Taking the right steps: learning to move better to play better

COACHES' CORNER: LIAM HENNESSYand JIM KILTYreckon it is important for an athlete to train how to move well, a relatively new concept in team sport training

THIS WEEK we will continue to examine the physical demands made by some of our main sports in Ireland, and look at Gaelic games. Knowing the demands of your sport is important because they inform you on two key points for planning physical training - the movements required and the energy system you need to train.

In addition, by knowing the common activities and movement patterns found in your sport at a higher level than you are currently participating at, you will be able to set your fitness targets at a higher level.

The demands of Gaelic games: Gaelic games are in many ways similar to soccer in that the higher the level of play, the greater the physical demands. Recent studies show the Gaelic footballer and hurler at the highest level can cover approximately 10 to 13 kilometres in a game.

But when we look closely at how this distance is covered, it is very interesting to note that most of it is spent walking or jogging, just as in soccer.

Table One summarises the activities the player completes in a typical intercounty game. The position of the player will also influence the activity he engages in. For example, midfield players will cover more ground running than the inside backs and forwards in both hurling and Gaelic football.

Just like soccer, Gaelic games challenge the player to turn, twist, take and give tackles and change direction repeatedly.

A recent analysis of a two-minute section of the All-Ireland series in hurling showed a player accelerated and decelerated over 56 times in a two-minute period.

To become efficient at completing these activities over and over again in a game it is important to train how to move well. This is a relatively new concept in team sport training.

It involves understanding the many and varied movement patterns found in a game and building exercises, drills and conditioned games (games where the actual demands of the game are simulated in training) that will train the player to move better, and thus play better.

As an interesting aside, during the 2002 All-Ireland final, Kilkenny's Henry Shefflin, who was deemed one of the game's outstanding performers, had the ball in his possession for just 29 seconds.

Even more interestingly, a leading forward who scored three points from play in last year's All-Ireland hurling final had possession of the ball for only five seconds in all.

This tells us that while a lot of work is done off the ball by the player, when a player has the ball he may have very limited time to express his skills. Thus all players must realise the efficiency and speed of executing their skills are critical to achieving success.

These notes are contributed by Dr Liam Hennessy and Jim Kilty of Setanta College, of the institute of Strength and Conditioning Studies.