The Training Session

The six criteria to look at when evaluating a coach’s effectiveness are:

• Teaching

• Seeing

• Correcting

• Group management

• Presence and attitude

• Demonstration

Teaching is the ability to effectively instruct. For teaching to be effective, the coach must have an excellent knowledge of the subject they are teaching. They must be able to effectively convey that knowledge in a way that their athletes can understand.

Seeing is the ability to discern good movement from poor movement. The coach must be skilled in identifying gross and subtle movement faults in both static and dynamic situations.

Correcting is the ability to improve movement mechanics. The coach must be able to use successful cues and know multiple corrections for each fault.

Group management is the ability to organize and manage a group. This includes managing time, equipment, and layout for optimal flow and workout experience. Successful group management also ensures that all athletes receive attention during each session.

Presence and attitude are the ability to create a positive and engaging learning environment. The coach must show respect and empathy for the athletes while creating camaraderie and rapport.

Demonstration is the ability to accurately create a visual example of a movement. This requires strong awareness of one’s own movement mechanics.

Online Vocabulary 

Exercise 1: Choose the correct answer.

1. What is required for teaching to be effective?
   a) Strict discipline
   b) Advanced equipment
   c) Excellent knowledge of the subject
   d) Long training sessions
   
   

2. What does the ability of “seeing” refer to in coaching?
   a) Watching competitions
   b) Observing athlete behavior
   c) Identifying good and poor movement
   d) Demonstrating exercises
   
   

3. What is the purpose of correcting in coaching?
   a) To discipline athletes
   b) To improve movement mechanics
   c) To manage time
   d) To demonstrate exercises
   
   

4. Which skill focuses on organizing time, equipment, and layout?
   a) Demonstration
   b) Presence and attitude
   c) Group management
   d) Seeing

Exercise 2: Answer the questions.

1. Why must a coach be able to convey knowledge clearly to athletes?

2. What kinds of movement faults should a coach be able to identify?

3. How does successful group management improve training sessions?

4. Why are presence and attitude important in coaching?

Exercise 3: True or False

1. Effective teaching requires excellent subject knowledge.

2. Seeing only applies to movements performed while standing still.

3. Correcting requires knowing more than one solution for a movement fault.

4. Demonstration requires awareness of the coach’s own movement mechanics.

Exercise 1: Choose the correct answer.

1. What should every workout always begin with?
   a) Weightlifting
   b) Aerobic exercise
   c) Warm-up
   d) Cool-down
   
   

2. Why is a cool-down important after exercise?
   a) It prevents all muscle soreness
   b) It strengthens muscles
   c) It helps the heart gradually return to rest
   d) It increases intensity
   
   

3. Which of the following is an example of an anaerobic exercise?
   a) Cycling
   b) Running
   c) Push-ups
   d) Walking
   
   

4. What is conditioning?
   a) Stretching before exercise
   b) Low-intensity exercise
   c) Challenging the body to improve health and fitness
   d) Resting after a workout
   
   

Exercise 2: Answer the questions.

1. Why should a warm-up never be skipped?

2. What is a common misconception about cool-downs mentioned in the text?

3. What is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercises?

4. How can good coaches design workouts using aerobic and anaerobic exercises?

Exercise 3: True or False

1. Stretching helps prepare the body for harder work.

2. Stopping activity abruptly is good for the heart.

3. Aerobic exercises are designed to strengthen the heart.

4. Weightlifting and resistance training are aerobic exercises.

Warm-up

The general and specific movements used to prepare for the workout. The time spent during each portion of the warm-up should be planned for each training session.

The purpose of the general warm-up is to:

• Increase heart rate

• Increase core body temperature

• Prepare the athlete for higher intensity work

• Take the major joints through a full, active range of motion

The purpose of the specific warm-up is to:

• Refine movement patterns used in the workout

• Allow the coach to correct movement faults

• Increase range of motion at lower intensity

Exercise 1: Choose the correct answer.

1. What is a workout brief?
   a) The main workout
   b) A short explanation given before the session
   c) A warm-up exercise
   d) A cool-down activity
   
   

2. How long should a workout brief usually last?
   a) 1–2 minutes
   b) 3–5 minutes
   c) 10 minutes
   d) 15 minutes
   
   

3. What is one purpose of the general warm-up?
   a) Teach advanced skills
   b) Reduce heart rate
   c) Increase core body temperature
   d) End the session
   
   

4. When is more skill work usually required?
   a) During low-intensity workouts
   b) During highly technical workouts
   c) During cool-downs
   d) During recovery walks

Exercise 2: Answer the questions.

