Long-Term Athlete Development

Success as an athlete at the Olympic or World level requires many years of training; some suggest 10yrs or 10,000hrs of focused training as a guideline. The primary reason for this is the cumulative effect that training has on our physiology. With consistent, progressive training, the body will constantly adapt to become more efficient as well as having a greater capacity for work. There really are no shortcuts to being a successful athlete and while some athletes reach their peak younger than others do, it is often related to how early they started ‘training’.
ESC-NI exists to provide the athlete with the pathway to success through the provision of strength and conditioning. How can we benefit athlete’s performance?

· Make them Stronger
· Make them more Powerful
· Strengthen the Musculature of the Trunk
· Maintain or Enhance Range of Motion/Flexibility
· Improve Anaerobic/Aerobic Capacity
· Increase Injury prevention
· IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

Each Athlete is assessed individually and specifically on three fronts, Sport/Athlete/Situation Assessments (SAS).

· Sport Assessment – Demands of the Sport – movement patterns, speed of movement and metabolic pathways.
· Athlete Assessment– Commitment, Training History, Physical Ability, Technical Ability.
· Situation Assessment – Facility and Time.

From this, each athlete will be competency tested to assess his or her current abilities and injury status. The tests are specific for each sport, for example volleyball testing could use overhead squat, jump squat, press-up, body-row and back extension hold. The results will provide the coaches with the information to which competency level the athlete will be assigned and begin their training progression. These competency levels can also be used as a standard protocol for selection onto an elite training panel.

Each athlete will have their training planned (periodised) for a period of time, which may be a month or 5 years. The athlete and coaches will have input into the plan and the plan will evolve depending on the progressions of the athlete. The SAS Assessments will be reviewed during the periodised plan on several occasions and the athlete/coaches will receive constant feedback.
The following is an example of a Periodisation Model:

Stage 1 GPP – Basic Strength and Mobility Work/Joint Preparation (Address Weaknesses and improve Work Capacity)
Stage 2 Technique Development – Dependent on time available, athlete’s ability etc.
Stage 3 Strength and Power Development – No substitute for strength.
Stage 4 Specific Strength and Power.
Stage 5 Competition Preparations

Within the UK, many athletes compete too often and don’t train enough. Within Northern Ireland, athletes are not exposed to a high level of competition on a regular basis, which leads to their performances suffering on the international stage. Athletes must have the opportunity to compete in appropriate, quality competition to enable them to achieve their potential. ESC-NI will provide athletes with the necessary components to physically and physiologically compete on the international stage.

“Success is a journey not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome”