By Niall Seewang
Last updated: February 29th, 2024
3 min read

Contents

1. Summary
2. Culture development: A guide for coaches
3. The 4 key factors of culture development

Summary

Culture development in a team sport setting is a long-term process. Understanding athletes’ motivations and psychological needs can help ‘buy-in’. Intrinsic motivation is the most durable form of motivation in this instance.

Culture development: A guide for coaches

Understanding athletes’ motivations and fulfilling their psychological needs can help organisations such as sporting teams establish and strengthen their culture.

That’s the opinion of Parker Teagle, a long-term strength and conditioning coach who also boasts a Master’s degree in sports psychology. He said coaches played a huge role in helping build a strong culture within a human performance program, and taking a long-term approach was the smart play.

“Building a culture within an organisation requires a multifaceted approach,” he said during his Science for Sport presentation titled ‘Creating Team Culture’. “Coaches will come in and try to change culture within an instant – they have [their] job security on the line, so it’s understandable they want to change it in a hurry, but the quicker you try to change it, the less effective you usually are. You have to let it slowly happen.”

The 4 key factors of culture development

Teagle said four key factors to concentrate on were:

• Create systems and maximise motivation
• Focus on long-term development
• Pursue growth, not the spoils of sport
• People were always more important than programming

Teagle explained an athlete’s psychological motivations played a big part in whether they bought into the establishment and nourishment of a new culture.

“[There are] two types of motivation – intrinsic and extrinsic,” he said, adding intrinsic motivation came when a person gained satisfaction from a process (for example, a sense of achievement, pride or curiosity), while extrinsic motivation came when someone gained satisfaction from outcomes (money, praise, trophies or avoidance of punishment).

“Both are positive and necessary, but intrinsic motivation is fundamental because intrinsic motivation is much more durable,” he said. “Rewards will come and go, championships will be lost – if that’s your only motivation, then your motivation is too fragile.”
It was also important to be aware of a person’s psychological needs (competence, autonomy and relatedness), he said.

“The three needs must be met,” he said. “Competence refers to feeling effective in one’s ongoing interactions with the social environment, and experiencing opportunities to exercise and express one’s capacities. It leads people to seek challenges that are optimal for their skill sets.

“Autonomy refers to being the perceived origin or source of one’s own behaviour. It is different from independence, which does not rely on any external sources or influence. Why is it important? Because self-expression is encouraged and athletes feel the perception of choice and individuality.

“Relatedness refers to a feeling of connection to others, to caring for and being cared for by these others, to having a sense of belongingness both with other individuals and one’s community. It helps drive a shared vision and purpose.”
He said human performance coaches should look to encourage all of these things within their program.

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Niall Seewang

Niall Seewang is a former sports journalist and editor who has helped launch two of Australia’s leading online sports platforms – AFL Media in 2011 and ESPN Australia in 2016.

He also has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement) from Deakin University in Australia and has a Postgraduate diploma in Journalism from La Trobe University, also in Australia. On top of all this, Niall has a long-standing curiosity about how athletes and teams get the best out of themselves.

More content by Niall

The post Culture development: A guide for coaches and administrators appeared first on Science for Sport.

• Load management is one of the most important factors when it comes to reducing the risk of injuries in youth athletes.
• Research shows load changes of more than 15% from the week prior can increase the risk of injury by close to 50%.
• There are two types of loads to be aware of: internal and external loads.

Load management: It’s not just for the elite level of sport

Coaches of young athletes must be aware of their athletes’ physical training loads to minimise injury risk, a leading high-performance coach says.

While it’s not possible to completely prevent injuries, knowing exactly how much and how hard athletes were training was one way to help keep them fit and healthy.

“Injuries are often out of our control, but if we can educate people and train them in the right ways, then that should hopefully reduce injuries,” Sean Potter, an Australian-based high-performance coach with extensive history training young athletes, said during his mini-course on ‘Youth Injury Reduction’.

