Essay Sample on Training a Specific Athlete

Any professional athlete requires training to improve skills as well as excel in sports. Training is considered as an ingredient of success, and sporting teams invest much in training before any competition. Training differs between sport, but fitness is one of the most sought traits for any athlete. Even though certain sports share training methods, the level of endurance required and specialized training differ between one athlete and the other. Athletes hire personal trainers who help them in training by instructing and assessing fitness levels. Some sports are played as teams and athletes must train together to polish skills and learn how to win matches effectively. The focus of this discussion is on training an athlete who plays as a footballer. The preferred playing position for this athlete is a defensive midfielder, where he acts as a link between defense and attack.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Description of the Athlete

The athlete in question is a 19-year-old male currently playing for a local football club in the state of Florida. The athlete is 1.78 meters tall and weighs 62 kilograms. The description shows that the athlete is still young and still learning to be a better footballer. The age of the athlete is perfect in improving his technical skills as well as developing an understanding of the game. The weight of the athlete is appropriate for this sport, particularly the position the athlete will play. Even though the weight is expected to increase, it is anticipated that the fitness level will allow the athlete to gain reasonable weight that is acceptable for this professional sport. The athlete will play as a defensive midfielder but will also receive training on how to defend.

Personal Training

Football is a team sport, but there are training regimes that are conducted individually by the athlete or with a personal trainer. In the case of this athlete, it is mandatory that the athlete engages in some running to improve fitness level and also provide the required endurance that will allow the athlete to perform at the highest level. The athlete will be required to engage in morning runs at the gym using a treadmill. The running exercise can take 30 minutes before the athlete embarks on other activities (Mann, Ivey & Sayers, 2015). The gym provides the perfect location to help this athlete develop stamina and muscles that are pivotal for success in the sport. The personal trainer will develop a gym program which must be followed by the athlete before joining the rest of the teammates in the field.

On personal training, the athlete can also practice on ball control with the trainer. During this session, the athlete can practice on better ways to shoot the ball and how to position oneself in the field while playing with the opponents. The athlete can also go through video sessions, analyzing how other players play in this position. The insights from these study resources provide mental strength that will allow the athlete to put into practice some of the skills and insights from past players or those that are considered to be best at this position (Bourdon et al., 2017). Personal training is a player's initiative to excel and should be supported to help the athlete to grow as well as recruited to play for world renown teams. Personal training is a continuous process that must be maintained even if the player is on vacation.

Team Training

The most important part of the training of a footballer is team training. Team training provides the opportunity for a footballer to learn from the coach and engaging in sports drills to improve their overall skills. While in the team, the player will be expected to engage in fitness routines while concentrating more on the ball. The athlete in question will work with different coaches where their overall game will be analyzed, and areas of improvement highlighted (Bourdon et al., 2017). The defensive midfielder will train o ho to tackle, defend, pass the ball and also score in some circumstances. The player will further go for gym sessions. The highlight of the team training involves the team playing a match within a given period. It is during this kind of a match that coaches and trainers instruct individual players on how to best meet the expectations of their positions (Beattie et al., 2014). For this athlete, the major focus will be on the overall defensive duties and breaking play from the opponents. The players can also be trained on how to defend and score from corners. As such, the defensive midfielder will be trained on how to jump while defending, positioning oneself to deny the opponent the chance to score. Team training extends to training in a class where players will be taken to a room, shown videos on how to play as a team, and execute team tactics.

Conclusion

Training is an important aspect of any sport, and athletes must take training seriously. For the athlete in question, football is a sport that requires continuous training. As such, the athlete should be prepared psychologically for the rigorous training involved in this sport to achieve success.

References

Beattie, K., Kenny, I. C., Lyons, M., & Carson, B. P. (2014). The effect of strength training on performance in endurance athletes. Sports Medicine, 44(6), 845-865.

Bourdon, P. C., Cardinale, M., Murray, A., Gastin, P., Kellmann, M., Varley, M. C., ... & Cable, N. T. (2017). Monitoring athlete training loads: a consensus statement. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 12(Suppl 2), S2-161.

Mann, J. B., Ivey, P. A., & Sayers, S. P. (2015). Velocity-based training in football. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 37(6), 52-57.