Performance Doc

WHEN SHE'S NOT OUT PULLING WITH HER PARENTS, IS EITHER ON THE PITCH OR IN THE GYM SMASHING IT! 😃🏋‍♂️🏃🏉🏐
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While most of us can only dream of excelling in one particular sport, Sarah has so far nailed it in three different disciplines; football, GAA & Aussie rules where she currently preparing for the new season with Collingwood in the AFL 🏉
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A professional to boot, whose standards are sky high when it comes to training. Always in tune & exploring what's right for her body & mind to progress. With it comes a wonderful personality & an aura of positivity that is a pleasure to be around for any coach or player. 🏋‍♂️
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Sarah brings out the best in you as a coach with detailed discussion about methods & exercises & plenty of laughs in there too.
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Incredible person. Incredible athlete. 👏
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A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ACCELERATION & EARLY STAGE MOVEMENT OF & player 🔵⚪ 🟢⚪
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Similar to the recent analysis of different players, there's some unique findings when looking at how Robinson manoeuvres from a standing position from a standing start.
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Was fortunate to find some decent clips close up of the player competing with ball & then working off to full speed. A couple of things that stand out;
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➡️ Robinson possesses strong hip control (Shakira has always been right!) & torso/core strength to firstly come upright from forward lean to holding upright with ease without any outstanding pelvic tilt ot rolled back. There's controlled tension in his overall upper body co-ordination.
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➡️ In terms of arm mechanics, both arms stay wide away from body in the early stages, before coming narrow with a unique 'low swing' with boths hands kept open; this is a regular debate in research regards best practice when sprint, with arguments suggesting avoiding clenched fists & opting for open/relaxed hands & wrist can take pressure/tension away from shoulders while running. Psychologically, this will give a player a further sense of control & balance; think of how we use our hands to thread water.
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➡️ At 5ft 10, Robinsons build & sprint style with not be lost in a 60 metre sprint. The clips available show excellent efficiency when bursting in straight lines towards the oppositions box.
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NEXT TIME YOU WATCH ROBINSON IN ACTION, WATCH HIS ABILITY TO CHANGE PACE & SHIFT HIS BODY INTO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION QUICKLY
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PLEASE TAG & SHARE THE POST WITH THOSE YOU KNOW WHO WILL APPRECIATE TGE INFORMATION.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDS 1-ON-1 RUNNING TECHNIQUE & BIOMECHANICS ANALYSIS, PLEASE DROP ME A DM.
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WHEN IT COMES TO RUNNING FORM & EFFICIENT MOVEMENT, NATURALLY THE FOOT PLAYS AN INTEGRAL PART IN CARRYING THE BODY TO WHERE IT WANTS TO GO. 🏃🏃🏃👣
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A footballer without some form of ankle or foot issue is as rare as a BBQ on the beach on Christmas Day in Ireland! Hands up if you never rolled your ankle!? Did you do the rehab? Nah just rested up! 12 year everyone is guilty! 🤷🏻‍♂️🧐
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Over-pronation is a common ailment for the ages, that's the one where you get told you have "flat feet" 👣 However under-pronation (or Supination of the foot) is another outstanding deficiency in movement patterns in foot mechanics.👣
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Supination is when the weight is born onto the outside edges of the foot upon striking the ground (see image 1 above) this can lead to a imbalanced push-off thereafter which when you consider the force & heavy input from an individuals body weight, powering off with just a tiny portion of the foot, it's not a surprise that problems can pop up right throughout the body.🏃
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Upon striking the ground, gravity dictates thats the remainder of the foot will find the ground after the outer edges connect to the floor, what follows is a misaligned snap onto the grass which causes a jerk of the ankle inward. 🦵
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Plantar Fasciitis is a common complaint if this imbalance is not corrected & worked on, aswell as calf issues, knee, hip & back. The body works as one & is affected as one.
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The body can also improve as one ⬇️⬇️⬇️
• Rolling the soles of the feet
• Calf raises
• Barefoot hops
• Oh & not surprisingly, a overall strength programme that's specific & suitable for your lifestyle! 🤷🏻‍♂️🏋‍♂️ Who would have known! 😃
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Look after your body, it's the only one you'll ever have. 🙂
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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON RUNNING TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT, STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT & ONLINE COACHING PLANS, DROP ME A TEXT.
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MIND YOURSELVES 🙂
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WHAT MATTERS MOST WHEN IT COMES TO PERFORMANCE COACHING ⬇️⬇️⬇️
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1. That you enjoy yourself ✅
2. That you learn something ✅
3. That you feel welcome & valued ✅
4. That you become stronger physically & mentally ✅
5. That you feel energised & ready to go again ✅
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WHAT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER ⬇️⬇️⬇️
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1. Six packs ❌
2. Before & After pictures ❌
3. Whether your team is winning or losing ❌
4. Short term fixes ❌
5. Leaving you crippled when you've 100 other things to be doing outside of the gym ❌
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It's all about the person, all about the player.
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JOIN THE CLUB 🏋‍♂️ DROP ME A DM FOR DETAILS AROUND THE COACHING AVAILABLE FOR ALL LEVELS, AGES & ABILITIES IN THE GAME.⚽️🏃‍♀️📋
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FOR THIS WEEKS RUNNING ANALYSIS I'M STAYING CLOSE TO HOME! LOOKING AT THE SPRINT TECHNIQUE OF ONE OUR OWN, SHELS & REP. OF IRELAND INTERNATIONAL 🟢⚪🟠
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There's a constant discussion around the role of arm mechanics when it comes to sprinting, something I've highlighted before in these posts. There's no absolutes & my belief & my approach in coaching athletes how to run is simple: what works for one, may not work for another. So once someone isn't sprinting with both hands in their pockets then we have something to work with OR work around.
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Starting with the upper body, Saoirse has a unique sprint start, dropping her head forward & facing the ground in the early stages of acceleration. This is something I noticed very early in pre-season; her sprint start is alike a sprinter bursting out of the traps with a bent body & forward lean with head parallel to the ground. If you've watched Dortmund at all, you may notice than Haaland does something very similar which is often attributed to his height.
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This quick hustle potentially forces Saoirse's centre of mass forward, angling towards the ground, which in turn brings about the need to keep moving & keep balanced...otherwise, it's face of the dirt!
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Back to the arms! Saoirse keeps a firm lock of both elbows through forward & back swing with shoulders quite hunched. Considering the demands of top level County GAA, in which Saoirse has also played for a long time, when you have the ball with 2/3 opposition players around you, your job is to protect it & not give it away. Watch a GAA player stick to a firm squat position using one hand to grip the ball against his/her chest, while the other fights off interference from flailing arms. And what happens when he/she tries to eventually get through the crowd? Head down, forward lean, shoulders tightened...ball protected. Everything is connected.
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With Saoirse's arm mocement, tightness around shoulders or back makes for a wide swing away from the body (see above pic) as this is the easiest path for the limbs to take. This isn't wrong. It's the body making itself work whatever way it can.

