Maties dominate inaugural Varsity Sports MTB Challenge : 2016-10-03
Photo credit Robert Ward
Cyclists from Stellenbosch University dominated both days of the first ever Varsity Sports MTB Challenge held in the Cape Winelands over the weekend.
Maties had done all the hard work during stage one on Saturday and just needed to protect their lead to be sure of securing overall Varsity Sports MTB honours on Sunday. The final general classification reflected the Stellenbosch students’ dominance: Maties finished in a cumulative time of 4:47.50, with UP-Tuks in second place (4:53.33) and UCT in third place (4:56.14) over the two days.
Cycling and Mountain Biking joined the HP Unit in 2016. “We have a very talented group of student athletes as one can see from Maties taking the inaugural Varsity Sport competition this weekend and winning USSA in July…yet again! We are very excited about our current IMAS interventions that has been added in their preparation plan and we look forward to supporting them pushing the boundaries of their performances in seasons to come,” said Sean Surmon, head of the Maties Sport HP unit.
Highlights from day one included a memorable 15 km climb through shady plantations towards the top of Du Toitskloof Pass, swooping downhills and manicured trails across private wine farms, while the outstanding features of day two were undoubtedly the unique Boschendal trails looping through forests and around farm dams.
Maties team captain CP van Wyk enjoyed the race and thinks that his riders worked together well as a team. He is very pleased with this opportunity for student cyclists to shine. His team mates were Ian Lategan and Jacques Lloyd.
Photo credit: Robert Ward
The Maties women’s team of Vera Adrian, Mariske Strauss and Nicky Giliomee crossed the line together and were all smiles as they described their experience.
“It was an amazing race in beautiful surroundings and it was great riding together in this format,” they said. Their time over two days was 5:32.34, with UP-Tuks in second place (6:26.28).
Maties Sport manager Candice Appollis-Williams was extremely proud of the Maties cyclists. The Maties team won the USSA competition earlier this year and have now cemented their reputation as arguably the best university cycling club in the country.
“For them to have dominated the way they did proves that our high performance cycling programme is leading the way,” she said.
Although the official varsity teams were predictably at the sharp end of the race, the Varsity MTB Challenge offered a world-class riding experience to both alumni and non-varsity-affiliated mountain bikers as well. Cyclists could nominate a university to ride for and earn points for that university. It came as no surprise that Stellenbosch University won that competition as well, earning a total of 3453 points. UCT was second with 2619 points.
Photo credit Robert Ward
Copy: Maties Sport and Varsity Sport
Injury Clinic crucial service in HP programme : 2016-09-21
The Maties Sport Injury Clinic plays a crucial part in the Maties Sport High Performance programme.
The Injury Clinic is a service provided by the Campus Health Services to athletes from Maties Sport teams. The Campus Health Services (CHS) is the primary health care provider on campus which officially opened its doors in 2009. Before then it was known as Student Health Services. It is situated in Claassen Street between Metanoia and Heemstede residences and the practice is accredited as a sports medicine practice with the South African Sports Medicine Association.
The aim of the Injury Clinic is to provide a screening service for new injuries sustained in training or playing a sport for Maties. The consultation with a daily dedicated sports physician is free of charge. Recommended treatment interventions as well as any consumables and medicines is for the athlete’s own account. The clinic is available on all weekdays from 8am-10am and athletes are consulted on a first come first served basis.
Once the physician has made the diagnosis with recommended intervention strategies, the report is sent to the HP Unit that distributes the report to the relevant head coach and strength & conditioning trainer. This enables them to adjust the management of the particular athlete as well as the training/coaching session of the particular day as this athlete might not be able to train. The athlete is also listed on the Maties Sport Injury List where all injured athletes are tracked on their progress from injury, treatment, rehabilitation, return to train and finally return to play. This integrated management and tracking of the athletes is discussed every Wednesday morning in a discussion with the head of the HP Unit and the sport physicians, physiotherapists, biokineticists and trainers involved in the process. All the coaches are also invited to attend.
Dr Jo-Anne Kirby from Campus Health Service adds: “The concept is fast accurate diagnosis, quicker focussed treatment and rehabilitation. There is also feedback to the coaches and conditioning staff so the player can maintain other forms of fitness as this leads to a faster but safe return to training and then return to play. We keep track of all the injured players with weekly meetings during which we have feedback from physiotherapists and biokineticists as well as the Strength and Conditioning coaches from some of the high performance teams. This enables us to pick up on problems and intervene when necessary.”
According to Dr Kirby the Injury Clinic also serves as a tool to help students on academic level. “From an academic side fourth year physiotherapy students doing their sports practical rotation are exposed to the injury program as well as sports medicine elective students and post graduate Sports & Exercise Medicine students. We also have international fellows joining us for internships and practical experience.”
One of the sportsmen who have been making use of the Injury Clinic in his time playing for the Steinhoff Maties Hockey team is Dylan Swanepoel. “It is a great service to have access to especially from a financial perspective! Another great part of the injury clinic service is that every aspect of the programme is linked so my trainer Nico and my coach will get the feedback from the doctor. They are working together and that is amazing and we are privileged and thankful to have it here at Maties.”
For more information visit http://www1.sun.ac.za/kampusgesondheid/sport-and-exercise-medicine
Revs looks back on 2016 : 2016-09-08
Paul Revington is a prime example of the value of a High Performance Manager within a High Performance Programme. Revs joined Steinhoff Maties Hockey Club in 2015. Maties High Performance had quick Q&A with the hockey master to get his views of the past season.
How would you describe your second season as Steinhoff Maties Hockey’s high performance manager?
