Maties Sevens rugby benefits greatly from HP programme : 2015-04-21
The Maties High Performance programme is helping Maties Sevens Rugby to be the best prepared and equipped university Sevens team in the country.
“The players benefit greatly from the HP program as it allows them to train not only harder, but also smarter. It improves their tangible rugby abilities and also the vital accompanying decision-making that distinguishes good from great players. The HP program contributes to our vision of being the leading Student Sevens program both internationally and nationally,” said coach Ian Campbell-Mcgeachy.
The Maties HP programme consists of three main categories: Performance Management, Performance Enhancement and Athlete Empowerment. There is also Sports Medicine.
Performance management is planning, monitoring and evaluation of the high performance programme custom developed specifically for the team, coach and/or athlete and includes quality insurance and special event training programme for tournaments like USSA.
Performance enhancement involves strength and physical conditioning, performance analysis, vision and decision training and testing. These training sessions and tests are lab and field based.
Player empowerment entails sport-related mental skills training and knowledge development. There is also special academic and development support. Athletes can also rely on a long-term sustainable academic programme. The High Performance programme is focused on the player as a sportsman/woman and a student.
“At its heart the High Performance programme is about attracting and retaining top athletes and coaches to an inclusive holistic and elite training environment that will offer opportunity for the them to achieve at national and international levels,” said Jenny King from Maties HP.
The Sevens’ HP programme includes various tests like Functional Movement Screen (FMS), agility, smart jump andvision. The physical preparations are gym, field and vision sessions. Then there are technical preparations where gym sessions are filmed and players are then given feedback on their technique. Testing is also done for speed and field sessions.
Players have sessions for field training, mental skills, gym, conditioning, speed, vision, innovation and fatigue testing.