John Hughes/Craig Brewster

[Guest CaleyJaggy]

Just read an article in the NotW about JH and how he is approaching his management at FFC. He seems to be interested in continually improving himself and looking into the newest sports science/Nutrition and fitness techniques to see what he can steal for himself and the team he has in place.

He also goes on about the budget he is given each season and how he sets aside a "good chunk" of it to make sure they have everything they need. Sports psychologists, fitness coaches, a head of education, dieticians, nutritionists, physios and masseurs. Hughes also goes on fact finding missions to clubs abroad to further advance FFC.

Does CB do anything like this?  I know when he was 1st here there seemed to be an emphasis on fitness in the squad, but what about the support side of things and the other aspects?  Do we have a psychologist on the books, a nutritionist?  What is the makeup of our backroom staff.  I know Falkirk have installed exercise bikes in the dugout at TFS (don't know if that is in the away side as well).  We could do a lot worse than copy Hughes/Falkirks set up.

[CaleyD]

Believe it or not, but CC was far more into the "Sports Science" side of player development than any other Manager/Head Coach we have ever had and was working alongside one of the top researchers on the subject during his time in charge.  From what I understand most players had very individualised programmes.

I could be wrong, but this seems to be in stark contrast to a more "one size fits all" training regime which is used by Brewster, and which wasn't liked by a lot of the players during his first stint in charge.

[Guest CaleyJaggy]

See, that's the sort of thing I'd have liked to hear CC talk about (he maybe did but I never saw it) as a club, this is the kind of thing we need to do/get out there to promote the team and club to potential signings.  I'd be really interested to see an official response as to what the club is doing in regards to this sort of thing?  I don't know if it's an e-mail job or whether the supporters trust could raise this sort of thing, I suppose Charles Bannerman could even raise this topic if he is able/willing to do so?

[Yngwie]

Sports psychologists, fitness coaches, a head of education, dieticians, nutritionists, physios and masseurs. Hughes also goes on fact finding missions to clubs abroad to further advance FFC.

All very desirable, but expensive. Wouldn't we rather spend our limited resources on keeping our good players and attracting better ones?

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Feckin Yogi Bear and Brewtser have more in common - Boo BOO.

[Alex MacLeod]

Feckin Yogi Bear and Brewtser have more in common - Boo BOO.

We already have a phsycologist. He just posted the above quote

[Guest CaleyJaggy]

Sports psychologists, fitness coaches, a head of education, dieticians, nutritionists, physios and masseurs. Hughes also goes on fact finding missions to clubs abroad to further advance FFC.

All very desirable, but expensive. Wouldn't we rather spend our limited resources on keeping our good players and attracting better ones?

I'm not saying we should get all of them, but surely we need to improve the players we have as well as getting in new "better" players as well.  You probably should have quoted that Hughes uses part of the Budget he gets to cover the cost of these staff as well, he seems to treat all the staff as part of the team whether playing or no.  On P&B someone has also pointed out that Falkirk also do not have a great deal of trouble with non serious injuries to their players as well, so they don't have to go out and get replacements.  Granted we don't suffer that much from injuries tbf so our backroom staff are also contributing to that as well.

Surely to improve as a team and as a club we need to be striving to greater things, imho the backroom staff play just as an important role as the team we put onto the pitch.  Brew will not take every aspect of the training I'd imagine (someone correct me if I am wrong) as he will have coaches and suchlike to do that for him, but where is the harm in getting in professionals in other areas that may have a positive benefit to the team and club as a whole?

IHE - I know you're trying to be funny but if you don't have an actual contribution to the discussion could you just not reply, I think nearly everyone on here knows what you think of Brew and tbh you just come across as being petulant.

[Mee]

IHE - I know you're trying to be funny but if you don't have an actual contribution to the discussion could you just not reply, I think nearly everyone on here knows what you think of Brew and tbh you just come across as being petulant.

:015: :015: :015:

Try him again after about 4 doubles, he's actually quite entertaining  :001:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

DOH - I suppose the irony was lost on ones with lesser intelligence - Yogi Bear is renowned fer his fitness, his diet and his general lifestyle. Brewster needs a psychologist and then perhaps he would be more adept at management. Shurely the common denominator to Brew and Malky is clear ?

[Charles Bannerman]

I suppose Charles Bannerman could even raise this topic if he is able/willing to do so?

