(Endurance and Strength)
Midfielder Midfielder
(Endurance and agility)
Right Half Centre Half Left Half
Forward Forward Forward
(Balance and power)
Right Full Centre Full Left Full
Forward Forward Forward
(Speed and reaction time)
- Imperative components of fitness
GOALKEEPER
The components of physical importance are strength, this maybe to bust past opponents to clear the ball. Flexibility is a significant physical fitness for a goalkeeper, because they need to be flexible to save shots from the opposing team. They also have to change direction quickly on occasions. Speed is also important, as they need to be quick to cut out or to clear any danger.
To succeed as the highest level they need these, motor fitness components and agility, this is to dive and jump up to save shots and catch the football. They also must have coordination to know where the goals are behind them and to know where to position themselves for penalties and shots. Reaction time, they have to be quick to react to shots.
FULL BACKS
The important components of physical fitness are strength, to push past players with the ball and to shoulder players off the ball. The need some endurance but it is not essential as they rarely get past the halfway line. Full forwards are usually fast, so they need to have fine speed. They need to have a decent body composition, not carrying to much body fat.
They also need motor fitness, power is important because they need to be quick to get to the ball first and take it past opponents. Reaction time, they need to be quick to react to any danger, for example the football hitting the post.
CENTRE HALF BACKS
Centre halfbacks need endurance as they run up and down the pitch during the match a lot. They also need some strength to tackle their opponent’s, speed; they need this to move for the ball as quickly as possible and to chase opponents. They also need to carry as little body fat as possible. (Body composition, as this can be an indicator of how fit an athlete is).
The motor fitness components are central, agility; this is to jump to compete for the ball. Power to run with the ball with strength and speed. Reaction time is key as to react to the breaking ball from the kick out
MIDFIELDERS
Physical fitness components important to midfielders are endurance because they do a lot of running around the pitch during the match. Strength, this is to be strong when catching the ball in midfield and tackling opponents. They need to have a decent rate of speed but it is not that important.
They also need some motor fitness to be successful at the highest level. They need agility when catching high balls, balance when in unfixed and changing conditions, for example being pushed by an opponent before jumping to catch a ball.
HALF FORWARDS
Half forwards need the following physical fitness components endurance they are always moving, they have to chase the half backs when they decide to attack, flexibility to perform movement to take the ball past defenders, speed this is to be fast enough to go past defenders with the ball.
Motor fitness components, important to half forwards, are agility this is to perform co-ordinated and smooth movements with precision for example selling a dummy to a defender; the half forward will also need balance to perform this and to shoot. Co-ordination is also important in this type of movement, combining speed and strength (power) to bust through opponents.
Reaction time can be vital at times to half forwards as reaction time can win matches, for example if a defender makes a mistake and the half forward ceases on the opportunity and scores a point to win the match.
FULL FORWARDS
Endurance is important to full forwards, but it is not vital as speed is more important to them as they need to get out in front of the defender to get the ball. Flexibility is important as full forwards need to twist and turn to get away from defenders to position themselves to score. Body composition is important because they need to be quick and carrying, as little body fat as possible as it will slow you down.
Motor fitness components also are important for full forwards to play well at the highest level, agility is important for them to perform movements with balance, for example selling a dummy to a defender, balance is important to perform this movement. Coordination is vital to a sequence of precise movements for example catching the football, turning and taking it past a defender and shooting. Power is essential in taking the ball past defenders for full forwards. Full forwards need excellent reaction time to react to a possible scoring chance, for example if the ball hits the post and comes out or the keeper drops it.
In Gaelic football it is essential that the players perform a warm up before a training activity or football match and perform a cool down after a training activity or football match. Warming up alerts the nervous system, therefore preparing you physiologically and psychologically for the strain to come. Cooling down prevents us from feeling faint and passing out.