1. Why should a workout brief be kept short?

2. What is the difference between a general warm-up and a specific warm-up?

3. Why might skill work be included after the main workout?

4. How does the total volume of a workout affect the amount of skill work included?

Exercise 3: True or False

1. The general warm-up prepares the body for higher-intensity work.

2. Skill work should only be included before the workout.

3. High-volume workouts may limit the amount of skill work included.

4. A cool-down can help the body return to a normal state.

Online Vocabulary 

Warm-up exercises

Running warm-up drills

Toe walking – step high on your toes and take tiny quick little steps with your legs straight. This drill will help activate all the tiny muscles in the feet and challenge your calves.

Heel walking – step on your heels, toes up. Take tiny short little steps with your legs straight. Heel walking targets the muscles of the lower leg, ankle, and foot.  More of the emphasis, however, is on the shin.  This drill plays an important role in the prevention of shin splints (one of the most common complaints of distance runners).

Rhythm skip – take your knee up and hold it for a split second. Swing the arms over the head. Toes should be in line with your knee when skipping. This drill will help strengthen your hip flexors, improve your flexibility, and lengthen your stride.

Bounding – jump as high as you can while running. Lift your knee forward, extend your torso. With every step you take on a run, you want your foot to strike off the ground with as much power as possible. 

High knees – run with short steps, lift your knees high. Keep good arm swing. Do it with your knees as high as you can and as quickly as you can.

Butt kicks (High calves) – the knee goes up and the heel kicks the gluteus as you run. Butt kicks are a great way to stretch the quadriceps (the muscle in the front of the thigh).  The quads are important for lifting your knees and increasing your speed.

Online Vocabulary 

Exercise 1: Choose the correct answer.

1. Why is flexibility training important?
   a) It improves cardiovascular endurance
   b) It helps increase the range of motion
   c) It builds muscle mass
   d) It replaces strength training
   
   

2. What is static stretching?
   a) Stretching using fast movements
   b) Holding a stretch while breathing deeply
   c) Stretching with jerky motions
   d) Stretching while running
   
   

3. Which type of stretching uses another limb to hold the stretch?
   a) Active stretching
   b) Isometric stretching
   c) Passive stretching
   d) Dynamic stretching
   
   

4. Which stretching method uses movement to loosen the limbs?
   a) Static
   b) Passive
   c) Dynamic
   d) Isometric

Exercise 2: Answer the questions.

1. What is the main goal of flexibility training?

2. How does active stretching differ from passive stretching?

3. What happens during isometric stretching?

4. Why can dynamic stretching help loosen the limbs?

Exercise 3: True or False

1. Static stretching involves holding a stretch and breathing deeply.

2. Active stretching uses another limb to assist the stretch.

3. Isometric stretching increases tension while muscles are extended.

4. Ballistic stretching uses smooth, controlled movements.

Coaches conduct cardiorespiratory training according to the principle of specificity. The goal is to increase the workload. Athletes become stronger and able to maintain a low rate of exertion. 

There are three training zones with increasing levels of exertion. Exertion is measured by heart rate. Athletes need to maintain a Zone 1 heart rate for 30 minutes. After reaching this level of fitness, they begin interval training. Intensity levels vary between intervals. 

For time efficiency, coaches design circuit training. This method consists of strength training and cardio exercises. It is as beneficial as interval training. However, it includes minimal rest periods.

Online Vocabulary 

Exercise 1: Choose the correct answer.

1. What principle do coaches follow when conducting cardiorespiratory training?
   a) Variety
   b) Specificity
   c) Recovery
   d) Flexibility
   
   

2. How is exertion measured in training zones?
   a) By time
   b) By distance
   c) By heart rate
   d) By speed
   
   

3. What type of training begins after athletes can maintain a Zone 1 heart rate for 30 minutes?
   a) Circuit training
   b) Strength training
   c) Interval training
   d) Recovery training
   
   

4. Why do coaches use circuit training?
   a) It allows long rest periods
   b) It focuses only on strength
   c) It saves time and includes minimal rest
   d) It is only for beginners

Exercise 2: Answer the questions.

1. What is the main goal of cardiorespiratory training?

2. What are training zones, and how do they differ?

3. How does interval training work?

4. Why can overtraining be harmful to athletes?

Exercise 3: True or False

1. Exertion refers to sustained effort or strength used to perform an action.
   
   

2. Circuit training includes long rest periods between exercises.
   
   

3. Interval training involves changing intensity levels.
   
   

4. Recovery helps restore normal energy and heart rate.
   
   

Balance training focuses on the development of both stationary and dynamic balance. It lowers the risk of joint dysfunction and other injuries.

 It should include balance-stabilization exercises, which the coach can make more difficult by changing variables. For example, athletes could practise balancing on one foot on more difficult surfaces.

Online Vocabulary 

Exercise 1: Choose the correct answer.

