What makes a good sports coach?

Having a sports-based lifestyle I have had many different sports coaches. I have had football coaches, boxing trainers and PE teachers. One thing I have learnt throughout the years is sports coaches make a huger impact than you initially think. Their importance to shaping your goals is crucial as your career is in your hands as well as theirs.

Nutrition/Diet

Nutrition and diet have played a huge part in my life. Being born prematurely with meningitis meant I always needed important food and medicine. Also, throughout the past 2 years, I have been weight training as a hobby as well as improving my figure and overall performance. This meant, to achieve the goals I had to put a diet plan in place to support my progress.

MMA – Mixed Martial Arts

MMA has not benefited me in terms of the physical aspect; however, I am aware of the training basis of the sport and how the sport is put together. In terms of watching on a spectator level, I’d say I am quite passionate in terms of keeping up with championship events and professional athletes’ lifestyles. MMA Is not just fighting it is a sport that serves many purposes than just fighting.

Weight training

Linking to diet weight training has improved my health and wellbeing as well as my overall level of productivity. It has helped me produce a structure in which my day to day lifestyle is more efficient. Also, weight training for me has been an excellent way for me to step out of my comfort zone and try something I never thought I’d love.

Sports injuries

Injuries have been quite persistent throughout my life due to it being filled with sport. Whether that was injuries from playing out as a child to sustaining them whilst training in the gym. Injuries have always humbled me and taught me that life isn’t about how many times you’ve fallen, it is about how many times you’re been able to get back up and carry on.

The process of sports injuries

having knowledge of the sport as well as participating in it has been an important aspect of participating. Knowing the right techniques has prevented me from sustaining injuries in some cases. When I would sustain injuries, having the knowledge supported my recovery by allowing me to use the right methods when recovering.

So, what is a sports coach and what makes a good sports coach? To some people, a sports coach has one simple role, and that is to deliver and teach the sport… that’s it. For instance, a football coach’s purpose is to just teach football. However, there are many important and different aspects of sports coaches and their coaching that can determine the path an athlete’s career will take. Life coach directory defines sports coaching as “the process of motivating, guiding and training an individual in preparation for any sporting hobby, career, or event”. (Lifecoach-directory.org.uk, 2019)

A sports coach has many roles. From teaching and nurturing to comforting and being a role model. Some people even see sports coaches as parent figures, outlining the genuine effect sports coaches can have on an athlete’s lifestyle. A sports coach’s main purpose is to coach, that’s an obvious role however some sports coaches’ main purpose can be many other things. For example, Jason Wilson, a Karate Teacher from the USA has a different initiative in which karate is not the main purpose of his coaching. His purpose is to take young children off the streets to discipline them and help them face their fears. He trains their mindset through karate by strengthening their mental strength as the first form of defense rather than just using karate itself. He believes actions are caused by a person’s mindset and their influence. If actions are done before thinking it through rather than getting angry, the outcome will always be better. Jason quoted “peace has to be in us before it is around us”. His aim is also to allow karate to be a form of stepping out of their comfort zone as well as support from problems children may be facing at home. he quoted “aggressively yelling at an angry, fatherless young man is as productive as attempting to stitch up a wound with a needle and no thread”.

Sports coaches have a bigger purpose in the sporting industry and their roles cover more than just teaching the sport. Sports coaches play a bigger part in a person’s or an athlete’s life than the social standard would suggest, and that a sports coach is much more than its title defines it to be.

Nutrition consists of diet, and diet is the amount of food you consume. Food is categorised into different components. For example, fibre, protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Different foods are made up of these components. Diet is potentially the most important aspect of life. Our diets can determine our performance, concentration levels and sometimes even our life expectancy.

