FitDeck your players out.

A new addition to our footy shop is the FitDeck cards, theses cards will be great for new ideas to introduce into your training which, are in many different formats of exercises.

Learn about a simple program that will increase the strength and fitness of all your players.                                                        If you are having a tough time getting your players motivated at training or would like to offer a new challenge for your team I would suggest you check out the FitDeck Cards.

FitDeck is a unique deck of 56 playing cards containing illustrations and instructions describing over 50 different exercises, stretches, and movements.

These ‘no-equipment’ FitDecks contain exercises that require only your bodyweight to perform. ‘FitDeck Bodyweight’ is our flagship product in this popular series of ‘no-equipment’ FitDecks.

If you are in control of a country club where your players have difficulty getting into training, this is a great program to do at home or on the night off which will provide a greater base in strength and fitness.

Make up a Coaches pack, Bodyweight, Cross Trainer and Stretch, maybe include Cones                                                                     Here you will find a simple and easy to follow program that will challenge players of all fitness levels and provide a great motivational tool as your players start to see quick results as the sessions go by.

If your current training sessions are already loaded with game plan and tactics consider setting this program as a “Homework” task for your players.

Get fit with FitDeck.                 John “Swooper”Northey

Buy a FitDeck pack from the online store.

Read on to learn about a simple program that will increase the strength and fitness of all your players.

If you are having a tough time getting your players motivated at training or would like to offer a new challenge for your team I would suggestyou check out the website http://www.onehundredpushups.com.

Here you will find a simple and easy to follow program that will challenge players of all fitness levels and provide a great motivational tool as your players start to see quick results as the sessions go by.

If your current training sessions are already loaded with game plan and tactics consider setting this program as a “Homework” task for your players.  If you are in control of a country club where your players have difficulty getting into training this is a great program to do at home that will provide a great base in strength and fitness.

Anyway this is bordering on sounding like a late night commercial for fitness equipment but thats the great part – theres no expensive weights or special requirements to undertake this program and the results are amazing.

Check out the site and let me know what you think – remember a push-up and any other work out excercise should be done in a safe and correct manner, both to avoid injury and maximize its effectiveness.  There are tonnes of resources online and at onehundredpushups.com to ensure proper technique in these excercises, heres a great guide on how to do a proper push up.

Too Easy?

So you are a coach of incredibly fit players – excellent! You can still take advantage of the program though, alternate Push Ups with other excercises such as

• Pull ups  Chin Ups – if you have a player who can complete 100 pull ups please send us a video!
• Tricept Dips
• Reduce Rest Time
• Alternate excercises in a circuit routine Push Ups, Squats, Situps, Pushups do all 3 exercises, 1 rep at a time

If any of our Swooper Coaches give this a whirl let us know how you go – how many of your team made it to the end of the 6 weeks and can now complete 100 push ups?

The game becomes a lot easier when you are stronger and fitter than your opposition.

Players will not only lose valuable fitness while they are injured and unable to train, but will also lose their judgement and eye/hand co-ordination. Their awareness will also deteriorate. Obviously there are going to be some injuries to players that will prevent them from doing any sort of training. Medical opinions must be respected and any player who may be at risk of further injury should not be encouraged to be involved in ball work. This section is more for players with injuries that will keep them from training or playing for three to four weeks, and players who are in their final stages of rehabilitation. I have always believed that too much emphasis is placed on getting players back from injury to play, simply because they have recovered. What we as coaches forget is that if a player’s skill level has suffered, so will their confidence, which may potentially create further injuries.

In the past, I have believed that if a player is unable to run because of injury, he should be able to handball, and if he is unable to handball, he should be able to run. I realise now that this is not necessarily correct. However, in most cases there is always something players could be doing. It could be as simple as a game of table tennis, which will keep the players reflexes and eye/hand co-ordination sharp.

For obvious reasons, most of the drills for injured players in this section allow for them to be stationary and to work within their individual limitations. It is also vital that all injured players are supervised when doing ball work, as players become over enthusiastic and will always test their injuries at the worst possible times. Players, who have been inactive for a length of time, will become fatigued quickly and as a result the risk of further or new injuries is greater.

