Physical Fitness - Adult GAA Award 2 Course

GAA Award 2 – Physical Fitness Outcomes By the end of this Module participants will be able to: Review the Award 1 Physical Fitness material Identify the Principles of Training and FITT Principle and how they relate to coaches Identify how to develop Physical Fitness as part of an overall training programme Identify how to conduct an assessment of Physical Fitness as part of an overall training programme Interpret Physical Fitness data individually for each player, and collectively for the team Develop a component of Physical Fitness with and/or without the ball Tutor Notes: Outcomes to be achieved in this module. Presentation title in footer

The OTú Model – Physical Fitness What do we mean by Physical Fitness? The ability to perform the underlying techniques of the game and to respond quickly to the signs, sounds and signals experienced during the game. Tutor Notes – Tutor Led Discussion (Can use Group Work etc) Tutor to ask what we mean by Physical Fitness? Use Definition – ‘The ability to perform the underlying techniques of the game and to respond quickly to the signs, sounds and signals experienced during the game.’ Fitness is about being able to perform the various tasks repeatedly. Tutor Further Information: The physical demands of Gaelic games have increased dramatically in the last 15 years. On average players cover a distance of 10km per game, moving at a variety of different speeds, in numerous directions and over both long and short distances. Develop Physical Fitness for Youth Players must take this into account and prepare players for the game that they will be playing. Skill Development

Components of Physical Fitness for Gaelic Games Sleep Sleep Speed Speed Endurance Power Suppleness Tutor Notes: Review of the components of physical fitness for Gaelic Games Speed Stamina – Endurance Strength Suppleness – Flexibility These are not discrete areas, there is a cross over between each: Muscular Endurance is the combination of strength and stamina Power is the combination of speed and strength Speed Endurance is the combination of speed and stamina All surrounded by Sleep – Recovery and Rest. Portrayed as 5 S’s to help with remembering them. To play Gaelic games, players need to have some of each of these. Too much of one to the neglect of others will result in an unbalanced player. Further info on each of these components in the manual. Stamina Strength Muscular Endurance Sleep Sleep 4

Game Demands (Discuss in groups) What are the physical demands of our games? Group Distance Covered High Intensity Midfield 10000m 4800m Half Back 9000m 4200m Half Forward 8500m 4300m Full Back 7500m 2900m Full Forward 7000m 2700m Tutor Notes: Group work, allow the participants to discuss the physical demands of our Games. Encourage the participants to discuss the averages as identified above and how this might relate to training sessions. Tutor to emphasise that this relates to the adult game at inter county level. Interesting to note the overall distance travelled (Tutors to emphasise that this encompasses walking, jogging, striding and sprinting in that order)

What criteria are important when trying to develop physical fitness in Gaelic Games? Game Duration Recovery Opportunities Distance Covered Game Context Directional Aspects of Movement Play Duration Tutor Notes: Tutor led discussion. Tutors to ask participants to identify important criteria to consider when trying to develop Physical Fitness in Gaelic games. These are some of the factors. Collate feedback on flip charts. Participants to identify why each criteria is important and how it relates to training sessions. Intensity of Movement Position Specific Requirements

Questions How fit do our players have to be to play? If we don’t know the demands of the game – then how do we know how much is enough?? Yet the 1st component to be blamed when we lose – fitness!! Tutor Notes: Tutor led discussion: How much is enough? Put away the balls and we’ll do a bit of training!! Whats the 1st component to be blamed when you lose – fitness!! I’ll sort them out!! Give them an extra bit just to make sure!! So do you know how fit they have to be? 7

Game Demands - Conclusions What are the important fitness components for Gaelic Games 1 2 3 Tutor Notes: Tutors to ask participants whether this is correct. What order would participants put each of the components? Tutor to emphasise that because of the repeated nature of the games that speed, agility, power and the ability to repeat these activities a number of times is extremely important in gaelic games.

Training History Adult players will have a training history! The number of years that a player has been involved in deliberate physical fitness training has been called the ‘Training Age’ How does it affect your training plan if a player has a 10 year training age, against another player with a 2 year training age? Tutor Notes: Tutor Led Discussion. How does the training age of a player affect the training plan? Tutor to tease out whether players with longer training history should engage in the same training programmes as those players with shorter training history (and vice versa?) 9 Skill Development 9

The Principles of Training There are principles that guide us as coaches in the development of physical fitness. In pairs discuss the terms below and how they would impact on your training plan. Individual Differences Specificity Adaptation Progression Overload Recovery Reversibility Tutor Notes: Group Work. Groups to identify their understanding of the Principles. Compare and contrast results of group work with the below: Individual Differences - Everyone is NOT created equal from a physical standpoint. Players are different, will have different needs and requirements. A one size fits all approach is not appropriate. Specificity - You train for the game that you are playing! Also to develop a particular fitness component, perform exercises specifically designed for that component. Adaptation - The human body adjusts to meet increasing demands placed on it Progression - Placing increasing amounts of stress on the body causes adaptations that improve fitness. Progression should be gradual and sustained. Overload -  A greater than normal stress or load must be placed on the body for training adaptation to take place. Recovery – Adequate recovery is required to ensure adaptation. Exercising breaks the body down, but it recovers stronger than it was prior to exercise – the combination of overload and recovery results in increases in fitness. Reversibility - Fitness improvements are lost when demands on the body are lowered. If players stop exercising, up to 50% of fitness improvements are lost within 2 months How do these principles of training apply to other areas of the OTú model? Are these restricted to Physical Fitness only? 10 Skill Development 10