According to science, your body needs macro-nutrients. Your required macro-nutrients are calculated based on your age, your weight and your weekly level of physical activity. Hydration is also a key part of your diet. Drinking enough water has been proven to increase concentration levels and an athlete’s performance. Where can we find proof that improving your diet is beneficial? Today’s world athletes have their diets in place that provide benefits hence performing the way they do. For example, athletes such as, Usain Bolt, Anthony Joshua, and Cristiano Ronaldo all have strict regiments that work alongside their training plans allowing them to perform to the best of their abilities. In most cases, athletes are even prohibited from eating unhealthily and drinking alcohol. But having a diet plan in place can also be unhealthy and dangerous. For example, Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler, legends and icons of the bodybuilding world had diets that consisted of consuming 10,000 calories per day. Although the diet was shown beneficial to their muscle growth, they both were aware of how unhealthy their diet was. Today Ronnie Coleman is 55 years old and within the last year and has had 10 surgeries. These surgeries were taken place to endure he could talk and walk again.

Diet is key and has proven benefits and risks. Science has played a substantial part in providing research and support to educate people on the foods they consume and whether they provide benefits or risks. “Good nutritional habits and a balanced diet aren’t developed in one day, nor are they destroyed in one unbalanced meal. … Eating nutritious and healthful food while maintaining your proper body weight will contribute to a better performance in the classroom, in the gym, and on the dance floor”. (http://www.sportsdoctor.com/chg/n22.html)

MMA [mixed martial arts] According to the IMMAF or the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation, MMA is “Frequently billed as the World’s fastest-growing sport, MMA combines wrestling and striking martial arts into one complete discipline, including techniques from Thai-boxing, judo, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, and boxing. Although contemporary MMA is only as old as the world’s first website and phenomenally proliferated with the growth of the internet, its roots can be traced as far back as Pankration in the ancient Olympic Games”. (Immaf.org, 2019)

MMA is taught on various levels of the sport continuum and can be pursued for multiple purposes. People take part in MMA to compete at different levels, to stay healthy and as a form of self-defense. MMA is a combat sport and has been deemed a dangerous sport as it can become competitive and gruesome when matters become personal. At 2019’s UFC 245 championship title fight, Colby Covington went head to head with the undisputed welterweight champion of the world Kamaru Usman. Usman and Covington have had bad blood since Usman’s recent victory against previous welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. At the UFC 245 press conference, Covington shouted racist slurs making matters personal between the two champions. In the fight, Kamaru Usman went on to beat Colby Covington with a stunning fifth-round TKO. Both fighters fought ferociously, and Covington sustained a broken jaw after Usman landed a clean overhand right on Covington’s unclenched jaw. As soon as the fight ended and Usman was declared a winner by TKO, Covington ran out of the ring to receive medical attention.

MMA in its nature is without a doubt a fast-growing sport. It is continuously evolving into a fighting style of its own. Its industry generates hundreds of millions of dollars a year hence its popularity. Fighters can pursue what they love whilst earning money and building a reputation as MMA fighters. the future of this sport looks sharper than ever…

Weight training is a type of strength training that uses weights for resistance. By creating stress to the muscles performed with free weights (e.g. barbells and dumbbells) or by using weight machines, these exercises will enable muscles to be activated and get stronger. (Truefitness.com.sg, 2019). People have participated in weight training for many years and a variety of reasons such as, for performance, for health and fitness, for appearance and to compete.

So, what are the benefits of weight training? Weight training consists of many factors that must be performed correctly for it to be beneficial, otherwise, it can be very dangerous. Factors such as form, weight, and knowledge of weightlifting can determine whether weightlifting is beneficial or dangerous. For example, weight training your back and shoulder muscles can be an excellent way of improving your body’s posture. People who have poor posture usually sit and walk with their back and shoulders slouched. One of the reasons is they lack muscle mass on their back. By weight training your back, you are allowing the mass to increase, improving overall back support when sitting, walking and sleeping. By training your rear deltoids your body can release pressure off your collarbones and sternum, by naturally pushing your chest out and rolling your shoulder blades back.

