Player of the Week: David Bozinovski

Name:
David Bozinovski
 
Age:     
7

Current Club:  
Monaro Panthers

Who is your favourite player and why?
Messi because he shows great skill on the field

Who do you want to play for?
Australia

What is your favourite subject at school?
Maths

What do you want for dinner tonight?
Chicken wraps

What is your favourite football boot?
Adidas

What is your favourite song?
Que sera by Justice Crew

Congratulations to David for receiving Player of the Week.

Improving Agility in Football

Agility is one of the most important skills a football player can have.  There are many factors that make up agility including:

·       Reaction speed and recognition – being able to tell what is about to happen or what needs to happen and being able to react in a speedy way to get it done without wasting precious seconds off the clock

·       Speed while making decisions – being able to fly down the field while accessing the game situation is a major skill that any team will value.

·       Rapid change of direction – In football, the ball is moving almost constantly and being able to change directions on the fly will assist in getting control of the ball and taking it to the goal.

·       Avoiding other players in a split second – No one wants to get broadsided by another player. The ability to avoid obstacles in the way, even human ones, keep the player on his feet and moving in the right direction

 

Agility is something that can be improved, even in a player that struggles a lot with it, but it takes dedication, determination and practice.  There are many exercises that a player can do to work on speed and agility and everyone regardless of skill level should add agility drills to their practice and work out sessions.  Even a player with excellent agility and speed needs to keep it in tip top shape with additional practice.

Cone-Line Drill

Cone-line drills are exercises that are performed around small cones that are lined up a certain distance from one another.  The player performs the moves in between, around and over the cones without touching them.  For the best agility work out, the player should stay on the balls of the feet and keep their body balanced.  There are a few different cone-line drills that can be performed, a few of the more popular ones that may be familiar are:

·       Follow the Leader – Involves two players, where one shadows the other trying to stay within 2 metres of them at all times. The player being followed should move in random directions, changing direction and going forwards and backwards with no warning. 

·       Slalom – line all the cones up in a single line and do different drills, weaving in and out between the cones without hitting them.  The drills can involve the use of a ball, but should also include some speed drills that just involve running or moving in side to side movements.

·       5 –10 - 5 drill - This is a great drill for increasing speed on changing directions.  In a sideways motion, run as fast as you can to the right for 5 metres, to the left for 10 metres and back to the right for 5 metres.  Use cones to mark the 5 and 10 metre marks. 

·       Running through a rope ladder or tires is a popular agility exercise for football players and it’ll have the same results for football players too.  The idea is to run as fast as you can through the ladder or tires without tripping and without touching the sides or walking on the tires/ladder.

The purpose of all of these drills is to improve the speed in which the player changes direction, moves down the field, passes the ball to other opponents and many other factors.  The above drills, when practiced regularly, will give a marked improvement to the player’s reactions and speed, making them a valuable asset to their team. All of the above drills can be utilized for young players as well with the only adjustments being the distance between the cones.   They will have the same great benefits for young players as adult players and should be a mainstay of any young footballer’s training sessions.

Preventing Injuries in Young Athletes

Injuries in youth sports can happen, but they do not have to be a way of life for a child involved in sports.  Most injuries, regardless of age, are due to the following factors:

·       Lack of preparation

·       Poor Diet

·       Poor Sleep

·       Poor Hydration

·       Inadequate attention spent on safety procedures

These are a just a few of the reasons that children can get injured during a sports activity.  By addressing the above issues, sports injuries can be reduced and in a lot of cases, eliminated altogether. There are those fluke type injuries that sometimes just can’t be prevented, but for the most part, making sure that attention is given to these contributing factors, will result in a lot less sports injuries and accidents for your child.

Lack of Preparation

Improper stretching and warm up or not warm up at all is probably the biggest reason children get hurt during sports.  Cold, tight muscles are much more susceptible to injury so taking the time to teach your child how to warm up, how to stretch and how long to do it can prevent the majority of potential injuries.   A good stretching/warm up routine is invaluable and will enhance their performance as well as their recovery time after the match. 

