So what really struck me the most was the knowledge, dedication and passion of the coaches on the ground. Every single one who visited the stand (quite a few I can tell you) really wanted to see what the HotSpot had to offer and how it could help their sessions and ultimately their teams.

The level of conversation I had with each one was at a far higher level than I have experienced in this country – the discussion started with the obvious need for agility and movement training in sport, in this case soccer. By the time they had left the stand they had thanked me for my time in talking with them and demonstrating the system and all its features. And for me after 3 days of demonstrating it on my own, my thighs and calves certainly felt it!

I was lucky to be able to attend a few key note sessions, the most notable with Shad Forsythe – Head Fitness trainer for the German National Football team. He gave a great field session on simple plyometrics and its relevance to soccer (football!) I was fortunate to be able to chat with him afterwards about fitness and agility training in soccer. What this confirmed was what Mike and I strongly believe, namely that fundamental movement skills and agility training are the cornerstone of developing young athletes into great sportsmen and women. It also reassured me that my style of football coaching with my U10 Sabres which has a heavy emphasis on agility and movement skills is exactly right – Shad feels that an hour fifteen session with developing athletes should comprise at least 30mins conditioning and agility without a ball in sight – Sabres your coach is right!

Another great conversation I had was with Scott Moody of the SoccerFit Academy. He is a strong believer in breaking down the components of any athletic game and dedicating training sessions to these specific areas. He spent some time with the HotSpot and could see that the system can really help with the acquisition of movement skills and at the elite end be able to measure activities that previously haven’t been measured.

So all in all a great show! For me the only question that remains is closer at heart…. Why is it that USA coaches really seem to get the whole movement training and agility aspects of sports coaching and yet in the UK if the training doesn’t involve a ball or a racquet then people seem very reluctant to listen? And this is not just at elite level but permeates right through every level of US sport.

Here endeth the lesson! Answers on a postcard or via this site!

VIDEO OF PRO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fiew5hIjri4

It builds on the Hotspot concept of providing a system that is affordable yet versatile enough to fit into any training program for any sport.  The wireless “hotspots” offer  a simple way to create movement patterns and drills for your training program whilst offering an easy way to be flexible adhering to the needs of your athletes.

The PRO system comprises of 4 Hotspot’s (with improved sensitivity for increased reliability) and a “test” spot that is configured to be used with the vertical jump function in the base unit.  Also on the base unit are the standard “count” and “time” modes with split timing  as an extension of the “count” mode.   Now you really have every option for your training.

The PRO system now has the capabilities to be used in a variety of training settings.  Time and Count modes offer a training option where we can have our athletes work for a duration of time or be timed over a set number of spot hits.  We can use split timing to measure reaction abilities and differentiate between movements to the left and right.  Finally the jump mode does exactly as we expect using the time of flight as the basis of measurement.

Now, with the addition of the “test” spot we open up a few new training options.  We can use the “test” spot in drills that require only a single spot.  For example imagine a drill where athletes are required to start from a central point, sprint to the left, sprint past the centre to the right and return to the start (T test).  The test spot can accurately measure the drill using “count” mode and a single count of 1.  Due to the increased sensitivity we can effectively use the “zero” mode to start the timer by having the athlete place a foot on the spot prior to starting the activity should we want to eradicate reaction times and measure pure athletic ability.

The “test” spot is greater in sensitivity and also has a lower settling time of 0.25s (compared to the 0.5s of a standard hotspot) meaning that we can now accommodate hop tests where athletes have to return to the spot  in a time less than 0.5s.  For example in a hop test where athletes have to hop on to a low box and back down onto the spot or in a step up drills.

Earlier I mentioned the “time” and “count” modes and I would like to go into a little more detail.  Time mode is where we set a period of time we want the athlete to work, for example 20s.  We set up drills where athletes repeat movements and each spot trigger constitutes the final score.  In count mode we set the number of spots we want the athlete to trigger and the system provides the time (accurate to 100th of second) to complete the exercise.

The impact of the Hotspot PRO system is huge in that it is extremely adaptable to the training requirements.  The system itself forces athletes to control their movement and bodies much more and provides measurements that can be used to monitor progress, current performance and used in learning.   There really isn’t a better training aid and for the price can you afford not to add the PRO to your inventory?  Make It Count with Hotspot PRO!

www.gameseducation.co.uk

order now –  order@gameseducation.co.uk

The “flow” step is commonly used as a means of defending wide balls that have caused you to be on the run and over stretched.  The “flow” step allows you to hit the ball on the move and implement a braking method allowing quick and efficient recovery back into the court.  I am going to provide 3 variations of the drill and alongside each provide some coaching tips and analysis.