“It was very different to 2015 for so many reasons. Several coaches and administrators left Maties Hockey at the tail end of 2015 and our main focus was on replacing these people within our organization and creating a strong leadership environment for the students again at elite level. I then attended the Hockey India League (HIL) for 7 weeks in January/February and despite it being a wonderful event to be a part of, I found myself chasing the train a bit on return.
“As I mentioned already both Women’s and Men’s teams lost several key players and leaders. On top of this the South African Teams had not been allowed to go to the Rio Olympics and several players within the Maties squads had every reason to feel slightly demotivated without clear goals to follow personally. All in all it was a tough start to a season that ended well a few weeks ago!
“The primary goal for me in 2016 (again) was to connect with both head coaches of the first teams and ensure these two ‘flag ship’ teams of the University were functioning well despite various challenges. As the season progressed both head coaches and I were faced with additional athlete challenges but the strength of relationship between all three of us meant we were equipped to face them head on and with calm minds and creative solutions.”
What are some of the highlights of the season?
“The start of the league season for the Women’s team was just fantastic! The energy, speed and attacking ability of the team blew away the opposition initially. Training was high quality and in essence the athletes were motivated and drove the coaches on. The selection of several of the Maties Women into the Senior National and U21 Squad in January and February was no doubt responsible for a lot of this belief.
“The Men’s team performed very well in the ‘tournament type; environments – Varsity Sport, USSA and the Final Top 4 structure in the WPGC League. At the Varsity Hockey series the team won six games in a row playing some fast and enterprising hockey; at USSA and in the Top 4 format of the League they played with great intelligence and determination.
“Obviously winning both the Women and Men’s WPGC again (the men making history as they have now won 4 titles in a row) and then the men also winning USSA completed a very good year trophy wise for the elite teams of Maties Hockey Club.
“Another highlight was the successful implementation of Specialist Drag-Flick Training with Devin Stanton for identified Drag Flickers. This was extremely beneficial at USSA for the men and then in the Women’s Team where Quanita Bobbs got stronger and stronger as the season progressed and was a regular scorer.”
What aspects have you identified that must be worked on for next season?
“Our general recruitment between Women and Men’s teams needs to be better. We must be replacing ‘like-for-like’ players in both teams – that is in terms of skill, physical and especially in terms of character.
“In the Women’s team we said goodbye to some tough (streetwise) characters in 2015 and I was not convinced the team of 2016 was tough and streetwise enough to deal with all the demands that Maties Hockey placed on them.
“In the Men’s team the players showed that they had the potential for this toughness, but it had to be squeezed, shouted and coerced out of several players most of the time. This suggests a lack of internal drive and goal-orientation within most of these individuals. Although the Men’s team proved fitter than their local opposition, the class of 2016 lacked in several physical areas required to perform consistently at this level. Thankfully the team benefited with the inclusion of Nico Koutakis as a physical trainer and he will remedy this in the off-and-pre season training for 2017.
“Other areas to improve include: Operating from bigger squads (24) within both first teams for longer; Doing more physical testing throughout the calendar year on these squads; Using Grant Van Velden and his vision-based pitch training methods; Using our Mental Skills Specialist more consistently throughout the year; and Advancing how we use video to provide instant feedback during training.
There is also a need and desire to have stronger Vics teams – time will tell whether we can get both Vics’ teams inside the top 4 of the WPGC.”
How was it working with Jenny again this year?
“Jenny is an extremely motivated person and coach and this fact makes it a pleasure to work with her. Coupled with her drive she is also open-minded to change and has introduced several new areas again to the Maties Women’s team in 2016.
“These have resulted in the team retaining the League under extreme pressure from opposition coaches who were desperate to knock Maties off their perch. She is also brave and courageous to say it as it is and the players can be grateful knowing that she fights a good fight on their behalf!
“I have also benefitted personally in the sense that in 2015 and 2016 she always asked for my opinion; listened and changed her own beliefs and selections based on my viewpoint; but also been strong enough to reject an opinion and stick with her own belief on a particular topic. This has served as a great example of two HP coaches being strong enough to have their own opinions BUT also selfless and team oriented to know when to combine knowledge and come to the best solution that works for the team.
“I must also mention Karin Hugo as the team’s Physical Trainer and Manager, who plays a critical role in the general growth and management of the team and players. There is a very strong bond and connection between Jenny and Karin that is very good for Maties Hockey.”
Ashlin Freddy coached Maties for the first time in what was a very big season for Maties, how was it working with him and seeing him grow as coach?
“Ashlin is a seriously good player (defender) himself and a fantastic person off the pitch (calm and gentle) – making for the great coach and teacher he is becoming at a very young age. He has played in foreign leagues and therefore has an enlightened mind on hockey – making the initial connection between us even stronger.
“He and I worked out a playing style for Maties very early in the season and players got comfortable and settled very quickly within a potentially rough environment. It has been a pleasure working within a primarily defensively oriented coaching mindset and getting (SA) players to value defence before the flashy offensive skills and tricks. I can see why Neville Rothman and Ashlin are also such a strong coaching team at Paul Roos Gymnasium.
“Ashlin is also a flexible coach within a game and has the gift of being able to adopt a different approach in the middle of a game – a trait I have learned from during the season. As the season progressed and the variables became tougher (several key players left for overseas contracts and/or got injured) we faced the challenges together. We put in our best two League performances inside the Top 4 play-off phase right at the end of the season – the sign of a quality team and coach!
“I must also mention Nico Koutakis (Physical Trainer and Team Manager) who added immense value to our coaching team through his warm ups; gym training and calm yet passionate voice inside the locker room. We need Nico to attend more League games to get that consistency.”
