Player Preparation

1. Player Preparation Off Season and Pre-Season

2. Introduction • Background • Athletics (Athlete and coach) • Rugby League • Cricket • Beliefs • Simple is best 4 both players and coaches • Hard work is a habit driven by all – you can’t make people do it • Be as professional as possible • All work / drills should aspire to be ascetically good as well as functionally specific

3. Off Season Training • What happens when the season finishes • Period of 7 weeks between end of season and start of pre-season • 3 weeks active rest – 4 weeks prep work • Why the need for an off season programme and how many will do the work • Body will close down very quickly 3 to 1 rule • 30% 30% 30% 10% • Fitness Testing • Weight, body fat %, 10 & 30m, • No endurance based testing • Different groups for off-season programmes • Lean muscle gain, Cardio Vascular Improvement, General conditioning

4. Off Season Considerations • Warm ups and downs • Perform before and after each session • Right footwear • Good condition running shoes • Football boots • Well moulded pair of boots ready for pre season – no new boots 1st day • Hydration • Drink before, during and after training sessions • Nutritional • Decrease calorie intake, decrease fat intake

5. Pre-Season • Aims • Prepare the players to play a 90 minute game – eventually… • Prepare the players for the long season ahead – long accumulation for long retention • Increase aerobic base • Increase lean muscle mass • Increase strength and power • Increase speed and agility • Increase anaerobic threshold • There must be a progression to all the above in with the football work being done

6. Pre-Season • Week 1 • Volume 80% • Intensity 70% • Focus • Aerobic base, joint conditioning & • plyometric’s integration • No games

7. Pre-Season • Week 2 • Volume 100% • Intensity 80% • Focus • Aerobic base, joint conditioning, plyometric’s • and football integration • 1 Game – in house

8. Pre-Season • Week 3 • Volume 100% • Intensity 90% • Focus • Aerobic base, anaerobic threshold, • plyometric's, agility endurance and football • specific • 2 Games

9. Pre-Season • Week 4 • Volume 100% • Intensity 100% • Focus • Anaerobic threshold, plyometric's, agility • endurance and football specific • 2 Games

10. Pre-Season • Week 5 • Volume 100% • Intensity 100% • Focus • Anaerobic threshold, plyometric's, speed • and agility, football specific and match • preparation • 2 Games

11. Pre-Season • Week 6 • Volume 100% • Intensity 100% • Focus • Speed and agility, football specific and match • preparation • Build up to 1st game of season

12. Pre-Season Nutrition • Meal structure is very important • Traditionally 3 meals per day • Not always optimum • Try to eat 5 smaller meals per day • Breakfast, early lunch, late lunch, dinner, supper • Eat 2-3 hours before exercise and within 30 minutes post exercise • Extra protein is needed to repair muscle tissue

13. Pre-Season Nutrition • Calories need increasing • Pre-season a period of high volume and intensity • Monitor weight every day • Hydration • Drinking water is vital during training • Dehydration leads to decrease in performance • Re-hydration • Post match or training is essential to aid recovery • Must train at 100% to be able to play at 100%

14. Pre-Season Issues • Problems encountered during pre-season • Players who did not follow off season programme – 12.6 min bleep test • Double sessions 10.30am and 5pm, nutritional implications , sleep patterns • Large number of players for sessions, setting up adequate number of drills – be prepared • Number of games in a short space of time • Hot and cold contrast bathing

15. Pre-Season Sessions • Posters • 4 teams, 2 teams start at side lines on opposite ½ ways • Around posts @ 1 end up middle of park • Around posts at far end , finish on other side • 2 resting teams walk across middle • Sets of 4 – 3 or 4 sets @35-40 secs • Hurdles • 400m laps on 5 min rec@ 60-70 secs • Circuit 12 stations • 30 sec on 30 off • General body weight exercises

16. Pre-Season Sessions • 200’s • x 12 • @ sub 30 sec • 90 secs recovery • Long Doggies – 25, 50, 75, 100m 6 teams 6 to 1 recovery • 1. 50 and back • 3. 100 and back • 5. 25 and back and to 100 • 7. 25 and back • 9. 25 and back, 50 and back, 75 and back • 10. 25 and back, 50 and back, 75 and back, 25 and back, 50 and back, 75 and back and to 100 • 2. 25 and back • 4. 75 and back • 6. 50 and back and to 75 • 8. 25 and back, 50 and back

17. Pre-Season Sessions • French Connection • 200, jog, 200, jog, 100, walk, 100, walk, 400, walk/jog, • 200, walk/jog, 200 • Long Doggies – 25, 50, 75, 100m 6 teams 6 to 1 recovery • 6 min run 5 rest, 5 run 4 rest, • 4 run 3 rest, 3 run 2 rest, 2 run 1 rest, 1 min run Can be used as a fitness test indicator, High scores 59.75, low scores 48

18. Pre-Season Sessions • Chain Run • 1. Single • Teams of 4 • Single man doggies at 25, 50, 75, 100, 75, 50, 25 • 4 to 1 recovery • 2. Pick Up and Drop Off • Teams of 4 • “Chain Run” doggies to 25, 50, 75, 100, 75, 50, 25 • 1st man to 25 and back, picks up 2nd, runs again, then • Picks up 3rd, runs again, picks up 4th, runs again • Then 1st drops off, run, then 2nd, run, then 3rd, run • Then 4th tags 1st who then repeats process over 50 etc. • 3. Pick Up and Follow • 1st man runs to 25 and back and picks up 2nd who runs to the 25 as 1st runs to 50, the 2nd runs back and picks up 3rd who runs to 25 while 2nd runs to 50 and 1st runs to 75. 3rd runs back to pick up 4th who runs to 25 while 3rd runs to 50 and 2nd runs to 75 and 1st runs to finish at 100. 2nd, 3rd and 4th all run through to finish following the pattern of 1st man. • Players change position each time so different player leads each time. • Do 4 sets

19. Pre-Season Sessions • Warm Ups • Line Drills • A dynamic warm up • Great control – no cheats • Easy to coach technique – players see other players working • Lowers soft tissue injury rates • Don’t coach static stretching • Can be repetitive but players will adapt 6 months 1 year • Be strong – stick to it