Initial planning considerations Performance and fitness needs (individual, team) Schedule of events/competitions Climate and season

Initial Planning Considerations The initial planning considerations for improving performance focus on the specific sport of the athlete/s. The sport is broken down in order to identify specific components of fitness that are more fundamental to the particular sport. These components of fitness then become the focus for planning training programs as they must be developed in both the individual and the team. Some sports have different positions, with different fitness requirements, thus a focus on the individual is also needed. Furthermore, sports and positions within them have specific performance requirements, and some have specific skill sets that need to be developed. For example, in netball a goal defender does not need to be a great shooter.

In addition to the performance and fitness needs the type of competition needs to be analysed. Some sports have a six (6) month period of competition, followed by an off season (e.g. cricket), while other sports have a small number of major competitions at various times and locations throughout the year (e.g. tennis). The schedule of events/competition needs to be examines in the initial planning considerations for improved performance. Finally the climate and season the competitions will be played in or on should be considered. Cricket is a summer sport and is played for long periods of time in the heat, while AFL is a winter sport. These sports have different planning considerations simply because of the weather, not just because they are different sports. It is important to note that the learn to focuses on the differences in initial planning considerations for elite athletes and recreational/amateur participants. As the content is discussed in detail, these differences will be highlighted.

Performance and fitness needs The performance and fitness needs considered when planning for improved performance are both sport and athlete specific. They are sport specific because the components of fitness should be relevant to the sport, and the performance requirements identify the skills and other components used in the sport needing development. They must be athlete specific so that each individual athlete improves for their specific role in competition and meet their own specific goals and starting points.

Sport specific performance and fitness needs The athlete’s sport should be broke down into its various components and the key components of fitness identified in order to become the focus in planning. Both the skill and health related components of fitness should be identified, so that training can focus on those most relevant to the sport. For example, a triathlete would need to focus on their cardiovascular fitness, while a 100m sprinter should focus on reaction time and power. In team sports, the sport specific performance and fitness needs are essentially the performance and fitness needs of the team. So that an AFL team will all need good cardiovascular endurance, power, muscular endurance, coordination. The team will also have performance needs such as the ability to tackle well, kick accurately, and communicate effectively. These are all team performance and fitness needs. In addition to these, other team needs could include: tactics and strategy, leadership roles, training days etc.

Athlete specific performance and fitness needs Each athlete begins the training year with their own levels of fitness, injuries, and goals for the season. Individuals also have different roles in the teams strategies and tactics, as they often specialise in particular positions within the team. For example, a football striker needs to be fast, and fit, as well as co-ordinated. They need to have very accurate shooting skills and an ability to create space and make well timed runs that provide opportunities to score. A center back, on the other hand, does not need to have the same accuracy in shooting or the ability to make well timed runs. They need to be able to predict athlete’s movements, make effective tackles and perform accurate and effective passes.

Individual athletes will also have their own starting points and need to overcome their own injuries. They will have their own goals and methods of competition preparation. These are additional performance and fitness needs as the individual needs to ensure they regain any lost fitness and redevelop their performance needs. Individuals needs will also vary according to the athlete’s age and sex.

Elite and recreational/amateur differences Elite athletes will have much more detailed and higher level performance and fitness needs. They will complete a wider range of fitness and performance tests in order to determine their performance and fitness needs, which will require them to be at higher fitness and performance levels. For example, the elite athlete playing AFL may need to complete level 20 in the beep test and be able to take marks under pressure from opposition. The recreational/amateur participant would not complete as many tests and would often have more general low level performance and fitness needs compared to the elite athlete. For example, they may need to only achieve level 8 in a beep test, and want to work on their ability to catch and kick a ball with no pressure. They may only need to perform for 15 minutes and be happy to be regularly substituted off the field. Their goals may be to develop relationships and learn everyone's name, rather than be performance focused. Recreational/amateur participants would also not have detailed goals, broken down into sub goals.