The first consideration must always be for the type of injury the player has. Where possible, separate players into groups, so they are all capable of similar work. Also be mindful of players with soft tissue injuries. Select drills that are going to give these players touch work for ball control rather than using drills to enhance fitness.
At the start of training, set up your warm up and short hands drill sessions to cater for some of these injured players. In the early part of training, it is possible to set up a working grid, where players work in lanes to handball, short kick or work at ground level. Try setting up one lane with different coloured cones for injured players and modify their tasks accordingly. Remember to keep the intensity out of training these players until you are sure that they are capable of completing it without risk of injury.

Challenge the players mentally rather than physically in these sessions. It is important to get them thinking and making decisions. It may be as simple as three players in a triangle. Two players have footballs and they alternate passing the ball to the third player, looking to put him under pressure. If the receiving player has a ball kicked to him, he must handball back. If he receives a handball, he must kick it back. Encourage the players to vary the ways in which the ball is given and also encourage them to speed up the play when the receiving player needs extra pressure.

Please ensure you have Adobe Flash Player installed to watch the videos provided with this training presentation. You can download the Flash Player here if required.

The Warm Up

This can be the least motivating and most undesirable part of training for the footballer. However it is an area requiring structure and thought if coaches are to help their players improve their running technique.

The warm up must prepare the players to a level where high speed activities can be performed. The warm up should begin with slow running or an activity that uses the larger muscle groups of the body.

Once the warm up has been completed, then a series of running drills can be performed to teach the players how to run correctly. Some of the drills are as follows:

Drill Guidelines

Each drill should be performed over 20 metres, before each drill each player should:

• Lean forward slightly – place shoulders in front of hips.
• ” Stand Tall ” throughout the drill.
• Contract their stomach and flatten their back.
• Relax through the shoulders and upper body.
• While running keep the head still and eyes looking forward.

You should continually re-inforce these messages to your players whilst they are undertaking each drill to ensure they are completed correctly.

Browse to the next page for the first of our suggested running drills which covers, High Knees Marching / Skipping / Running.

A crucial aspect to all your players and especially the hard running midfield. A proper running technique will help your players avoid injury and reduce fatigue and increase speed.

Video to follow shortly.

FITNESS & REHABILITATION CO-ORDINATOR

Job descriptions are essential. Job descriptions are required for recruitment so that you (Coach)and the applicants can understand the role. Job descriptions are necessary for all people in work & sport. A job description defines a person’s role and accountability. Without a job description it is not possible for a person to properly commit to, or be held accountable for, a role. Pass this document onto the Fitness/Rehab Coach.

JOB DESCRIPTION (General)
FITNESS & REHABILITATION CO-ORDINATOR

DUTIES

Responsible to the Senior Coach and the Football Manager

Take part or all of the Senior squad for fitness training, including the implementation of a weights program ( in consultation with the Senior Coach, with respect to the overall training program)

Assist the Senior Coach with the conduct of the training session, where this is possible.(if this doesn’t conflict with the above)

Organise and conduct training and rehabilitation exercise programs for all injured players (ie players unable to participate in the full training sessions as planned by the Senior Coach)

Report to the Senior Coach on the fitness of injured players (ie on progress and when they are likely to resume playing)

Conduct fitness tests (where necessary) on injured players, as they recover from their injuries to the point where they appear ready to play

To support at all times the attitudes impressed upon the players by the Senior Coach

Take pre game warm ups with individual players (coming back from injury) and the team

Alert the players to any special requirements they may need to attend to for the day (eg extra emphasis on fluid replacement on hot days)

Improve the education and understanding of the players in relation to the following areas
Nutrition
A healthy diet
Pre Game
During Game
Post Game
Fluids
Weekly
Pre Game
During Game
Post Game
Exercises
Correct & Incorrect
Training Programs

Supply copies of player programs and test results to the Senior Coaches
and other Coaches as required

Ensure that interchange players jog and stretch every 10 minutes to stay warm and ready for action

During the half time break, ensure that the players warm up again prior to the commencement of the 3rd quarter

At all times support and reflect the club/team image.

Warmup Stretching.

Take your time (which will save you time) and stretch properly as this is the prevention for soft tissue injury.

Generally 20/30 secs each side with 3 reps.

