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:
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Reflections on working at the biggest clubs in world football with Jack Nayler
#Bitesize - The value of injury screening with Nicol van Dyk
Optimising strength and conditioning for combat athletes with Duncan French, Danny Wilson and Rhys Ingram
Working in women’s football: Injury prevention, game demands and menstrual cycle tracking
Developing a more aggressive approach to hamstring injury rehabilitation with Tim Parham
Maximising the use of asymmetry data for profiling, rehab and fatigue monitoring with Chris Bishop
#Bitesize - Using the anaerobic speed reserve to ”bucket” an athlete group’s conditioning with Phil Scott
Maximising performance, managing fatigue and optimising recovery in American Football with Marc Lewis
How to implement micro-dosing strategies in team sports with Matt Cuthbert
The evolution of American Football training and its impact on all collision sports with Kurt Hester
Using collaboration and smart data collection to enhance the transfer of training with Dan Tobin and Dan Grange
Using a fascia based approach to performance training and rehabilitation with Danny Foley
#Bitesize - ”Activation” sessions - Do they do what we think/hope they do with Tony Blazevich
How to successfully navigate scientific research and apply the information to your athletes with JB Morin
#Bitesize - Working with José Mourinho and providing useful training load insights with Robin Thorpe
The application of isometric strength training and testing: Views of the experts with Alex Natera, Matt Taberner and Danny Lum
Understanding what maximises training transfer through intelligent data collection with Nick Lumley
#Bitesize - How to choose the most effective footwear for injury prevention with Athol Thomson
Being the “manager’s guy” and the realities of losing your job in pro sport with Jordan Milsom
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