Agility is quite important to a football player as they need to turn with the ball fairly quickly and change direction if a pass is intercepted or a tackle is made and the ball is played the other way. A goalkeeper has to be very agile in order to dive and get up quickly or change direction if a shot is deflected.
Reaction time is needed in football mainly for goalkeepers as they have to react quickly to shots being fired at them. An outfield player needs fairly good reaction time to keep with the player they are marking, start straight at the whistle and do what they are told to do straight away.
Timing is very important in football as players have to time their runs to beat the offside trap, tackles are very important to be timed to prevent anybody being injured.
Power is important as you need power behind shots, free kicks, goal kicks and corners. Long throws and kicks and clearances from defence also need power in them to get them long distances.
All football players need coordination to be able to dribble, control and kick the ball. As a player tires their coordination gets worse as do all the other components of fitness.
Multistage fitness test
What does the test measure?
The multistage fitness test or bleep test measures cardiovascular endurance and a person’s VO2 max levels.
Equipment needed
To undertake this test you will require:
- A flat, non slippery surface at least 20 metres in length
- tape measure at least 20 metres long
- Marking cones
- Pre-recorded audio tape or CD
- Tape recorder or CD Player
- Recording sheets
- Assistant
How do you do the test?
On the tape a single beep indicates the end of a shuttle and 3 beeps indicates the start of the next level. The test is conducted as follows:
- Measure out a 20 metres section and mark each end with a marker cone
- The test is conducted
- The athlete must place one foot on or beyond the 20m marker at the end of each shuttle
- If the athlete arrives at the end of a shuttle before the beep, the athlete must wait for the bleep and then resume running
- The athlete keeps running for as long as possible until he/she can no longer keep up with the speed set by the tape at which point they should voluntarily withdraw.
- If the athlete fails to reach the end of the shuttle before the beep they should be allowed 2 or 3 further shuttles to attempt to regain the required pace before being withdrawn.
- Record the level and number of shuttles completed at that level by the athlete
Reliability
Reliability would depend upon how strict the test is conducted and the individual's level of motivation to perform the test.
Notes
A degree of caution is required in administering the test, in that you have to push yourself relatively hard to the point where you can no longer maintain the pace dictated by the tape.
National averages
Normative data for VO2max
Female (values in ml/kg/min)
30 metre sprint
What does the test measure?
The test measures a person’s speed.
Equipment needed
To undertake this test you will require:
- 30 metre marked straight section
- Stop watch
- An assistant
How do you do the test?
The person starts sprinting before the reach the starting mark so they are sprinting a full thirty metres. The time is started when the person is at the starting cone and then the time is stopped when the person has passed the finishing cone.
Reliability
Reliability would depend upon how strict the test is conducted and the individual's level of motivation to perform the test.
National averages
Sit and reach test
What does the test measure?
The test measures the flexibility in the lower back and hamstrings.
Equipment needed
To undertake this test you will require:
- A 'sit & reach table' or a bench with a ruler
- An assistant
How do you do the test?
The Sit and Reach Test is conducted as follows:
- The starting position is sitting on the floor with shoes removed, feet flat against the table, and legs straight
- Reach forward and push the fingers along the table as far as possible
- The distance from the finger tips to the edge of the table represents the score for that person
- As the 'sit and reach' table has an overhang of 15 cm, a person who reaches 10 cm past their toes scores 25 cm
- It is important to have several warm-up attempts first, and to record the best score
Reliability
Reliability would depend upon how strict the test is conducted and the individual's level of motivation to perform the test.
National averages
The following are national norms for 16 to 19 year olds.
Illinois agility run
What does the test measure?
The test measures a person’s agility. It measures how fast a person can change direction.
Equipment needed
To undertake this test you will require:
- flat surface
- 8 cones
- Stop watch
- Assistant
How do you do the test?
The Illinois Agility Run Test is conducted as follows:
- The athlete lies face down on the floor at the start point
- On the assistant's command the athlete jumps to his/her feet and negotiates the course around the cones to the finish
-
The assistant records the total time taken from their command to the athlete completing the course.
Reliability
Reliability would depend upon how strict the test is conducted and the individual's level of motivation to perform the test.
Notes
The length of the course is 10 metres and the width (distance between the start and finish points) is 5 metres. 4 cones can be used to mark the start, finish and the two turning points. Each cone in the centre is spaced 3.3 metres apart.
National averages
The following are national norms for 16 to 19 year olds.
Reaction time test
What does the test measure?
The test measures a person’s reaction time.
Equipment needed
To undertake this test you will require:
- A one 1 metre ruler
- An assistant
How do you do the test?