Poor Diet

“You are what you eat” is very applicable in the sports world.  When you put junk in, in the form of greasy fried foods, sodas, and unhealthy fats, it can make the child sluggish physically and mentally on the field, which in turn can lead to injuries and accidents.  Make sure your child has a good pre game meal, and post game meal and take this healthy eating and apply it to their everyday life.  Once-in-a-while healthy eating can be better than no healthy eating at all, but for the long term benefits and to maintain good performance, eating right every day is the best for their health and their bodies.

Poor Sleep

Plenty of sleep is a must for any young person, but one who engages in sports, especially competitively, is in even greater need of adequate amounts of quality sleep.  Having a quiet sleep space and a good bedtime routine will help your child be able to relax and get the kind of sleep they need to do their best on match day.  A child that stays up late and has a restless night due to playing loud video games before bed or watching TV until they fall asleep is sure to be groggy and tired during the match.

Poor Hydration

Heat stroke and other heat illnesses can be prevented by making sure that your young athlete is properly hydrated before, during, and after the match.  If they don’t like plain water, having them drink a good quality sports drink is just fine for maintaining hydration and ensuring that they don’t become dehydrated while on the field.   Make sure they have water/sports drinks during the activity as well and let them cool down with a drink, sipped slowly, after the match as well.

Inadequate attention spent on safety procedures

It’s important to teach youth who engage in sports the proper safety measures that every sport includes.  Wearing the proper gear, having properly fitting shoes and helmets, masks, etc if applicable are all important parts of teaching them the game and how to be safe.  Also teaching them how to avoid certain moves, or hits when it comes to interacting with others is equally important.  Even a child can get a bad sprain or tear in their knee from a hit from another teammate or competitor.  Wanting to win is one thing, a low blow I never something to teach a child, so make sure they learn what NOT to do when engaging in sports as well.

Overuse

One of the biggest ways of preventing injuries in young athletes is to make sure that they are not being pushed too hard.  Lightly stretching limits and encouraging growth and improvement is one thing, but wearing them out with long, hours long practices every night or spending hours and hours playing matches and games on a regular basis is a recipe for potential disaster.  Work the child into the longer hours and harder practices to avoid straining their growing systems.  It can be the difference between them loving sports and continuing into adulthood, ready for the harder load, and getting an injury during their youth that affects them throughout their lives.

If a child does hurt themselves during a match, be sure to give the injury the proper rest and treatment needed for a full recovery, even if they’re begging to play.  Playing with an injury can cause the injury to get worse or even become a permanent injury.  Taking care and letting things heal, will enable them to get back to playing soon and without long term effects.   

The Importance of Sport at an Early Age

Children love to play games, run, jump and in general have a wonderful time no matter what they’re doing.   Organised sports are a big part of many children’s lives and there are many benefits for a child to start them young.  The lessons that a child will learn by being involved in sport at an early age are lessons that will stay with them for life.  

Decreased chance of childhood obesity

Childhood obesity is a growing problem due to the ever growing popularity of more sedentary activities such as video games and online interaction. Starting sport at an early age helps to alleviate this problem, due to having the child out of the house and off the couch several times a week. 

Getting a young child involved in physical activity early sets a precedence that can increase as they get older and start participating in more competitive sports.  One thing a parent can do to ensure that the child’s love of sports continues is not to push them too hard too soon.  The stresses of competitive sports on a young child can make them want to quit, so while they’re young and learning, keep it fun and encouraging for them and save the harder competitive mentality for when they are older.

Children that are pushed too hard in sport at a young age can have increased injuries that are not common to that age group.  If your child is involved in sports at a young age, don’t forget to also teach them about taking care of their health and bodies as well to reduce the chances of injuries and long term issues as they get older.

Learning how to be a team player

All children have the “self” mentality when they are very young.  “I want that.”  “Give me that.”  “I don’t want to do that.”  “I don’t want to share.”  When a child engages in team sports at an early age, they learn what being on a team is all about.  This means sharing the limelight, learning to compromise, learning to support their other team members and also learning to work together.  These are all skills that will help them in school, in their careers as an adult and in relationships. Being able to work well with others makes them an important part of the team, whether in sport or in life.