Power running, sprint, jog Players work in groups of 3 – 4. It is important to make sure players are well stretched or build into the running drill slowly.

fartlek-type.pps

DEFINITIONS:

A. MUSCULAR STRENGTH – the force a muscle, or muscle group, can exert against a resistance in one maximal effort.

B. MUSCULAR ENDURANCE – the ability of a muscle, or muscle group, to perform repeated contractions against a lighter load over a period of time.

C POWER – the ability to move one’s body or part thereof, over a distance in a short period of time.

D. MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS:

i. Isotonic (concentric) – the muscle shortens at the same resistance, over the full range of motion, with the tension varying.

ii. Isotonic (eccentric) – the muscle lengthens during its contraction and usually occurs when resiting gravity.

iii. Isometric – the muscle does not lengthen during contraction whilst the tension develops.

iv. Isokinetic – the tension developed by the muscle as it shortens, is maximal over all joint angles: Nautilis machines are designed to achieve this.

GUIDELINES

1. The purpose of the program is to improve your condition as an individual.

i You only compete with yourself, no-one else.

ii Liaise with the supervisors before making increments to your program.

iii Desist from an activity that causes pain, and report this or any injury to your supervisor.

2. Safety is paramount.

i Avoid injuries by using equipment as instructed and not leaving equipment where it may cause an accident and injury.

ii. On some exercises, e.g. bench press, use a partner as a spotter.

iii. Do not hold your breath when performing exercises; count out your petitions.

iv. Usually, exhale on effort.

v. Maintain correct postural and/or body form when doing exercises.

GUIDELINES

3. Warm up exercises usually of a free standing nature for 10′ to 15′ are to be undertaken by all players. This will:

i. Increase blood flow to the muscle groups and generally prepare the body for what is to follow

ii. Allow for neural patterning, i.e. getting the brain to direct the muscle group into a movement pattern similar or the same as what will be undertaken under load.
4. Accurately record your exercise details down after you complete each specific exercise on your program sheet.

5. As a general, rule to elicit better results you should look at making a commitment to do your program at least 3 times a week; e.g.Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. For those who can only commit to 2 nights, preferably this should be on alternate nights.

6. We may look at doing 2 to 4 sets of 3 to 15 repetitions of a specific exercise with 1′ to 2′ rest between sets, over the duration of the program, depending on individual goals and abilities, etc.

7. The sessional duration of the program will be approximately one hour. It would be desirable for players to begin in the first or second hour of each session due to logistics of numbers, equipment available and room sizes. However this is somewhat flexible.

The night before a big game.

The night before a big sporting event requires extra effort to ensure plenty of carbohydrate is eaten and fluid intake has been sufficient to ensure a good state of hydration. Often this happens on a Friday night when busy families are pushed for time and spare energy. If so, keep the food simple and use convenient canned and frozen foods and packaged foods like noodles, pasta and rice to supplement fresh products to produce healthy fitness foods, fast.

Thinking ahead and having foods pre-prepared will ease the pressure and help the family achieve a great performance all round. This is the time for carbohydrates, some protein foods and plenty of nourishing drinks. (Remind the
children that these are the same foods their AFL heroes eat the night before a big game.)

On the day.

Select a combination from the following foods to make a nutritious breakfast
● cereal with low fat milk and or yogurt
● toast
● spaghetti or baked beans
● eggs; low fat cheese
● juice or fruit

Breakfast should be eaten at least two hours before activity commences to keep your child feeling satisfied and well fuelled. But if your child gets hungry again up to one hour before starting exercise, allow a small low-fat snack.
If you have to travel long distances or need to make an early start before a game, pack some breakfast-on-the-run foods including flavoured milk drinks; cereal bars; bread rolls with spread; juice; fruit bars; canned or fresh fruit or a fruit bun. Or use a prepared liquid meal to allow your footballer to eat at a more
suitable time.
The best foods to serve at breakfast are those your children are used to eating and are quick and easy to prepare and eat – minimise fuss. Low fibre foods, like nourishing drinks, could be best for breakfast if your child gets an upset tummy due to “nerves” before a game.
Otherwise foods that are rich sources of carbohydrate, yet low in fat, are best eaten at the pre-game meal which is usually breakfast.
Remember to encourage your children to drink fluids at this time. The best drinks for breakfast are low fat milk, juice, and plenty of water.
One to two cups should be enough.
Breakfast Ideas

Cereal with fat reduced milk , fruit and yogurt plus glass of juice
Toast with a scrape of butter or margarine, fat reduced cheese and tomato with a glass of milk
Spaghetti on toast with a fruit milkshake
Scrambled egg with cheese and tomato, toast and a glass of juice
Banana and peanut butter on toast with a flavoured milk drink
Baked beans with fat reduced grated cheese on toast with fruit and a glass of milk
Canned spaghetti on toast, yogurt and a glass of fruit juice
Canned fruit with yogurt; toast and spread with a glass of milk
Fruit or English muffins with a scrape of spread and honey or jam and a fruit smoothie
Pancakes with honey and a glass of milk
Crumpets with honey, a tub of yogurt and a glass of flavoured milk or juice

Always pack two drink bottles per child – one for water and the other with sports drink.
Also take a top up supply of cooled water, juice poppers and flavoured fluids if it will be a long day.
Between each game (at carnivals) a snack containing 40 – 50 g of carbohydrate will help boost energy levels and prevent hunger for junior footballers.
Each of these Energy Boosters provides approximately 50 g of carbohydrate. It’s always a good idea to encourage some food with fluids, if time permits, between games.

At the oval.

Don’t rely on the canteen or nearest shops to supply foods and drinks over the day, as healthy choices are not always available.
Be prepared by packing your own supplies of food and drinks in an esky or cooler bag.

GO!

Energy Boosters
Flavoured milk or a liquid meal tetrapak (e.g.Sustagen)
1 bottle (600 mL) sports drink or prepared sports cordial

A snack pack of canned fruit with a juice popper 50 g packet of jelly confectionery with water

Jam or honey sandwich with a juice popper
1 piece of fruit or 1 packet sultanas with 300 mL sports cordial

Bread roll with banana and water
1 low fat cereal bar with a juice popper or flavoured milk

1 fruit bun with a juice popper

2 large pikelets with jam or honey plus a snack pack canned fruit

Fruit muffin – try the easy fruit muffin packet mixes – with a juice popper or water
Fluid intake on the day

In the half hour prior to their game, aim to get your child to drink about 1 cup of water or sports drink.
Cool fluids need to be made available to all players at frequent intervals during each game.
Most junior games are played over 40 to 60 minutes broken into 10, 12 or 15 minute quarters. So aim for an intake of at least ½ cup – with the oranges – at each break. This equates to a couple of “good mouthfuls”.
During a carnival, keeping up fluid intake between games is very important as some children may end up playing three or four games through the day. This is hard work and they need to top up with food and fluids to keep performing at their best.
Some players will obviously need more fluids than others so keep a check on how your child is feeling. If they are starting to look or feel hot, push the fluids a little more.
Early or later in the season children will need to be reminded to drink more frequently as the weather may be warm. As winter creeps in, their fluid losses will lessen but it is even more important to remind them to drink, as they often won’t feel thirsty despite being dehydrated.
Immediately after their game (or training) encourage kids to drink the rest of their bottle (at least 500 mL). Sports drinks and water are best during and after long sessions of activity and are especially important during a carnival where children may play several games in succession.
Sports drinks and sports cordials have been proven to be useful in recovery as they assist fluid and electrolyte replacement. Also, it has been shown that children will drink more if the fluid is flavoured – vary the flavours to avoid taste fatigue.

After the game

Recovery after each day’s game or training session is essential to maintain your child’s best performance – especially over consecutive days at a carnival.

Recovery snacks and fluids should be
● Started within 30 minutes of finishing exercise
● High in carbohydrate with a little protein
● Quick and easy to prepare and eat
● Available at the venue if it takes a long time to get home.

Junior footballers will be playing on cold, bleak winter mornings and often look for something warm to eat after their game. Some winter-warming nourishing snack ideas can be found overleaf.