As far as I am aware, Messrs Christie and Brewster have both always been very aware of the "backup" services which are required for top level sport. For instance, CB is very particular about diet (about which he learned a lot in 5 years in Greece) and, for instance, he's not too happy to allow players to speak at press conferences after training until they've had lunch and replaced carbohydrates. Remember also that Caley Thistle also have a very good medical backup with Drs Smith, MacLeod and I believe also MacVicar as well as physio David Brandie. I think you will find that these people also have a pretty firm hand on psychology.

As far as training demands are concerned, and indeed the more modern sports science based approach, I think football as a sport is actually a bit behind a lot of others, although catching up. Certainly there has been a great deal of catching up at ICT, because legend though the man may have been, Steve Paterson's views on training were quite... shall we say "traditional"!

However there also tends to be a "traditional" culture among some players in football and as a result a degree of reluctance to embrace the kind of training regimes which have been prevalent in other sports for some time.

I have coached athletics to a fairly high international level and have a fair idea what athletes did and were prepared to do IN THEIR SPARE TIME as opposed to part of a full time job, in pursuit of, for instance, Commonwealth Games selection. I am sure attitides are changing in football and Craig Brewster certainly seems to have been at the cutting edge of more up to date training practices in football.

There was also a reference in an earlier post to "one size fits all". I really don't know what the situation is at ICT and am perhaps not best qualified to comment since my coaching experience has been in an individual sport, but I think that even in team sports, there has to be a degree of individuality in schedules.

I had an interesting discussion with Peter Davidson who told me that they only gave the goalkeepers the "snatch" exercise in the weights room because only keepers need to have strength in their arms above their heads. A good example of individually tailored training.

And, for instance, I couldn't imagine somebody like, for instance, Barry Wilson (even before you consider his age - serious point!), who clearly is very much a "fast twitch" machine absorbing the same volume of work as some other players who are not perhaps quite as quick as Barry was but who have far more capacity to handle activities of longer duration.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Sport psychology is the application of psychological knowledge to enhance personal development and performance of individuals within sport. It is distinct from clinical psychology that aims to help individuals overcome serious psychological problems.Most professional and elite amateur athletes acknowledge that psychology has a major impact on sports performance: "If you don't prepare yourself mentally its impossible to maintain consistently high standards"- Oliver Kahn, Bayern Munich & Germany. However, despite a substantial growth in the number of sport psychologists over the past decade, many athletes and coaches remain reluctant to use their services. Research continues to highlight the barriers that exist to the implementation of sport psychology programmes within professional sport.

Most research shows that a thorough knowledge of the specific sport is essential for interacting effectively with athletes and coaches. This does not mean that the consultant must have played the game to an elite level- although that may help - but in order to be successful he must have an understanding of the vocabulary, terminology, basic strategies, performance skills, and specific demands that confront the athletes.

Research shows that mental training concepts are often not fully accepted or understood by professional sports organisations. Poor communication links between academics, sporting associations and professional clubs may mean that club management is simply unaware of the full range of services that sport psychologists can offer. Furthermore, athletic personnel often do not distinguish between educational and clinical sport psychologists. As such there is an expectation that psychologists will be able to deal with not only mental skills training but also clinical issues such as family problems, addictions and depression. This can lead to a variety of problems including the perceived failure of the consultant and the mistrust of players and staff.  

Research in Britain and the US reveals that some coaches and athletes perceive sport psychologists as being similar to 'shrinks'. Although perceptions have improved considerably, some findings still suggest that sport psychologists are viewed with a degree of apprehension. Some coaches are not open to the possibility that consultants can help mentally strong athletes become even stronger and more focused. Similarly, some athletes that have never used a psychologist believe that the services provided are primarily for those with psychological problems. A further body of research also shows that athletes who consult a sport psychologist may be perceived negatively by their team-mates.

Evidence shows a reluctance for athletic personnel, especially at elite and professional level, to have excessive numbers of people involved with the team. The term 'organisational paranoia' has been used to describe the atmosphere when new staff are introduced to the team environment. In a study with the US Olympic team, both coaches and athletes indicated that 'fitting in with the team' was the lowest rated characteristic of all sport psychology consultants. Issues such as whether the consultant should wear the team training kit, attend games, be allowed in the changing room and actually eat with the players can make the difference between being accepted as part of the team or being perceived as an outsider. Athletes themselves have also indicated that they felt more comfortable dealing with the sport psychologist and coach together than directly with the sport psychologist.