What good Sportsmanship is and what that means

Sportsmanship can be a rare thing in some competitive sports, but if a child is started in sports at an early age, and is with a coach that holds sportsmanship as a high priority, the integrity this will build will be invaluable.  Winning is fun, everyone loves to win.  But what makes a champion, is being able to lose with class.  Every person who participates in sports, regardless of age, wants to excel at what they do, that is the goal of every sport participator.  Good sportsmanship is not about wanting to lose or even not caring if you lose, it’s about having respect for the sport and its participants, so if you DO lose, you do not have a tantrum, disrespect the winner and make the team look bad. Teaching a child to hold their head high, shake the hand of the winner and try harder next time will be invaluable and a huge step in teaching them that even someone who loses in a match or game, can still be a winner. 

Find out more about how Orenda Football Academy can assist your child at www.orendafootball.com.au or contact@orendasg.com.au

Vitamins That Are Beneficial For Athletes

Athletes work hard to keep their bodies in shape and healthy, so it stands to reason that taking vitamins and supplements would be a part of that.  The main mistake an athlete can make is using supplements and vitamins to try and replace healthy eating.   The old adage you are what you eat DOES apply when it comes to keeping in tip top sports shape, so don’t rely on taking extra vitamins or supplements to make up for a bad diet. 

Do athletes require more vitamins?

Athletes don’t require any additional vitamins than anyone else, contrary to popular belief, but what taking the right vitamins will do is keep the body balanced and operating properly.  What is more likely to happen is noticing when vitamins AREN’T taken.  The recommended daily allowances for the vitamins listed below seem to be sufficient amounts for an athlete, but trainers and coaches will advise if more of any one is needed.

All of the “B” vitamins are good to take due to the benefits they provide the body. Many of them have a direct effect on energy production and metabolic functions of the body.  Riboflavin (B2) is a very beneficial vitamin for athletes due to the energy production it aids in.  The following B vitamins are the most beneficial:

·       B1 aka Thiamine - Good food sources of B1 will be whole grains and fortified cereals.

·       B2 aka Riboflavin – The best choices of food for this vitamin will be milk, almonds, low fat yogurt and wheat germ that can be added to yogurt and other foods.

·       B6 – Some good B6 food choices are fish, meat, chicken, seeds and also peanut butter.

·       B12 – Add eggs, cheese, meat, and whole grains to your diet to get this beneficial vitamin

The Daily Reference Intakes for most of these seem to be accurate amounts. Taking LESS than the DRI of B6 could affect performance but this does not mean that taking MORE will enhance performance.  Just stick with the DRI unless otherwise instructed by your trainer or coach and you’ll be getting the right amounts.

Niacin is a tricky little vitamin, as taking too much or too little can leave the body unbalanced by changing how the body gets it energy.  This unbalance can affect performance so be sure to get the right amounts for you.

Folate is an important vitamin, especially for female athletes of child bearing age.  Folate is linked to reducing the risk of birth defects but it also is an important vitamin for heart health. 

Vitamin D is one of the few vitamins that doctors may recommend in higher doses for athletes, especially ones that participate in sports such as gymnastics, cycling and running, which are all weight sensitive sports.  Although Vitamin D is produced in the body from getting proper sun exposure, an additional supplement may be called for.

Vitamin C has many benefits, from boosting the immune system to helping your body reduce bruising. It does this by strengthening the capillaries and blood vessels.  Vitamin C also helps produce collagen which is what holds your bones and muscles together.

Biotin is responsible for producing energy and is a good addition to any athletes vitamin needs. As a side benefit, it will improve the health of your hair as well.

Pantothenic Acid is a crucial vitamin that breaks down all those carbs, proteins and fats you eat and turns them into useable energy that enables athletes to push their bodies the way they sometimes do.  It’s an important vitamin that needs to be a part of every athlete’s vitamin regimen.

Making sure you remember to take your vitamins daily

It should be very simple to find a good quality multivitamin that has all the vitamins you need and in the amounts that are recommended for you by your doctor, trainer or coach.  Make it a habit to take your vitamins every day and your body will respond with good health, good performance and speedy recovery after exertion. 

