NETBALL TRAINING
For an athlete to have the highest chance of improvement, alongside a solid preparation for competition, every training session must be carefully planned out. Having an accurate and successful session is very important when referring to an athlete’s progress. To get the most out of the athlete, every session has to be specific in what part of their game is being developed and improved. For example, the athlete may need to focus on their footwork which would result in sessions being designed to specifically focus on footwork (Specificity training principle). Put simply, without training an athlete will not be able to perform to the best of their ability.
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Every training session, whether for an elite athlete or a beginner, follows the same structure. This structure is designed to help avoid injury, as well as helping to create a clear picture of what needs to be done. It goes as follows:
Session Introduction – Give your Athletes a brief on the goals and aims of the session. They will then know what they are working towards, and will have a higher chance of achievement.
Warm up – Warm up is designed to slowly ease the athlete’s muscles into the training session, to reduce the likely hood of injury. It should involve a range of movements that stretch all parts of the body, and increase body temperature (Anon, 2015). A warm up should begin with low intensity, before gradually increase in intensity to end is some sprints or something similar, to ensure the athlete is ready for a high intensity session.
Games/skills/fitness activities – This is the main part of the session. The athlete should participate in activities specifically designed to work on the fitness components and energy systems required during their sport. These activities should be serious, but also designed in such a way that increases enthusiasm and motivation.
Cool down – Cool down is performed at the end of every session and is designed to allow athlete’s a chance to stretch their muscles. A slow jog/walk should be performed during the cool down to help remove the lactic acid from the muscles (Anon, 2015). Because the cool down helps prevent muscle soreness, the recovery time for the athlete will be much shorter. This means that the turnaround between sessions will be quicker.
Review – At the end of each session the athletes should discuss what they have learnt within the session, and whether or not they achieved their desired goals. Encouragement is important during this review, especially if the goals have not been reached. This encouragement will then act as motivation for the next session.
(Anon, 2015)
For the session to be fully successful, the principles of training must also be incorporated into the above structure. The principles of training are designed to get the most out of every sessions. They include the principles of specificity, overload and variety. According to TeachPe.com (Walden, 2015) specificity is defined as the training of specific fitness and skill components, and energy systems specific to a chosen sport. Incorporating specificity into a session ensures that the session has a purpose, specifically designed for the athlete in relation to their sport. For example, a focus on passing technique in relation to Netball. The principle of overload states that “In order for a muscle to increase strength, it must be gradually stressed by working against a load greater than it is used to” (Quinn, 2014). Overload can be achieved through changing the frequency, the intensity level and the duration of the session, as well as altering the type of training and the difficulty level. The training principle of variety is also essential in creating interesting, and successful training programs. Adding variety to a session motivates the athlete, creates enthusiasm and them interested in reaching the ultimate goal of reaching peak performance. Incorporating these principles will ensure that the athlete receives the most out of each session (Moody, 2010).
Session Introduction – Give your Athletes a brief on the goals and aims of the session. They will then know what they are working towards, and will have a higher chance of achievement.
Warm up – Warm up is designed to slowly ease the athlete’s muscles into the training session, to reduce the likely hood of injury. It should involve a range of movements that stretch all parts of the body, and increase body temperature (Anon, 2015). A warm up should begin with low intensity, before gradually increase in intensity to end is some sprints or something similar, to ensure the athlete is ready for a high intensity session.
Games/skills/fitness activities – This is the main part of the session. The athlete should participate in activities specifically designed to work on the fitness components and energy systems required during their sport. These activities should be serious, but also designed in such a way that increases enthusiasm and motivation.
Cool down – Cool down is performed at the end of every session and is designed to allow athlete’s a chance to stretch their muscles. A slow jog/walk should be performed during the cool down to help remove the lactic acid from the muscles (Anon, 2015). Because the cool down helps prevent muscle soreness, the recovery time for the athlete will be much shorter. This means that the turnaround between sessions will be quicker.
Review – At the end of each session the athletes should discuss what they have learnt within the session, and whether or not they achieved their desired goals. Encouragement is important during this review, especially if the goals have not been reached. This encouragement will then act as motivation for the next session.
(Anon, 2015)
For the session to be fully successful, the principles of training must also be incorporated into the above structure. The principles of training are designed to get the most out of every sessions. They include the principles of specificity, overload and variety. According to TeachPe.com (Walden, 2015) specificity is defined as the training of specific fitness and skill components, and energy systems specific to a chosen sport. Incorporating specificity into a session ensures that the session has a purpose, specifically designed for the athlete in relation to their sport. For example, a focus on passing technique in relation to Netball. The principle of overload states that “In order for a muscle to increase strength, it must be gradually stressed by working against a load greater than it is used to” (Quinn, 2014). Overload can be achieved through changing the frequency, the intensity level and the duration of the session, as well as altering the type of training and the difficulty level. The training principle of variety is also essential in creating interesting, and successful training programs. Adding variety to a session motivates the athlete, creates enthusiasm and them interested in reaching the ultimate goal of reaching peak performance. Incorporating these principles will ensure that the athlete receives the most out of each session (Moody, 2010).