⬇️⬇️⬇️ continued in comments

WHETHER THE ABOVE SLIDE IS VIEWED IN A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE LIGHT IS AN INDIVIDUAL CHOICE BECAUSE THE LINES OF INFLUENCE & INTERFERENCE FROM THE PEOPLE WE MEET, ENGAGE & WORK WITH VARIES FROM PERSON TO PERSON.
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Above is a realistic overview of the many touch points of influence that a young person involved in sport may have on regular basis. There's ALOT going on. I always perceived getting involved in different sports meeting new people in different areas of life as being a positive in terms of developing confidence, independance along with other aspects of personal development.
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However, in terms of developing self-awareness & understanding of liberty it's important to assess & acknowledge the influence & effects that those around us may have on our mood & growth.
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In working with athletes, building performance is a focus area but it doesn't come at the cost of either physical or mental health.
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The weekly schedule of the average 16-year-old is nothing short of chaotic in terms of energy output: school, part-time job, football training, GAA training, schools match, GAA match & football match (sometimes the same day!)
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The aim of the 'Lines of influence' approach is to empower young people to assess the markers (maybe out of 10) in terms of time, energy & feel good factor. A small exercise in self-awareness to help take a small step to better health.
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Mind yourselves ❤
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ALL THOUGHTS WELCOME BELOW ⬇️⬇️⬇️
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THE OFF SEASON: THE "MAGIC WINDOW" OR "THE DEPARTURES LOUNGE" FOR FOOTBALLERS?
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No doubt your insta feed is currently overrun by super keen coaches flogging off-season programmes like its a matter of life & death! (🙋‍♂️ Yep, I'm guilty!)
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So why do those of us committed to athletic development & Physical Prep get so excited as the season comes to a close?
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It's far from a matter of life & death, but very much a matter of time & the off-season in all its glory allows for some additional time with athletes, now free from the demands of football (the commute,the rearranging, the planning, prep & physical & emotional investment it requires for 10 months of the year)
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Destressed from the training load, for the players who are interested, the quiet months can make for quiet progression not just hammering home with strength training, but through Neural adaptations also...Neural what? ⬇️⬇️⬇️
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'NEURAL ADAPTATIONS TO STRENGTH TRAINING INVOLVE DISINHIBITION OF INHIBITORY MECHANISMS AS WELL AS INTRA.....OK STOP ✋ ZZZZZZZZZ
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EXACTLY...⬆️⬆️⬆️ And this type of language that makes it all about the coaches is why we sometimes don't make friends in our industry. 🤷🏻‍♂️
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It's about the PLAYERS. Not every player wants to spend time away from the game in the gym. Which is perfectly fine. But for those keen to commit & reflect upon areas in which they can improve, the above Neural adaptation is a nice focus point to teach many dogs new tricks.
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✔ A TIMELY, RATIONAL PROGRESSION IN TERMS OF LOAD/VOLUME/VELOCITY WILL ALLOW THE BODY & OF COURSE THE BRAIN TO ADAPT TO NEW CHALLENGES WITH MORE SUITABLE REST & RECOVERY TIME AVAILABLE WITH NO GAMES/TEAM TRAINING. A HIGH OUTPUT FROM THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM CAN TAKE APPROX 48 HOURS TO RECOVER DEPENDING ON THE INDIVIDUAL.
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✔ THESE NEUROMUSCULAR ADAPTATIONS REFER TO THE MIND/MUSCLE CONNECTION & THE BRAINS ABILITY TO RECRUIT MUSCLE CONTRACTION & SPECIFIC MOVEMENT THAT WILL ASSIST IN SHARPER, MORE EFFICIENT TECHNIQUE & PHYSICAL OUTPUT
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✔MUSCLE MEMORY=NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION WHEREBY MUSCLES BECOME FAMILIAR WITH CERTAIN SKILLS (DRIVING A CAR ANYONE?)
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Off season = opportunity 💣
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⚽️⚽️⚽️ Reacting to the debate around whether or not his injury nightmare was a result of being over played in his younger years, Michael Owen has said his 's**t filter' allows him to assess only the positives; stating that had he been "rested" he may never have scored that famous goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup or may never have won B'alon Dor.⚽️⚽️⚽️

