Since the turn of the year, the students have been primarily focusing on building muscle power and endurance. This has been done by completing more repetitions with higher weights than before, but with the same equipment. This will be performed as part of a circuit to help maintain muscle endurance, and sustain the muscle built during the last term.
Upper body circuits have been a priority for the students this term, with their assigned coach overseeing their gym activity. This enhances muscle strength and power, which is a must on the pitch as that added athleticism gives our students the upper hand.
Both first- and second-year students were given an Individual Plan at the beginning of the academic year which have been closely monitored and adhered to, to enhance performances on the pitch. The Individual Plans that the students have been given identify weaknesses and helps avoid injury, allowing the players to maximise their potential.
Maintaining muscle is an important aspect of the students Individual Plan, as this allows them to perform at an optimum level. Along with the right nutrition, which is provided at Stockport Sports Village daily, the students can follow their Individual Plan closely and have made fantastic progress.
Lead Sports Rehabilitator for the Football Education Georgia Greenhalgh spoke about a great term for the students:
What have the students been focusing on when in the gym this term and how important are these sessions for the students’ performance on the pitch?
The students are focusing on max strength and power in the gym, working on building muscle and becoming overall stronger. This is important alongside their football, to help with injury prevention as well as being able to play 90 minutes without fatiguing quickly.
Muscle strength also helps when striking a ball, the more strength their quadriceps have, the less likely the chance of injury is. When kicking a ball, so much force goes through your quads, so the stronger they are, the more they can tolerate the kick.
As well as hamstring strength, when a player is sprinting, the deceleration phase is where the hamstrings contract and if they don’t have enough strength, the likelihood of them getting injured is much more.
What can the students take away from each session?
Each gym session the students should fill out their own personal tracker of a record of the exercises and weight they have been using. This is to help keep a record of their progression.
Could you tell us a little bit about your role at the Football Education/Academy?
I am the current Lead Sport Rehabilitator for Stockport County Academy and Football Education and have been working here for 2 seasons now. Over my time here I have worked on over 300 injuries, ranging from ACL ruptures and reconstructions to fractures, dislocations, and tendon inflammations. My knowledge and exercise bank has grown massively in the past 2 years.
Our Traineeship programme opens up next year, with a sports rehab pathway, what can we expect from that?
In terms of the Traineeship programme, there will be lots of new and exciting times ahead. The experience the college students will get, compared to a normal BTEC programme will be next to none. Each day they will see and deliver assessments, rehab programmes and sessions, they will deliver return to play sessions, in the gym and pitch based. They will gain a good understanding of the human body and its anatomy, hopefully preparing them to diagnose and treat injuries.