Strength and Conditioning vital part of Maties HP programme : 2016-08-22
For some 20 years he has been helping athletes reach their full potential and still Nico Koutakis is passionate about what he does and the athletes he works with.
Koutakis is a strength and conditioning trainer at Maties Sport and is one of the trainers used by the Maties Sport High Performance programme. Strength and conditioning is one of the most important arms of the HP programme.
“Strength and conditioning is an organised and planned training session that target strength and conditioning for specific sports and athletes,” said Koutakis. “The programme will not only depend on the sport, but also where in the season the athlete or team is. There is also field conditioning so not everything happens in the gym.”
Koutakis added that strength and conditioning does play a role in the rehabilitation of an athlete after injury. “We got a system in place that works. There is close communication and working together between us and the bio or physiotherapist. It is important that we are all on the same page in getting the athlete back on the playing field.”
According to Koutakis strength and conditioning plays a vital role in the HP programme. “It is such a big chuck of the budget! The amount of session needed for strength and conditioning is way more than any other aspects of the programme. For instance mental skills will be a handful a year or every six months while teams and athletes sometimes need five strength and conditioning session a week!”
There is no basic explanation of the strength part of the programme. “We have so many different kinds of strength – strength speed, strength endurance, power endurance – and it is never just one fixed plan or move. You can get different effect by only changing the way you hold the weight or just changing the movement.”
Conditioning is not only fitness it is also strengthening of the weak areas. “We put together a plan to get players and athletes in the best possible condition to play their sport.”
Koutakis has been doing his job for some 20 years and he talks with a lot of passion when he tells you about what he does on a daily basis. “I am passionate about what I do and the people I work with. I love working with people who are driven and want to excel. There is also the teaching element. I get the opportunity to impart some of my knowledge to the students that shadow us. The best part is seeing it all come together. It is not necessarily the end result – winning a tournament of seeing the athlete break a record – it is the journey that got us there that is really the award.”
Drie Matie-afrigters na Rio : 2016-08-03
Op 9 Augustus vier ons Nasionale Vrouedag hier in Suid-Afrika wat Augustus die perfekte maand maak om nie net die vroue regoor ons wonderlike land te vier nie, maar veral ook die wat ‘n besonderse rol in die Maties Sport Hoë Prestasie Eenheid van die Universiteit Stellenbosch speel.
Onlangs is drie afrigters – Karin Hugo, Karin le Roux and Suzanne Ferreira – gekies om saam met die Suid-Afrikaanse span na die Paralimpiese Spele in Rio te gaan, wat die drietal die perfekte eerste maak in die reeks van artikels oor die besonderse talentevolle vroue wat ‘n rol speel in die Maties Sport Hoë Prestasie-program.
Karin Hugo (swem)
Die hoeveelste Paralimpiese Spele is dit vir jou?
Dit sal my derde Paralimpiese Spele wees. Athene in 2004 was my eerste en ek was daarna ook in Londen vir die 2012 Spele. Ek was tussen 2005 en 2010 betrokke by die Suid-Afrikaanse vroue-hokkiespan.
Wat as jy al ooit in Rio?
Ja, ek was al drie keer vantevore in Rio en twee keer in Sao Paulo (ook Brasilië). Ek was juis in April vanjaar daar by die byeenkoms toe die geriewe getoets is. Die kompetisie-swembad is baie indrukwekkend en die swemmers was baie tevrede met die kwaliteit van die swembad.
Hoe sal jy jou daaglikse roetine by die Spele beskryf?
Ons is baie besig aangesien ons gedurende die kompetisietydperk in die oggend uitdunne het en eindrondes in die aand. Ons staan vroeg op en gaan slaap laat. Ná middagete is daar gewoonlik tyd om ’n bietjie te ontspan voor ons weer swembad toe vertrek. Indien ’n swemmer nie elke dag deelneem nie, oefen hulle nog steeds twee keer per dag om die gevoel van die water te behou. Die swem by die Paralimpiese Spele is die langste swemkompetisie in die wêreld en strek oor agt dae.
Wat is die verwagtinge vir Rio?
Die 2016 SA Paralimpiese span is kleiner as die span by die vorige Spele. Die kompetisie word al hoe taaier en die atlete en afrigters moet ongelooflik hard werk om te presteer. Ek verwag dat die span ’n hele paar medaljes gaan verower, maar ek hoop dat elkeen hul beste prestasie sal haal; of dit ’n medalje is of nie. Wat die span so spesiaal maak, is dat hulle mekaar ondersteun en aanspoor tot hoër hoogtes.
Hoe spesiaal is dit om deel van die Spele te wees?
Dit bly ’n ongelooflike voorreg en wonderlike geleentheid om weer te kan gaan. Dit is ’n belewenis waarvan baie mense droom en baie hard voor werk. Ek is bevoorreg om Rio toe te kan gaan en wil almal bedank wat dit vir my moontlik maak.
Karin le Roux (atletiek)
Die hoeveelste Paralimpiese Spele is dit vir jou?
Dit is my tweede Paralimpiese Spele.
Wat as jy al ooit in Rio?
Ek was nog nie in Rio nie, maar ek was verlede jaar in Brasilië toe my atlete aan ’n kompetisie in Sao Paulo deelgeneem het.
Hoe sal jy jou daaglikse roetine by die Spele beskryf?
