Over the past couple of weeks I have once again had the pleasure of working with a member of the Canadian national volleyball team who is now five months post ACL surgery (her second). I was brought in to consult and help guide the rehabilitation process to return her to performing at the highest level. Essentially a big part of my role is to open the mind of the athlete (and also the practitioners involved) to what she is able to do. Naturally any injury, particularly one as severe as an ACL rupture, imposes constraints, and that tends to be the theme for what is communicated to the athlete at this time. Equally, in spite of the restrictions we can often surprise ourselves at the extent of what we are still capable of. At these times it pays to switch our perspective and be curious (and courageous) in exploring what is within our powers to tackle without adverse effects. For instance, in the past fortnight we reintroduced our volleyball athlete to Olympic lifting for the first time in a long time. Whilst she may not be able to jump and spike a ball on court currently, she was happy to find she could still train in a way that will help her to do so in due course.

Clearly the other major current news story that is affecting all of us presently is the COVID-19 pandemic. Things escalated pretty quickly over the past week with the suspensions of college competition and professional leagues (perhaps less news-worthy, but I also took the step of postponing the workshop that I was due to present this weekend). Beyond disrupting competition, the precautions regarding public gatherings and restrictions to indoor training facilities access that are likely to come into force could conceivably also disrupt training and practices. I know several running groups locally have temporarily shut down. A number of professional athletes for whom competition is currently suspended are currently also unable to access their training facility. At this time, finding a way and exploring alternatives for training remotely within these restrictions seems highly pertinent.

A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE…

To continue the theme of the last post, times of adversity are illuminating. As Joni Mitchell noted, it tends to be when something is taken away that we appreciate what we have and what it means to us. Naturally, the cancellation of the pinnacle events that they have been preparing for will have come as a crushing disappointment to many athletes. Equally, as we explored previously, separating the goals we have been working towards from the wider purpose that led us to choose our particular path brings clarity that helps restore intrinsic motivation to invest ourselves and engage in the activity for its own sake.

From a coaching perspective, it is also revealing how athletes respond at times such as these. Do we simply accept the (somewhat valid) excuse that we are unable to train as normal, and so opt to sit back and wait for things to change. Or do we set about finding ways to get it done using whatever tools and facilities are still available to us?

OPERATING AUTONOMOUSLY…

When athletes are temporarily without their pit crew (if they have one), then the task of maintaining their own hardware falls squarely on their shoulders. As I have written about before, the most important equipment we should invest in and take care of is our own body. Often athletes will have to work autonomously when on the road or unable to access providers, so this opportunity to become better at self management will serve them well down the road.

Using the pit crew analogy, it is routine practice for the engineers to run a full systems check before the race car goes out onto the track. We can similarly undertake a daily routine that serves as a self check to assess how our systems are functioning, and see how individual components are moving. I would recommend this self diagnostic and calibration process as an integral part of daily practice for athletes in any case, so once again we are currently presented with a good opportunity to reset and take steps to become more diligent.

TOOLS FOR SELF MAINTENANCE…

Another routine part of the support I provide to athletes, regardless of age, stage, and level of competition, is equipping them with the tools to better manage themselves. There are some low cost, readily available, and easily accessible tools that athletes can use for self therapy.

Under normal circumstances these are helpful adjunct tools to complement the manual therapy input provided by practitioners. At times when access to therapy provision may not be available, utilising these tools becomes all the more important. For a refresher, the reader can find some guidance on what tools you might use and how you might use them here.

ALTERNATIVE TRAINING ENVIRONMENTS…

There are naturally times, such as when on the road, when athletes are temporarily unable to access their normal training environment and they have to make do with whatever facilities are available. Clearly the present situation is far from standard circumstances, but the ability to improvise is nevertheless an important skill for athletes that will also serve them when things go back to normal.

Given the restrictions on indoor training facility access that we may face over the coming period, and in view of the present public health guidelines, exploring opportunities to train in an open air environment is a great option. From a personal perspective, whilst strength training is integral to what I implement with all of the clients I support, the majority of my coaching is presently on track, on turf, or on court (outside), and I aim to continue these sessions.

Whilst we are likely to be more restricted in terms of the training tools that we have available, we can get a lot done with body weight, gravity, and different terrain. For instance, we might not have free weights at our disposal, but even without external resistance we can still leverage physics to provide a training stimulus that involves high levels of force application (after all force is the product of not only mass but also acceleration). Numerous workout options including body weight exercise (‘calisthenics’), jump and plyometric training, acceleration, and speed development in combination with hills, stairs, and other features of outdoors environments, can still provide comprehensive physical preparation.

So I encourage the reader to go forth and continue on the path, even if it might be a solo mission for a little while. With the right perspective and the necessary willingness you will find a way. For those in Vancouver, there are still a host of options to explore locally, especially as we get into Spring. Support remains available for those seeking advice or coaching input, either remotely or in person, so feel free to reach out using the ‘Enquire’ link at the top of the page, or via email (PreparedATH@gmail.com).

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Readers who are local to Vancouver can also enquire to find out more about the coaching provision on offer, and how to arrange an initial assessment via the ‘Enquire’ link at the top of the page, or email us direct at PreparedATH@gmail.com.