Schedule of events/competitions When planning training programs an initial consideration will include the relevant schedule of events/competitions. In the creation of a training calendar or schedule, the first items that are included are usually when major events and competitions are held. This is because these are the times the athlete need to peak in their performance. Careful planning of training leading up to, during and after events/competitions is vital for an athlete to perform their best when it counts. It is no good having an athlete peak during the off or pre-seasons. Athlete’s need to be performing their best during competition and at major events. The schedule of events/competitions is used to guide the creation of a year or more long training program. The schedule of events/competitions will vary considerably between sports. Many sports, such as football, rugby, netball and cricket, have seasons that go for 6+ months with weekly competitions with finals at the end of the season.

Other sports, such as tennis, golf, and athletics, have a more varied season with competitions spread throughout the year. It is therefore, important that these are selected and schedules into the calendar before the training is planned. Furthermore, a single athlete may have a larger number of scheduled events/competitions than others. For example, a rugby league player in the NRL will have weekly competitions, but then may also play in major events such as the State of Origin, and international competitions, as well as playing in the rugby 9’s competition during pre-NRL season. In addition to this, the schedule should note the location of events, as many major events/competitions occur in different locations, both within a country and around the world.

Elite and recreational/amateur athletes different schedule of events/competitions Keeping a good schedule of events/competitions becomes more complex for elite athletes compared to recreational/amateur participants. Elite athletes have a larger array of events/competitions that they can compete in, including club, representative, state and international levels of competition. This means that the schedule of events/competitions is more vital for an elite athlete than an amateur or recreational athlete. Many recreational/amateur athletes do not make schedules of competition, they simply know when they care competing and turn up. They may not create any form of schedule or detailed training program around the schedule.

An example of this can be seen when comparing elite football players with recreational/amateur players. An elite football player would be playing in a national competition. We will use Australia as our base for this athlete, who plays in the A-League. This athlete may also have to compete in the Asian champions league and play for Australia in multiple international games, both friendlies and competitive matches, such as the Asian Cup or World Cup Qualifiers. These competitions all overlap with each other and form a complex matrix of events/competitions. Therefore, the need for a schedule is high.

Comparatively, the recreational/amateur player, registers for his local club with his mates, may not show up to training as it is not compulsory and only has to worry about the weekly weekend game. At the end of the season there might be a finals competition if the team qualifies. Therefore, it is clear that a schedule of events/competitions is more important and more complex for the elite compared to the recreational/amateur player.

Climate and Season Climate and season are an important aspect to be considered when planning training programs. Many sports have a season in which they are played. Football, for example, is played during the winter season in most locations, though in Australia our professional competition runs through the summer season. Cricket is another sport with such as season, running throughout summer. However, there are a number of sports that do not have specific seasons, such as tennis and golf. These sports have various major competitions throughout the year, and do not focus on specific seasons.

As an initial planning consideration climate and season is important because it determines the type of environmental conditions in which the sport will be played. Cricket is often played in the heat of summer, while rugby is played during the colder months of winter. The climate and season then affect how to best prepare for the sport. A sport played in summer, should be prepared for by training in the heat with summer like conditions. Furthermore, the various climates also need to be considered. Is the sport being played in Melbourne or Townsville? Each location has a different climate, and should be prepared for in a similar climate. Considerations concerning climate may also include the altitude the sport competition is played at, or which area of the world. Tennis competitions are held at various locations around the world, each requiring specific preparation according to the climate and season where the competition is held. There is a similar situation around athletics, world cups and Olympic competitions.

Elite and recreational/amateur differences The elite athlete will have to consider a wider range of climates and seasons in their planning. The elite athlete will have to travel around the country for their national competition and around the world for the international competitions. This travel moves them into different climates and seasons, depending on the location. For example, a professional football player, may have a regular competition in England, compete in the Europa cup, but then be required to travel to Asia or Australia for international competitions. The recreational/amateur participant does not have the same issues. These athletes do not travel large distances and only have to consider the climate and season at the local level where they play. For example, the recreational netball player, will often train and play in the same locations every week throughout the season. The climate may change with the weather, but it will not have the same amount of variation as an elite player has to adapt to.