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:
Reducing and rehabilitating hip and groin injuries, monitoring readiness in team sports & isometric training with Ed Gannon (Head of S&C at Buffalo Sabres)
Training tendons; implications for sprinting, jumping and rehabilitation with Keith Baar (Professor of Molecular Exercise Physiology at University of California, Davis)
EPL > NHL > NFL; lessons from working in three of the biggest sports in the world with Jo Clubb (Sports Performance Consultant)
Contextual strength & coordination training, traditional strength training and intelligent science with John Pryor (Senior S&C Coach at Rugby Australia [Wallabies])
Programming for early and late maturing athletes, athlete case studies, and identifying gaps in development with James Baker (Senior S&C Coach at Aspire Academy)
Assessing growth and maturation, developing an LTAD framework, and talent identification with James Baker (Senior S&C Coach at Aspire Academy)
Murderball & training intensity; creating the fittest team in the Premier League with Benoit Delaval (1st Team Fitness Coach at Leeds United FC)
Eccentric training; the why, when and how with Angus Ross (Senior Strength & Conditioning Specialist at High Performance Sport New Zealand)
Developing some of the most impressive young athletes in the world at Duke University with Aaron Getz (Associate Director for Performance [Football] at Duke University)
From Olympic hockey gold to European football: what we can learn from other sports with Rick Cost (Head of Performance at Feyenoord)
What is data science (and what isn't), data informed decision making, and the gamification of coaching with Sudarshan Gopaladesikan (Head of Sports Data Science at S.L. Benfica)
Winning the Rugby World Cup, alcohol periodisation, and conditioning rugby players with Aled Walters (Head of Physical Preparation at Leicester Tigers)
The future of fitness qualifications in football, 24/7 support staff and what happened to the 'fitness coach' (?) with Paul Balsom (Fitness Coach for the Swedish National Football Team)
From NFL > esports: working in esports as a performance coach, what coaches can bring, and how can you pivot into this area with Taylor Johnson (Chief Performance Engineer at Statspace)
Expectations of sports science, the rise of the PhD, and the 'problem' with research with Barry Drust (Industrial Professorial Fellow at University of Birmingham)
Performance recovery, working with Olympic sprinters, and growing industry trends with Robin Thorpe (Sports Performance Scientist)
Recovery, load monitoring and a decade working at the biggest football club in the world with Robin Thorpe (Sport Performance Scientist)
Blood flow restriction (BFR) training; more than just a rehabilitation tool with Chris Gaviglio (Senior S&C Coach at the Queensland Academy of Sport)
Isometric training; the why, when and how with Danny Lum (Head of S&C at Singapore Sport Institute)
Shifting the training 'ideal' when working in the NBA with Carl Bergstrom (Head Performance Coach at Golden State Warriors)
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