How to Support a Champion: The art of applying science to the elite athlete

by Steve Ingham

Overview

If you are contemplating working with a champion, a potential champion, or anyone with untapped talent - be prepared, be very prepared. In 1998 Sir Steve Redgrave stared at Ingham and demanded to know, “Are you going to make me go faster?” Ingham had been trained and developed as a scientist, but in that single instance he questioned everything he thought he knew. Applied science in elite sport has boomed. Science has radically changed elite sport, but one thing remains as the guiding focus - the summit of performing to your best and winning. This applies to the athlete, the coaches and increasingly for the applied practitioner. In this book Ingham draws on the lessons learned from a career in the intense, unforgiving rollercoaster of elite sport; helping, supporting and developing some of the best athletes in the world, including Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Matthew Pinsent, Hayley Tullett, Kelly Sotherton, and Jessica Ennis-Hill as they pursue their goals. His journey shows that all the knowledge in the world will get you only so far, but it is with trust, team-work, critical thinking, adaptability, accountability and altruism that you can truly support a champion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780995464360
Publisher:	Simply Said
Publication date:	05/15/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	286
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Dr Steve Ingham is one of world's leading applied sport scientists. A physiologist by trade he has track record of providing scientific support to over 1000 athletes, of which over 200 have gone on to achieve World or Olympic medal success. Ingham has coached athletics to World and Olympic levels. Ingham was the Sports Science Manager at the British Olympic Association and the Head of Physiology for the English Institute of Sport, where he is currently the Director of Science and Technical Development. Ingham holds a BSc from the University of Brighton and a PhD from the University of Surrey and is a fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences.

Table of Contents

Dedication 5 Contents 9 Preface 1 Acknowledgements 8 Chapter 1: Performance Immersion 10 Henley-on-Thames 10 Pre-Henley-on-Thames 16 BOMC 17 Shoot me 21 Journeying 24 Hot Buns 26 The rock 29 Chapter 2: The Big Goal 36 Testing times 36 The programme 38 Bottom line 40 Recovery position 44 Receptivity 49 Penrith 56 Chapter 3: How do you Know? 59 Determinants of performance 59 Steeplechaser 61 The model 65 Coaching the coach 71 Iced athletes 75 Chapter 4: Seven Spinning Plates 79 Iced runs 79 The Godfather 81 Sunday roast 85 See-saw 88 No items found 92 Warming up endurance 96 That Olympics thing 102 Chapter 5: Journeying Through Kocs 106 2 x 7 106 Fast start 108 Action 111 Authorship 114 Raised eyebrows 117 Kocs 123 Beijing 129 Chapter 6: Beware of Your Thoughts... 135 Two Pair 135 Window framing 139 Camp fever 143 Question Time 146 Coxed and boxed 150 Fourth 155 A seed into a Redwood 158 Athens repeat 162 Chapter 7: Tightrope Rollercoaster 165 The injured kudu 165 Ed 169 A Bolt from the blues 173 Realising potential 179 The effects of altitude 182 Tribal bastions 187 Chapter 8: All True to Altruism? 189 Supporting a champion 189 An alien's view of supporting a champion 192 Want to support a champion 195 Need to support a champion 198 Tools to support a champion 200 Chapter 9: How to Support a Champion - A Summary 206 Before you support a champion 206 Chapter 1 - Trust 210 Chapter 2 - Teamworking 212 Chapter 3 - Curiosity and critical thinking 215 Chapter 4 - Adaptability 219 Chapter 5 - Accountability and responsibility 221 Chapter 6 - Influence 224 Chapter 7 - Handling ups and downs 228 Chapter 8 - Altruism 232 Chapter 10: A Final Word from Me 234 Chapter 11: A Final Word from the Athletes and Coaches 237 Bibliography 243 About the Author 246 NOTES 248

Editorial Reviews

Jessica Ennis-Hill says, "When I am stood on the start line, I need to know I have prepared in a meticulous way. Using applied science, gives me confidence to perform to my best. Throughout my career, Steve has provided me with a way of making science, objectivity, innovation and ideas useful for my preparation and performance. If science can be applied to the complex world of heptathlon, it can probably be applied to anything - this book shows you how." Sir Steve Redgrave says, "Five Olympic gold medals do not come easy. An athlete requires unremitting focus and the willingness to explore all possibilities for self-improvement. Support staff need to adopt the same approach in developing their own performance. 'How to support a champion' is a good read for all those working in high performance. Sir Matthew Pinsent says "There are very few people that I would consider an insider to our efforts to win at successive Olympics but Steve was one of them, 'How to Support a Champion' tells it like it is and is a superb insight into what is required of anyone who supports other people, let alone elite athletes."

From the Publisher