My second day shadowing the University Strength & Conditioning coach Josh Walsh looked even busier than the first one and I this is what made it even more interesting. Having a busy day planned does not scare me: I get excited to get involved in different activities and I feel like I have more chances to learn new things. The day started at 6.30 am at the performance suit, where we delivered an S&C session for the golf team. I was unfamiliar with the sport and it was interesting to find out about the rationale behind each exercise planned for the team. Although it was a new environment for me, I felt really comfortable throughout the session and I provided some of the athletes with some feedback on their lifting technique. which have been appreciated. I was really pleased with the positive attitude and reaction I’ve seen in some of the athletes after providing them with feedback, as I felt useful and valued. After the first session, we spent quite a few hours programming the next session for the swimming team. The main focus of the session was speed-strength and we tried to adapt the main programme to each athlete’s needs, considering the specificity of their swimming. This has been a good chance for me to apply my knowledge of human anatomy and physiology gained through some of the modules to a practical context. It also motivated me to do further research on a few topics we came across during our planning and discussion. It was then time to deliver the session for the swimmers. The session was led by Josh and Sam, a postgraduate student I got to know. It was a really busy session with many people performing different exercises at the same time. I was happy to be able to assist some of the athletes performing several exercises and motivating them during the course of the session. It was also interesting to observe Sam and Josh working in the same environment but with two different coaching styles. This made think about the importance of gaining further experience to develop a personal coaching style which has a major influence on the effectiveness of a session. The day was overall really enjoyable and the very early morning start gave me a taste of the kind of flexibility expected as an S&C coach. I am looking forward to starting a new busy and exciting day!
Great to hear you’re learning a lot already and your placement is getting you thinking about a future career in this area.