I don’t work with soccer but I have an interest in proper training methods for many sports.
I’d be interested to see general recommendations by some of the experienced coaches around here as to how they would train a top level guy with the two months available in the off-season. Of course that means, as has been mentioned by a number of you, that maybe only a month of training-give or take a week or two- could be realistically done as they need more down time after 10 consecutive months of playing.
The other scenario is where the collegiate player is involved so naturally much more time to train would be available.
Nothing too detailed as I know that would take quite a bit of time but possibly a brief template or overview and for someone training the lower level player, how the training would transition during the training year as the player neared their season.
I met a brilliant massage therapist in Spain back in 2007 when I was working with Benicio Del Toro when he was shooting “Che”. We stayed at this therapist’s lodgings in the Spanish countryside for two weeks. He was the primary massage therapist for Miguel Indurain. We had very interesting discussions in French (I didn’t know Spanish and he didn’t know English) about recovery, regeneration and rehab using only the “hands” as the primary tool. In every country, I’m sure there are a handful of great craftsmen.
Jamirok, it depends on the people.
It’s too broad a classification to put complete countries in.
Some teams are open to therapies, but most/many are not.
It all comes down to the attitude of the head person - whether in a organization or team setting.
In most cases it ends up very much rehab focused as most guys who want to do something usually are coming to rehab or prehab an injury.
They will also sometimes want to do a lot of running like 800’s or 200’s because they know that’s what they’ll do on day 1 when they go back to training and they need to be ready for it.
I’d never do any running of significance with them, unless I was rehabbing a knee injury and was looking at running mechanics and/or for movement pattern breakdown.
But generally you’d work on strength training, body control and regeneration.
Probably in reverse order actually. these guys have had such a long season, recovery and regeneration is the most important thing.
Once you have them back or rather if you have them back to the point where they have no restrictions or limitations, do you train them in the ideal fashion with what you believe to be best or must you cater to what they know they will be doing when they come back?
I guess if you had enough time, which you obviously don’t with the top guys, there has to be more of a concession to what they will have inflicted upon them when back with their team?
If you had an athlete over a longer period of time would you just train them the way you knew to be best which would likely leave them performing better during the “less than ideal” training they must do when they return to their teams?
Always prepare the athlete to play the game, not to be ready for training. You must explain that to the player too though.
Occasionally you have to prepare them - or bullet-proof them for team pre-season training.
Yes, if you train a player for 6 weeks at dominoes but when they go back to the team and they perform better - the coaches or the player don’t care - they just want the player playing well in matches.
Carretta. I think that Armstrong has a full team, more than one for each “category”. But he has worked with Armstrong at least since 2003 (maybe he is still with him, last year he was for sure).
I’m pretty disappointed in Armstrong’s showing at this years Tour, I’m a massive fan. Hes certainly had some shady coaches in his career that is for sure.
Sure, maybe someone will be claiming to be his dentist. Jokes aside, the therapist has a strong connection with the Texan, it started because one of his clients was running with Armstrong, you know how it happens. You can also find some information online (I don’t throw names randomly, like the Davies man).
Hmmm … I know where you’re coming from, but he knows A LOT about the real truth behind Armstrong - more than you or I know - and I think he’s just been saying for years what others don’t want to say or are scared to say.
LeMond himself is an honorable guy.
Ok, I do agree he’s probably a little bitter, but Armstrong is not the Knight everyone thinks either.