1. What is the main goal of balance training?
   a) To increase muscle size
   b) To reduce heart rate
   c) To improve stationary and dynamic balance
   d) To replace strength training
   
   

2. How can coaches make balance-stabilization exercises more difficult?
   a) By adding rest time
   b) By changing surfaces or variables
   c) By reducing repetitions
   d) By removing equipment
   
   

3. Which exercises focus on maintaining the center of gravity?
   a) Balance-power exercises
   b) Balance-stabilization exercises
   c) Balance-strength exercises
   d) Aerobic exercises
   
   

4. What do balance-power exercises mainly include?
   a) Stretching and breathing
   b) Hopping followed by stabilization
   c) Long-distance running
   d) Static standing only

Exercise 2: Answer the questions.

1. How does balance training help reduce injuries?

2. What is the purpose of balance-stabilization exercises?

3. Why are balance-strength exercises important for athletes?

4. How do balance-power exercises improve overall equilibrium?

Exercise 3: True or False

1. Balance training develops both stationary and dynamic balance.
   
   

2. Balance-stabilization exercises are performed only on stable surfaces.
   
   

3. Squats and lunges are examples of balance-strength exercises.
   
   

4. Balance-power exercises help athletes regain stability after movement.

How to Squat

Here are some valuable cues to a sound squat.

1. Start with the feet about shoulder width apart and slightly toed out.

2. Keep your head up, looking slightly above parallel.

3. Do not look down at all; the ground is in the peripheral vision only.

4. Accentuate the normal arch of the lumbar curve and then pull the excess arch out with the abs.

5. Keep the midsection very tight.

6. Send your butt back and down.

7. Your knees track over the line of the foot.

8. Do not let the knees roll inside the foot. Keep as much pressure on the heels as possible.

9. Stay off the balls of the feet.

10. Delay the knees’ forward travel as much as possible.

11. Lift your arms out and up as you descend.

12. Keep your torso elongated.

13. Send your hands as far away from your butt as possible.

14. In profile, the ear does not move forward during the squat; it travels straight down.

15. Do not let the squat just sink, but pull yourself down with your hip flexors.

16. Do not let the lumbar curve surrender as you settle into the bottom.

17. Stop when the fold of the hip is below the knees–break parallel with the thigh.

18. Squeeze the glutes and hamstrings and rise without any leaning forward or shifting of balance.

19. Return on the exact same path as you descended.

20. Use every bit of musculature you can; there is no part of the body uninvolved.

21. On rising, without moving the feet, exert pressure to the outside of your feet as though you were trying to separate the ground beneath you.

22. At the top of the stroke, stand as tall as you possibly can.

Online Vocabulary 

Plyometric training, also known as reactive training or jump training, includes explosive movements. An example of plyometric training is jumping onto boxes. This exercise will generate force. 

During the loading phase, the body prepares for the jump. We lower our bodies to the ground. We reach the transition phase when we are prepared to jump. During the unloading phase, we thrust ourselves upward. 

The exercise establishes a movement pattern in our bodies. Muscular force slows down, stabilizes, and speeds up. With repetition, athletes will notice a significant improvement in their overall training. They will become faster, stronger, and less prone to injury.

Online Vocabulary 

Loading phase

The end of an eccentric muscle action. There is a reduction in the speed of movement, followed by an explosive, concentric muscle contraction.

Transition phase 

The delay between the eccentric and concentric muscular contraction during which a muscle can switch from overcoming force to imparting force in the intended direction.

Unloading phase 

The start of a concentric muscle contraction

Exercise 1: Choose the correct answer.

1. What is another name for plyometric training?
   a) Balance training
   b) Strength training
   c) Reactive or jump training
   d) Flexibility training
   
   

2. Which of the following is an example of plyometric training?
   a) Long-distance running
   b) Stretching
   c) Jumping onto boxes
   d) Walking
   
   

3. What happens during the loading phase of a plyometric movement?
   a) The body thrusts upward
   b) The body prepares for the jump and lowers
   c) The muscles fully relax
   d) The movement stops
   
   

4. What is one benefit of plyometric training with repetition?
   a) Slower movement
   b) Increased risk of injury
   c) Improved speed and strength
   d) Reduced coordination

Exercise 2: Answer the questions.

1. What is plyometric training and what type of movements does it involve?

2. Describe what happens during the transition phase.

3. How does plyometric training help reduce injury risk?

4. Why do repetitions of plyometric exercises improve performance?

Exercise 3: True or False

1. Plyometric training includes explosive movements such as jumping.

2. The unloading phase occurs before the transition phase.

3. Plyometric exercises help establish effective movement patterns.

4. Plyometric training makes athletes slower over time.