“[Load management is] one of the most important factors when it comes to reducing the risk of injuries in youth athletes. There’s not one short way to prevent injuries, other than load management. Injuries will occur, but we just hope that when all the right systems are in place, it reduces that risk.”

Know what data to look for

Potter said there are two types of load to be aware of: internal and external.

External load is the external stimulus applied to the athlete, such as work completed, distance run or weight lifted. Internal load is the individual psychological and physiological response to the external load.

Potter said there were various methods to track internal load, including sessional Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE), heart rate, and wellness questionnaires. In terms of tracking external load, GPS units and activity trackers were the best simple options for younger athletes.

Tracking loads helped coaches be aware of any changes in workload, with a difference of 15 percent from the previous week increasing the risk of injury by almost 50 percent.

“That is massive. That is a huge potential injury risk by just going a little bit above or below and then trying to compensate,” Potter said.

The importance of strong coach-athlete relationships

Developing strong coach-athlete relationships and instilling knowledge were also vital in the fight to prevent injuries, Potter said.

“Get to know your athletes – they’re people, not just your athletes, and they will have things that will make them tick or make them angry just like everyone else,” he said.

How coaches, teachers and youth athletes can best work together

“It’s really important to meet them at their level and build those relationships – once you start to build relationships, they’re more likely to open up to you and tell you what’s going on in their lives [and] you get a picture as to whether you can push them harder or pull back a little bit.

“It doesn’t take much to tip these athletes into some really big overtraining due to the other stresses going on in their lives.

“And if we can build their [athletes’] knowledge base as to the whys around what we’re doing, they’re more likely to take ownership of their own programs. At the end of the day, we’re all striving to develop them and help assist them to move onto the next stage of their careers within their sports.

“And stick to the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) method – you don’t need to create elaborate programs and plans, we’re working with youth athletes with some pretty significant limitations. We need to make sure it’s simple and effective.” 

The post How load management can help reduce injury risk in youth athletes appeared first on Science for Sport.

The benefits of concurrent training are far-reaching and help improve multiple physical qualities, but there are several factors to be aware of.

By Niall Seewang
Last updated: March 1st, 2024
2 min read

• The benefits of concurrent training are far-reaching and help improve multiple physical qualities

• Recovery is crucial to ensure athletes don’t feel fatigued

Concurrent training: There’s nothing to be afraid of

Athletes can gain huge benefits from simultaneously training endurance and strength, despite early research suggesting it can be harmful.

Ben Andrews, a leading strength and conditioning coach based in Australia, is a huge advocate of concurrent training, and says it has many positive impacts.

“[Concurrent training is defined as] the specific training of endurance and strength capabilities in immediate succession, or with up to 24 hours of recovery separating the two exercise modes,” he said during his Science for Sport presentation titled ‘Concurrent Training’.
“The goal is to simultaneously develop a number of qualities – [for example] lower body power, lateral and linear speed, upper body strength, anaerobic capacity, aerobic capacity.

“Athletes that are elite in multiple qualities often have game-changing ability … yes, Christiano Ronaldo has an elite vertical leap, but he has also got elite level-top speed, change of direction, [and is] known as one of the best runners in the league.” 

Debunking the ‘interference effect’

Andrews said early research suggested an ‘interference effect’ — when the development of one quality may interfere with the development of another, compared to training either qualities in isolation of one another — may negatively affect athletes who implemented concurrent training.

However, he said that has since been debunked, and most modern studies have shown an increase in physical performance during concurrent training, especially with appropriate recovery and scheduling.

Overtraining was the likely cause of any negative interference in the long-term, Andrews said, with deloading, nutrition, rest, sleep and other recovery methods vital.

The importance of recovery

Deloading is a planned reduction in training volume to promote recovery, with Andrews suggesting incorporating a deload week every four to six weeks.

“Most of the time overtraining occurs as a result of the athlete or group of athletes not putting in the work to recover from the training stimulus,” he said. “Not all athletes will look after themselves outside our care – what they do outside of that time is so important to training.

“You can have the best training program in the world but if your athlete is going home and not sleeping, not putting in work with recovery, not eating well, then they will show signs of overtraining even if the training loads have been selected correctly.