Discuss how each aspect of F.I.T.T. can be modified to affect training The F.I.T.T. Principle The F.I.T.T. Principle training help organise training F Frequency – frequency of training I Intensity – the intensity of training T Time – the length of time spent training, or on an aspect of training T Type – the type of training undertaken (Activities etc) Tutor Notes: Tutor Led Discussion: F Frequency – frequency of training How many training sessions are conducted per week etc I Intensity – the intensity of training How intense are the sessions? Higher intensity sessions should be shorter, lower intensity sessions may be longer A good measure of intensity is Heart Rate. Ask the participants to measure their own current hear rate T Time – the length of time spent training, or on an aspect of training Very much linked to intensity. It is not possible for players to work at maximum intensity for very long – time is proportionate to intensity For both intensity and time, coaches should beware that technique can often be sacrificed in an effort to ensure intensity T Type – the type of training undertaken (Activities etc) Which of the components of fitness are being worked, is the session technically based, tactically based or a team play session etc Discuss how each aspect of F.I.T.T. can be modified to affect training 11 11

Assessing Physical Fitness Why should coaches be concerned with assessing Physical Fitness levels? What are the benefits of assessing Physical Fitness? What criteria are important when selecting which Physical Fitness test to conduct? What criteria are important to conducting Physical Fitness testing? Are there other ways to assess Physical Fitness without specific tests? As a coach what do you need to be mindful of when interpreting Physical Fitness results? Tutor Notes: Group Work: Tutor to divide participants into 6 groups to discuss one of the questions and report back to the main group. Tutor to refer to the Award 2 manual for more information and summary. Allow 10 minutes to discuss and 30 minutes for reporting back to the main group and reviewing. 12

Assessing Physical Fitness Interpreting Physical Fitness Assessments Relative Importance of each test to performance in Gaelic games Comparison to norms Significance of any improvement/ disimprovement from previous tests Communicating Results to Players How should coaches communicate Physical Fitness assessments to their players? Interpreting and Communicating Results to Players How do the results of Physical Fitness assessments affect future training plans? Tutor Notes: Tutor Led Discussion: Tutor to tease out the issues relating to interpreting results and communicating the results to players. Also identify how the results gathered will affect future training programmes. Allow 20 minutes to discuss. 13

Assessing Physical Fitness Looking at each Component of Physical Fitness – Speed, Strength, Stamina, Suppleness: T Test – test of agility Push Up Test – test of upper body strength Vertical Jump – test of power Bleep Test/Yo Yo Intermittent Test – test of endurance 20m Sprint – test of speed Sit and Reach Test – test of suppleness Tutor Notes: Practical Session. Tutor to demonstrate how each of the Physical Fitness assessment tests outlined above are conducted. Protocols for each test are outlined in the Award 2 manual. Allow 45 minutes for this section. A series of results from Physical Fitness tests are contained in the Logbook. Part of the module assessment is for participants to review and interpret the results outlined in the logbook, and identify how the results will affect future training programmes. To be completed off course. 14

Using the physical fitness assessment results: Identify the requirement for that component within Gaelic games Identify the training need based on the data presented Identify how you might develop that component within your training programme (with and without the ball) Tutor Notes: Tutor to provide the data for the physical fitness assessments. Challenge participants to interpret the results and: Identify the requirement for that component within Gaelic games Identify the training need based on the data presented Identify how you might develop that component within your training programme (with and without the ball) 15

Physical Fitness Assessment Summary Ensure that players are adequately warmed up prior to beginning any testing protocol The order the tests are performed in is important: Any height and weight assessments should be performed as players arrive; Consider whether performing one test will negatively impact upon the performance of the next – will a strength test impact on the performance of a speed test etc Tests of speed etc should be conducted before tests of endurance Tutor Notes: Some summary information regarding physical fitness tests 16

Physical Fitness Assessment Summary Repeatability is key: the same protocol is maintained when re-testing; All the same equipment is used; The same order of tests is used; The same facility, where possible is used; The testing session is at the same time of day; & Players have had a similar build up to test day with regard to training load over previous 2-3 days etc. Coaches can only take useful info from fitness tests if repeat tests are carried out under similar conditions to the initial test. Tutor Notes: Some summary information regarding physical fitness tests 17

Physical Fitness Assessment Summary Preparation The effectiveness of physical fitness assessment is enhanced by good planning: Prepare recording sheets to note the results - including players names; Ensure you will have sufficient support to record results / oversee tests (4-5 people); identify at least 1 person to record the results of each test Check the testing equipment in advance to ensure it is properly calibrated. Try to identify ‘norms’ for the assessment results to compare Tutor Notes: Some summary information regarding physical fitness tests 18

Physical Fitness – Practical Session Looking at each Component of Physical Fitness – Speed, Strength, Stamina, Suppleness: Identify the requirement for that component in Gaelic games Identify how you might develop that component within your training programme (with and without the ball) Tutor Notes: Tutor to deliver model of activity to develop Speed, Strength, Stamina and Suppleness with and/or without the ball in a field based session. Participants to coach 20 minute session on the development of a component of fitness both with and without the ball. Tutor to debrief participants on their coaching demonstration. 19

GAA Award 2 – Physical Fitness Outcomes Review By the end of this Module participants will be able to: Review the Award 1 Physical Fitness material Identify the Principles of Training and FITT Principle and how they relate to coaches Identify how to develop Physical Fitness as part of an overall training programme Identify how to conduct an assessment of Physical Fitness as part of an overall training programme Interpret Physical Fitness data individually for each player, and collectively for the team Develop a component of Physical Fitness with and/or without the ball Tutor Notes: Outcomes to be achieved in this module. 20 Presentation title in footer 20

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