Die roetine by die Spele sal nie elke dag presies dieselfde wees nie. Die eerste twee dae probeer ons gewoonlik net gewoond raak aan alles en gaan kyk ons na al die geriewe sodat ek seker is waar die oefenbane is. Ek toets ook die vervoer sodat ons weet hoe lank die busritte is. Ek beskryf ’n afrigter se werk by die Spele om soos ’n spons te wees, waar ons alles wat die atleet moontlik kan beïnvloed “opsuig” en in die proses probeer om ’n perfekte omgewing vir kompetisie te skep sodat die atleet optimaal kan presteer.
Wat is die verwagtinge vir Rio?
Die Spele is die hoogtepunt van ’n vierjaarsiklus. Die atlete het soveel ure, weke en maande se harde werk ingesit en soveel opofferings gemaak. Dit is altyd moeilik om voorspellings te maak wat medaljes betref, maar waarvan ek wel seker is, is dat elke atleet wat SA gaan verteenwoordig hul absolute beste sal gee.
Hoe spesiaal is dit om deel van die Spele te wees?
Daar is nie altyd woorde om die ware gevoel te beskryf wanneer jy hoor jy is gekies as deel van die span nie. Ek is oorweldig met dankbaarheid om deel te kan wees en om die voorreg te hê om alles te kan ervaar saam met die atlete. Dit is ’n ongelooflike groot eer en voorreg.
Suzanne Ferreira (atletiek)
Die hoeveelste Paralimpiese Spele is dit vir jou?
Dit sal my vierde Paralimpiese Spele wees.
Wat as jy al ooit in Rio?
Ek was al in Sao Paulo, maar nog nooit in Rio nie.
Hoe sal jy jou daaglikse roetine by die Spele beskryf?
Ek dink nie daar is iets soos ’n vaste roetine by die Spele nie. Wanneer die atlete in aksie is, bepaal hulle grotendeels hoe my dag verloop. Ek probeer egter in die oggende ekstra vroeg opstaan sodat ek paar ’n oomblikke alleen kan wees. Hoe vroeg sal afhang van wanneer my atlete deelneem.
Op die bus na die baan is die atlete altyd gefokus en ek luister meestal na musiek. By die opwarmingsbaan ondersteun ek die atleet. Kyk wat nodig is, hou die tyd dop, strek dalk. Ek en my atlete het die gewoonte en behoefte om voor hulle moet aanmeld ’n laaste oomblik saam te spandeer, rustig te word en die geleentheid aan God oor te gee… Dit is baie spesiaal.
Ná die atleet se nommer warm ons af en gaan terug na die atlete-dorp. As atlete weer in die aand deelneem, sal die proses homself herhaal. Aandete op sulke dae wanneer daar dubbelsessies is, is gewoonlik rondom 22:00. Daar is ’n goeie kans dat jy nog ’n gesprek of drie sal hê voordat jy kamer toe gaan. Afrigters en spanbestuurders kry nooit meer as vyf uur slaap nie.
Wat is die verwagtinge vir Rio?
Verwagtinge? Dit hang seker af hoe jy daarna kyk en uit watter oogpunt. Persoonlik hoop ek dat die atlete in liggaam, siel en gees voorbereid is en op ’n plek is waar hulle hul potensiaal ten volle kan uitleef met vreugde. Dat hulle die geleentheid kan waardeer vir wat dit is. #RunFree. Ek glo as hulle op hierdie plek is, is enige prestasie die kersie op die koek. Medaljes en tye is wonderlike eindprodukte, maar nie die dryfveer vir my as afrigter nie.
Hoe spesiaal is dit om deel van die Paralimpiese Spele te wees?
Die Spele kom net elke vier jaar en die reis wat ek met elke atleet in die vier jaar het wat opbou tot dié hoogtepunt, is baie spesiaal. Die spangees van ons SA Paralimpiese span was nog altyd vir my ’n voorreg om te ervaar en deel van te wees.
Three Maties coaches to Rio : 2016-08-03
On 9 August we celebrate National Women’s Day here in South Africa making August the perfect month to celebrate women all over our beautiful country, but especially here at the Maties Sport High Performance Unit of the Stellenbosch University.
Recently three coaches – Karin Hugo, Karin le Roux and Suzanne Ferreira – were selected to join Team South Africa at the Paralympic Games in Rio making this trio the perfect first in a series of articles on all the amazingly talented women doing their part the Maties Sport High Performance programme.
Karin Hugo (swimming)
How many Paralympic Games have you been to?
This will be my third Paralympic Games. Athens 2004 was my first and I also went to London for the 2012 Games. I was involved with the South African women’s hockey team between 2005 and 2010.
Have you ever been to Rio?
Yes, I have been to Rio three times and to Sao Paolo (also Brazil) twice. I travelled to Rio in April this year when the facilities were tested. The swimming pool for the competition is very impressive and the swimmers are very satisfied with the quality of the pool.
How would you describe your daily routine at the Games?
We are very busy because we have heats in the morning and final rounds at night. We get up early in the morning and go to bed late. After lunch there is usually some time to relax before we leave for the pool again. If a swimmer does not compete every day they still train twice a day to retain the feel for the water. Swimming at the Paralympic Games is the longest swimming competition in the world and extends over eight days.
What are the expectations for Rio?
The 2016 SA Paralympic team is smaller than the team at the previous Games. The competition is getting tougher all the time and the athletes and coaches need to work exceptionally hard to perform. I expect the team to win quite a few medals but I hope that each individual achieves his or her personal best; be it a medal or not. What makes this team so special is that they support and spur each other on to greater heights.
How special is it to be part of the Games?
Despite this being my third Paralympic Games it still remains an unbelievable privilege to go again. It is an experience that many people dream of and work very hard for. I am privileged to be able go to Rio and want to thank everyone who makes this possible for me.
