The best conference I have been too. Hands down. Where else can you see the best in their field speak, and then discuss ideas with them afterwards? Amongst attending fantastic key notes, inspiring workshops and chatting to likeminded people I managed to take some notes. Lots and lots of notes. Here’s a selection of the best thoughts, quotes and ideas…

 

Thank you

But first I want to say thank you for Andy Franklyn-Miller, Adriana Wright, Karl Offord and the rest of the UKSEM staff for putting on such a fantastic conference as well as making the Eat To Treat workshop happen. Thank you.

Anyway, here’s some of the gems from the fantastic 2011 UKSEM conference…

 

Ready?

There are no stats or figures which show 10000 hours is required for talent. Some people succeed in less, others require much much longer.

If you are a “futile grafter” you may never achieve excellence. Whilst an “effortless floater” may excel with only a third of the often quoted 10000 hours.

“Training is the realisation of your genetic potential”.

Oscar Pistorius has a huge advantage: Why? Faster leg turnover and longer ground contact times, coupled with a reduced metabolic cost.

There is a higher incidence of overtraining in individual sports versus team sports.

To become a great coach, first be an apprentice to one.

The best coaches often have a teaching background.

If you want to excel, have a coach who specialises in each attribute you wish to have.

In a crisis avoid making decisions on emotions, take ownership and confront the situation as a team.

Instant feedback is the key to improvement.

Injury is a consequence of elite sport. Whilst we want to minimise it, we have to accept it will happen.

Player monitoring ensures no player is left behind, and will save money.

Only monitor what makes a difference to the end result. Do not track things for the sake of it.

You are only as good as your athletes adherence.

Perception of recovery methods is an important as the science. If athletes don’t believe then it won’t work – ask the question: do they understand?

Some recovery methods can actually impart stress on the system.

Look for outliers in monitoring data and correlations with injury.

What happens the week before a winning game? Can you recreate that?

Undertraining can lead to injury too.

You need to practice deliberately and take responsibility for your own learning.

Being physically inactive for a day is the equivalent to smoking 3 cigarettes.

 

What matters is how you run, not what you have on your feet.

Nothing in science makes sense except in the light of evolution.

Natural selection is the best engineer.

Every distance world record is held by someone who fore foot strikes.

Movement skills plus sport skills equals movement literacy.

We need to learn how to produce, reduce and stabilise force.

A background of movement fundamentals is a buffer to protect against injury.

Most children have immature motor development for their age.

You need to earn the right to progress from basic fundamental movements.

Children mimic, so coach that way.

Intersperse coaching session with movement fundamentals.

At certain moments in time, learning velocity increases exponentially. Maximise these moments.

To learn you need to be on the edge. Continually strive and reach. Force people to the edge of their ability and embrace struggle.

Myelin is proportional to amount of practice time.

Take an interest in your athletes lives – it will give you more of an insight than any monitoring system.

In a team, identify the athlete who can support you and increase group compliance. Also identify the trouble maker who will stop progress.

Practice until you don’t get it wrong.

In a team, each individual needs to have clear responsibilities and authority.

“Never mistake my kindness for weakness”

There are two types of athlete: performers and entertainers.

The window of adaptation is large in a young athlete, but very small in an elite one.

Work capacity adapts over years.

How long can you leave a quality before it regresses? Do not let people detrain.

Try and produce very focused and directed small units of work.

If in doubt, cut training volume.

Maintenance training programmes are like a slow tyre leak.

“Peaking starts with the first training session of the year”

To develop a coaching eye, stand next to a good coach and ask what they see.

Coaches get nervous when sport scientists say they have the answer. Always ask questions.

“Stats are like a lady in a bikini, what it reveals is appealing. What it hides is vital”.

“We spend the first year of a child’s life getting them to stand up, so we can spend the next 16 years telling them to sit down and shut up”.

 

I told you it was good.

It was amazing to see some of my hero’s speak, and also get the chance to discuss ideas with them. There are a LOT of inspiring people out there. Thank you to you all for putting up with my questions!

So if you weren’t at UKSEM this year, you’d be stupid to miss it in 2012. I’ll see you there!

 

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Been to UKSEM? What did you learn? Let me know in the comments below….