The purpose of this article is to present the reader with the prescription of a daily specific stretching routine that can help athletes avoid the onset of injuries and chronic pain in muscle-tendon structures of the lower extremities.
This excerpt from Developing Agility and Quickness highlights the high-intensity, reactive agility hockey players require, and provides two agility drills that challenge that skill.
This excerpt from Developing Agility and Quickness provides a needs analysis for field hockey and possible program design options for optimal performance outcomes.
Interlimb asymmetries have been recently investigated in athletic populations. However, the effects of training interventions on interlimb asymmetries have been scarcely examined. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of training interventions on changes in interlimb asymmetries from pre- to post-training. Furthermore, to examine the effects of training programs on intervention groups compared with control groups. A database search was completed (MEDLINE, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus). Eight studies were then included in the meta-analysis. Results showed small reductions in interlimb asymmetries in single-leg broad jump (SLBJ) and change of direction (COD) speed from pre- to post-training interventions, whereas moderate effects were found in single-leg countermovement jump (SLCMJ) and SL lateral jump. When comparing the training interventions with the control groups, results showed small effects in favor of the training groups for reducing interlimb asymmetries in SLBJ and large effects in SLCMJ and COD speed. Thus, training interventions can evoke small to moderate reductions in interlimb asymmetries from pre- to post-training programs. Strength training performed unilaterally or bilaterally may elicit these reductions. Furthermore, training interventions showed larger effects compared with the control groups in reducing interlimb asymmetries. However, further research is needed.
Deceleration in court and field sports, such as football and soccer, is an important component of speed and agility. This book excerpt looks at how to train for effective deceleration.
This book excerpt explains how to perform the box step-off landing assessment, which is used to determine an athlete’s readiness before beginning a program in agility and quickness.
This book excerpt from Developing Agility and Quickness describes the windows of opportunity in youth athletes to time progressions in speed and agility training with their biological and chronological development.
This article consists of five assessments that could be utilized by the tactical facilitator to measure upper- , lower- , and total-body power in law enforcement officers (LEOs). Although the focus of this article is LEOs, the assessments could also be used for other tactical populations.