Pre-Season Physical Preparation

Applying Science to Practice

Paul Clarke

Paul Clarke• County Meath

• Match-Fit Ireland

• Strength & Conditioning, Sports Science and out on the pitch 3-4 times per week “in the trenches”

• Meath, Offaly, Newtown Blues & Skryne GFC 2013, St. Oliver Plunketts ER 2014

• Head of Performance Solutions....Redback Biotek

• Sports Technology

•VX Sport – NZ....2008• “Performance you can See”•Innvoation comes from not knowing• Develop performance partnerships with our clients....work together and learn together.•Drive better on field performance and.... •Keep the coach and player at the heart of everything we do

??????????• Simple, Clear, Concise Information• Understand Performance – by team, tactic, player and position• Hands on coaching & learning tool• Injury Prevention / Management• Plan & Periodise

“ If you want to manage it you must measure it” Peter Drucker

“It’s not so much that GPS gives us lots of answers & understanding, it does....but more than that it allows & prompts us to ask better questions” Dr.Kieran Collins

Measure........How far....How fast??

How Intense??

“I felt you were a bit out of position at time.......no, I was where you told me...”...Sound familiar ???

Match #1 = 0-1 from play..........Match #2 = 1-3 from play in this half.

Quality & frequency of sprints (efficiency)

Fatigue Analysis

300m

1000m

•Drill Volume•Warm up Volume•Burnout

750m 700m

Total = 3000m

Training Volumes

Better Questions...better use of time??...Better ways for pre-season??

Drills based Session - 2012• Time = 35 mins• Distance Covered = 1907

mts• Relative Distance = 54

mts/min• Hi-Intensity mts = 83• High-end Sprints (avg.

Per player) = 1.8

Game Based Session - 2012• Time = 20 mins• Distance Covered = 2139 mts ☺• Relative Distance = 107

mts/min ☺• Hi-Intensity mts = 312 m ☺• High-end Sprints (avg. Per

player) = 8.2 ☺** Game played after Drills section**

Another look...Carlow 2014

Louth Senior Club 2013 (1 Half of play)• Time = 30 mins• Distance = 3497 mts• Relative Dist = 117 mts/min• Hi-Intensity Distance = 789 mts• % Hi-Intensity = 23%• No of Hi –Intensity sprints = 82

Carlow IT Trial (6 SSGs)• Time = 24 mins• Distance = 2170• Relative Distance = 90mts/min• Hi –Intensity Distance = 461 mts• % Hi-Intensity = 21%• No. of Hi-Intensity sprints = 79Is this approach preparing the players

for the stop/start nature of GAA???

Finding another way.........• Hurling & Football• Pre-Season.....more effective use of time?• Integrating Physical, Mental, Technical, Tactical

demands of the game

Test environment 10-a-side : 2 x 3 mins 6-a-side : 2 x 2 mins 3-a-side : 2 x 1 min

Summary

Time 1min

Distance 178M

Max Speed 28kph

Avg Speed 11kph

Hi Int Mts 98

% Dist @ Hi-int 59%

% Time @ Hi-int

28%

No. of Accelerations

9

Time 2min

Distance 344M

Max Speed 22kph

Avg Speed 7kph

Hi Int Mts 36

% Dist @ Hi-int 11%

% Time @ Hi-int

5%

No. of Accelerations

15

10 V 10 6 V 6 3 V 3

Time 3min

Distance 482M

Max Speed 23kph

Avg Speed 9kph

Hi Int Mts 98

% Dist @ Hi-int 20%

% Time @ Hi-int

11%

No. of Accelerations

18