Take your vitamins with water, and don’t overdo any amounts you take, thinking it will improve the effects.  Taking more than what is recommended won’t necessarily hurt you, except in the case of niacin, but it will be a waste and gives no added benefits to the athlete at all.

How Sleep Deprivation Affects Performance in Athletes

Sleep deprivation can cause poor performance on the job and in school, so it’s no surprise that it would affect an athlete’s performance as well.  Sleeping enough every day is what provides the body an opportunity to recharge, refuel, and keep things running properly.  Getting less than the optimal amount of sleep can cause glucose metabolism to slow and also causes a rise in cortisol, a stress hormone that is present in the body.  Higher levels of Cortisol have been linked to problems such as slow recovery for athletes and it will affect their memory and even insulin resistance.

 

What is the right amount of sleep?

So how much sleep is too much and what is not enough?   Typically the ideal amount of sleep for the average active person will be about 8 hours per night.  A high performance athlete should probably plan on adding an hour or two to that number.  More sleep time provides the athlete’s body with additional recovery time which is extremely important with the stresses they put on their bodies every day.

Less than 8 hours and the athlete will feel it in reduced strength and impaired speed.  When the body and mind is sluggish from lack of sleep, it’s easier to make mistakes, which can cause an increase in the possibility of injuries.   This doesn’t mean that if you lose sleep one night that your performance is shot, the effects of sleep deprivation increase with the length of time the athlete is losing sleep, but ideally, preparing for great performance includes food, hydration AND sleep.

Making sure that the sleep you get is good quality sleep

Sleep that is interrupted a lot doesn’t count as good quality.  When it comes time to go to bed and get those recovery Zzzzzz there are a few things you can do to make sure that you’re not only getting quantity but quality:

Especially in the summer time, the heat can play a part in not getting a good quality sleep.  If you have central AC, turn it down to 65-68 at night. This will enable you to fall asleep faster and the sleep you get will be sounder as well.  If that proves to be too cold, try it a degree or two higher until you find the perfect sleeping temperature for you.

Getting into a regular routine for going to bed can prime the body for sleep. Take a warm bath or shower, drink some tea or warm milk or hot cocoa, and then put on some soft music or light TV.  If you do the same thing each night right before bed, your body will get into the habit of calming down and getting ready to sleep.   It is always better to avoid playing video games, getting online or even watching a serious drama or action movie when you want to settle down and get a good night’s sleep.  The video games and exciting story lines will make it almost impossible to settle down and truly rest.

Avoiding excessive caffeine right before bed is also a good idea when you want to get a good night’s sleep. Caffeinated drinks such a soda and coffee can have a stimulant-like effect on the body making good sleep impossible.  Caffeine doesn’t affect everyone this way, but it’s always better to keep the bedtime drinks something that will help you sleep instead of taking the chance.

Alcoholic beverages are also not a good idea before bed.  Even one or two glasses can cause very restless sleep, decreased R.E.M sleep and tends to cause you to wake up a lot throughout the night.

Following these tips can help you get the best sleep possible each night and will aid in the recovery of your body, as well as keep your performance high the way you want it to be.  One or two late nights won’t ruin your game, but making getting good sleep a priority will definitely help you be at your best when match time comes.

Building Endurance with Cardio

Having good endurance is an important part of any athlete’s life, but it plays a part in everyday life as well even if you’re not a professional athlete. Endurance means you can work out at a high intensity for a sustained period of time with minimal fatigue.  It means you can work long shifts in a physically demanding job and not end the day in traction. It means you can keep up with your kids at the park. And it means that you perform better and more consistently no matter what you’re doing.

Endurance isn’t just about cardio, but in this article, we’re going to concentrate on the ways you can use cardio to build your endurance and your health. The best thing about cardio is how many varieties of it there are available to choose from.  Sometimes doing one form of cardio every single day or even several times a week, can lead to boredom and burnout.  By switching up the kind of cardio you do, you can achieve two things; a) keep the body off balance in terms of benefits because it doesn’t become accustomed to the same thing, done the same way, at the same time each day, and b) prevent boredom in the athlete or active person which can lead to a cessation of exercise. 

