Coaches & Services
The Central Scotland Institute of Sport offers athletes access to top
quality coaching programmes delivered by internationally experienced coaches.
This includes access to some of the best quality training facilities in
Scotland which are available locally and a fully integrated strength and
conditioning programme.
To complement and support the provision of this technical and tactical
expertise the Central Scotland Institute of Sport provides access to the
following athlete services.
Sports Medicine
The CSIS now has a Tuesday morning clinic which is service by Dr David Pugh. The service includes profiling of athletes, sport related health issues as well as the ability to refer atheltes for onward consultation. This includes radiology and orthopaedic expertise. The CSIS team meetings of coaches and service providers is a forum for communication between providers including physiotherapy, psychology, strength and conditioning, nutrition and performance lifestyle, the familiarity leading to improved standards of provision for the athletes.
Physiotherapy
The CSIS provides a physiotherapy service to the athletes on a Tuesday morning at the CSIS. This involves assessment, treatment and rehabilitation advice to those athletes able to attend at that time. As some athletes are unable to attend on a Tuesday they will continue to be seen by their therapist of choice at a convenient time. A key role is a communication link between these various therapists and the rest of the team. The information gained can be used to help deal with athletes who have more difficult problems. There is liaison with the Institute Doctor so that the athlete can be assessed wholly. If necessary the doctor can then organise further investigations or specialists referral and consultation.
Physiology
Physiological support is an integrated part of the CSIS programme for Swimming and Canoe Slalom. There is regular physiological monitoring throughout the training year from which coaches can establish the fitness levels of their athletes as well as prescribe training programmes accordingly. Testing of training sessions has also enabled coaches to establish whether their training sets are reaching their objectives as well as enabling them to individualise the programmes more effectively e.g. one athlete may work harder than another for a specific set, thereby only one of them would be achieving the correct objective of that training session.
More in-depth monitoring in swimming has taken place whereby several physiological markers of stress, adaptation and recovery are looked at.
A light gate timing device system is now in place on the University of Stirling’s loch to enable speed and sprint testing for canoeing. A kayak ergometer is also being developed to enable indoor testing/training. A Global Position Systems (GPS) is used to further enhance our knowledge of the demands of the sport and training, with the viewpoint to enhance performance/training from the data that is collected – again from an individualised point of view.
Nutrition
The aim of the Nutrition Service at the CSIS is to provide athletes with the nutritional knowledge to enable them to maximise their performance through eating the right foods at the right time in the right amounts. Advice is also given around hydration, supplements, cooking skills, meal/snack/kitbag ideas, and skinfold measurements taken when appropriate. Sports dietetics is very much based on a practical approach and advice given is tailored to the individual athlete's needs and circumstances and any goals agreed are both achievable and realistic.
Athletes are offered an initial nutritional assessment. During this assessment, their nutritional knowledge and previous sports nutrition input will be ascertained, and a progressive plan agreed upon to develop this knowledge and its implementation. Often the advice needed is around moving away from home for the first time and having to juggle eating around studying and training. Requests for ideas of meals that are healthy, easy to prepare, don't cost much and require few cooking skills or equipment are frequent!
Psychology
Sport Psychology is the study of human behaviour in sport settings. More specifically, it is concerned with developing the mental skills to turn potentially negative situations and their possible negative impact, into positive experiences where an athlete feels confident, motivated and in control.
The stages of psychological support have included initial assessment/profiling through reports from both the athlete and the coach, the completion of a questionnaire and behaviour checklist, and interviews ascertaining the depth of work needed. Observation of the athlete during training and competition is also incorporated into the process where possible.
Psychological skills training involves many different aspects of both preparation and performance including:
- Concentration
- Self-Confidence
- Goal Setting
- Mental Rehearsal/Imagery
- Relaxation
- Motivation
- Coping with/Recovery from Injury
- Anxiety Control
- Arousal Control
- Pre-Competition and Competition Planning
- Performance Profiling
- Team Building
Performance Lifestyle
The role of the Performance Lifestyle programme is to assist athletes to manage their lifestyle in order to enhance their ability to compete at the highest level. It enables athletes to identify their needs and supports them in integrating sporting demands and non-sporting responsibilities. It assists the athletes in minimising the distractions that can take their focus away from their sport.
The amount of support required through the programme depends on the needs of each athlete. In some cases they will need continuous support, in some they may need only occasional support and in others they may need none at all. The aim is to give the athlete the ability to be responsible for his or her own actions and ultimately to work independently towards living a high performance lifestyle.
The main strands of this support are:
Integration Planning
Enabling athletes to combine the demands of sport with other personal aspirations and educating them in how to manage their lives so that maximal sporting performance can be achieved.
Educational Guidance
Providing advice for those athletes who wish to continue with their studies and support for those who are currently studying.
Career Planning
Helping an athlete to see their sporting life as a part of their career plan and assisting them in exploring their own strengths and interests while matching these to possible future career aspirations out-with sport.
Transitional Support
For athletes who are injured, relocating or nearing the end of their career, the programme provides guidance on future options.
Training and Development Programmes
For groups or individual athletes in a wide range of subjects, including 'Media Know How', 'Financial Planning', and 'Communication Skills'. These courses are run in locations convenient for athletes and are delivered by experts in their fields.
Referral
For athletes who need specialist support, the Athlete Adviser will refer to a recognised expert.
Strength & Conditioning
The majority of Central Scotland Institute of Sport athletes attend the MP Jackson Gym in the University of Stirling on 6 specified occasions through the week when they have sole usage of the High Performance area. There are also facilities and coaching cover available at Forth Valley College for a small number of athletes.
Athletes complete a dynamic warm up, before starting to lift any weight. The warm up which includes a variety of movements and exercises designed to prepare the relevant muscles for the work ahead. They will then carry out the specific resistance exercises which have been prescribed for them by the lead Strength and Conditioning Coach for their sport. The exercises, intensity and volume of their programme varies according to the demands of their sport and physical development goals at specific times in their competitive season.
Strength and Conditioning underpins the Sport Specific performance in relation to increases in strength and power, postural maintenance, rehabilitation and prehabilition, but in order for the effect to be maximised an integrated approach is required. The Lead Coach, Sports Medics, Sports Scientists, Nutritionist and other support services work together to create the right mix for the individual. This is a key objective. This can accelerate recovery from injury or manage a problem before it occurs and allow the athlete to concentrate on preparation and performance.
Media
Along with the 5 other area institutes of sport we employ a media consultant. Rob Eyton Jones has been invaluable in generating articles on the success of Central Scotland Institute of Sport athletes. This has resulted in several articles in the local press as well as articles in the national press. Rob’s input has also meant that Central Scotland Institute of Sport athletes have been interviewed on the John Beattie show. In addition to Rob’s work, the Central Scotland Institute of Sport produces a regular electronic newssheet, ‘Centresport’ which goes to all our partners and service providers and highlights athletes’ success.
