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!

TIME MODE – Hotspot club / XL / PRO

In Time mode we firstly set the amount of time that we will be working for.  For example we may have a drill that requires an athlete to work for 20 seconds.  During this time the Hotspot is open to triggers from the spots and will record a “hit” every time a spot is activated.  In time mode the score at the end is simply the number of spots hit during the pre set time frame.

Time mode has a number of real world applications.  If you can imagine a “Zig Zag” pattern consisting of 4 spots.  The athlete has to move in this pattern touching each of the spots with his/her foot forwards and then backwards.  This pattern is then repeated for the set time.  The use of Time mode will increase the intensity and effort level of the athlete whilst forcing good body control, precise footwork and a rhythmic, fluid movement ability.   The score at the end of the activity will reflect the athlete’s ability in these areas.  Time mode allows up to 95 seconds, in increments of 5 and can really pressure all energy systems.

COUNT MODE – All Hotspot Systems

Count mode is essentially the opposite to Time mode where the system is configured to accurately time a set number of triggers.  In Count mode we set the number of spots required to be hit in the activity.  In the above example we could use a count of 4 (just the forward pattern) or 8 to include the backward pattern also.  We could set it to 16 for two repetitions of the forward and backward patterns, get the idea?  The result is a Time value, accurate to 100th of a second.  Obviously in this mode it is more discriminatory and can provide indications of marginal improvement (key for elite athletes) and also between groups i.e. in talent detection.  For athletes to achieve the fastest time’s certain movement techniques, fatigue levels etc will impact the time.  There are a variety of uses for this mode.

Split Time Mode – XL and PRO only

Split time mode is an extension of Count mode where each received trigger splits the running time.  To explain further if the count is set to 2 then there will be two time’s in the display cycle post activity.  The first time will be from the start of timing to the 1st received trigger and the 2nd time will be the total time for the activity.

Split timing can be used to look at movement to the left and the right, fluidity of movement i.e. if the splits are equal in difference then there is a a rhythmic component to the athletes movement.   Another use of split timing is to run a repeat of an activity touch a spot after each set.  Let’s say we are doing set’s of 5 medicine ball squat jumps.  After each set the athlete touches a trigger point.  After say 3 sets of this the hotspot will have 3 times.  With a bit of simple mathematics we can determine how much the athlete has fatigued over the course of the drill.  This would be useful in telling us whether the athlete starts strongly and finishes poorly or is pretty consistent throughout.

SUMMARY

So there are 3 timing modes on the hotspot system’s that can be used in a variety of ways.  In all cases the athletes get immediate performance feedback and are externally motivated to give 110% to the activity.  Like anything where there is improvement to be made and one can see that it is possible an athlete will strive to beat times/scores and may even be inclined to practice outside of formal training.  Athletes will begin to own their training, effort and performance becoming more aware of themselves.   This is essential to reaching potential and fulfilling dreams!

Remember…MAKE IT COUNT!

Mike

http://www.gameseducation.co.uk/images/webgraphics/295.pdf

Make it Count – Team Hotspot

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 background to this is the fundamental core of Games Education as a company – the one thing that led Mike and I to set it up. Not making huge sums of money (although maybe one day it would be nice to pay off all the loans!) but the strong belief and desire that every child playing sport and exercise should be able to use techniques and equipment similar to the professionals…

..why should only a very privileged few have access to such things…BECAUSE all the technology is too expensive and alas there aren’t many coaches out there like Mike who are passionate enough about coaching to try new things, to replicate the training of elite players and bring that coaching to the young players. I say this not as Mike’s business partner and friend but as the father on one of his protégés in tennis, my son Angus. It was hearing Mike say before a Sunday session that he had been looking at Nadal and Federer on You Tube the night before and was trying some of their drills with my son that stood out for me as a parent. That’s creative coaching and not confined by rigid guidelines of governing bodies. And the technology bit? Use scientific nowse, start from the very beginning and create a piece of technology that can be bought by the very entry point of sport and exercise. And so we created the HotSpot. And that’s accessible technology for sport and fitness. By definition.

