Specific Training Routines

U14s/15s/16s

In the past few weeks we’ve had with you, the majority of our exercises and drills were circuit-like bodyweight exercises, like our squats and lunges, or short snappy multi-directional sprints. The purpose of our work with you in this group’s development as players and athletes is to teach you the basic fundamental techniques of these beneficial exercises and to lay the foundations for the more advanced strength training you will go through as you progress through your age groups at club, divisional and hopefully county level, which is the level you as a young player should aspire to. We will use this website in the next few weeks to script the sessions we have done, to give you set exercises to complete at home and to give you the option of contacting us with any queries you may have on the exercises we are giving you.

Sean Flynn & Brian O’ Shaughnessy,

Strength & Conditioning Coaches.

Contact Details:

Concerns all age groups specifically u15s and u16s, but it is important for any u14s who may want to begin working on improving themselves at home using bodyweight exercises:

Squats

• Stand with feet slightly wider than hip width and sit back as if sitting on a chair. Keep back straight and do not let knees buckle inwards or go over the toes.
• Try to sit back until thighs are parallel to the ground. Do not let heels raise from the ground.
• If players are struggling to maintain correct form, have them perform while facing a partner. Partners clasp one hand (right hand in right hand, or left hand in left hand) or against a wall, and sit back at the same time using their partner for balance. Once players feel strong enough they can progress to performing the squat by themselves.

Lunges

• Take a large step forward and bend both knees until back knee is just above ground level.
• Make sure that in the lunge position, you’re body remains in a straight line from your knee to your shoulder, back remains straight and tall, facing forward with the head held high.
• Make sure torso stays upright and front knee doesn’t go beyond the toe.

Push Ups

• Position yourself on the ground with your palms on the ground directly beneath your shoulders, ensuring that your arms are not too wide or too close.
• As you drop down your elbows should brush off your ribcage, your chest must touch the ground before pushing yourself back up.

For your development as players, we would ask that you complete each of these exercises to fatigue 3 times a week until fatigue, which means that you complete the exercise until you can no longer perform a repetition of it with good efficient technique. When completing these exercises it is essential that you focus on the quality of how you perform the exercise and not on how many you can do, so it is vital you follow the points we have thought you to gain the most benefit from it. If you simply follow this over the next few weeks of the Christmas holidays both your muscle strength and power will show significant improvements when you return to us. If all participants have practiced good form, advancements will be passed on in the coming weeks.

Running Techniques

If any player goes running individually for a jog or may be participating in some form of fitness training in the next few months, it is important to practice running techniques.

It is vital that players have the correct running technique while running in a straight line before progressing onto multi-directional and agility exercises, so keep these pointers in mind if you are going running.

Head:    Looking straight ahead.

Torso:   Upright and straight, ensure that there is no backward or forward lean.

Arms:    Elbows loosely bent at 90 degrees but movement comes from shoulders, opposite arm to leg, try to prevent movement of the arms across the body, just forward and back.

Knees:   Hip and knee bend so that thigh comes parallel with the ground during stride, very slight bend at take-off and contact.

Feet:      Ensure ground contact is made with ball of foot not heel or toes, foot makes contact with ground almost directly under the body, not out in front.

Drills

Marching

Players march forwards, with high knees and correct arm-swing. This seems very simple but is useful for ensuring players have correct arm movement and knee lift.  March forwards for 20 feet, walk back to the start and repeat 3 times. Perform slowly to perfect technique.

Pogo’s

• Stand in quarter squat position: feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, butt back, ankles bent, shoulders slightly forward and head up.
• Rapidly alternate your feet as if you are running in place without lifting your feet higher than three inches off the ground.
• Perform this exercise three to five times for 15 seconds straight, following by a short quick sprint for 5-10 feet.
• You will notice that your legs will get heavy and your speed will decrease. The more you do this drill the more your muscles and nervous system will be ready to make any move your mind tells them to.

These running techniques should be practiced at least once a week and incorporated when jogging and sprinting.

Below are some useful links which may give you some pointers on the above running drills.

Marches - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwF7llaexm8

Pogo’s   - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSL6uiyWqxI