Athletic Development Program
why is athletic development important to football?
Football is predominantly a technical-tactical sport that is underpinned by athleticism. However, none of the above can be showcased if a player is not available for selection. Injures present a huge challenge to professional and recreational athletes. They are one of the biggest hindrances to consistent progression and are often the reason many eventually stop playing. Most injuries are preventable in advance with a well-planned conditioning program that includes various training modalities such as plyometrics and strength training.
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Now obviously we can’t stop all injuries so when they do happen each player will benefit from quick access to a sports therapist to assess and treat them rather than rushing them back whether that be due to the frustrations of NHS waiting times or expensive trips to private clinics for treatments. If a player is available their technical and tactical ability will take care of itself, however, everyone matures at differing rates. A staggering 70% of professional footballers in English academies were born between September and February this often means those that mature later in the school year often slip through the net. However, with a few simple tests those born later in the year who may be just as gifted technically but are maturing later can be identified, coaches notified and programs put in place to maximise their athletic potential so that they do not miss out.
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HOw do we do this?
Weekly Strength & conditioning Sessions
• Each session expertly led
• The program focused on Injury Reduction, Improving power, speed and Agility
• Technique correction
• Teach the players the fundamentals of biomechanics, physiology and periodisation so they can plan and structure their training.
Weekly Sports Therapy Sessions
• Injury Diagnosis and Injury Treatment
• A convenient cost-effective way to have an injury assessed & treated
• Injury Rehab/return to play session and program
• Prehab sessions – a proactive approach to stop injuries from ever occurring
Fitness & Performance testing
• Test for power, speed, jump height, strength, and lots more
• We do this using high-speed camera’s and state of the art force plates
• Provide each player with a breakdown of their athletic ability every 3months so we can ensure they are improving as athletes
• Position vs position comparison and player vs player comparison
• Use the results of the tests as markers to reduce injury risk and make sure that they do not return to play to soon after injury
• Maturity offset analysis – To ensure no one is left behind
Lloyd Beals Bsc, Sports therapist
Lloyd has nearly a decade of experience working within an elite sporting environment during which time he has worked at Bristol Rovers FC as a sports therapist, head of academy medical at Yeovil Town FC aswell as a first team role, and most recently he was part of the backroom team during Weymouth FC's return to the National league. He now runs our Treatment Lab overseeing our injury rehabilitation program.
Meet the Coaches
Joe Otton Bsc, Strength & Conditioning coach
Joe graduated from the university of Gloucestershire with a degree in strength & conditioning 2015 after which he was awarded a research scholarship to study injury reduction in youth sport. He has worked with athletes of all levels from local footballers to international rugby players and park runners to Team GB triathletes. He now leads our Performance Lab program with Lloyd.
Connor Ryan, Personal Trainer
Connor has over a decade of experience studying and working in the health and fitness industry. During this time, he has coached and trained hundreds of individuals from every walk of life, from those who are wanting to get into their best shape, to improved sport performance and elite level competitive athletes. Alongside the gym he works closely with the NHS, supporting them with their rehabilitation programmes. He now leads the Gym Geek Training Lab programmes with Joe.