Author: Fernando Solis
In this article I wish to communicate the importance on the mental and physical focus an athlete requires to properly develop and prepare for competitive sport and have the opportunity to excel through hard work.
Ask any professional athlete about the formula to competing successfully at the top level and I can guarantee they will all mention and highlight the importance of pre- season preparation.
An athlete who works on the right facets of his/her game and prepares well during the off-season break will have significantly improved performances in the following season.
Note that the pre-season period is not only the training you will do with your club, but the work you do on your own before you participate in structured team training.
Make no mistake about it – those willing to make the sacrifice with work hard are in the best position to succeed in their chosen sports. Drive, dedication and commitment are required no matter how technically or physically gifted you are as a junior. This is particularly important to emphasize in junior sportspersons as there is often disparity amongst children in strength, speed and standard of competition which can lead to an overestimation of ability and overall talent.
Many child sporting prodigies are reeled back into the competitive pack through their late teens as others naturally develop their physical attributes, technique and mental strength.
My main point being:
• If you are excelling in your chosen sport – keep working hard to improve and develop.
• If you are falling behind the rest – do the extra work required to put yourself back in the game
So what should you do on the off-season? That will vary with the requirements of each individual. An experienced coach/trainer should put you on the right track and advise you on what you should focus on. Each sport has a different competitive calendar and the time available for off-season conditioning will often determine the frequency and modality of your training.
Here are some of the most common areas that athletes focus on in the off-season:
Physical Weaknesses
All sports require a desired type of athlete with certain physical characteristics. This may be determined by a combination of factors such as body composition, strength, speed, power and agility. When we consider team orientated sports, there will be contrasting requirements between individuals playing in different positions.
The off-season is the time to take on a conditioning program specifically designed to tackle strength related deficiencies in an athlete.
A well designed weights program will target and develop weak zones in the body through isolation training and should then be progressed to functional exercise patterns relating to the demands on the body in that sport.
An effective personal training program will maximize and improve single leg stability, balance, power, speed, core, co-ordination and rotational strength and efficiency
Skill Development
Being a fast and strong athlete will count for little if you don’t have the technical ability required for your chosen sport. Skill and technique refinement should never be neglected and the off-season is the ideal time to concentrate on areas you are deficient in. It’s important to consider that the blueprint for technical ability in children will be instilled between the ages of 7-13. But no matter your age you will improve technique through good old fashioned high-repetition drills appropriate for your sport.
Fitness Base
The first 2-3 weeks of any team sport club training will usually comprise of general aerobic conditioning (eg. running for soccer/AFL), co-ordination work and flexibility training. Doing your own running and flexibility program on the off-season will greatly assist your body to cope with initial training loads and reduce the risk of picking up an early injury that could put a massive halt to pre-season training.
It’s hugely important to perform the correct type of endurance conditioning that applies to your sport. Our body has 2 basic energy systems – aerobic and anaerobic. There is a major difference between aerobic endurance and anaerobic endurance and different training methods are needed to prepare the body for both.
Body Composition
Every sport has an ideal type of build for its athletes, and within those ‘ideal types’ there are specialized body structures required for different positions within those sports.
When participating in a position orientated team sport it’s important you get your body composition right. For soccer, the ideal outfield player will have low total body fat with greater muscular development in the legs and core. Upper body strength is required but it’s non beneficial to carry excessive weight though the upper trunk and arms. Whereas a soccer goalkeeper does need more attention on upper body strength, demonstrating that players within the same sport require different body compositions.
Dieting to reduce body fat through a competitive season is unfeasible as athletes must eat high calorie meals to recover from matches and prepare the body for the next training session.
Muscular growth and development is also hard to work on as delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) will result in extended recovery periods which will not work in with team training sessions.
The off-season is the right time to work with a dietician and personal trainer to get your body in the right shape for your chosen sport.
Psychological Preparation
An often forgotten facet of participating in competitive sport is the area of psychology.
Let’s not forget that the mind must be healthy in order to maximize on-field performance.
It’s important to set individual goals on what you want to achieve as an athlete and continually focus and visualize on those positive goals you set. This can be done by speaking to successful and experienced athletes and team mates and learning from the experiences of others, not only in sport but life in general. Surround yourself with positive people and seek a person that is willing to be a mentor.
You may also consider seeking the help and guidance from a professional such as a sports psychologist.
Motivating yourself in the right ways will also help you improve not only as an athlete, but as and person also.
Fitness Goal Personal Training has effective off-season strength and conditioning programs for participants of all sports throughout Melbourne.
We also have specialized programs for soccer players in Melbourne looking to improve their game.