Karin le Roux (athletics)
How many Paralympic Games have you been to?
This is my second Paralympic Games.
Have you ever been to Rio?
I have never been to Rio, but I travelled to Brazil last year when my athletes participated in a competition in Sao Paulo.
How would you describe your daily routine at the Games?
The routine at the Games will differ from day to day. We usually just try to get used to everything during the first two days. We go and inspect the facilities so that I can make sure where the training locations are. I also test the transport to find out how long the bus ride takes. I compare the job of a coach at the Games to that of being a “sponge” – we “soak up” everything around the athlete that could possibly influence them. And in the process we try to create a perfect competition environment for the athlete to be able to perform optimally.
What are the expectations for Rio?
The Games are the highlight of a four-year cycle – the athlete has put in so many hours, weeks and months of hard work and have made so many sacrifices. It is always difficult to make predictions as far as medals go. What I am sure of, however, is that every athlete representing SA will give their absolute best.
How special is it to be part of the Games?
There aren’t words to describe the feeling when you hear that you have been selected as part of the team. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be part of it all and privileged to be able to experience everything with the athletes. It is an unbelievable honour and privilege.
Suzanne Ferreira (athletics)
How many Paralympic Games have you been before?
This will be my fourth Paralympic Games.
Have you ever been to Rio?
I have been to Sao Paulo, but never to Rio.
How would you describe your daily routine at the Games?
I don’t think there is something like a set routine at the Games. When the athletes compete they usually determine what course my day will take. I try to get up extra early in the morning so that I can spend some time on my own for a few minutes. How early will depend on when my athletes participate.
The athletes are usually very focused on the bus on the way to the track and I will mostly listen to music. At the warm-up track I support the athletes. See what they need, watch the time, maybe stretch. My athletes and I have the habit and need to spend a last second together before they have to report for their item, to relax and to hand it over to God … It is very special.
After the athlete has competed we warm down and return to the athletes’ village. If athletes compete again in the evening the process will repeat itself. Dinner on such double-session days is usually around 22:00. There is every chance that you will still have a conversation or three before you go to your room. Coaches and team managers never get more than five hours of sleep.
What are the expectations for Rio?
Expectations? I suppose it depends how you look at it and from what perspective. Personally I hope that the athletes will be prepared in body, soul and mind and be in a space where they can fulfil their full potential with joy. That they can appreciate the occasion for what it is. #RunFree. I believe that if they are in this space any achievement will be the cherry on the cake. Medals and times are wonderful results, but not what drive me as a coach.
How special is it to be part of the Games?
The Games only happen every four years and the journey that I have with each athlete in the four-year build up to this highlight is very special. It has always been a privilege for me to experience and be a part of the team spirit of our SA Paralympic team.
Maties HP gebruik VX Sport GPS om Maties Sport-spanne te help : 2016-05-30
Om ‘n studente-atleet se fisieke werklading op universiteitsvlak te bestuur, is baie belangrik vir die Maties Sport Hoëprestasie-eenheid (HP-eenheid).
Die VX Sport GPS-atleetnasporingstelsel is een van die baie instrumente wat deur Maties Sport se HP-eenheid gebruik word om seker te maak dat spanne en atlete slimmer en meer doeltreffend oefen.
“Vir jare kon ons nooit meet hoe ons spanne of atlete fisiek op die speelveld presteer nie. Die beste wat ons kon doen, was ‘n ingeligte raaiskoot neem oor hoe moeilik of fisiek veeleisend ‘n wedstryd of ‘n oefensessie was, sonder die werklike getalle en statistieke om dit wat ons sien, te staaf of verkeerd te bewys. Die VX Sport GPS-stelsel laat ons toe om te meet hoe ons speel of oefen. Noudat ons toegang het tot die getalle en statistieke oor hoe ons speel, gee dit ons die geleentheid om krities te kyk na hoe doeltreffend ons ons spanne of studente-atlete afrig,” verduidelik Grant van Velden van die HP-eenheid.
“Ons het oor die jare heen data oor ‘n hele paar van ons spanne en studente-atlete ingesamel en dit het ons ‘n idee gegee van hoe fisiek veeleisend wedstryde vir ons studente-atlete oor die verskillende sportkodes heen, sowel as oor verskillende posisies binne dieselfde sportkode heen, is. Ons wil uiteindelik hê ons spanne moet oefen soos hulle op die veld speel, en ons span die data en statistieke wat gedurende die wedstryde ingesamel word in om dit te bereik. Ons probeer om die intensiteit van wedstryde na te boots in oefeningsessies sodat ons slimmer en meer doeltreffend oefen met die beperkte tyd wat ons met ons studente-atlete het.”
Van Velden verduidelik dat Maties se rugbyspan met die Varsitybeker-kompetisie verskeie kondisioneringswedstryde of kort spelstukkies (pockets) tydens oefensessies gespeel het. Hierdie spelstukkies was onder, bo óf teen dieselfde intensiteit as wat die spelers in ‘n wedstryd sou ervaar. “Met ons kennis van hoe intens ‘n Varsitybeker-wedstryd teen ‘n spesifieke opponent is, kan ons spelstukkies in die span se oefenweek posisioneer sodat ons hulle goed genoeg voorberei vir die intensiteit van die komende wedstryd of hulle laat herstel van die vorige week se wedstryd.”
Volgens Van Velden is om toegang tot hierdie tipe nasporingstegnologie vir atlete te hê, baie relevant in die universiteitsomgewing.
