In this episode of the Pacey Performance Podcast, Senior Adjunct Fellow at University of Technology Sydney, Tania Spiteri discussed the pivotal considerations surrounding agility and change of direction (COD) training and testing. Tania brings forth her extensive experience, ranging from grassroots to elite and Olympic level athletes, to provide listeners with a comprehensive understanding of these crucial athletic components.
Tania delineates the difference between agility and COD, establishing that while both are integral to athletic performance, they are distinctly different in their application and assessment. Agility is defined as the ability to alter velocity or direction in response to a stimulus, thereby incorporating a decision-making element. In contrast, COD pertains to the physical and technical capacity of an athlete to change direction, assessed through pre-planned drills, devoid of a decision-making component.
The discussion further delves into the constraints that influence agility performance, exploring the multifaceted interactions between the athlete, task, and environmental factors. Tania emphasizes the imperative of understanding and quantifying the underlying mechanisms and constraints that facilitate enhanced performance and injury mitigation. She underscores the necessity for training drills to be representative of the sport, ensuring they are progressively overloaded, specific, and varied to optimize development and transfer to competitive settings.
Tania's expertise provides a rich resource for coaches, athletes, and sports scientists seeking to optimize training and testing protocols for agility and COD, ensuring they are both effective and reflective of the dynamic demands of competitive sport.
Main talking points:
#Bitesize - How to programme isometric training with athletes with Alex Natera
Anaerobic speed reserve; maximising training prescription (part 1) with Gareth Sandford (Physiologist at Athletics Canada)
#Bitesize - Training speed with team sport athletes with James Wild
Understanding and maximising the potential of the modern athlete with David Joyce and Dan Lewindon
#Bitesize - Testing and training deceleration qualities with Damian Harper
The modern football fitness coach and the importance of deep technical and tactical knowledge with Adam Owen (UEFA Pro Licence Coach & High Performance Director)
Working with youth athletes; monitoring maturation, biobanding and training through rapid growth with Sean Cumming (Professor of Paediatric Exercise at Bath University)
The psychology of physical enhancement, attitude, effort and energy with Dan Abrahams (Sports Psychologist)
Triphasic training, the ‘performance pillars‘ system, and choosing the right athlete assessments with Matt Van Dyke (Director of Sports Science, Houston Texans)
How to incorporate eccentric training into a strength and power programme with John Wagle (Director of Performance Science and Player Development, Kansas City Royals)
The quadrant system; allowing creativity and structure in planning and periodisation with Daniel Bove (Director of Performance, New Orleans Pelicans)
Deceleration ability; testing, developing underpinning qualities and the braking strategy framework with Damian Harper (Lecturer at the Institute of Coaching & Performance)
Weight machines; the most under utilised way to train in-season in the NBA with Cory Schlesinger (Director of Performance at the Phoenix Suns)
Rethinking rehabilitation, tendon health and the rise in popularity of blood flow restriction training with Luke Vella (Lead S&C Coach at Melbourne Rebels)
Winning the Super Bowl, getting fired and making an impact in the NFL with James Hanisch (ex Director of Performance Science at Philadelphia Eagles)
Changing the way we think about training speed and agility, and implementing the methods of Frans Bosch with Leigh Egger (Head of Performance at Feyenoord Rotterdam)
How to develop some of the Premier League‘s most promising young talent with Matt Allen (Head of Academy Physical Development at Tottenham Hotspur)
Harnessing ego to increase player and coach performance with Martin Buchheit (Head of Performance Research at Kitman Labs) and George Perry (athletics coach and sports writer)
Jumping and plyometrics; testing options, the importance of jump strategy and its link to speed with Joseph Coyne (Director of High Performance at Lindisfarne Anglican College)
Why speed should be at the top of the decision making tree in a performance based approach to rehab with Jonas Dodoo (Speedworks) & Alan Murdoch (Speedworks - Bath)
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