“Rest, recover, regenerate, repeat!”

[optin-monster slug=”nhpxak0baeqvjdeila6a”]

Niall Seewang

Niall Seewang is a former sports journalist and editor who has helped launch two of Australia’s leading online sports platforms – AFL Media in 2011 and ESPN Australia in 2016.

He also has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement) from Deakin University in Australia and has a Postgraduate diploma in Journalism from La Trobe University, also in Australia. On top of all this, Niall has a long-standing curiosity about how athletes and teams get the best out of themselves.

More content by Niall

The post Why you shouldn’t fear concurrent training appeared first on Science for Sport.

Small-sided games can be used as an efficient method of training for physical, technical and tactical purposes. There are downsides, however.

By Niall Seewang
Last updated: March 1st, 2024
3 min read

How small-sided games can deliver big results

Small-sided games (SSG) are an ideal tool for developing technical, tactical and physical capabilities, while also boosting motivation for athletes during training.

George Farrell — a UK-based strength and conditioning coach and sport scientist — says SSGs help coaches improve their athletes’ physical performance more so than traditional or generic training drills.

Principally, Farrell says SSGs — such as 5 v 5 in soccer or 3 v 3 in basketball — help develop aerobic and anaerobic conditioning.

“Conditioning is vitally important for team sports – basically put, we can reduce the risk of injury by making our players robust,” he said during his Science for Sport presentation titled ‘Small Sided Games’.
“We have to make sure they are … fit enough to compete – if they’re not fit enough, they’ll get injured. So we have to make sure they’re in the best possible shape to fulfil the demands of the game.

“Conditioning for team sports requires enhancing both the aerobic and anaerobic systems … traditional continuous aerobic training is not specific to team sport activity and the aim should be to train as close to the demands of the sport as possible.

“When considering SSGs, you have to consider the adaptations we want but secondly, we want to have a happier environment – it’s a lot easier at training if they [athletes] are happy with what they’re doing. And it’s a no-brainer as to what players would rather do – more often than not players won’t be happy [with generic conditioning such as standard running drills].

“The advantages of SSGs are player engagement, improved motivation to train, technical, tactical and physical development, [they are time] efficient, replicate movement patterns/muscle groups and challenge skill under fatigue.”

Potential downsides of small-sided games

However, there are some potential downsides to SSGs, Farrell said. Some athletes can take the opportunity to ‘hide’ during SSGs, as not all players are performing the exact same task like a 5km run. It was also harder for coaches to control intensity, while the risk of injury is potentially greater than generic training.

Farrell said coaches should look to use SSGs and generic conditioning in tandem for maximum results.

“[Coaches should] aim to use a combination of SSGs and generic conditioning throughout the annual cycle to produce a well-rounded approach to training,” he said.

He added coaches could manipulate the intensity of SSGs by increasing the pitch area or decreasing the number of players on the field. Rule modifications, coach encouragement and numerical inferiority could also increase demand.

[optin-monster slug=”nhpxak0baeqvjdeila6a”]

Niall Seewang

Niall Seewang is a former sports journalist and editor who has helped launch two of Australia’s leading online sports platforms – AFL Media in 2011 and ESPN Australia in 2016.

He also has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement) from Deakin University in Australia and has a Postgraduate diploma in Journalism from La Trobe University, also in Australia. On top of all this, Niall has a long-standing curiosity about how athletes and teams get the best out of themselves.

More content by Niall

The post How small sided games can deliver big results appeared first on Science for Sport.

Coaches and athletes need to respect the fact the lower leg is a powerhouse in force production and explosive capabilities, which means the calf area must not be neglected during training.

By Niall Seewang
Last updated: February 29th, 2024
3 min read

• Calf muscle development helps athletes excel in sprinting, running and dynamic effort activities

• Many coaches and athletes fail to properly train the calf area

• Concentrating on calf strengthening can lead to a reduction in lower-leg injuries

Calf muscle development: Do not ignore the lower legs

Coaches and athletes should have a “new school mentality” rather than an old-school mindset when it comes to training calf muscles, a leading strength and conditioning coach says.

