Video analysis is an ever developing part of skills coaching, especially with the ready availability of high speed cameras and analysis software on modern phones and tablets. This blog is going to take a quick look at some different ways to use video (before, during or after a lifting session) and try to put together some recommendations for video use.
Fifteen years ago I wrote my BSc dissertation on how carrying a pole-vaulting pole affected an athlete’s sprinting kinematics. As well as pole-vaulters there are many athletes who use a modified sprinting model, for example rugby players carrying a ball or amputees who use prosthetic limbs. Since then there have been a number of papers exploring these topics. The purpose of this blog is to try and solidify some of my thoughts on what I’ve been reading.
Last week saw the publication of the second half of my Return to Play conference report for the British Journal of Sports Medicine. It can be found here:
Don't forget all of the presentations from the excellent conference can be found here:
They're well worth a watch.
I recently attended the Return To Play conference in Bern, Switzerland. The high standard of speakers and well selected topics made it one of the best conferences I've attended. The lack of break-out sessions and workshops was tempered by the accessibility and openness of the speakers.
One of the title sponsors was the British Journal of Sports Medine, who asked me to write a blog about the conference. There were so many highlights that it's been split into two parts, the first is online now, with the second to follow soon.
Also, as a brilliant resource to all people involved with sports rehab, all of the presentations are available to view here:
Sorry for the long pause before finally starting to write, but here's what I've been up to over the summer.
I started with a week in Luxembourg, training as a Medical Educator for World Rugby and Rugby Europe. World Rugby has a drive to improve player safety and part of that is the First Aid in Rugby (FAIR) course. It's designed as a basic course for parents, teachers, coaches etc. who may come across injuries when no medical staff are immediately available to deal with it. You can see the theory part of the course here:
http://playerwelfare.worldrugby.org/firstaidinrugby
I think this basic first aid knowledge is very important for anybody who is involved with the game and I'm pleased to say I'm now qualified to teach the FAIR course.
The instruction we received over the week was mainly focused on the 'how to teach' aspect of the role, rather than the skills we will be teaching. This is in marked contrast to the second CPD course I did - the German Weightlifting Association's Barbell Trainer License. Whilst not aimed at competitive weightlifting it did focus on the Olympic lifting techniques and variations, aimed at coaches who use them as part of their S&C/PT/cross-fit programs. We did a lot of lifting, drilling every movement hundreds of times and using video feedback as well as the instructors to correct patterns.
Whilst the instructors did give tips on how to spot and correct flaws there was very little actual coaching performed by the candidates. The two courses were polar opposites of each other in terms of their focus, and to be honest I believe somewhere in middle would be the sweet spot for such courses - trying to ensure you are a good teacher AND that what you are teaching is correct.
