Context Is King

More than 40 high performance staff have received a professional development boost about strength and power diagnostics in the second session of the NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) Strength Science Learning program.

NSWIS Senior Strength & Conditioning Coach, Nathan Spencer, who recently returned from a four year stint as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Orlando Magic in the NBA and is currently working with women’s water polo program at NSWIS, highlighted his philosophy about strength and power diagnostics through his experience at the NBA.

“You need to make sure you understand the coaches needs and the athletes needs before you start making any real performance decisions,” NSWIS Strength and Conditioning Coach Spencer Goggin said on his key take aways from the session.

Nathan, who is an innovative and accomplished practitioner with extensive experience developing cutting edge strength and conditioning services to elite athletes across the world, has upskilled NSWIS staff on his counter movement jump monitoring.

“This initiative means athletes get a higher calibre of support,” Spencer said.

Athletes get screened once a week after a game and then a whole host of variables are produced. Some of the variables are improved as a result of the game, others need a bit of work, which is where the performance interventions are targeted.

Nathan spoke extensively about context as what the sport provides and how this changes depending on the environment.

“In diving for example, it is how those divers approach their dives specific to them.

“So we have to understand their athletic profile in conjunction with the demands of the sport – where they meet, what are their weapons what are their work ons – and assess those through a series of tests.

“We know that what we are doing in the gym makes a real difference to what they are doing in their sport. We have an understanding of context, with a better understanding of what the sport does and what it gives the athlete and what it doesn’t.”

NSWIS