useinjuredplayerstoassistwithtraining/Useasmanydrinkpeopleorwaterbottles as you can

6 Goals of Your Training Session

• Tobefunandenjoyable • Todevelopallphysicalqualitiesandskills • Tobecontinuous • Tobeskillbased • Tobegamesbased • Toincorporatedecisionmaking


ConclusionTen Ways to Succeed!

So in recapping,

A structured long term athlete development program is vital to ensure athletes reach their maximum potential.

The athlete needs to progress through 5 defined stages of development.

Each stage of development has a different focus and desired outcome.

The coach needs to be mindful of the athletes training age, and peak height velocity to ensure correct training decisions are made.

The screening and assessment provides the base from which all training decisions are made.

The athlete must reach the required standards prior to progressing to the next stage.

Training is testing and testing is training, they both serve a dual purpose.

The assessment forms the basis for the program design.

The coach can advance the athlete using many methods.

The structure of a training session is critical in order to maximise the use of the allotted training time.

There you have it, everything you need to know about long term athlete development.

I look forward to hearing you achieve your long term athlete development goals with the athletes in your care.

All the best!


About the Author

Joey Hayes has earned a reputation as one of Australia’s leading, innovative and most successful strength and conditioning specialists. This reputation has been established by the phenomenal results of Professional Sporting Teams, Elite Sporting Institutes and Organizations and Elite athletes utilizing his Training Programs, methodologies and philosophies.

Athletes have proclaimed Joey to be their secret weapon, and a catalyst behind their results and success. His training programs have resulted in world records, world championship medallions, commonwealth games medals, grand final premiership glory, junior athletes procured by professional sporting teams and numerous athletes achieving life-time personal bests!

Joey has trained over 250 State, National and International athletes in a multitude of sports, most notably, AFL, Rugby League, Swimming and Martial Arts.

He owns and operates a highly renowned Private High Performance Athletic Training Facility known as The PIT. The number one place for athletes to train; exclusively dedicated to Elite Athletic Performance Enhancement.

Joey has achieved the highest level of academic qualifications and expertise for a Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He has completed a Masters Degree in Exercise Science (Strength and Conditioning) from Edith Cowan University and a Bachelor of Business (Sports Management) from Griffith University.

He is recognized as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He has qualifications in Olympic Weightlifting and speed development as a Track and Field Sprint Coach.

Joey’s unique blend of in-the-trenches-knowledge, coupled with superior academic qualifications ensure astonishing results in record time, and have affirmed his status as one of Australia’s most successful and highly sought after strength and conditioning specialists.

periodisation and planning strategies for long term … hayes would like to thank dean robinson, dan...

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