Weight training can be dangerous if performed with the wrong technique. For example, performing preacher curls with the weight too high and an unstable form can lead to damaging your bicep. When the form is unstable, the pressure tends to be on one arm. This can lead to your bicep muscle being torn.

Anyone can perform weight training as there are many ways of producing resistance movements. The beauty of weight training is, you don’t need dumbbells or barbells you can use your body weight also known as calisthenics. Lift safe!

The injury mechanism

In the middleweight title fight against Chris Weidman at UFC 168 in Las Vegas, Silva broke his left leg while kicking his opponent in the second round. Silva went for a lower leg kick. As he was about to make contact, When both his tibia and fibula broke, they damaged other parts of his leg such as his tendon, arteries, and muscle. As his leg broke instantly he felt excruciating pain and it was clear that he needed medical attention as soon as possible. Weidman’s defense technique acted as an unbreakable barrier putting huge amounts of force on Silva’s leg causing the break.

Clotting and Inflammation

So, when Anderson Silva fractured his tibia and his fibula, his bone damaged surrounding structures causing the internal bleeding. The blood trauma causes a lot of pressure sending pain signals to the nervous system. This caused swelling and inflammation around the area of injury. In this case, the swelling would be visible from the knee down. When the swelling occurs, pressure continues to rise and sometimes can cause blood vessels to rupture. This can be extremely dangerous as it can lead to blood entering the muscles causing haematosis. This is when the muscle cannot contract due to an overload of blood.

Repair and remodeling stage

The time that is taken to heal and the treatment depends on how severe the fracture is, the type, and where the injury is. Fractures are often categorized as closed (skin is intact) or open (skin is broken). Whether closed or open, after your doctor aligns your bones, they’ll place your leg in a cast or splint to reduce stress and strain on the bone. This prevents movement so the fracture can heal. In Silva’s case, his injury was open which meant he needed medical assistance immediately.  Most doctors in this situation use the RICE treatment.  This stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. Open fractures require surgery as there could be a higher chance of additional injuries, such as skin loss and damage to arteries. When a fracture occurs the body initially produces a fibrous matrix around the bone to hold it together. Over time, your body starts growing new bone in that area, and the bones fuse. Then you have the remodeling stage. Anderson Silva did need surgery and was out for a full year. That fracture line, where the fracture occurred was very, very strong once it was healed. Because everything was done right, and there were not any other factors that affected the healing rate. Anderson Silva did need surgery and was out for a full year.

The benefits of sport and exercise are far higher the risks of injury however injuries can occur and can occur at any time. For as long as sports have existed injuries have been prominent. From falling as a child playing in the street, to sustaining an injury on different levels of the sports continuum. Injuries have physical effects on a person’s body but as well as physical, there also other factors such as mental effects.

Depending on the sport, the chances of injury differ. For example, the chances of getting injured in the American football far outweigh the chances of getting injured in golf. This is due to the extrinsic factor of American football being a contact sport. For example, the injury scenario of Odell Beckham Jr. Odell Beckham Jr is a wide receiver for the New York Giants. He is one of the most iconic faces in the NFL and is known for his spectacular one-handed catches. The one thing the Giants can’t have is Odell Beckham getting injured and he got injured badly that afternoon. Beckham reinjured the same ankle he hurt in the preseason on a nasty looking play. Beckham was going over the middle to catch a pass from Eli Manning when the quarterback sailed the ball and Beckham was forced to go up in the air to catch it. As he landed, his foot was twisted underneath his leg in a gruesome fashion. The injury for Beckham and his team was devastating. It was a season-ending injury and affected his performance until this day. Mentally he thought his career was over and he’d never be the same again. His recovery consisted of both physical and psychological rehabilitation in which he was reassured that he was going to be okay and his career would be back on track the following season

All Injuries can affect any athlete/player whether they are on a beginner or professional level. Injuries have ended athletes’ careers, however sport is now safer than ever.