“Studente-atlete is eerstens studente en dan atlete. As gevolg hiervan is hul akademiese verpligtinge gedurende die dag hul prioriteit. Dit laat ons met miskien twee uur se oefentyd in die laatmiddag/vroeë aand, twee tot drie keer per week as ons gelukkig is. Met hierdie beperkte kontaktyd moet ons slim en doeltreffend afrig, anders sal ons nie die oefensessie kan maksimeer tot sy volle potensiaal nie. Deur die statistieke en getalle wat ons van die GPS-eenhede kry, te gebruik, weet ons presies wat ons in ‘n spesifieke oefensessie moet doen en kan ons die oefensessie ooreenkomstig ontwerp om daardie sessie se doelwitte te bereik.”
Die HP-eenheid het tans 30 VX Sport GPS-eenhede – 15 van hulle is “regstreekse” eenhede.
“Regstreeks beteken dat ons gedurende ‘n wedstryd dadelik op die skootrekenaar langs die veld kan sien wat met ‘n speler op die speelveld gebeur. Onmiddellike veranderinge kan dan gemaak word as ‘n speler tekens van moegheid toon of nie sekere fisieke mikpunte haal wat hy of sy gewoonlik in ‘n wedstryd sou behaal nie. In ‘n ideale wêreld sou oefensessies ook met regstreekse eenhede gemonitor word. Dit sou dan geleentheid gee vir kommunikasie tussen die afrigter, die sporttegnoloog en die kondisioneringafrigter om net daar en dan veranderinge aan te bring as die fisieke mikpunte nie bereik word nie.”
Van Velden voeg by: “Wanneer ‘n speler die GPS-eenheid aan het, is daar geen wegkruipplek op die veld nie. Atlete wat probeer kortpaaie neem, sal uitgevang word. Big Brother hou jou dop en in hierdie geval is Big Brother in die ruimte in die vorm van ‘n satelliet wat nie net sien as ‘n speler te min doen nie, maar ook as hy of sy te veel doen.”
Van Velden waarsku egter dat om net die data en statistieke van die GPS te gebruik om te interpreteer hoe ‘n atleet op die veld presteer, jou net die helfte van die storie vertel. GPS-data moet saam met video-data gebruik word. Die GPS-data kan wys dat ‘n speler 9 km op die hokkieveld gehardloop het – wat baie is – maar dan sal die video wys dat hy dié afstand behaal het sonder dat dit die spel noemenswaardig beïnvloed het – hy of sy het soos ‘n afkophoender rondgehardloop. ‘n Ander speler mag dalk net 7 km aflê, maar sy of haar invloed is veel meer deurslaggewend. Deur dus verder te hardloop in ‘n wedstryd beteken nie noodwendig jy was die beter speler of het ‘n groter invloed op die wedstryd gehad nie. Die statistieke moet saam met die video-data geïnterpreteer word en dít is waarom video-ontleding self so belangrik is.”
Die Steinhoff Maties Hokkie-manspan het GPS-eenhede by die onlangse Varsity Hokkie-toernooi gebruik vir wedstryde wat in Stellenbosch gespeel is. Volgens Van Velden sal hierdie statistieke, saam met vorige jare se statistieke, handig te pas kom wanneer hulle vir die USSA-toernooi in Julie voorberei.
“Dit is ‘n baie soortgelyke toernooi met wedstryde elke dag van die week. Ons het ook ‘n aantal eerstejaars in ons span oor wie ons nog nie data kon insamel nie. Dit is belangrik dat ons verstaan wat die fisieke eise is wat aan nuwelinge gestel word en hoe hul liggaam reageer op en herstel ná vier dae se hokkie teen hoë intensiteit. Ons weet wat die fisieke eise aan elke speler is nog voor die USSA-toernooi begin het. Dit gee ons kans om die spelers beter voor te berei en die beste moontlike kans te gee om na die beste van hul vermoëns te speel.”
Managing a student-athlete’s physical workload at university level is very important for the Maties Sport High Performance (HP) Unit. The VX Sport GPS athlete tracking system is one of the many tools that is used at the Maties Sport HP Unit to make sure teams and athletes train smarter and more efficiently.
“For years we could never measure how our teams or athletes physically performed on the field of play. At best we could take an educated guess as to how tough or physically demanding a match or a training session was, without having actual numbers and stats to back up or disprove what we saw. The VX Sport GPS system now allows us to measure how we play or train. Now that we have access to the numbers and stats on how we play, it has allowed us to critically look at how efficiently and how effectively we train our teams or student-athletes,” said Grant van Velden from the HP unit.
“We have collected data from a number of our teams and student-athletes over the years and this has given us an idea of how physical demanding matches are on student-athletes across different sport codes, as well as across different positions within the same sports code. We ultimately want our teams to train more often like they play out on the field, so we use the data and stats collected from matches to help our teams achieve this. We try to match the intensity of games during training so that we train smarter and more efficiently with the limited time that we have with our student-athletes.”
Van Velden explained that during the Varsity Cup competition, the Maties Rugby team played different conditioning games or “pockets” during training sessions. These “pockets” were either below, above, or at the same intensity that the players would experience during a match. “By knowing how intense a Varsity Cup game is against a particular opponent, we can position ‘pockets’ accordingly in the team’s training week so that we adequately prepare them for the intensity of the upcoming game or to recover from the previous week’s game.”
According to Van Velden, having access to this type of athlete tracking technology is very relevant in the university environment.
“Student-athletes are first and foremost students and athletes second. Due to this, their academic commitments are a priority during the day. This leaves us with maybe two hours training time in the late afternoon/early evening, two to three times per week if we are lucky. With this limited contact time, we have to train smart and efficiently otherwise we will not be able to maximise the training session to its full potential. By using the stats and numbers we get from the GPS units, we know exactly what we should do in a particular training session and can therefore design our training session accordingly in order to achieve that sessions objectives.”