A warm up in Gaelic football should consist of a pulse raising activity such as jogging this maybe doing laps of the field. Then some motability exercises to loosen up joints and muscles, this might entail swinging your arms, moving your head from side to side, up and down to loosen your neck and finally rotate your hips. Next stretch all the major muscle groups on doth sides of the body, the stretch should be held for at least 20 seconds. Muscles groups that need to be stretched are in the arms (tricep and bicep) in your back and hips (latissimus dorsi and tensor fasciae latae) in the legs (hamstrings, quads, groin, gastrocnemius). Then a practice for the training activity or match ahead, this could be passing a football around. The warm up helps us prepare mentally for the task ahead and reduces the risk of injury to muscles and joints.
After you've reached and maintained your training heart rate level in the aerobic section of your class, it is vital to recover gently. In Gaelic football this is known as a cool down this is a crucial part of exercise and must be performed, this may involve some light jogging around the pitch, followed by stretching the main muscle joints that were used in the activity, this would be the muscles in the legs and arms, the stretch should be held for about 20 – 25 seconds to get rid of any lactic acid in the muscles. Cooling down prevents soreness the next day; there is also evidence that it helps you perform better the next time.
The warm up and cool down has many physiological effects on the body. The warm up in a physical activity has an affect on the speed and force of muscular contraction due to an increase in the temperature of the muscles, because of the warm up there is a greater strength of contraction due to improved elasticity of muscle fibres. The contraction has got faster because the speed of nerve transmission to muscle fibres are increased. The speed and force of the contraction has increased due to an increase in enzyme activity in the warmer muscle fibres. There is a faster speed of contraction and relaxation of the muscle fibres due to a higher muscle temperature; there is also a reduced risk of injury despite the increase if the speed and strength of muscular contraction because of an increase in blood flow and oxygen to muscles. The speed and strength of contraction is increased, as there is an improvement in coordination between antagonistic pairs because of a reduction in muscle viscosity. The benefit of a warm up is that the muscles torn most frequently from neglect from a warm up are the antagonists (such as the hamstrings) to the strong contracting muscles (such as the Quadriceps). Cold antagonistic muscles relax slowly and incompletely when the agonists contract, therefore retarding free movement and accurate co-ordination.
The cool down also has physiological effects on the body. Cooling down and stretching after playing sport may reduce the risk of injuries happening. It also helps to promote flexibility. Stretching activities during the cool-down will also prevent muscle soreness following exercise. Steadily bringing the body back to normal also helps psychological recuperation and promotes mental relaxation at the end of the exercise session, allowing time to consider the feeling of satisfaction and benefit that exercise can bring.
The warm up in physical activity has physiological effects on the vascular system. The vascular system consists of the blood and circulatory vessels. Its Main objective is to transport waste produce, hormones and other chemical components throughout the body. The effects that the warm up has on the vascular system are that there is a gradual increase in cardiac output or blood flow due to the vascular shunt mechanism because vasoconstriction of arterioles and precapillary sphincters to organs which decreases blood flow to organs and then increases blood flow to the working muscles, also vasodilatation of muscle arterioles and pre-capillary sphincters increasing the amount of blood flowing to working muscles. The increase in body and muscle temperature causes an increase in transportation of the enzymes required for energy systems and muscle contraction. It mobilizes the oxidative energy sources so that it is easier to switch to aerobic energy production. This is achieved by increases in the heart and respiratory rates. Warm ups make us more alert because the speed of nerve impulse contraction has increased. Also, the increase in body/muscle temperature decreases blood viscosity (resistance of blood flow), which improves blood flow to working muscles, and increases the dissociation of oxygen from haemoglobin in muscle tissues. A decrease in OBLA (onset of blood lactic acid.) takes place because of the early arrival of anaerobic activity when a warm up is not carried out.
The cool down also has physiological effects on the vascular system; it keeps the metabolic rate elevated, which slowly decreases heart rate and respiration. Performing a cool down maintains respiratory pumps, which prevent blood pooling in veins, which can happen if exercise is stopped abruptly, and maintain venous return. It also maintains stroke volume and cardiac output and keeps capillaries dilated to flush muscles with oxygenated blood, this then increases the removal of blood and muscle lactic acid and carbon dioxide. The cool down also limits the effects of DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness), which can cause tender and painful muscles, it is most likely to come following eccentric contractions.