Matthew Ibrahim — a strength and conditioning coach who is also an adjunct professor and PhD student whose primary focus is lower-body injury reduction in athletes — believes too many coaches and athletes ignore the calf area in training, which can lead to higher rates of injury.

He said while indirect loading of the calf region can occur during integrated lower body exercises such as squats or deadlifts, it was important to isolate the calf region by directly loading the area in a strength training program.

“With calf training, there is often an old-school mentality. [People often say] ‘calf training is for bodybuilders,’ or ‘training calves is a waste of time,’ or ‘calf muscles will benefit from other lower body training’,” he said during his Science for Sport presentation titled ‘Calf Development.’
“But this doesn’t put the athlete in the best position possible.

“The facts are, [with] running, sprinting, jumping and landing, the feet are the first to leave the ground, then touch the ground. Feet propel you forward, produce force, accelerate, decelerate, absorb force, land. The calf region is highly involved in these processes.

“[So calf muscle development is beneficial for] any sport involving running, sprinting, jumping and landing.”

Goodbye old-school, hello new-school

Ibrahim said current academic research supported the use of eccentric calf exercises to prevent muscle fatigue in the calf region, and both traditional eccentric training and heavy slow resistance training yielded positive, lasting clinical results in patients with Achilles tendinopathy.

He said “a new-school mentality” was needed and properly managing, loading, and training the lower leg was associated with a decreased risk of calf region injuries.

“If you want your athletes to build force-generating capabilities, make improvements in function, unlock one of the strongest muscles in their body, prevent muscle fatigue, create propulsive forces, reduce the risk of injury and become strong … then add calf region direct loading into your training program,” he said.

The lower leg: Your force-production powerhouse

He added coaches and athletes needed to respect the fact the lower leg is a powerhouse in force production and explosive capabilities, which means the calf area must not be neglected during training.

Older athletes, or those with a previous history of calf problems, were more susceptible to lower-leg injuries, Ibrahim said.

[optin-monster slug=”nhpxak0baeqvjdeila6a”]

Niall Seewang

Niall Seewang is a former sports journalist and editor who has helped launch two of Australia’s leading online sports platforms – AFL Media in 2011 and ESPN Australia in 2016.

He also has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement) from Deakin University in Australia and has a Postgraduate diploma in Journalism from La Trobe University, also in Australia. On top of all this, Niall has a long-standing curiosity about how athletes and teams get the best out of themselves.

More content by Niall

The post Calf muscle development: Why coaches and athletes must stop ignoring the calf region appeared first on Science for Sport.

How to deal with problem athletes? Coaches need to display honesty and vulnerability when dealing with athletes who display difficult behaviour.

By Niall Seewang
Last updated: March 1st, 2024
3 min read

How should coaches best manage problem athletes?

Building strong relationships is a key plank of successful coaching but is especially important when it comes to problem athletes.

That’s the opinion of a leading strength and conditioning coach, who believes coaches need to display honesty and vulnerability when dealing with athletes who display problematic behaviour.

Cole Hergott — Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Trinity Western University in Langley, BC, Canada — says dealing with difficult athletes is one of his profession’s trickiest tasks, but there are tools to make things easier.

“Problem athletes are common on most teams – they pose a challenge to your normal work environment and you need to address it to protect team culture and prevent negative influences,” Hergott, who has a Master’s Degree in Coaching Science, said during his Science for Sport presentation titled ‘Coaching Problematic Athletes.’
“A problem athlete can be someone who is uncoachable, self-centred, argumentative or just someone who is tough to deal with and can lead others astray. It is something as a coach you need to address because it’s our job to develop these athletes and people. If you don’t try to improve them, they’ll pull others down.

“Research shows a strong coach-athlete relationship can increase motivation, work ethic and positive mindset.”