How Long Do I Need To Exercise To Build My Endurance?

The length of time you perform a cardio exercise does play a part in its effectiveness.  It is recommended that you engage in whatever activity you choose for over 30 minutes. Exercising for longer than 30 minutes helps you burn fat, and increase your respiratory endurance.  Other excellent benefits include lowering your blood pressure, reducing stress, reducing your weight if that is a goal for you, and also aids in elevating your mood. 

It’s been proven that exercise aids in increasing confidence levels and also elevating mood.  If you ever find yourself in a down or crabby mood, try taking a 30 minute walk, or run around the yard with your kids or pets for at least 30 minutes, even if you don’t feel like it.  You’ll find that after a few minutes, your focus will change and you’ll feel better and less down or stressed!  You’ll also find that once you have been exercising regularly for a few weeks, you’ll miss it and feel the effects of its absence if you skip a day. 

Exercise isn’t always about organized routines that involve a gym or weight equipment. Those are fantastic and if you enjoy them and have a gym membership, definitely do it!  But cardio endurance can be built any day of the week in any number of fun and interesting ways and you won’t even realize you’re exercising in some cases.  The benefits will show in your health and in your overall mood as well!

High Carb? High Protein? The Best Diet for Optimum Performance

When it comes to making sure your body is operating at its peak performance level, your diet is one of the most important areas to focus on.  You wouldn’t expect an expensive car to run well on poor fuel or NO fuel, and your body is no different.  The types of food you eat and the amounts you consume can dictate how well your body handles the stresses an intense workout or sports activity can place on it. 

There are so many eating programs available and they cater to pretty much any eating preference, but when it comes to the type of diet you should consume as an athlete or very active person, your best bet is a diet that contains carbs, proteins and healthy fats.   Any plan that has you eliminate any of these three is not going to do well for you when optimum performance is your goal, but for optimum performance, carbohydrates should make up the bulk of your diet.

The Proper Time to Eat Carbs

Carbs, Proteins and Fats all have their place in a high performance diet and WHEN you eat them is just as important as how much you eat.  While you want to consume all three elements at every meal, when it comes to having improved endurance, higher energy and better glycogen storage, you should precede your workout or sports activity with carbs and save the protein for after where it aids in faster recovery and rebuilding of the muscles.

Ensuring that you consume carbs before, during and after your workout or sports activity will help you have a high quality experience with the most benefits to your body. The consumption is not extreme, typically 50-100 grams before the activity, 30-75 grams every hour during the activity, and follow it up with 75 grams afterwards. 

Some good examples of carbohydrates to include in your diet are rice, pasta, crackers, juices and fruits.  Be sure to include adequate amounts of water or a good quality sports drink as well for hydration.

Proteins and fats are also important

Proteins and healthy fats round out the athlete or active person’s diet and are equally important to maintaining optimum performance during sports or work outs.  It is not recommended that an athlete consume a high protein diet for many reasons.

One factor is that a high protein diet increases the amount of water the body needs and can cause dehydration if an increase of water is not accounted for and maintained.  This can put undue strain on the kidneys as well.   High protein diets can also affect the balance of muscle glycogen and can impair an athlete or active person’s performance. 

 There are many schools of thought on the proper amount of protein a person should consume, but a key factor is the amount of activity you do on a regular basis.  A person who works out 3 times a week will not require the same amount of protein as a professional athlete.  

In general, a good guideline to follow would be ½ to ¾ grams of protein per pound of body weight for someone who exercises three times a week. If you are a competitive athlete, that number will increase to .6 to .9 grams of protein per pound of body weight and so on.  Seek the advice of your doctor if there is any question as to your personal protein requirements.  Foods such as nuts, chicken, eggs, fish and beans are perfect sources of proteins.

Fats are also a necessary addition to your diet, but the key is making sure that they are the right kind of fats.  Empty calories and high sugar foods such as cakes, cookies, chips and candy are not the type of fats we’re talking about.   Olive oil, nut butters, fatty fish (sardines, tuna etc) are good sources of fat.

