Question:

What is the purpose of a training plan?

What considerations need to be taken into account when planning a training program for an elite athlete?

Why could analysing a previous training program be beneficial?

Performance and Fitness Needs

Improving an athletes performance requires careful planning. The level of competition will be the initial factor to consider. Elite athletes will require a more detailed and structured plan compared to the amateur athlete. The requirements of the sport will also determine the fitness needs and the type of training that will best suit the outcomes needed

Schedule of events/competitions

Competition schedules will vary from sport to sport. Team sports generally have a neat draw, which allows coaches and athletes to plan accordingly. Individual sports may not be as clearly structured. With the growth of many sports internationally some athletes may complete almost 12 months of the year, this effectively having no off-season. This presents planning issues for those involved with athletes at this level.

Climate and Season

The conditions in which athletes or team compete in play an important role in player preparation. Hot an humid conditions compared to wet and cold conditions require different and careful planning. Athletes or teams that complete nationally or internationally may need to prepare for climate changes within competition framework. Therefore, coaches will look to ensure that their athletes have acclimatised to the conditions prior to competition.

Activity: Complete the attached writing task

When planning a training year it is important to use periodisation in order to structure the year well and ensure the athlete peaks in performance at the right time. Periodisation is the process of breaking the year down into smaller time periods in order to structure the training program effectively.

Reference: Jacplus online

Glossary:

Periodisation- involves structuring the long-term training program into identifiable phases.

Pre-season - preparation phase

In-season - competition phase

Off-season - transition phase

Macro-cycle- the long term annual plan for the entire season

Meso-cycle - Approx 4-8 weeks

Micro-cycle - the smallest block of training, typically comprising 7-10 days

Peaking- achieved when the athlete has reached a state of optimal physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing so that they are capable of performing their best at a given point

Tapering- a period of reduced training load in the days and weeks leading up to the main competition in an attempt to promote "peak" performance at the most vital time

Sport specific subphases

Subphases provide an opportunity to target specific areas that require further development. For example, one athlete in a group may need additional work on technique while another may benefit more from improved fitness. There are many areas that could be the subject of specific examination and additional work, including testing, monitoring, evaluation, specialisation, loading, unloading, volume, intensity or whatever is required depending on the individual’s needs.

Reference: Jacplus

PowerPoint - Elements of a Training Session

Health and Safety Considerations

All training sessions must occur in an environment considered safe and accessible for all athletes. It is important that athletes are healthy (i.e. not affected by illness/injury) and that equipment as well as environmental and climatic conditions are taken into account when preparing training sessions. Coaches must regularly check that their equipment is up to standard, conduct warm up and cool downs, know their athletes and their limitations, check the environment is clear from harm, employ regular rest breaks to ensure athletes are hydrated and set safety expectations and standards for all athletes.

If a coach or an athlete disregards health and safety standards the risk of injury increases. Organisation, pre-planning of sessions and educating athletes about the importance of safe practice are all methods which can reduce the risk of injury.

Providing an Overview of the Session to Athletes

At the beginning of the session it is important for coaches to provide athletes with an overview of the training planned to help them prepare mentally for what is expected from them. This also helps athletes focus on their performance.

Doing this at the beginning of the session allows the coach to open a forum so that they can communicate with their athlete/s regarding issues that may have arisen relating to past performance, attendance or other concerns. This also gives athletes a chance to comment on any injuries they have sustained or offer feedback on previous sessions.

The objectives of the session should be goal specific so that all athletes understand the direction, focus and purpose of training.

Warm up and Cool Down

The warm up is an essential part of a training session. It is designed to prepare an athlete for the rigours and strain of training. While it is important to get the blood moving throughout the body in a warm up, it is also essential to incorporate sport specific drills to stimulate neuromuscular action.

Warm ups should be dynamic, effective and set the tone and mood for the rest of the training session. Static, PNF and dynamic stretching is recommended as part of the warm up.

The cool down helps the body to return to resting levels faster and remove waste. They generally last between 5 and 10 minutes and are also a good chance to evaluate and provide feedback on the training session.

Skill Instruction and practise

This section of training will usually take up a majority of the session. Coaches may utilise verbal instruction, demonstration or video displays depending on the level of the athlete.

While some exercises will be easy to complete, others will need to be broken down into their component parts to simplify the overall process and ensure the correct development of the specific skill. Targeting skill development can help improve fundamentals of the game as well as increasing the athlete’s knowledge and understanding of the game.

Some methods that coaches use to implement skill instruction and practise include using drills to break the skill down (known as part practice), small sided games or even full practise games, which a coach can use to improve tactical skill development.

Conditioning

Every sport and athlete requires different levels of conditioning. It is important to identify the fitness requirements for each athlete and design suitable conditioning exercises within the training sessions for that sport. The principle of progressive overload is used to facilitate this process.

Conditioning can be incorporated into the drills and skills section of sport training via circuit training, interval training or conducting sport specific fitness. An example of this is a soccer team completing a 3v3 activity on a small field working at a high intensity for 2 minutes, and then having a short break before completing another set of the same activity.

Evaluation

Feedback from an athlete to their coach can provide much needed information. The effectiveness of each session must be carefully evaluated so that the coach can determine the schedule and content of upcoming training sessions.

Evaluation is also a good skill for athletes to develop. To ensure that training achieves optimal benefits and results for an individual, both coaches and athletes must be able to provide open feedback to improve future sessions.