health

1. health and fitness
In the sports arena, peak performance in sports has always been a much
sought after state by players and coaches of all levels. Whether the
athletes are school boys soccer players or Olympians striving for their
Gold medals, peak performance in sports has always attracted athletes and
coaches alike. In our modern age of sports, where sports science is at a
stratospheric level and rising, what are the factors that when applied
correctly can lead sports participants to peak performance in sports? Are
there secrets to sporting excellence? Are these factors easily
manipulated for the benefits of the athletes? This article discusses the
factors that can lead athletes and coaches to peak performance in sports.
There has been many articles and books detailing principles, programs,
success factors and the like that can lead to peak performance in sports.
Many authors have written at length about them and in many ways, the
principles and factors are universal. The principles of progressive
resistance, variety, goal specific training, recovery, etc are all
undisputed underlying reasons that allows athletes to achieve peak
performance in sports. This article goes a step further by exploring
these universal factors in a different light. In the process, I hope to
give athletes and coaches alike how to practically apply these principles
and which are the factors with higher weightage in terms of achieving
success and peak performance in sports.
There are basically two set of factors we need to look into. Technical
and human factors. Let us take a look at the former set of factors first;
Technical Factors
1. Quality Preparation
2. Mastering Individual Skills
3. High Fitness Levels
4. Understanding Overall Team Play
5. Filling Up Key Positions of the Team
6. Minimise Errors in Games
1. Quality Preparation
The hard work for any sports season begins with the preseason training
which is very intensive. No body likes this season, as the work and
training required is often very boring and painful. But this has to be
done for the athletes to be optimally prepared for the rigours of the
competitive phase. The endurance, strength, speed and skill volumes must
be done. Not just the volume of work, but how much quality is put into
the preparation phase is vital as well. When players cut corners and put
in training at face value without their heart and soul, it will show up
later in the competition as fatigue, injuries or lack of sharpness in
their performance. Peak performance in sports cannot be possible under
such circumstances. The quality of preseason preparation is even more
important in youth sports.

2. Very often in schools, the playing seasons for many sports start almost
immediately when the school year starts. With our children away for long
vacations, our athletes very often return to school to face competitions
with very little training time. Team play, fitness building and mental
preparation are supposed to be done in 2-3 weeks, which in a sports world
is almost impossible and impractical. This kind of preparation is also
detrimental to the development of our children. Under these
circumstances, coaches and teachers (and parents if possible) have a very
important responsibility to ensure that our athletes are well prepared
for competition. Training programmes for sports ought to be drawn up and
implemented at year's end previously. Our athletes need to understand
that that their season effectively began when their examinations are
over. With a training programme started, coaches and teachers can than
instruct athletes about a vacation training programme as well. Each
athlete should have one whereby, they can do something to improve their
playing abilities during their break away from school. It could include
things like maintain a certain standard of fitness through endurance
activities like cycling, running or swimming, playing catch and pitching
in the backyard with their siblings, or even individual practices to
improve certain skills. The main thing here is to preserve and improve
what has been attained in the preceding season, so that athletes do not
return back to school and start from scratch. Simply planning and
training this way will ensure quality preparation for the sports teams to
attain peak performance in sports later.
2. Mastering Individual Skills
In all sports and games, there are certain skill sets and skills that are
considered basic and necessary. These must be achieved by athletes before
they can play at a higher level later. In basketball, dribbling and
executing a proper lay-up are crucial. Throwing, catching and fielding
skills are a must in baseball and softball. The push-pass and receiving a
pass are necessary skills in hockey and floor ball. The list goes on. In
preseason training, or at the earliest playing stage, these essential
skills must be made known to our young players, and all efforts and time
must be spent on mastering these basic skills. Without these skills, a
coach will find it very difficult to execute more complex team plays to
achieve peak performance in sports. If strikers cannot even control a
long pass from a teammate, how can we expect the same player to hold up
the ball well up field against oppositions defenders and execute lay-off
passed to oncoming teammates in support. It will be wise for coaches to
develop these skills early and also for players to keep improving
themselves in these skills even though they might feel that they are good
enough already.
Even at professional levels, these basic skills for their sports is
important for peak performance in sports. The repertoire of skills
required and the intensity of how these skills are performed at the
highest levels are even more acute. At the highest levels where opponents
are very evenly match in all areas, one mistake can often result in a win
or loss. It is even more important for professionals to master all the
skills required of the game or sports. Only under such intense conditions
can peak performance in sports be possible.

3. 3. High Fitness Levels
At high school levels, many athletes would not have reached their maximal
physical development yet no matter how much they train. Physiologically
speaking, the development in this area in youths is very varied. Some
children reach a high fitness standard faster than others, while others
have body types that will only respond to training optimally when they
get older. Hence, it can be assumed that a team with the fittest group of
players will have the most advantage. No matter how skillful your
opponents are, if you are fitter than him or her, you will be able to
overcome your lack of fitness by reacting rapidly to overcome your short
fall. Let's say, you are out dribbled by a more skillful opponent in
soccer. But if you are fitter than your opponent who have just out-
dribbled you, you will be able to track back fast enough to cover your
position again. This edge in fitness for youth is very important at the
later stages of the game too, as players tend to tire faster at this age.
A fitter team will definitely be able to prevail and score more later in
the game. Players at this age need to be convinced of this need for
fitness, and be encouraged to do whatever they can to attain the highest
level of fitness possible.
How about professionals? Without a doubt, professional athletes are
expected to possess fitness at the highest levels. If they are not, their
opponents will be and consequently, they will outperform them and reach
their peak performance in sports. Generally speaking, professional
sportsmen know how to get into great shape and maintain that till the end
of the season. Their physical bodies are also in the best state to be
developed to their fullest potential.
4. Understanding Overall Team Play
The next factor of great importance in achieving peak performance in
sports is understanding the overall team play by the players. Imagine a
coach telling his charges to clear the balls down the flanks in any
invasion game. You will be surprise how many players actually understand
why they are told to do this. More often than not, the players will just
do what is required or told by the coaches. The understanding behind
their action is very often very little. They might not know that by
playing the ball down the flanks or wing, it actually forces the
opponents defence to spread wider, thus leaving more gaps in the middle
for the attacker to exploit subsequently. Another statistically advantage
is that plays down the flanks generally result in the attacker getting
the ball back if it is knocked out of bound. That is why, you often hear
players or coaches shouting to their charges to 'throw it down the line'.
Young players love the direct route to goal and very often that means
playing through the middle. Whatever is taught in tactics to the players,
coaches must make every effort to explain and make sure that all the
players understand the tactical significance of their plays. This form of
coaching if done properly, makes the players better players and improve
their decision making on the pitch. And we are always looking for more
thinking players in our pitch which will give the team a higher chance of
achieving peak performance in sports.