The ruler is held by the assistant between the outstretched index finger and thumb of the athlete's dominant hand, so that the top of the athlete's thumb is level with the zero cm line on the ruler. The assistant instructs the athlete to catch the ruler as soon as possible after it has been released.
The assistant is to record distance between the bottom of the ruler and the top of the athlete's thumb where the ruler has been caught.
Reliability
Reliability would depend upon how strict the test is conducted and the individual's level of motivation to perform the test.
National averages
The following are national norms for 16 to 19 year olds.
Standing long jump
What does the test measure?
The test measures power in the legs and leg strength.
Equipment needed
To undertake this test you will require:
- A flat surface
- A marker or cone
- tape measure
- An assistant
How do you do the test?
The athlete places their feet on the line or inline with the cone. The athlete crouches, leans forward, swings their arms backwards, the jumps horizontally as far as possible, landing on both feet. The coach should measure from the marker or cone to the nearest point of contact. The start of the jump must be from a static position.
Reliability
Reliability would depend upon how strict the test is conducted and the individual's level of motivation to perform the test.
National averages
The following table is for 15 to 16 year old athletes:
The following table is for adults:
Vertical jump test
What does the test measure?
The test measures leg power and strength.
Equipment needed
To undertake this test you will require :
- A wall
- 1 metre Tape Measure
- Chalk
- An assistant
How do you do the test?
The athlete:
- chalks the end of his finger tips
- stands side onto the wall, keeping both feet remaining on the ground, reaches up as high as possible with one hand and marks the wall with the tips of the fingers (M1)
- from a static position jumps as high as possible and marks the wall with the chalk on his finger tips (M2)
The coach then measures the distance from M1 to M2. The test can be performed as many times as the athlete wishes.
Reliability
Reliability would depend upon how strict the test is conducted and the individual's level of motivation to perform the test.
National averages
The following are national norms for 16 to 19 year olds.
Hand grip test
What does the test measure?
The test measures a person’s hand grip strength.
Equipment needed
A dynamometer
How do you do the test?
The person lines up the grip on the dynamometer so their fingers are bent 90 degrees. They then make sure the arrow is at 0 and hold their hand in the air. As they bring their hand down level with their thigh they squeeze the dynamometer.
Reliability
The validity of this test as a measure of general strength has been questioned, as it does not necessarily represent the strength of other muscle groups.
National averages
* Source and population group unknown
Sit up bleep test
What does the test measure?
The test measures the strength of the abdominal muscles.
Equipment needed
Mat
Tape recorder
Tape
Assistant
How do you do the test?
The person lies on the mat with feet on the floor and their knees bent 90 degrees. Arms should be crossed across the chest. As the tape beeps the person should rise on the first beep and go down on the second and repeated for as long as possible.
Reliability
The reliability of this test depends on the motivation of the athlete and how strict the conditions of the test are taken.
National averages
Co-ordination test
What does the test measure?
This test measures how good a person’s co-ordination is.
Equipment needed
- A wall
- A tennis ball
- A stop watch
- A cone
- An assistant
How do you do the test?
Place a cone 1 metre away from the wall. When the assistant tell the person to go as they start timing. The person throws the ball against the wall and catches it. This is carried out for 30 seconds as the assistant counts how many throws and catches are completed.
Reliability
Reliability would depend upon how strict the test is conducted and the individual's level of motivation to perform the test.
National averages
Fitness tests
Summary
I have researched the national norms for 15 to 16 year olds to compare my results with these below is a list showing how well I have done in the test and how they differ from the national norms.
- Hand grip- right- very poor
left- average
- Reaction time- right- above average
left- average
- Sit and reach- excellent
- Agility run- average
- Vertical jump- below average
- Standing broad jump- above average
- Sit up bleep test-
- Co-ordination-
- Bleep test- poor
- 30 metre sprint-
As a footballer I need good leg power, cardiovascular and muscular endurance as well these I need to be fairly agile and have good reaction time. Looking at my results my reaction time is average or above and my agility is average however my cardiovascular endurance and leg power are below average and so I need to work on these. Therefore over the six weeks of my programme I will look at improving these to aspects of fitness.
Warm up and cool down
A warm up is important to all athletes. A warm up prepares an athlete for exercise and it reduces the chance of injury.
A warm up should consist of:
- A pulse raiser typically jogging, this helps raise the body’s temperature and prepares the muscles for exercise.
- Stretches this helps the muscles loosen up so they will not pull or tear during exercise.
- Sport specific drills prepare the athlete for their event or sport. In this time an athlete will practise skills. For example a footballer will do some passing and dribbling to prepare them for doing this in a match.
