Sports Excellence

Want to know exactly what your off-season program should look like?

It’s the most important question to get right this time of year if you play a winter field sport. There’s a big misconception that pre-season training this time of year should be extremely tough and gruelling… Remember when Port Adelaide made their football team run 100 x 100’s? When in reality, it’s the opposite. Simple is often better.

We have a few fundamental principles we use with our athletes:

1. Avoid taking the ‘off-season’ too literally

Athletes deserve some time off after a long and gruelling year, but sometimes we get carried away and take the ‘off’ part too far.

This will leave you deconditioned and result in a loss of fitness, strength and power. 

We recommend taking a couple of weeks off but then starting your preparation for your upcoming sporting year. Too much time off leaves you susceptible to injuries in your following training block when you return.

 2. Don't think that cardio only is the best option for a pre-season

There are times when cardio is essential in a pre-season training block, but turning into a cardio machine and running every night may lead to increased levels of residual fatigue.  

This will then impact the rest of your preparation. 

Look to slowly add some runs into your training block, but also ensure you keep up those strength sessions.

3. Address any niggles you have from the previous season

This is the time of year when you can address all those little niggles which may have hampered your current season. Is your groin starting to flare up? Shoulders don’t feel right no matter what you do?

Now is the time to get them assessed and work with your coach to implement a plan where you can address the niggles and look to determine the root cause. 

In 2023, we’ve committed to some performance testing equipment from VALD. This is state-of-the-art testing equipment used by many elite-level clubs. With the use of this equipment, we can accurately look to help our athletes:

• Pinpoint their weaknesses that are holding them back
• Identify the blind spots in their performance and discover how to turn them into opportunities
• Reveal their X-factor and what they’re already doing well.

The comprehensive performance testing we do with all of our athletes helps us to create a game plan that sets athletes up for long-term success. By the end of the testing session, we will know exactly what the athlete needs to become more athletic for their sport.

You can choose to take the next few months off and regret not performing at your best, OR you can take the next few months to prepare for your best season yet.

The choice is yours.

To learn more, visit our website or email via benfurphy@girton.vic.edu.au

Mr Ben Furphy

Head of Sports Excellence