Tosh Farrell Soccer Magazine June 2020 | Page 22

Phil Hewitt a leading sport fitness expert, gives advice on pre season training. As life and society attempt to get back to some sort of normality (whatever that looks like) and teams of all levels and abilities are starting to look towards the start of the next season. It is important to examine the coaching and training structure going forward, especially from a physical perspective. Chances are, whatever the level you play or coach at, you have never had as long an offseason as the one currently imposed and that we have all just participated in (I am currently writing this as we are still limited from group gatherings). Hopefully the following will help inform of what I see are the major issues that are about to occur. Preseason training worries me at the best of times and with the extended layoff and the potential for a greater detraining effect I find myself more concerned that usual. In the past I have seen double and triple sessions performed each day and over extended periods of time with the mentality of coaches to almost break their players or ‘see what they can handle’. With a longer layoff I have a feeling that lost gains will be attempted to be regained in even quicker time, leading to even more intense training and an even greater chance of injuries. I always wondered why coaches felt the need to instill a sense of fear and dread in the players in for preseason, remember your goal for the preseason is to have all of your players available for selection for the first game of the season.