The ‘5-10-5’ rule of team sports

Hergott highlighted what he termed the ‘5-10-5’ rule, which explains that on a squad of 20 athletes, there will generally be five who are “perfect” and five who can cause issues. The 10 in the middle can be heavily influenced by their teammates either positively or negatively – hence the need to make sure the middle group is positively influenced.

Hergott said coaches had to concentrate on their relationship with the problem athlete to improve the situation. And a coach had to be prepared to be honest and vulnerable.

“Show you care [about them] – for real,” he said. “Showing you care for real opens the door to so many avenues when it comes to coaching. When athletes are cared for in a nurturing environment, they’re more likely to do what they’re told – [that is] the essence of buy-in. Why? Because when someone cares about them and has their best interest in mind, they’re more likely to follow a plan and trust that person.

“Ask them about their day outside of sport, ask them about their upcoming weekend, or what’s up at school, or what type of music they like. The easiest way to build a strong relationship is to spend time with them and have meaningful conversations. Learn about them.  And it has to be a two-way street – make sure you open up to them. Be a human, not a robotic coach who does no wrong. You need to contribute to the relationship. It does involve some vulnerability. Make it a safe place.”

It might sound obvious – but you’ve got to know your stuff

Gaining an athlete’s respect is also a key weapon in trying to coach a problem athlete, Hergott says.

“You have to know your stuff,” Hergott said. “Step up when given a chance – if you’re asked a question, answer it! Demonstrate your value. But keep it simple – if you can’t explain the concept to your grandmother, then you don’t know it well enough.

“And it’s OK to say ‘I don’t know’ – being honest and vulnerable can help build relationships and then you can try to find out the answer and/or find someone else who can help, which is a great way to show them [the athlete] that you care about them.”

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Cole Hergott is the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Trinity Western University in Langley, BC, Canada. He has a strong passion for helping his athletes reach their full potential through strength training, nutrition, and recovery methods. He holds his CSCS as well as a Masters Degree in Coaching Science.

The post How honesty and vulnerability can help coaches break through with problem athletes appeared first on Science for Sport.

Goal setting is enormously valuable for athletes, coaches and teams but there are several important factors to be aware of.

By Niall Seewang
Last updated: March 1st, 2024
3 min read

Why goal setting is so valuable

Goal setting is enormously valuable for athletes, coaches, and teams but there are several important factors to be aware of, a leading US-based strength and conditioning coach says.

Ty Gregg, the Director of Strength and Conditioning at St. George’s independent School in Memphis, Tennessee, says coaches and athletes must work together to get the most out of goal setting.  
“[Goals] give you something to strive for. If [you don’t set goals], then what is your purpose?”  Gregg said in his Science for Sport presentation titled ‘Goal Setting’.

“Goal setting is the systematic framework of progressing towards something. They help by pinpointing a target to shoot for. And goals should not just be individual – they should be for teams and organisations.

“Coaches should provide times to sit down and discuss goals with their athletes, and the goals should be individual-based and team-based.”

The ideal goal setting formula

Gregg says his research shows specific, difficult goals led to better performance than easy or vague goals, and short-term goals led to the achievement of long-term goals.

He added feedback regarding progress is necessary for goal setting to work, and results could be seen within approximately six weeks.  

MORE: 3 STRATEGIC PRINCIPLES ATHLETES NEED TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS
But how should coaches and athletes set goals? 
Gregg says the ‘SUCCESS’ formula was an ideal way to set goals.

The SUCCESS formula of goal setting 
Subjective – the best goals are personal. They reflect what we really want and need, not what others want from us.

Urgent – better goals inspire immediate action. It’s something that should be wanted ‘now’.

Committed – choose goals that you feel strongly enough about to persist with until you achieve them.

Concrete – goals that are concrete and specific are more likely to be realised than goals that are vague.

Evaluate – regularly reviewing progress towards our goals is an evidence-based method for improving our results.  
Shared – writing down and publicising goals increases a sense of accountability for achieving them.

Support – goals for which we can obtain support from others or pursue in cooperation with others give us an edge.

The three different types of goals

Gregg says it is important to be aware of the three main types of goals – the performance goal, the process goal and the outcome goal.