Surveys of active sport psychologists and professional sports clubs show that there is often a difficulty in knowing where the sport psychologist should 'fit' within the club. Should he be part of the coaching staff and work solely with the players or does his role also involve liaising with the management team? The decision is not a trivial one and it has been shown to affect relationships within the clubs surveyed. For example, if information from consultations is shared with the management then players often become reluctant to disclose weaknesses for fear of being prejudiced against in team selection. If the consultant shares nothing then the management can feel undermined or even experience animosity towards the psychologist. There is also sometimes a concern amongst players and coaches that the psychologist will fail to maintain the necessary boundaries. The distinction between mental advice and tactical advice is often fuzzy, and if the psychologist is perceived as functioning in the role of the coach he may be resented.  

Timetabling psychology sessions around physical training sessions, personal commitments, media and promotional activities, team meetings and other activities can be an extremely challenging and frustrating exercise. Athletes often report being dissatisfied if they do not have enough contact time with the sport psychologist. Research has also shown the benefits of integrating mental skills training with the athletes' physical training schedule. Not only does this strategy save time, it also facilitates the acceptance of mental skills and enables them to practiced in the absence of the psychologist.

Sports organisations often believe that the work of a sport psychologist is lavishly resourced and highly paid. In reality few sports psychologists make a full-time living from consultancy work and the perception that it is an expensive luxury has limited the involvement within many organisations. A recent survey into the use of sport psychology services at top sport universities in the US revealed that the most common reason for not using such services was lack of funding. This finding has been repeated within professional sports clubs

There exists the belief that sport psychologists can provide a magical 'quick fix' for individuals and teams. Sport psychologists do have specialised skills that can help athletes overcome problems rapidly. More usually, however, mental skills, like physical skills, need considerable practice before performance improvement is likely to occur. Employing a sport psychologist for a single session in the belief that this can bring about some meaningful change is likely to result in disappointment and doubts about the benefits of sport psychology. Most practicing sport psychologists realise that it is very important to clarify from the outset the range of services that they offer and the outcomes that are realistic within the timeframe available.

Sports nutrition is the specialist application of the science of nutrition to performance enhancement in sport. The nutritional demands of training and competition vary according to sporting discipline and the individual requirements of athletes. Accredited sports dieticians are trained in both the science of nutrition and its practical application.

Advice given is based on research evidence, and the recommendations are then translated into foods and drinks to be taken in the appropriate amounts at the appropriate times to support training loads, improve recovery and optimise performance during competitions.

Optimal hydration is a must for all athletes as progressive dehydration has been shown to affect all aspects of performance ? both physiological, and mental including concentration and skill levels. The promotion of optimal hydration including electrolyte replacement is a major focus over the coming year as athletes prepare for the next Olympic Games taking place in the heat of Athens.

Another dietary factor impacting on performance is body fat reduction which benefits both aerobic capacity and power to weight ratios in athletes.

Each athlete and each sport has its own set of nutritional requirements, from advising on how to achieve the large intake of carbohydrate necessary to fuel endurance sports to helping weight category athletes make weight prior to competitions. In a sport such as rugby, players need adequate carbohydrate to fuel the demands of training, and depending on both individual and positional requirements may need to either gain lean mass or reduce body fat.

Published guidelines form the basis of my recommendations, which are modified to reflect the players? lifestyle and training patterns. It?s a case of getting to know the individual, and then devising dietary strategies to suit their individual food preferences, level of cooking skills, budget and personal lifestyle. Issues such as eating out, take-away and fast food choices are all discussed, to enable the athlete to manage their diet more effectively.

Supplements are also discussed and impartial advice is given regarding the appropriateness of products and any risks associated with their use.

Traditionally much of the science of nutrition has focused on endurance athletes, however sports nutrition support has now been successfully integrated into a wide range of sporting disciplines including the precision sports such as shooting, bowls and archery, as well as team sports, track and field, gymnastics, rowing, sailing and weight category sports.

I believe that sports nutrition has a valuable role to play in all of the above and many more for different reasons. Every performer is looking to improve their performance by whatever margin, and that could be achieved through improving their hydration status, having better glycogen reserves, or changing their body composition. Nutrition has an important part to play in keeping athletes healthy and preventing fatigue and illness associated with poor recovery and under-fuelling.

Its essential for athletes to have access to practical advice from sports dieticians to help them make the all important changes to what they eat and drink for better performance.

Sports physiotherapy is concerned with the early and accurate diagnosis and treatment of musculo-skeletal injuries. The treatment goal is to rehabilitate the injury as quickly as possible and ensure an early return to functional activity or sport. Sports physiotherapy also has a role in the prevention of injury.

Physiotherapists who work in sports physiotherapy prescribe specific exercise programs tailored to the needs of individuals with levels of sports participation ranging from that of the lay person or recreational sports person to the elite athlete.

