I’ve just returned from a fantastic training workshop with the UK Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA). This foundation workshop is aimed at sports coaches, PE teachers, Personal Trainers and sports science graduates and those wanting to develop expertise in coaching clients or athletes in strength and conditioning.
The workshop took place at the first rate sporting venue of Lee Valley Athletics Stadium; training ground for many of the UK’s top athletes and 2010 Olympic hopefuls. I felt privileged to run on the same track and train in the same gym that some of our best athletes use – even if it wasn’t at the same time!
During the initial introductions it became clear that this was going to be no ordinary workshop. My fellow instructors included coaches from a variety of sporting disciplines, respected trainers working with national teams, and even some Olympic coaches and athletes. We had been warned to expect a very physical weekend with a huge emphasis on practical sessions; finding out the other participants were used to competing at the highest level was a little intimidating! Never-the-less I was totally committed and ready to rise to the challenge.
Some of our practical sessions took place in the weights room where we looked at correct coaching and technique for key strength and conditioning exercises. Whilst all the course participants, me included, are experienced in teaching these exercises it provided an opportunity to reinforce best practice and consider carry over benefits for a variety of sports. I particularly found the coaching points relating to squatting invaluable and, taking this on board, most of us were able to achieve an improved squat depth whilst maintaining correct postural alignment.
When we weren’t in the gym we were on the track, and what fun we had! Looking at traditional, and often boring, warm up approaches we then looked at ways of making a warm up more sports specific whilst making it enjoyable. I was transported back to my childhood, as we played a variety of different tag games, and reminded that when exercise is fun we don’t register how hard it is.
More time on the track was spent working on movement skills, acceleration, sprinting and speed. Our tutors made the point that most of us are never taught how to run efficiently to achieve maximum speed. So we learnt a variety of different drills and spent a lot of time thinking about the mechanics of movement. This culminated in some sprint sessions and races and this was the moment I really should have remembered who my fellow course attendees were! Certainly the drills helped me run faster than I have probably done in a long time. However, my new found knowledge was no match for the seriously competitive and genetically gifted athletes.
This workshop forms the foundation and underpinning knowledge for other UKSCA courses which I will be looking at attending in the New Year. Hopefully my body will have recovered from the extreme demands of competing with Olympic athletes by then!