Quickly prepared dishes
Mince in Minutes
Tuna Temptation
Hunger Buster Burgers
Chicken Wraps
Pineapple Chicken Stirfry
Tropical Rice Delight
Pineapple sago
Ideal for reheating
Logan’s Lasagne
Winter Casserole
Sweet Lamb Curry
Potato Power
Hearty Minestrone
Pinwheels
Fruit Muffins

The night after a big day of footie

Coping with tired, hungry footballers at the end of a long day can be challenging for any parent. The temptation to line up at a fast food outlet can be great and pressure from the children can make it even harder to resist.
Of course, takeaway foods can be enjoyed as an occasional treat but generally try to limit to special occasions rather than every weekend!
You may not be in the habit of having a meal ready at home but with the help of some ideas from the cookbook and remembering to use
“convenience foods” from the supermarket, it will be possible! It will also save the family time and money and certainly improve the nutritional value of the meal.
One solution is to have food already prepared in the fridge or freezer – only needing reheating while showers happen.
Have a selection of fresh, canned, packaged and frozen foods on hand to prepare home cooked “Fast Food”. You will find the following quick and easy to prepare recipes in
Fast Food for Active Families
as well as some suitable to prepare in advance for a quick reheat when you get home.
Winter Warmers

Savoury jaffles with a milkshake
A serve of canned soup with toast and a glass of milk
Pancakes with syrup and warmed flavoured milk
A quick pasta snack with juice
Crumpets with ‘lite’ cheese or honey and juice
Low fat minute noodles with a hot milk drink
A toasted sandwich with juice
Or try these winter warmers from our cookbook Fast Food for Active Families.
Hearty Minestrone – vegetables, nourishing beans & rice served with crusty bread and a glass of juice
Pinwheels – spirals filled with tasty mince and cheese to enjoy with canned tomato soup
Mince Muffins – tasty, beefy mini muffins with a hot milk drink
Mexi Balls – meaty mouthfuls with just enough spices for kids with a banana
smoothie

HOT TIPS TO STAY COOL

How to avoid overheating and ensure adequate fluid intake.
Running out of fuel is often not the main problem for junior footballers, but getting
overheated is a very real possibility for active kids and will impair their
performance.
● Children should always have their own water bottle on hand or in the
team drink crate, to sip from during the game and at breaks in play.

● Keep fluids cool – not a problem in winter – and have a mix of water and
flavoured drinks such as sports drink, or sports cordial, to encourage greater
intake during and after activity.

● Fluid loss will vary from game to game depending on a child’s involvement in
the action and the environmental conditions.
Be prepared to compensate for extra losses if your child is overheating.

● Remind children not to wait until they are thirsty before they start to drink! By
then they will already be starting to dehydrate and possibly overheating.

● Discourage your footballer from using carbonated drinks before, during and
immediately after exercise as they can upset the stomach and reduce their desire
to drink. (Bloating can be a problem and means they will get too full before they
drink a sufficient volume).

● It is not suitable for active children to be using high caffeine drinks before, during or after sport. Discourage intake of tea, coffee, cola drinks and the new age ‘energy’ drinks that contain large amounts of caffeine. These are definitely
not recommended for junior athletes.

● Monitor drinks hygiene. Encourage your footballer to adopt healthy habits when
drinking from a shared bottle. It is preferred that kids get into the habit of
taking their own bottle but if they forget, their lips should not touch any part of a
shared bottle. Teach them how to squirt or use a chin sipper bottle to get the
water into their mouth.

● Sports drinks are an excellent source of energy and fluid during and after activity.
But encourage your footballer to drink flavoured fluids through a straw to direct the fluid to the back and avoid swishing round the mouth.

WARNING SIGNS FOR DEHYDRATION

Know the warning signs for dehydration. If a child shows any of the following signs it would be best for them to take some time out to rest and take in fluids.

● dizziness and light-headedness

● muscle cramps

● nausea and headache

After games you will know if your child has not drunk enough if any of these signs are noticed:
● dark urine and infrequent urination

● dry mouth and throat

● a feeling of extreme heat which remains after a cool down time
Supplied by Sports Dietitians Australia with our sincere thanks and gratitude.
Ruth Logan BSc, Grad Dip Nut & Diet (SA), APD

Ruth is a member of Sports Dietitians Australia and Dietitians Association of Australia