PRE-SEASON TRAINING THE PREMIERSHIP WAY

PREPARING BY JIM HENRY

THE CLOSED SEASON Before I talk about the pre-season it is important to consider the closed season. For this we need to go back to the end of the previous campaign and appreciate the demands placed on elite players. A typical example from my time at Celtic was the 2002-3 season. The team played 66 games in 47 weeks. It was one of the closest title races ever, so the pressure to perform, and win, was enormous. In the final week of the season we lost the UEFA cup final in Seville to Porto. The game was played in 35 degrees of heat and went into extra time. A few days later we played a deciding game for the Scottish league. We beat Kilmarnock 4 – 0 but lost the championship to Rangers, on goal difference, by one goal. The English Premier League, where I now work, is seen as the most physical competition in world football. When the season finally ends, the players need time for a psychological and physiological recovery.

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Jim Henry, strength and conditioning coach at Aston Villa gives a personal insight into the preparation of Premier League football players and offers some invaluable and honest tips for anyone in football, or those thinking about a career in the industry. The text focuses on the basic concepts of pre-season, and the role of the fitness coach in modern day football as well as Jim’s list of some important dos and don’ts such as the importance of closed season programmes, planning, and a knowledge of the specific needs of particular players and the positions they play.

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A PREMIERSHIP FOOTBALL TEAM FOR THE NEW SEASON