There is no doubt that a physically well conditioned sports team will enhance their opportunity of achieving desired goals and success.  As a Biokineticist I have noticed that female athletes are far more ‘exercise sensitive’ than male athletes.  Common statements such as ‘ I don’t want to build big biceps and glutes’ is an indication of the sensitivity regarding female athletes and their physical awareness.  The key to achieving a thorough commitment towards the conditioning program is an evaluation that can be used to indicate areas of improvement and to explain the goals of the program to each individual athlete as well as the changes the body may experience and the response that the athlete will experience regarding their physique.

The pre-season conditioning program is as follows:

Orthopaedic evaluation and body composition test – this was used to identify any orthopaedic problems and to provide the athlete with their current physical condition and to provide data for follow up and goal setting.)

Week 1 – 3 ( local stability strengthening and base line strength and endurance, eccentric strength)

Week 4-6 ( combination training and intergrated movement patters )

Week 7-8 ( introduction to power training and strength maintenance )

Due to the limited time frame that was available for conditioning, the athletes had to show great amounts of concentration and dedication during and towards the program.  Emphasis was also placed on the athletes postural awareness and correct execution of the movement patterns.

I would encourage all coaches and athletes to take careful note of posture.  It is the most common cause of orthopaedic injuries and most certainly inhibits physical development and movement ability on the sports field.

The Holiday Program focused on the maintenance of strength and flexibility to ensure that the athletes return in the adequate physical condition to begin with explosive power and plyometrics.

Well done to the OMS netball squad for achieving excellent results during their 6week re-evaluations. An average of 3% body fat and an increase in 2 levels during the bleep tests proves that hard work does pay off!