A good guideline to consider when adding in a fat intake amount is to keep it at around 30% of your overall food intake.  That means if you are eating 2500 calories a day, less than 900 calories should come from fat.  Again it is recommended that you seek your doctor’s advice or the advice of a nutritionist if weight loss is your goal or you have specific dietary needs. They will give you the amounts that are good for your specific needs.

The bottom line is that what you eat plays a major part in how your body performs and responds to the activities you engage in.  Fuel it properly according to your activity levels and activity intensity and you will find your performance will soar. Fill it with empty calories or unbalanced dietary choices and you’ll feel the effects in poor performance and poor recovery as well.

Why Pushing Through the Pain Isn't a Good Idea

“No Pain, No Gain” is a well known mantra for many athletes but there is a point where pain becomes detrimental to your performance and pushing through it can cause serious and even permanent injury.  When you’re participating in sports or exercise programs, muscle soreness is to be expected, especially if you’re not used to the level of activity or intensity of a particular activity.  

There is a big difference between soreness and actual pain and it’s important that you know that difference and pay attention to it whenever you are working out or participating in sports of any kind. 

Knowing when to rest is as important as pushing yourself to succeed

How Can I tell The Difference Between Soreness and Pain?

Anyone who has started a new workout program or played a new sport can testify to being sore afterwards.  Sometimes that soreness is so intense it makes regular movements feel almost impossible.  Muscles that are sore from being used can even be sore to the touch, but what you will notice is a lessening of the soreness after a day or two and even through the soreness, movement is possible, albeit a little slower than normal.

You will also find that stretching and warming up will cause the soreness to dissipate and that you are able to work out again as soon as the next day. 

When an injury of some kind, whether minor or major, has occurred, there will be a sharp pain, either stabbing or constant that starts in one spot and shoots through the body, and sometimes a tearing or burning feeling in a specific area of the body that doesn’t seem to let up.   Certain movements will be impossible without a major increase in pain and in some cases won’t be achievable at all.  In addition, there will usually be an increase in pain as time goes on and swelling or tenderness that is above the usual soreness.

If you notice any kind of numbness or tingling in an area of the body, it could very well be a pinched nerve and continuing to work out or push through the pain could result in permanent nerve damage.

Continuing to work out or to participate in sports activities when a potential injury might be present can be very dangerous.  For example, a stress or minor fracture left untreated and pushed further can result in a complete bone break.

If you suspect that what you’re feeling is not just muscle soreness, it is always best to seek medical attention to rule out a potential serious injury.  Even though it may be difficult to skip those workouts or activities, by pushing through and ignoring real pain, you may be missing out on far more than a workout or game if there IS a real injury to contend with. Take the time to let it heal and you’ll be back at it in far less time than if you aggravate the injury and make it worse.

Ways to Minimize the Chance of Injury During Workouts and Sports Activities

Although there are no failsafe methods for preventing injury, there are things you can do to lessen the chance of injuring yourself during sports or work outs.  Warming up properly and stretching are two of the most important factors.  Muscles that are warm and stretched are far less likely to be injured than cold muscles.  Never just start a workout or sport without proper warm up.

In addition, staying properly hydrated, eating a well balanced diet, getting plenty of sleep and avoiding dangerous conditions while working out or participating in a sport will all reduce the chances of injury.  If you are a professional athlete, sometimes playing in less than ideal conditions cannot be avoided, so take all precautions you can to make your body as strong as possible. 

Proper form is another extremely important factor in avoiding injury. Make sure that you’re doing exercise movements properly, and using weight that isn’t in excess of what you can handle. This is not to imply that you cannot push yourself during a workout, but there is a big difference between pushing your limits a bit and loading yourself with a weight that will only cause you to hurt yourself.  The same rule applies to engaging in sports activities that you have never done before.  If you’re just learning, take the time to take it slow and learn the proper body placement, equipment and execution of the sport at hand.

Injuries can happen anyway, of course, but by adhering to these suggestions and using common sense, you can ensure that your work outs and sports activities remain a positive addition to your daily life.