The HP Unit currently has 30 VX Sport GPS units – 15 of these are “live” units.
“Live means that during a match we can instantly see on the laptop on the side of the field what is happening with a player on the field of play. Immediate changes can then be made if a player is showing signs of fatigue or is not reaching certain physical benchmarks that he or she would normally reach during a game. In an ideal world, training sessions will also be monitored with live units. This will then allow for communication between the coach, the sport technologist, and the conditioning coach to make changes to a training session right then and there if certain physical benchmarks are not being achieved.”
Van Velden added: “When a player has the GPS unit on, there is no place to hide on the field. Athletes who try to take shortcuts during training sessions will be caught out. Big Brother is watching you and in this case Big Brother is in space in the form of a satellite! We not only see if a player is doing too little, but also if he or she is doing too much.”
Van Velden warns though that using only the data and stats from GPS to interpret how an athlete performed on the field will only give you half the story. “GPS data must be interpreted alongside video data. The GPS data can show that a player ran 9 km on the astro, which is a lot, but then the video will show that he achieved that distance without influencing play very much… he or she ran around like a headless chicken. Whereas another player may only cover 7 km on the astro, but his or her influence on the game was far more pronounced. So running further during a match doesn’t necessarily mean you were the better player or more influential in the game. The stats need to be interpreted alongside video data and that is why video analysis is so very important as well.”
The Steinhoff Maties Hockey men’s team at the recent Varsity Hockey tournament used the GPS units for the matches played in Stellenbosch. According to Van Velden these stats, along with the previous year’s stats, will come in handy when preparing for the USSA tournament in July.
“It is a very similar tournament with games every day for a week. We also have a number of 1st years in our team who we haven’t been able to collect data on before. It is important that we understand the physical demands placed on the newcomers to the team and how their bodies react to and recover from four days of high intensity hockey. We now know what the physical demands will be on each player even before the USSA tournament has started. This will allow us to physically prepare the players better and give them the best possible chance to play to the best of their abilities.”
Maties High Performance uses VX Sport GPS to help HP teams : 2016-05-27
Managing a student-athlete’s physical workload at university level is very important for the Maties Sport High Performance (HP) Unit. The VX Sport GPS athlete tracking system is one of the many tools that is used at the Maties Sport HP Unit to make sure teams and athletes train smarter and more efficiently.
“For years we could never measure how our teams or athletes physically performed on the field of play. At best we could take an educated guess as to how tough or physically demanding a match or a training session was, without having actual numbers and stats to back up or disprove what we saw. The VX Sport GPS system now allows us to measure how we play or train. Now that we have access to the numbers and stats on how we play, it has allowed us to critically look at how efficiently and how effectively we train our teams or student-athletes,” said Grant van Velden from the HP unit.
“We have collected data from a number of our teams and student-athletes over the years and this has given us an idea of how physical demanding matches are on student-athletes across different sport codes, as well as across different positions within the same sports code. We ultimately want our teams to train more often like they play out on the field, so we use the data and stats collected from matches to help our teams achieve this. We try to match the intensity of games during training so that we train smarter and more efficiently with the limited time that we have with our student-athletes.”
Van Velden explained that during the Varsity Cup competition, the team played different conditioning games or “pockets” during training sessions. These “pockets” were either below, above, or at the same intensity that the players would experience during a match. “By knowing how intense a Varsity Cup game is against a particular opponent, we can position ‘pockets’ accordingly in the teams training week so that we adequately prepare them for the intensity of the upcoming game or to recover from the previous week’s game.”
According to Van Velden, having access to this type of athlete tracking technology is very relevant in the university environment. “Student-athletes are first and foremost students and athletes second. Due to this, their academic commitments are a priority during the day. This leaves us with maybe two hours training time in the late afternoon/early evening, two to three times per week if we are lucky. With this limited contact time, we have to train smart and efficiently otherwise we will not be able to maximise the training session to its full potential. By using the stats and numbers we get from the GPS units, we know exactly what we should do in a particular training session and can therefore design our training session accordingly in order to achieve that sessions objectives.”
The HP Unit currently has 30 VX Sport GPS units, 15 of these are “live” units. “Live means that during a match we can instantly see on the laptop on the side of the field what is happening with a player on the field of play. Immediate changes can then be made if a player is showing signs of fatigue or is not reaching certain physical benchmarks that he or she would normally reach during a game. In an ideal world, training sessions will also be monitored with live units. This will then allow for communication between the coach, the sport technologist, and the conditioning coach to make changes to a training session right then and there if certain physical benchmarks are not being achieved.”
Van Velden added: “When a player has the GPS unit on, there is no place to hide on the field. Athletes who try to take shortcuts during training sessions will be caught out. Big Brother is watching you and in this case Big Brother is in space in the form of a satellite! We not only see if a player is doing too little, but also if he or she is doing too much.”
Van Velden warns though that using only the data and stats from GPS to interpret how an athlete performed on the field will only give you half the story. “GPS data must be interpreted alongside video data. The GPS data can show that a player ran for 9km on the astro, which is a lot, but then the video will show that he achieved that distance without influencing play very much… he or she ran around like a headless chicken. Whereas another player may only cover 7km on the astro, but his or her influence on the game was far more pronounced. So running further during a match doesn’t necessarily mean you were the better player or more influential in the game. The stats need to be interpreted alongside video data and that is why video analysis is so very important as well.”