A proper warm up before intensive exercise should last for approximately 30 minutes spending around 5-10 minutes on a pulse raiser, 10-15 minutes on stretching and 15-20 minutes on drills.
An athlete should stretch all muscles in their body however they should always make sure and concentrate on the muscles they will use the most. A footballer would stretch their legs more as this is what they use the most.
There are many benefits and reasons why a warm up should be completed. Some benefits are:
- An increase in blood flow to muscles which also provides more oxygen to them preparing the body for exercise.
- An increase in core body temperature (including the temperature of skeletal muscles) aids the dissociation of oxygen from haemoglobin molecules within the muscles.
- Stretches also help to loosen muscles ready the relevant muscles for exercise, increasing length prior to exercise to reduce risk of pulled muscles or other similar injuries
- Sports specific drills helps the athlete prepare both physically and mentally for the activity they are about to undertake.
A warm up is always an advantage to an athlete. This gives them a chance to prepare themselves. A footballer uses it to their advantage as they get used to kicking a ball around before a match and a goalkeeper get used to diving before the match as this is what they practise in warm up. A warm up therefore helps reduce the number of mistakes made in the opening minutes of a match.
After an athlete has complete their exercise they cool down. A cool down is just as important as a warm up. A cool down helps the body return to normal.
A general cool down should consist of:
- Jogging and then slowly decrease speed into a gentle walk this should last for approximately 5-10 minutes as this helps the body temperature decrease, heart rate decrease and helps to remove lactic acid from the muscles that have been in use.
- Stretching for approximately 5-10 minutes as this also helps removes lactic acid build up in the working muscles and prevents stiffness and soreness.
Static stretches should be done during a cool down as these relax. A cool down:
- Aids in the removal of waste products such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid.
- Reduces the chances of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness which is a result of insufficient lactic acid removal.
- Reduces the chances of dizziness and fainting.
- Slows the heart rate down and gradually returns the body to normal.
My warm up and cool down
For my warm up I will:
Do a 5 minute pulse raiser consisting of a number of exercises such as:
- jogging
- skipping
- star jumps
Do 10 minutes of stretches to the whole body especially the legs.
As I am not doing a particular sport and I am participating in circuit training there is no specific drills I need to carry out as I will be repeating the majority in my session therefore I will go straight into my training programme.
For my cool down I will:
Do 5-10 minutes of gentle jogging slowly decreasing in pace to a walk.
Some static stretching for 5-10 minutes
As I am doing circuit training and will be using the majority of muscles in my body it is important to cool down the body and stretch all muscles to reduce the chances of D.O.M.S.
Safety issues
To ensure my training programme is completed without injury I am going to gradually build up the amount of times I train, how long I train for and how hard I make the training. I will do this to reduce the risk of injuries and illness to myself by setting myself realistic targets. As I will be using a gymnasium I need to make sure all the equipment is put safely away and all the equipment I am using is used safely. Also the floor and surroundings need to be checked for water or other objects are on them as this can make the surface slippery or with sharp objects an injury may be caused. As I already exercise regularly I vaguely know how far I can work myself before I start to experience illness.
Dehydration is another consideration I need to account for as I will be training for a prolonged period of time I need to make sure I have sufficient water supplies. Dehydration can lead to headaches; dizziness and sickness which will all delay the recovery time needed after exercise therefore I will always have a bottle of water with me.
Recovery periods are important as the body needs time to recover properly after vigorous exercise. If the body does not recover properly it becomes weak and then the risk of injury is increased.
Order of exercise also needs to be taken into consideration especially if doing circuit training. If you are strengthening muscles and working hard muscles become fatigued and start to ache therefore it is no use doing shuttles to increase cardiovascular endurance and then do an exercise like step ups as this works the same groups of muscles and therefore makes the leg weak as it has been overworked and then injuries occur.
My circuit:
- Shuttle runs
- Sit ups
- Skipping
- Burpees
- Rest
- Agility runs
- Press ups
- Short passes with a football.
For shuttle runs there is minimal risks however there is a small possibility of water being on the floor of the area I will be running in which will make it slippery and so there is a chance of slipping. Also if I am running close to a wall there is a chance of running into the wall.
Using agility ladders there is risk of catching feet in the ladders which will cause people to sometimes trip over however the majority of the time the ladders will just move out of place due to the supporting posts being flexible.
The hazards of short passes with a football include tripping over the ball or hitting somebody else with a ball however with only me and an assistant in the gym to help me with timing etc. there is little chance of this happening.
Skipping requires the use of a skipping rope which could catch somebody whilst in the air or catch the person using the rope however there is minimal risk involved.
Personal factors:
Age
Gender
Illness
Physical fitness
Recovery from injury
Owt else