Okay so where’s all this going….my concern is this. Why can’t we harbour the knowledge and passion that Mike and I have for sports coaching and combine it with tools and technology that are affordable and fun for children? You can I hear you say! Well we’d like to think so too, but we’ve faced an uphill battle with PCTs for obesity and schools for inclusion trying to convince them that by introducing healthy competition, by making sport and exercise fun and enjoyable, you will get more kids being active, having fun and ultimately all getting something out of it. My favourite expression that I have coined about this is it’s not about inter-competition but intra-competition. (Alas I guess this message my be lost on some audiences!) What I mean is we don’t want James to be better than John we want James to be better than James before! Why not get some times and scores and get some motivation. I work with children all day every day and they love competition! Everything is competition – but it’s about making that competition fun and using it to help each individual themselves. With me so far?!

So all the non believers that getting competition into schools and young people’s lives is a good thing, take note of the next bit. And the reason for me writing now…

I spent a very humbling afternoon yesterday with the group I mentioned at the beginning. I was asked by my friend and colleague from our football team if I knew who could help with his after school session that afternoon as the organisation (who I’d better leave nameless!) who had been booked to run the session had cancelled literally hours before. So in for a penny in for a pound I said I’d run a session. Having rushed down the motorway back home, out of a playground, some cones, footballs, ladders and a little goal I created an agility course for the ten or so kids assembled. Needless to say HotSpot was integral to mark out the way points and give me some scores. Urban Agility and Football had been born! Okay don’t want to labour the point but an hour later and two runs of the course, the header challenge and a crazy playground cross bar challenge later we had kept 10 kids very entertained and given it was around -3degrees, warm and entertained. Quick certificate giving for all and off they went.

Okay no need to feel smug but it really taught me something – most kids whatever their background can be entertained, helped and encouraged by good people skills, knowledge and fun and can get a lot from sport and exercise. That by having a little competition everyone got more from it. And that the most able and the least able all competed on the same level and all achieved.

And that’s what I want all those involved in sport and physical education who might doubt the fact that competition is good and healthy and right if conducted in a sensible manner to take on board.

If there’s still some non believers then this is the email I received today and I have entered it word for word…..

Nothing more to say huh but happy times and let’s give the kids what they deserve.

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.

It is a wonderful time to be involved in sport however there does seem to be some major differences in approach in the UK and abroad.  Standing at the side of a high school football game with 2000 people was a bit odd since it is unheard of in the UK.  The approach that testing and measurements are key and that each individual strives to be the best they can be regardless of stature are stark contrast to my experience in the UK  particularly in schools.  On more than one occasion I have been told that scores and times encourage elitism and leave the weaker behind.  Is this not the case in the real world?

Funnily enough our local MP when asked about a multi million pound sports village to be built in rural Worcester had a similar opinion in that it would not benefit the community.  In aspects of understanding British culture he may well be correct as are we actually motivated to achieve or mollycoddled into a sense of averageness?

The can  do attitude of the American people could do us all a favour in the UK in times of difficulty.  Do we simply look for someone to blame or find the solution?  Hotspot and Games Education are in the mind set of striving to be the best when it comes to our sport and training.  If you want to achieve in sport whether it is getting fitter, playing pro or in my case getting a free education in the states on a scholarship you have to put the time and effort in from a young age..like it or not!  Going back to the sports village what better way to motivate the local community to achieve than providing an opportunity to succeed?  Ok, so I have a had a little rant and in all honesty it is a free following dialogue that is just putting some thoughts out there.  I would love to hear back from anyone who reads this with there opinions on things raised in this rant and check back for more thoughts and feelings.

hope all is good…and make it count!

Mark Howard, Head of Fitness later commented on the hotspot system and had this to say;

“Hot Spot offers a really easy and affordable tool for measuring a player’s ability to perform a specific task. It is really quick to set up and can be manipulated by changing the start settings and timing modes making it a great way to benchmark a squad on any given functional drill or practice.

I like how simple the kit is and the fact that it has the potential to be used across a range of departments in the club including sports science and medical departments at both first team and academy level.”

see images at…

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=166260966717463&set=a.166260953384131.42210.100000006814523

www.gameseducation.co.uk

Existing Hotspotters can upgrade their system should they want to. Please see the Shop at www.gameseducation.co.uk/shop.asp for pricing.