Flow Step Drill 1:

In this drill there are simply two spots.

1. positioned as a recovery point.

2. positioned where the outside foot is placed in order to execute the flow step.

The drill is a repetitive exercise that puts the execution of the flow step and the recovery under pressure.  There are two ways to do this.  Firstly repeat for a period of time, say 20 seconds or secondly to perform a set number of repetitions, (using the hotspot will provide both methods and give times and scores as feedback).   Obviously the repetitive nature is not tennis specific but the point of this is to isolate a “skill” and train it to be efficient and robust so it can be relied on in game play.   Also during a drill of this nature players will stress their concentration and their technique whilst putting it under time and fatigue pressure.

"Flow" step drill - basic

For the drill the player is asked to move from the centre of the court, perform the flow step and recover back to the recovery spot and repeat.  The timing of this will be affected by a number of variables.  Clearly the ability to execute an efficient flow step will aid in allowing the player to go quickly, apply the brakes and recover.

Flow Step Drill 2:

This drill uses the same configuration as above.  This time however, the system is put into it’s “zero” start mode which means that the first hit of a spot starts the timing.  We are also going to use a count of 1 which means that the player will perform a single flow step (which will start the timer) and then recover as quickly as possible to the recovery spot (which will stop the timer).

This drill is aimed at measuring the effectiveness of the flow step and the recovery speed.  Clearly improved times will reflect flow step braking and recover speed.

Flow Step Drill 3:

Flow steps can be executed in a variety of court positions.  We can position spots in alternative areas as to apply more movement pressure and execution stress to the player.

I have set up the drill as in the picture below.

Flow Step Adaptive Drill

There are numerous options in which order things are done, for example top, middle, bottom repeat or bottom, middle, top, middle, bottom etc.  Once again repetitions can be set or the drill can be done for time.  The key point to this drill is that players must adapt to different movement patterns needed to move and recover to each of the 3 areas. This adds additional pressures to the drill and improves complexity.  If players can perform the necessary skills in this environment there is a good chance they will be executed in game play.

These drills are not only useful for the “flow” step but by moving up the court and replacing with the appropriate footwork pattern you create a tactically, technically, physically, and mentally competent practice.

Finally, the hotspot system  provides for precision and repeatability of the drills and most importantly provides accurate feedback on the players performance that coupled with subjective, observations from the coach can be extremely powerful.  Players will gain a more complete understanding of where they are at and the level at which they perform.  In addition there is no better motivation once players start to own their development.

Hope you enjoy this post and can make use of it!

MAKE IT COUNT!

www.gameseducation.co.uk

The obvious answer is that it is at the discretion of the coach when he/she feels it is appropriate and that the child is demonstrating the relevant skill set.  Of course this differs from coach to coach so is there an answer?

It is observed that some children transition better than others from one stage to the other and that some struggle at certain stages.  Also those who achieve a high rating are allowed to transition by the rules but again depending on how they got their rating (by playing advanced tennis or by “fluke”) will depict whether they are able to transition effectively.  I personally have done both things.  I moved players up when they display what I thought was good play, when they reach the rating and also organically.

Recently I have kept my mini red players back on red and attempted to teach advanced footwork/physical attributes and advanced tactics and patterns of play and in all honesty they are starting to look like competent tennis players just smaller!  In addition we  experimented with bringing Orange players back to red and observed similar errors being made but also they learnt a lot about the game of tennis.  In hindsight they were moved to early..potentially?

Other countries have only recently adopted the 3 stages of development and there is an argument that you learn what you are exposed to and that development is a long road and everything doesn’t have to be done so early.  Countering that is that players could be more skilled at earlier ages and that training methods alter as they get older i.e. becomes more physical/mental based.

Finally, talent ID systems are very difficult to run since players will develop at differing rates and will transition differently as they move through.  That means a very fluid system needs to be in place to allow players who take up the sport late/find a love for it later on or simply just grow into it over time to access.

Again, my thought process is a bit scatty and I welcome all comments!

Stay strong,

Mike

Very young players are very much learning the game and in fact learning to play the game in a way that their coach wants them to.  What I mean is that if a coach is teaching hitting for depth then the coach would like to see this within matchplay at the expense of winning, right?  This past week my focus in training (mini red) has been using the forehand as a weapon in particular the run around or inside out forehand.  To my great pleasure my players tried to do this in their matches but with varying degrees of success sometimes resulting in losing.  Is this bad?

