Lessons Learnt from The Budapest Experience

Adam Kable

NSW Technical Hub High Performance Coach

BAppSci (Physiotherapy), MEd (Coach Education)

Lesson’s Learnt from Budapest

1. The Planning Process

2. Pre Meet Reflections

3. Competition Reflections

The Planning Process

• Service Team Meeting the week after trials to identify Key Priority Areas and develop new IAPP

• S&C, Physiotherapy, Biomechanics, Physiology, Pilates all present

Key Priority AreasAction Area Description Intervention Measurement

• Skills • Turn’s dropping off within race (technique & physiology)

• Starts have improved but not World Class

• NTC/AIS visit within next week to clearly identify why

• Wetplate Outcomes• Weekly monitor in DPE

• Maintenance of Mobility

• Matt’s technique varies greatly untapered and tapered due to range restrictions associated with training load

• Weekly Soft Tissue intervention

• Review of Pre/Post Training routines

• Complex Hip Screen• Pilates Review

• Continue weekly range monitoring & develop new benchmarks

• Improve stroke efficiency

• Maintaining stroke length within first 75m of race

• Altering set design to specifically practice first 75 of race. Then challenge with performance Pressure and cognitive load

• Race analysis in Paris Open & World Champs

April May June July

10 17 24 1 8 15 22 29 5 12 19 26 3 10 17 24

11 18 25 2 9 16 23 30 6 13 20 27 4 11 18 25

12 19 26 3 10 17 24 31 7 14 21 28 5 12 19 26

13 20 27 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27

14 21 28 5 12 19 26 2 9 16 23 30 7 14 21 28

15 22 29 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24 1 8 15 22 29

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Weeks to Worlds 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Swim

Race

Off Aerobic Capacity Adapt Aero Power AdaptAAer

PowerAdapt Race Specific Taper Race

S&C Off Strength DevelopmentMax

StrengthStrength Maintain develop Power Power/Speed Taper Race

Pilates Intro Global Group Test Athlete Specific Group Test Athlete/Stroke Specific Individual

Skill Development Test Off Evaluate Learning & Intervention Retest Challenge/Soldify

Step test

Anthro Testing

Service Team Meeting

Catholic University Exams Holidays

Pre Meet Reflections

Travel

• Preparing for jetlag• Train separately – or keep within group?

• To fly tired after a hard session? Or fly fresh?

• He had a written down plan for travel (prep, sleep timing, skins, hydration etc). This went really well, however didn’t promote independence and learning.

• Massage & stretch at stopovers worked very well.

• Physiology tests when arriving at destination can be misleading. His mood and motivation altered his readiness test results. I learnt we cant rely on numbers alone.

Pre Meet Reflections

Europe Training Camp

• My knowledge of S&C & Physio was very useful when travelling. My advise would be to be heavily involved in all areas so you confidently make independent decisions when needed.

• In hindsight I would have travelled with other swimmers/squads for initial part before being on team. I didn’t take into account Matt not having any friends for the first week overseas.

• French Open was at a different point in season and I poorly predicted performance. High expectations due to good training performances, then he went 2.14. NSW State is normally 6 weeks out however Paris was 4. In hindsight very hard to compare. Good lesson though

• Planned versus actual kms – I was way off with travel days.

Pre Meet Reflections

Staging Camp

• Great mix between youth and experienced coaches, athletes and support staff. Very fascinating to observe & compare behaviours of all.

• All the experienced coaches were happy to offer advice when asked - both technical and coaching/managerial.

• I went in with a plan to take notice of what other coaches say, how they act, and how they deliver tapers.

• I wrote notes, but in hindsight I should have written better notes with context and had more formal sit down meetings/coffees.

Budapest Reflections

• Much higher pressure than trials.

• More pressure on heats & Semis than domestically.

• Element of unknown regarding night time swims & relays.

• Mental recovery vital for coach & athletes.

• Looking after other high performing athletes needs to have good planning and structure around it

• Much less contact with the athlete than on Junior teams or domestic competition.

• Prep & recovery processes need to be very well drilled

• Promotes independence; but as coaches we need to accept that mistakes will be made

• Young athletes are both positively and negatively influenced by other athletes on the team.

• Reflection with the athlete is vital

Questions?

Adam.kable@swimming.org.au