PRE-SEASON TRAINING THE PREMIERSHIP WAY

MATCH FITNESS Players who miss first team games should play in the reserve or friendly matches (injuries to the first team permitting). I believe that some clubs give the players the option of playing or not. Make no mistake about it, no fitness session can accommodate all the fitness components that are used in a football game. These players can be called upon at any time; they will be expected to perform as if they had been playing for the first team every week.

RECOVERY SESSIONS Pool, low impact work, massage and ice baths. There are, of course, many forms of recovery sessions - only you will find the right one for the team. It is important that you vary some of the recovery sessions to keep the players focused and stimulated. Players should be weighed before and after sessions so that you can control hydration. Do your hydration tests regularly. If you are in a hot climate, train in the shade or evening when the temperature has dropped.

SUMMARY Support Your 10/5/07 9:55 AM Page 1

I hope this information will be helpful to anybody who is already in football or thinking about coming into the game. Working in football demands commitment, honesty, and professionalism. Sacrifices in your home life go with the job, as anyone in top grade football will tell you. The highs and lows are enormous and I’m not so sure if the way you are affected by results can be good for you. If I have picked up one important thing over the years it is the knowledge that there are many routes to success in training a football team. The difference between success and failure can be very

slim; one could say the width of a post or crossbar. Don’t be taken in by the endless gimmicks and magic potions that you are bombarded with. Be open-minded but stick to good proven scientific research. Do not complicate your job by getting involved in football matters that do not concern you. Stick to your job description and practice what you preach.

Good luck!

KEY POINTS n Players should have 6 weeks off in the closed season. n A good programme allows them recovery time away from football whilst maintaining their aerobic capacity. n Different playing positions impose different demands. n Different body types recover at different rates. n Don’t injure players. Injury prevention is the first objective. n Plan your sessions as much as possible. n Concentrate on a few fitness tests as a base level measurement. n Majority of fitness training should be sport specific.

THE AUTHOR

Jim Henry is the head of strength and conditioning at Aston Villa Football Club. He is a former judo player, and international athlete. Prior to being head hunted to join Villa he spent 11 years at Glasgow Celtic. During his time in football he has

worked with seven managers and gained extensive knowledge in the development of football players.

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SCAPULA DYSKINESIA

AND SHOULDER IMPINGEMENT – WHAT IS

THE EVIDENCE?

BY COLIN PATERSON, MCSP INTRODUCTION

N

umerous treatment options are available for the treatment of shoulder impingement. Donatelli (1) discusses the use of manual therapy, myofascial treatment, graduated exercise and strengthening programmes. However taping has become a popular adjunct to physiotherapy practice, popularised by McConnell (2,3). Due to this popularity there has been a steady growth in published research, but it must be noted that the majority concentrate on the effects on lower limb pathologies. Clinically the use of taping is usually combined with a specific exercise programme. However this article will concentrate solely on the use of taping for shoulder impingement, its effect on scapula muscle activity and its efficacy. According to Kamkar, Irrgang and Whitney (4) shoulder impingement refers to the signs and symptoms of pain and dysfunction, which are a consequence of pathology that either decreases the volume of the subacromial space or increases the size of its contents. Bigliani et al (5) categorised impingement into two groups: primary and

14

Shoulder impingement is a common dysfunction presenting to therapists clinically. Altered scapula movement, or scapula dyskinesia, is now regularly implicated as a contributing factor to shoulder impingement due to growing research evidence highlighting alterations in muscle activity of the scapula rotators. Numerous treatment options for scapula dyskinesia are available including exercise therapy, postural awareness and taping. The use of taping techniques to improve the activity of muscles around the shoulder girdle has in recent years grown in popularity. With the growing need for research evidence to support clinical practice, this paper provides a review of the current evidence on both scapular muscle activity in subjects with impingement. The second paper reviews the use of taping techniques to alter muscle activity around the scapula.

secondary impingement. They defined primary impingement as an outlet stenosis of the subacromial space due to anatomical factors such as a hooked acromion. Secondary impingement was considered to be due to physiological factors. These factors could include glenohumeral instability, scapulothoracic

dyskinesia and posture (6-8) and are considered to be associated with altered motor recruitment and are common in over- head athletes (8).

SCAPULA STABILITY Scapula mechanics, which research has sportEX medicine 2008:36(Apr):14-17

ISSUE 36 APRIL 2008

exceinllence sports

promoting

HIGHLIGHTS ■ SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH IN ATHLETES

■ SUPPPORT FOR BRITISH WORLD CLASS DISABLED ATHLETES

medicine

■ SCAPULAR DYSKINESIA AND SHOULDER IMPINGEMENT – WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE?