Be an Elite Coach, Build Elite Athletes

Things to develop your coaching and have a greater impact on your athletes. You define what your “elite” is!

By Isaac Leung, Athletic Skills

Hey reader,

A common question I get from coaches is “I want my athletes to be more powerful”.

Well let’s get scientific for a second.

Power = Force (amount of strength) x Velocity (how quickly you can produce the force)

So athletes need to be able to produce high force to generate intent to create power.

But there is no point in taking ages to produce that force if you want to be powerful. So athletes need to be able to produce force quickly. In other terms, rate of force development.

See below why I think this equation needs something adding.

So how does Power influence you being an Elite Coach and Build Elite Athletes?

Be an Elite Coach:

The ability to develop your athletes' power can unlock their full potential. They will be able to strike the ball harder and further, run faster, get into positions you’re asking them to tactically and technically, jump higher, and ultimately reach a higher stage in their development.

Adding this skill to your coaching repertoire could set you apart as a coach.

You could develop power in a fun warm-up with a jump obstacle course, starting your session in an engaging way.

You could have them throw a medicine ball to produce upper body power prior to their ball-striking session.

You could remotely program a power session for them to do outside of training and monitor their progress to increase contact time with your group.

Additionally, you could offer extra sessions before, after, or separate from your current training sessions to develop their power in person as a Sports Coach who can coach Strength and Conditioning.

There are many options for enhancing the power of your athletes that could elevate you to become an elite coach!

Build Elite Athletes:

What Does Power Add to an Athlete?

Speed, agility, striking faster and further, jumping higher, running for longer—these are just a few of the benefits!

So how can you develop your athletes' power?

There are numerous ways, and it involves targeting different elements of the equation.

First, get your athletes stronger through progressive overload strength training to develop greater force output.

Next, get your athletes faster so they can produce force more quickly. Speed or plyometric training can be great for this.

Plyometric training, also known as jump training, has great transfer to the rate of force development (the ability to produce force quickly).

Some effective plyometric exercises include:

• Counter Movement Jumps (squat and jump as high as you can)

• Rebound Hops (jumping forward repeatedly with minimal time between jumps)

• Pogos (repeated fast jumps on the spot, produced through ankle dorsiflexion and plantar flexion)

I will write a blog in the future specifically about plyometric training and how you can incorporate these exercises into your training to develop power. You need no equipment for these exercises, which makes them great for sports coaches with limited facilities.

To summarise, get your athletes stronger and faster to develop power. Simple! ;)

But wait. I think there is a another factor we need to consider.

So what do I think needs adding to the power equation?

Well there is no point producing high power in the wrong direction or with poor technique. This is from a performance and injury risk perspective.

So Power = Force x Velocity x Movement Technique OR Competency

Movement needs to be safe and the body needs to be able to withstand the high forces that are produced rapidly. Also correct technique is required to produce all the power in the intended direction to impact as much as possible, especially under chaotic conditions in a game.

Need help or want to know about coaching POWER, then reply MOVE and let’s chat!

Speak soon,

Isaac :)

JOIN MY FREE WHATSAPP COMMUNITY WITH 40+ COACHES IN ALREADY AND SHARE THE JOURNEY IN LEARNING TOGETHER!