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First let me say I have total, 100% complete admiration and respect for Bompa himself – a true pioneer of the sports coaching and the sports performance industry. This article is in no way a criticism of him personally but rather a proclamation that Periodization as a concept is now officially dead and buried.

Periodization – that is, the traditional sports training planning model involving long blocks (cycles or phases) of training which emphasise specific aspects of training is 20 years past the use by date and it’s time we all moved on to something more relevant and more effective for the training and preparation of athletes in this century.

The popular version of periodisation was developed in the Eastern block, 40 years ago, for senior athletes: another time, another system, another world – and totally inappropriate for today’s athletes. (more…)

The Home and Away philosophy is the cornerstone of all professional sporting competitons around the world. But it is a myth. For the well prepared player and the uncompromising coach, the Home and Away concept is nothing but a sham and a remnant of the “old-days” when sport was unprofessional, coaches uninformed and players uneducated. Now, there are no longer Home and Away Games…there are just Games: Games to be fought and won by the best prepared players and the most uncompromising coaches.

Sports Academies, National Training Centres, National Sports Institutes…they are as common as McDonald’s restaurants all over the world. But do they actually make a difference to the performance of elite athletes, coaches and teams?

One of the most commonly used expressions around the world is “how long is a piece of string?”. People use this phrase when they want to illustrate a point about a question that ostensibly has no answer. Yet, there is an answer to this question – it is just too obvious for most people to see. Coaches often go looking for complicated answers to questions or want someone else to provide them with the answers for free – instantly. This article discusses the “piece of string” concept in sports coaching and presents a case that for all sports coaches – there are no coaching secrets – the answers they seek are right in front of them.

A head coach can be the catalyst: the driving force who inspires excellence and creates a successful winning culture in a sporting organisation. Knowing this, it is surprising that many sporting Clubs and organisations – even those in professional sport – will often select a new head coach based on anecdote, personality and rumour and not on the outcomes of a rigorous, systematic recruitment process. Many sporting organisations make the most fundamental of all recruiting errors…they themselves are not sure what attributes, qualities and experience they need from a head coach. This article discuss the issue of finding and recruiting a head coach and presents a simple but effective process of ensuring you get your man (or woman).