The big debate within the top clubs is how long to give

their players off to recover. Most will have approximately six to seven weeks break before the pre-season phase starts but some clubs like to bring players back after only three weeks recovery and train them three times per week in the build up to the new season. In my opinion, football players who have this commitment are at a greater risk of burn- out during the new season and some medical physicians argue that they are at a greater risk of injury. This is where I believe the fitness coach has a crucial role to play. Players in the UK, with no winter break, should have a complete break from football for approximately six to seven weeks. Players should be given a good closed season programme which allows them recovery time away from football but maintains their aerobic capacity. Our VO2

max

lab tests over the years show that if this is done, there are very few changes in aerobic capacity and some players actually improve their aerobic fitness through following good, scientifically proven fitness programmes. It must be stressed that the ability to maintain this is based on the player following the schedule and this is Aston Villa’s objective in closed season. We want all our players to return with at least the same aerobic power as they finished the last season with, thus players will be able to enhance this with a target of approximately 8-10% increase of VO2

max over the seven

weeks that follow. If players get the full six weeks closed season recovery, they return in the right state of mind and are physically regenerated for the season ahead.

International commitments A complication of the closed season plan is that at most of the top European clubs, at least 70% of the first team squad will have international commitments after the season finishes. I believe there is nothing to be gained from bringing these players back at the same time as the others. The Internationals should still have as much of a break as possible. When they do return they will simply be phased in to the training sessions, increasing the session times and intensities until they can fully participate in all the sessions. Ideally, international players do not play the first one or two pre-season friendlies or if they do, participation time on the pitch is limited. This can also be of benefit to younger players who will, as a consequence, get an opportunity to show the manager what they can do. By the time the season starts there is no reason at all that the full first team should not be ready for the new season ahead.

PRE-SEASON The pre-season phase, without doubt, is the most important and critical part of a football players schedule. To get it wrong here could cost you, and even your manager his job. Pre-season typically lasts around 6 weeks. Every day of this phase people will have an opinion on what should and should not be done. By the end of the phase you will feel like killing a few people and they will definitely wish to reciprocate. It is important to be strong at this critical stage and have the confidence and belief to follow the programme, whilst having the ability to adapt and change, sometimes at very short notice. This will come as you gain more and more experience.

Since coming into football in 1995, the way I train and work players has changed considerably. I still hold on to

8

some beliefs from the beginning but with facilities improving immensely we now have more tools with which to work than ever before. The modern player is a true professional and contrary to what anybody says, football players are athletes. At Aston Villa the average body fat of our first team is now 8% and some are as low as 5%. That’s 3% lower than when I arrived at Celtic. Football players are becoming leaner, faster and more powerful than ever before. With new light-weight balls and great playing surfaces players are covering higher distances and making more high speed runs. The physical and psychological demands placed on them

year in year out are massive, especially for international players who have added demands on their body. As someone who has competed at an international level in judo and trained 6 days a week, 3 hours a day, and broken many bones in my attempt to become the best I could, I can tell you that I don’t say that lightly.

A football team is made up of many different body types

and they recover at different rates. What we mustn’t forget also is that different positions impose different demands. The real challenge in modern football is finding new scientifically proven ways of getting our players to recover more quickly both physically and mentally for the next game.

BASIC RULES Injuries I’m going to start by giving you the most important piece of advice of any fitness coach in football, DO NOT INJURE PLAYERS. You are employed to enhance your team’s fitness not to fill the physio room. If you want to push yourself out of the door early, this for sure is the right way to do it. The objective must be to give the manager a full squad to choose from come the first game. INJURY PREVENTION must be your first objective and you should make sure that the manager knows this. It is important to take on board feedback from the medical team because those are the guys who pick up the pieces and they certainly don’t need you dumping on them. You should have regular meetings, especially with the masseurs as they will be able to give you a run down on each player and how he is coping with the sessions. Injuries that are picked up at this early stage may carry

on all the way through the season and it could cost that player his position in the team.

Relationships with players and staff As a first team fitness coach your relationship with your first team football coach and players must be spot on. You will be working very closely with them. This doesn’t mean to say that you go golfing with them on a Sunday or invite them around for dinner. I personally have never got too close to

AND CRITICAL PART OF A FOOTBALL PLAYERS SCHEDULE. TO GET IT WRONG HERE COULD COST YOU AND EVEN YOUR MANAGER HIS JOB.

THE PRE-SEASON PHASE, WITHOUT DOUBT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT

sportEX dynamics 2008:16(Apr):7-10