This week in the world of sports science, here’s what happened…
- Jadon Sancho Vs Erik Ten Hag
- A scientific view on the new women’s marathon world record
- NSCA CEUs information
Jadon Sancho Vs Erik Ten Hag
There has been a fascinating story building in the world of football over the last number of weeks involving Erik Ten Hag (Manchester United manager) and Jadon Sancho (Manchester United player). This story has torn the football world in two.
Initially, it all started when Ten Hag was questioned about the absence of Sancho from his team selection”. Ten Hag outlined Sancho’s poor training performance for his decision to drop him. Sancho then responded with a social media post, essentially proclaiming Ten Hag was a “liar”. Since then, Ten Hag has banished Sancho until he apologises for the social media post. Reports suggest Sancho is being forced to train, eat, and prepare away from the first team as he refuses to say “sorry”.
Those supporting Ten Hag believe players must respect the manager’s decision and Sancho should not have publicly criticised his boss. Others believe Sancho’s banishment to be poor man management, especially for a player who recently has suffered from mental health issues. (We have an excellent blog on “How to Maximise and Prioritise your Mental Health”)
In my opinion, successfully dealing with problematic players is one of the most underrated coaching skills. Let’s hope Ten Hag and Sancho resolve this issue and hopefully we see the best of Sancho on the pitch with Ten Hag on the sideline! (Especially If you are a Manchester United fan like me!)
A scientific view on the new women’s marathon world record
Last week Tigst Assefa broke the women’s world marathon record in Berlin, Germany. Her time was an astonishing 2:11:53. Unfortunately, her record was met with a lot of scepticism on social media with many presuming it was the result of potential doping. It is exceptionally sad that when an athlete performs a feat of greatness, they are automatically presumed to be doping. However, with the recent doping revelations seen in sports, it is understandable why some sports fans have that presumption.
In an excellent recent article by Robert Johnson, the science behind Assefa’s run is discussed. This interview-style article with two sports scientists (Rob Tucker & Geoff Burns), gives a fascinating insight into the latest science in running. The article focuses heavily on the latest scientific studies on running shoes and how some factors like the mass or the foam of the shoe can change the running economy. It really is incredible how much technology is now involved in the running shoe.
This article is a must-read for sports scientists and running enthusiasts.
NSCA CEUs information
I’m sure most S&C coaches will be aware or may even have the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) Accreditation from the NSCA. After attaining the accreditation, you must obtain continuous education units (CEUs) to recertify your accreditation. The NSCA works on a three-year recertification cycle, meaning all accreditation holders recertify at the same time every three years. 2023 is a recertification year, so all holders must declare the required CEUs before the end of the year.
The recertification process can be daunting and overwhelming, especially for first-timers. Failure to recertify means you must take the CSCS exam again! Matt Casturo of the Movement System recently released an excellent video on this topic. This video explains how many CEUs are needed, the different categories of CEUs, and how to declare CEUs. This video is a must-watch for anyone who is confused about the CSCS recertification process.
If you are considering one of the major S&C accreditations but are unsure which one is for you, check out our new blog – Best Strength and Conditioning Accreditations.
From us this week:
>> New course: Relative Age Effect
>> New podcast: How Goalkeepers Can Change The Game With Elite Level Physical Performance
>> New infographic: Six Core Principles For a Rugby Pre-Season
>> New article: Best Strength and Conditioning Accreditations
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I hope you enjoyed this week’s roundup of the hottest sports science news, and as always, we’ll be back next week with more to keep you at the forefront of the industry.