“Performance goals usually focus on achieving standards or performance objectives independent of other competitors. For example, running a mile in six minutes,” he said.

“Process goals focus on the actions an individual must engage in to perform well. For example, a basketball player focusing on releasing the ball at the peak of their jump. These are usually performed at practise, not in competition.

“Outcome goals focus on the end result of an event. They depend not only on your play but that of the competitor. For example, winning a tennis match.

“In the short-term, [athletes and coaches should focus on] process and performance goals; in the long-term [the focus can be] outcome goals.” 
Finally, Gregg says if goal setting isn’t working, it could be down to one of several factors.

“Failure of goal setting could be having to convince individuals to set goals, failing to set specific goals, setting too many goals too soon, failing to adjust goals, failing to recognise individual differences or not providing any follow-up or evaluation,” Gregg said.

“Always prepare and make a plan. And goals should be evaluated and modified if the need arises.” 

[optin-monster slug=”nhpxak0baeqvjdeila6a”]

Niall Seewang

Niall Seewang is a former sports journalist and editor who has helped launch two of Australia’s leading online sports platforms – AFL Media in 2011 and ESPN Australia in 2016.

He also has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement) from Deakin University in Australia and has a Postgraduate diploma in Journalism from La Trobe University, also in Australia. On top of all this, Niall has a long-standing curiosity about how athletes and teams get the best out of themselves.

More content by Niall

The post How to get the most out of goal setting appeared first on Science for Sport.

Concussions in sport are a huge issue. Here’s how you can kick-start the recovery process after a head knock.

By Niall Seewang
Last updated: February 29th, 2024
2 min read

Concussion recovery is complex, but exercise can help

Low-intensity aerobic exercise can kick-start your recovery

Early initiation of low-intensity aerobic exercise is recommended for athletes who have suffered a concussion, a leading strength and conditioning coach and physiotherapist says.

Brooke Nairn, a strength and conditioning coach and physiotherapist based in Ireland, says current evidence suggests complete rest is no longer supported after a concussion.

“[In terms of current evidence], nothing exists to support complete rest post-concussion, but high levels of cognitive and physical activity may also delay recovery. So we want to find a balance between strict rest and high-level activity,” Nairn said during her Science for Sport presentation titled ‘Concussion Rehab.’
“Strict rest and ‘darkroom’ strategies are no longer recommended, as they are found to be outdated and ineffective. Complete rest increases risk of mental health challenges, social isolation, prolonged recovery, physical deconditioning, sleep irregularity.

“Research supports early [within one week] initiation of [low intensity] aerobic exercise. Rest during [the first] 24-48 hours, followed by early, light physical activity below symptoms threshold, such as a 10-15 minute walk, is recommended for improving recovery.”

While complete rest was not appropriate unless the symptoms were severe, Nairn said some activities should be minimised during the post-concussion period.

“Avoid reading, video games, TVs, phones and highly visual activities like shopping trips and spectating at sports events,” she said. “As tolerated, audio books, soft music, slow walks, short phone calls, sitting/eating outside [are all acceptable].”

Sleep is also a key part of the recovery process

Sleep was another key area to focus on for post-concussion, Nairn said.

“Sleep difficulty is a common complaint post-concussion – it can lead to protracted recovery and is linked to symptoms of anxiety, depression, slower rehab process,” she said.

Nairn said there were several ways to improve sleep, including developing a sound bedtime ritual, sleeping in a dark, silent room, not eating too much before bed, reduced caffeine intake and minimal use of TVs or computers before bed.

“Try to put all these elements in place,” she said.

Brooke Nairn is a strength and conditioning coach (NSCA-CSCS) and physiotherapist with a passion for helping athletes reach their full potential, through injury prevention, injury rehabilitation and strength and conditioning training. Currently, Brooke works at the Limerick Sports Injury Clinic and at PEAK health in Limerick, Ireland. 

The post Concussion recovery: Why it’s important to get active after a head knock (but don’t overdo it) appeared first on Science for Sport.