Interestingly there was a match where a highly skilled technical player came up against a much lesser player technically but got the ball back (due to the slower pace of mini red) in weird and wonderful ways.  Due to the size and strength of the age group there was few winners hit and more points were won by “fluking” the ball just over the net.  This is seen a lot at both red and orange mini tennis.

Now the question is….who is the better player with the better foundations and potential?  I would say it is still difficult to say as who knows what will happen to both players over the next few years but..an obvious answer is that the more technically developed will have greater success down the road.

I can see the point of competition from a learning the game and finding your game style perspective and in fact learning to compete and wanting to win etc.  What I am not quite understanding yet is the importance of the result?  Competition should be about winning and trying to win at least but in the big scheme of things what does the result matter?  Which leads me on to the final question….if it does not matter at red/orange or even green at what age does it matter?  Are the best players the ones that win a lot at a young age or not?

My thoughts have hit a wall so please if you have an opinion on this get in touch either by comment or email!

cheers

Mike

Well firstly, the UK is not the rest of the world and let’s face we have to do stuff differently due to the culture of the country.  With that said perhaps mini tennis is the way forward.

Mini Tennis Videos

WARM UP

PAIR DRILLING

POINT PLAY AGAINST THE COACH

MATCHPLAY

In the past people (including me) have been critical of mini tennis as it hasn’t been adopted across the rest of the world (until recently) and that other countries have managed to produce world class tennis players the “good old fashioned way”.

Well firstly, the UK is not the rest of the world and let’s face we have to do stuff differently due to the culture of the country.  With that said perhaps mini tennis is the way forward.

The issues were that actually the message wasn’t delivered down to the coach force effectively enough and potentially a lot of the progressive nature of mini tennis from a coaching perspective was missed and lost.

In all fairness it has taken me a while to come the full circle to really embracing mini tennis particularly “red”.  Just to recap there is a type of ball (the really squishy ones are LTA recommended), size of racket and court.  These adaptations are to suit players from 3 years old to 8 years old and within the development there is beginner to advanced.  One way I look at it is put yourself on a red court and if your 7/8 year old’s can compete hard against you then they are reaching the top of mini red.  (I will be adding some videos of my players over the weekend).

For me the one variable that remains the same within mini tennis is the court.  The ball and racket can change (within reason) and players can fully develop their skill set.  For example, using a variety of “mini red” balls from sponge balls, of which there are a variety of grades to mini red hard balls can develop a host of skills that a mini red player needs. Similarly racket size can also be altered from the starter rackets that a just a bit bigger than a table spoon to a 25 inch weapon.  The key is to have a clear idea of what it is you are trying to achieve.

Teaching opportunities are endless in mini tennis red from simple “over and in” tactics to “bailey method” footwork patterns.  Everything in the game is available within mini tennis the difference is that it is all accessible by the mini red player also. Something to consider…do they have efficient, professional technique?  can they hit a variety of shots from different court positions?  do they understand attack, build/rally and defend and demonstrate this within points play?  Can they serve to different positions, exploiting weaknesses and developing a favourite serve?  If the answer is no to this then the player can still learn in mini red.  If yes then they have developed a great skill set physically, mentally, technically and tactically have great foundations to reach their potential as a tennis player all at the age of 8!.

With the development of 2 players in particular at my club (videos to follow) has really shown me the powers of mini tennis red.  My philosophy is simply to take the professional game in terms of the 4 factors and introduce them to my players at red.  This means, right grips, stances, footwork.  Developing a game style, being tactically aware and understanding there own strengths and weaknesses.  Becoming physically competent through appropriate Strength and conditioning (including plyometrics, specific movement training) and developing a solid work ethic for the future.  All of this can be done with a sponge ball, small racket on a red court.

I have recently come across comments such as “they hit it out a lot on the small red court they will do better at orange”

This is complete rubbish since it may be true in the short term but if the technique isn’t in place the player will just hit it out at orange too.  The bigger courts etc will highlight even more the flaws in a player and although they will have the opportunity to “learn the hard way” i.e deal to cope they will not realise as much successful outcomes as if they were developed fully at red and moved to orange with better foundations.

Once again, I invite comments, thoughts and feedback as they purpose is to enhance our coaching and create better players!  hope you enjoyed this and for more information on my personal approach email me at mike@gameseducation.co.uk.  cheers.