Sports Physiotherapists also provide acute care for sporting injuries as well as full rehabilitation back to competitive sport. They also advise athletes of appropriate warm-ups, stretching and recovery for their individual sport.

Sports Physiotherapists screen athletes with the purpose of identifying factors that may predispose the athlete in injury, including any previous injuries which have not been fully rehabilitated. Factors that may also inhibit optimal athletic performance can be identified and corrected, allowing the athlete to achieve their maximum potential in hopefully an injury-free manner. Joints, muscles and neural structures are assessed to identify an predisposition to injury. This takes up to an hour. The assessment is then analysed an any necessary forms of treatment or further investigation will be implemented. Ongoing assessments are generally carried out throughout the year to monitor any changes.

[Guest CaleyJaggy]

IHE - you could have just posted the link to that wall of text.  Interesting reading though

Another interesting nugget from the article was that Hughes has released players who were not prepared to do the work as Falkirk do a working day of 9-4 with 2 sessions.  It is nice to see a manager stand firm on his expectations of the members of his team. 

Cheers for the reply CB I can't say I was aware of any of that as tbh I have never delved into the backroom side of a football club other than the manager/coach.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

IHE - you could have just posted the link to that wall of text.  Interesting reading though

Thanks. Too many links to mention - just read the text and be enlightened,

[Guest CaleyJaggy]

Seriously if you could post some of the links or even PM them to me I'd be interested in doing some reading behind the sort of thinking that made up the wall of text  :004:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

OK - try istadia.com - www.athleticinsight.com - www.aaasponline.org/about/about-applied-sport-psych - www.psyc.unt.edu/apadiv47/ - www.psychwatch.com/sport_psychology.htm

[Alex MacLeod]

IHE - you could have just posted the link to that wall of text.  Interesting reading though

Another interesting nugget from the article was that Hughes has released players who were not prepared to do the work as Falkirk do a working day of 9-4 with 2 sessions.  It is nice to see a manager stand firm on his expectations of the members of his team. 

Cheers for the reply CB I can't say I was aware of any of that as tbh I have never delved into the backroom side of a football club other than the manager/coach.

I believe ICT also do 9-4. Out to Fort George in the morning. One and half hour stint. Back for lunch together then one and half hours in gym and back to stadium. At least thats what it was first time Brew was in charge.

[kiltarlity]

Can I recommend all at the club study the works of Eckhart Tolle (bestselling author of "The Power of Now")

Once you learn to be present in the Now, that Now is all you have, you can become the space for the play of form.

When you free yourself from you illusory self. (your story, ego, thoughts and painbody) you become enlightened and at peace.

Graham

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:clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: Rite on dude - pass me the spliff.  :crazy07:

[Jay_7]

I can't remember what the guys name is but CC employed the services of the leader of the Sports Biomedicine dept of the University of Dundee to go out on the teams Pre-season tour to overlook things.

[Guest awayupingorgie]

you guys are great i know donald park and spoke to him recently and he said the first thing robbo and he

decided on when reaching the premier league was to appoint a sports psychologist to adapt their minds

to playing all your games away from home.so again robbo way out ahead see brewster ost for other reasons.

im pretty sure he said the guys name was donald too but he got sacked by brewster as craig said his job was to

motivate and prepare the team and park also hinted that he did not resign and that simply brewster did not like him

because he was not his choice and that iho robbo bear manager he has worked with and would love to work with

again fact !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Scarlet Pimple]

Geez--so that's why I have to get on the bike every other day and do my mandatory 6 miles to avoid the joints stiffening up. And, sob, you mean my protein powder is not enough to get me from here to there? Woe is me ~!Oh Miserime! :019:

Apparently it's good for other types of stiffening up too.. what kinds you say?----.just MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS< NO FURTHER DETAILS , this is boys and girls show and the Gorgie lad is just coming into puberty.

Very impressive essay IHE. First time I think I have ever read something as serious and erudite from you. Just goes to show , never judge a man by his clothes or beard. Ha! Ha! :015:

Sports psychologist--pshaw!A good kick up the erse that's good enough. And John Hughes is great I agree.  :notworthy02:

[VIVA LAS TOKLEY]

Did'nt the club have a sport psychologist in to help Bayney with his fear of the goal a few seasons back,  worked a treat whatever they did........

[Libero]

Did'nt the club have a sport psychologist in to help Bayney with his fear of the goal a few seasons back,  worked a treat whatever they did........