How to Support a Champion: The art of applying science to the elite athlete

by Steve Ingham

Overview

If you are contemplating working with a champion, a potential champion, or anyone with untapped talent - be prepared, be very prepared. In 1998 Sir Steve Redgrave stared at Ingham and demanded to know, "Are you going to make me go faster?" Ingham had been trained and developed as a scientist, but in that single instance he questioned everything he thought he knew. Applied science in elite sport has boomed. Science has radically changed elite sport, but one thing remains as the guiding focus - the summit of performing to your best and winning. This applies to the athlete, the coaches and increasingly for the applied practitioner.In this book Ingham draws on the lessons learned from a career in the intense, unforgiving rollercoaster of elite sport; helping, supporting and developing some of the best athletes in the world, including Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Matthew Pinsent, Hayley Tullett, Kelly Sotherton, and Jessica Ennis-Hill as they pursue their goals. His journey shows that all the knowledge in the world will get you only so far, but it is with trust, team-work, critical thinking, adaptability, accountability and altruism that you can truly support a champion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780995464308
Publisher:	Simply Said
Publication date:	02/25/2016
Pages:	286
Sales rank:	958,320
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Dr Steve Ingham is one of world's leading applied sport scientists. A physiologist by trade he has track record of providing scientific support to over 1000 athletes, of which over 200 have gone on to achieve World or Olympic medal success. Ingham has coached athletics to World and Olympic levels.
Ingham was the Sports Science Manager at the British Olympic Association and the Head of Physiology for the English Institute of Sport, where he is currently the Director of Science and Technical Development. Ingham holds a BSc from the University of Brighton and a PhD from the University of Surrey and is a fellow of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences.

Table of Contents

Dedication 5
Contents 9
Preface 1
Acknowledgements 8
Chapter 1: Performance Immersion 10
Henley-on-Thames 10
Pre-Henley-on-Thames 16
BOMC 17
Shoot me 21
Journeying 24
Hot Buns 26
The rock 29
Chapter 2: The Big Goal 36
Testing times 36
The programme 38
Bottom line 40
Recovery position 44
Receptivity 49
Penrith 56
Chapter 3: How do you Know? 59
Determinants of performance 59
Steeplechaser 61
The model 65
Coaching the coach 71
Iced athletes 75
Chapter 4: Seven Spinning Plates 79
Iced runs 79
The Godfather 81
Sunday roast 85
See-saw 88
No items found 92
Warming up endurance 96
That Olympics thing 102
Chapter 5: Journeying Through Kocs 106
2 x 7 106
Fast start 108
Action 111
Authorship 114
Raised eyebrows 117
Kocs 123
Beijing 129
Chapter 6: Beware of Your Thoughts... 135
Two Pair 135
Window framing 139
Camp fever 143
Question Time 146
Coxed and boxed 150
Fourth 155
A seed into a Redwood 158
Athens repeat 162
Chapter 7: Tightrope Rollercoaster 165
The injured kudu 165
Ed 169
A Bolt from the blues 173
Realising potential 179
The effects of altitude 182
Tribal bastions 187
Chapter 8: All True to Altruism? 189
Supporting a champion 189
An alien's view of supporting a champion 192
Want to support a champion 195
Need to support a champion 198
Tools to support a champion 200
Chapter 9: How to Support a Champion - A Summary 206
Before you support a champion 206
Chapter 1 - Trust 210
Chapter 2 - Teamworking 212
Chapter 3 - Curiosity and critical thinking 215
Chapter 4 - Adaptability 219
Chapter 5 - Accountability and responsibility 221
Chapter 6 - Influence 224
Chapter 7 - Handling ups and downs 228
Chapter 8 - Altruism 232
Chapter 10: A Final Word from Me 234
Chapter 11: A Final Word from the Athletes and Coaches 237
Bibliography 243
About the Author 246
NOTES 248

Editorial Reviews

Jessica Ennis-Hill says, "When I am stood on the start line, I need to know I have prepared in a meticulous way. Using applied science, gives me confidence to perform to my best. Throughout my career, Steve has provided me with a way of making science, objectivity, innovation and ideas useful for my preparation and performance. If science can be applied to the complex world of heptathlon, it can probably be applied to anything - this book shows you how." Sir Steve Redgrave says, "Five Olympic gold medals do not come easy. An athlete requires unremitting focus and the willingness to explore all possibilities for self-improvement. Support staff need to adopt the same approach in developing their own performance. 'How to support a champion' is a good read for all those working in high performance. Sir Matthew Pinsent says "There are very few people that I would consider an insider to our efforts to win at successive Olympics but Steve was one of them, 'How to Support a Champion' tells it like it is and is a superb insight into what is required of anyone who supports other people, let alone elite athletes."

From the Publisher