Pre-season Training

If you walk past your local football, rugby, or hockey club during the summer months, you’re likely to see squads of players undertaking the hard slog of pre-season training. For anyone who is used to competing in these sports the summer brings a familiar theme; running, weight training, circuits and various other methods of getting in shape for the coming season.

This is the time when a strength and conditioning coach can make a real difference and set the team up for a successful year. Often however, pre-season can mutate from a great way of developing fitness and become Survival of the Fittest. This is often the case when a well-meaning coach or club captain is given the responsibility of delivering pre-season conditioning sessions. It is easy to fall into the trap of believing that harder is better. For those whose expertise lies elsewhere, it is attractive to believe that the longer and harder the session is, and the more fatigued the players become, then the more benefit they will get from it. Although at first glance this might seem logical, it is not necessarily the case.

Pre-season injuries are very common, and are usually the result of poorly planned conditioning programs which are lacking in progression and don’t take into account the needs of the sport or the current level of the participants. The perfect pre-season would ensure all players reach the start of the season in the best possible shape, with enough of a fitness base built up to take them well into the competitive season. Although in the real world, it may be unrealistic to expect the perfect pre-season to take place; there are some things that can be done to get as close as possible to it.

Training should progress gradually, to get the best physical response while safeguarding against injuries. The current fitness levels of the players must be taken into account so you can pitch training at an appropriate level. To be able to plan effectively, you need to know where you are currently and where you want to be. Some sort of fitness testing may be beneficial to ensure that players are improving and hitting targets. The type of training and testing used may differ between sports, and even between playing positions to match the demands of game-play. 

All this doesn’t mean that pre-season training should be easy, it is simply an acknowledgement that in most cases it may be more beneficial to train smarter rather than mindlessly training harder. With the proper tools and plans in place, then the hard work of pre-season can set a team up for a great competitive season.