His mindset & outlook; what happened happened, why wait to be the best.

🏅👊👊START AS YOU MEAN TO GO ON 👊👊🏅

INTERESTING ANALYSIS FROM RTE PANEL AFTER IRELAND'S OPENING WORLD CUP CLASH AGAINST SCOTLAND YESTERDAY. JAMIE HEASLIP SPOKE ABOUT 'GROUP FLOW' & THE ALIGNED PERFORMANCE FROM THE IRISH TEAM. TO INDIVIDUALLY FIND FLOW IN ONE'S PERFORMANCE WHETHER IN SPORT, WORK, EXAMS ETC... IS ALWAYS IMPRESSIVE BUT FOR AN ENTIRE SQUAD TO BE IN SYNC ON THE DAY IT COUNTS MAKES THE LOVE OF SPORT ALL THE MORE REWARDING FOR US ORDINARIES WATCHING AT HOME. 👍

🎙🎙🎙I SPRAINED MY MENTAL HEALTH PODCAST - EPISODE 27 - WAR & ALL THAT FOLLOWS 🎙🎙🎙
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In this episode I talk about the wonderful book Battle Scars by former special forces soldier
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If you're a fan of
you'll be familiar with Jason Fox & the other directing staff as they inflict all sorts of physical & psychological torture on contestants who have willingly applied to partake in a condensed form of special forces training.
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In this memoir he writes candidly & sincerely about his mental health, struggling with PTSD as a result of the intensity of a career in the military. His mental plight lead him to planned su***de.
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The assumption that muscles in a culture of old school masculinity such as that of the military remained immune to emotional interference is one that tarnished progressive & positive outlook to minding your head, but thankfully attitudes have changed & this book is evidence that opened up, seeking help & doing what is within your power to better yourself is the right thing to do.
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All this & more discussed in the latest episode! -
iTunes 🎧🎙
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/i-sprained-my-mental-health-podcast/id1383271729?mt=2
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Spotify 🎧🎙
https://open.spotify.com/show/6vx4Fc5a3TEUJFGZ5PMdxD
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Check it out, LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, SHARE. -
MIND YOURSELVES 👍
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🔴⚪🔴⚪ MEDALS GATHER DUST & TROPHIES GET HANDED BACK🔴⚪🔴⚪

MEMORIES LAST FOREVER. GIVE PEOPLE ENERGY & ECHO ETERNITY.

🎙🎙ANNOUNCEMENT🎙🎙'

🎼YOUR PROBLEMS NEVER CEASE. THEY ONLY CHANGE.🎼

🔔THERE'S NEVER A RIGHT TIME OR A RIGHT MOMENT. LIFE IS COMPLEX. THE TRIBUTARIES OF DIFFERENT MAGNITUDE THAT BLOCK THE ROAD LAY CHALLENGES AND OBSTACLES IN MANY DIFFERENT SHAPES AND SIZES. SWERVE BY ONE AND ANOTHER WILL ARRIVE; JUMP OVER THAT ONE AND ANOTHER HITS FROM BEHIND.

THERE'LL ALWAYS BE UNCERTAINTIES; ALWAYS BE SOMETHING WAY OFF IN THE DISTANCE THAT SEEMS A MILLION MILES A WAY. 🔔

BE KIND TO YOUR MIND.