Sport Science Department (part 1) - Why a soccer club needs it

Why to create a Sports Science department within a soccer club?

The Sports Science Department of an elite professional team is responsible for maximising the physical performance potential of the club. It encompasses athletic development, sports science and sports medicine disciplines working closely together to achieve the overall aim of improved physical performance.

The three broad goals required to improved physical performance are:

Athletic development is the primary goal when aiming to improve physical performance. Developing the physical qualities of your athletes to make them fitter, stronger, faster etc. is undoubtedly a key goal that must be achieved in order to improve physical performance. Strength and conditioning experts should provide the lead in developing the athletic qualities of the athlete, but this cannot be done in isolation.

Injury Prevention is another key goal required to be successful in improving athletic performance. Put simply, if a player is unable to train, they are unable to develop as an athlete. Equally, if a player is unable to play, they are unable to contribute to the team’s overall physical performance levels.

Injury management is the third significant goal that should be a focus for improving physical performance, although it perhaps rarely considered in that context. It is well understood that if a player’s injuries are not managed appropriately, they may be delayed in returning to play, or suffer injury recurrence. This clearly has a negative effect on the capacity of a team’s physical performance.

For the above goals to be met there needs to be coordination between coaching and medical staff as to particular areas of focus or concern, as well as an open discussion of methods that may be preferential or contraindicated, on the basis of specific pathologies in individuals, or trends within teams and sports. 

 

 

Sports Science Department collects all relevant data and coordinates with coaching, strength & conditioning, medical & physio staff as to team and individual performance deficits, and the likely physical requirements based upon the technical and tactical approach the coach plans to adopt. 

 

If you can envision it, then we can plan it.
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