Ages and Track and Field
Development is wrapped up in lots of “science” but there seems to be a certain predictability with different sports and stages of development. Whilst there is a change from year to year the one constant seems to be the age 25 and 2 to 3 years either way. Seems simple and is but gets lost given that 16 years of age is a long way from 24 for instance. 2007 to 2015.
As Michael Poulton outlined using results from a model that looks at the number of athletes per event in the world’s top 100 at the end of the 2006 season , OZ has some numbers there. My statistics are at best a trend only but do reflect the mature status of elite performers. Obvious really but often people think there are heaps of 20 year olds stacked in top 100 even 500 for each event. And my main thrust is simply that structures have to be in place to keep athletes in the sport from 16 to 22 for example.
Now the competition is with things like the TAC development squads and the lure of Soccer for example. Little Athletics should provide the base ( but in my opinion is a bit too young ) and then ideally there should be structures in place to foster development with professionally run clubs. Wishful thinking I know but athletics would explode and feed off the sports science and “institute” driven revival since the “1976 no medal debacle” in Montreal.
We see the AIS employing heaps of full time after school positions in OZ and I cant see why we couldn’t have regional coaches employed at varied venues to keep young people training in athletics and in fact active. Maybe wishful thinking. Again these days money is needed and that is tough for Athletics to generate . Again I am heading to the sad fact that these days most people won’t and can’t coach for hours for zero money night after night in the cold ( and the heat!) . This is one of the strange expectations that exists when parents will pay for swimming and other sports. Odd. IE That is that athletics should often be coached for nix!
I have attached a rough calculation of ages for 100m rankings now and also in 2000 and a look at different events which changes the averages.
Article ok for Volleyball basics
This is a simple article that has nice pics of some good foundation exercises or even ok for inseason maintenance for volleyball. After all a muscle doesn’t know if it is saving a penalty or doing a massive block! It just contracts maximally.
http://www.behindthemask.net/potenza/Goaile%20leg%20strength.htm
Kevin Sheedy and Loris Bertolacci
Congrats to Sheeds
I started at Essendon in February 87 and finished up in 98 so I think I know the bloke really well. And how could I forget 1998 when there were question marks on his remaining at EFC. And even 1991 when I had coffee with him and he was mulling over offers to Sydney. Amazing. Meetings with him at the Hilton near the MCG. HA. He would take all the little jam thingos home for his kids. The doctor would be talking about injured players and Sheeds would see someone he knew and just waltz over in the middle of the meeting. Only he could do it.
I probably went through a total football department and nearly the full list in my time at Essendon with Sheeds. Even with administration I think an accountant was the only stayer through that period with Sheeds and I.
I remember a team building exercise we had in the country somewhere in 98 and all the staff had to do all the personality questionnaires. ( DISC) Well I was totally gobsmacked when the psych told me that I had the same personality as Sheeds. It really amused Mark Thompson no end. What the psych told us later was that I had an “objective” side to my personality whilst Sheeds was all arty farty. Thank heavens for that. But he left that till after so he could amuse the boys.
Sad to leave in 1998 but I thought it was time to try something different so I resigned and thanked Sheeds for my time there. I never forget that day. Sitting in that office talking to Sheeds about going to Geelong, Mark Thompson just walked past with his little bag and waved to us and said bye bye. Danny Corcoran had left the year before and David Wheadon also. The one constant in life is change.
Lucky to have my time at EFC with Sheeds and who could forget when we were in Canberra and Peter Costello showed us around the Cabinet Room and Sheeds sat in the PM’s chair. That said it all. Very funny stuff.
loris bertolacci 