The Steinhoff Maties men’s team at the recent Varsity Hockey tournament used the GPS units for the matches played in Stellenbosch. According to Van Velden these stats, along with previous year’s stats, will come in handy when preparing for the USSA tournament in July. “It is a very similar tournament with games every day for a week. We also have a number of 1st years in our team who we haven’t been able to collect data on before. It is important that we understand the physical demands placed on the newcomers to the team and how their bodies react to and recover from four days of high intensity hockey. We now know what the physical demands will be on each player even before the USSA tournament has started. This will allow us to physically prepare the players better and give them the best possible chance to play to the best of their abilities.”
Sponsors throw their weight behind Maties Sport’s Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls : 2016-05-09
Three local institutions are throwing their weight behind Maties Sport’s Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls to ensure that these athletes’ road to Rio is a little smoother.
Winelands Radiology, Maties Gymnasium and Campus Health Services (CHS) have all pledged to assist the Maties High Performance unit (HP unit) in various ways.
According to Dr Richard de Villiers, a director of Winelands Radiology, they are honoured to partner with Maties Sport and Stellenbosch University (SU) to offer the athletes the best possible radiology service at the Coetzenburg Imaging Unit, which specialises in the imaging of sports injuries.
Francois Kotze, manager of Maties Gymnasium, added that these athletes have been great ambassadors for their individual sport codes, Maties Sport and SU in general.
“In addition, they consistently perform at the highest level bringing back handfuls of medals from international competitions. Sponsoring gym memberships is the least we can do to show our support and appreciation.
“We believe that by making our facilities available to the athletes, we can contribute significantly to their overall physical conditioning and recovery. This will allow them to focus on their preparation, without the added burden of paying bills or finding extra money for a gymnasium membership.”
Dr Pierre Viviers, Senior Director: CHS, said that they are an accredited Collaborative Centre of the International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS) and that they have a proud record of supporting Matie athletes with sports medicine and physiotherapy services for over 40 years.
“Most of these athletes are familiar with the professionals at CHS and therefore it makes perfect sense to continue the support. To acknowledge their achievement as brand ambassadors of SU, CHS want to ensure that their final preparations are without any medical stumbling blocks.”
Sean Surmon, head of the HP Unit, explained that the sponsorship is effectively given to a group of athletes that belong to Maties sport clubs and have the potential to qualify (if they have not done so already) for the 2016 Olympic or Paralympic Games.
The possible participants at this stage are: Shaun de Jager, Justine Palframan and Victor Hogan (athletics); Charl du Toit, Anruné Liebenberg, Anika Pretorius, Dyan Buis, Fanie van der Merwe, Ilse Hayes, Arnu Fourie, Reinhardt Hamman and Zanele Situ (Parasport athletics); Hendri Herbst (Parasport swimming), Marie Rabie (triathlon), Mariska Strauss (mountain-biking), Ernst van Dyk (Parasport handcycling (road race and time trial) and Parasport athletics (marathon wheel chair)) and Roxy Burns (Parasport track cycling).
Surmon said he is very grateful for these sponsors’ support.
“Two crucial areas of high performance support to athletes in their Olympic/Paralympic year are strength and conditioning and medical support.
“With the help of Maties Gymnasium, CHS and Winelands Radiology our athletes have access to a world-class facility to do their training and recovery as well as immediate and accurate diagnosis in case of injury. Quick diagnosis results in the athlete receiving immediate treatment (physiotherapy services are also sponsored by CHS) and means that we can get the athlete back to the normal training environment as soon as possible so that they can continue their preparation for the big event.”
Caption: Celebrating the partnership with Maties Sport and the Maties High Performance Unit are Francois Kotze, manager of Maties Gymnasium, Dr Pierre Viviers, Senior Director: Campus Health Services, Ilhaam Groenewald, Chief Director: Maties Sport, Sean Surmon, Head: Maties HP Unit, and Carene Valentine, radiographer at Winelands Radiology.
Borge gee steun aan Matie-atlete wat hoop om aan Olimpiese/Paralimpiese Spele deel te neem : 2016-05-09
Drie plaaslike instellings het hul steun gegee aan atlete verbonde aan sportklubs by die Universiteit Stellenbosch (US) wat hoop om aan die Olimpiese of Paralimpiese Spele in Rio deel te neem.
Winelands Radiology, Maties Gimnasium en Kampusgesondheiddienste (KGD) het almal ingestem om die Maties Hoëprestasie-eenheid (HP-eenheid) op verskeie maniere by te staan.
Volgens dr Richard de Villiers, ‘n direkteur van Winelands Radiology, voel hulle geëerd om ‘n vennootskap met Maties Sport en die US aan te gaan om die atlete van die beste moontlike radiologiediens te voorsien by die Coetzenburg Beeldingeenheid (Imaging Unit), wat spesialiseer in die beelding van sportbeserings.
Francois Kotze, bestuurder van Maties Gimnasium, het bygevoeg dat hierdie atlete nog altyd fantastiese ambassadeurs vir hul individuele sportkodes, Maties Sport en die US in die algemeen was.
“Hulle presteer boonop deurlopend op die hoogste vlak en bring talle medaljes terug van internasionale kompetisies. Om gimnasiumlidmaatskappe te borg, is die minste wat ons kan doen om ons steun en waardering te wys.
“Ons glo dat as ons ons fasiliteite aan die atlete beskikbaar stel, ons beduidend kan bydra tot hul algehele fisieke kondisionering en herstel. Dit sal hulle toelaat om op hul voorbereiding te fokus, sonder dat hulle ekstra geld moet vind om vir ‘n gimnasiumlidmaatskap te betaal.”
Dr Pierre Viviers, Senior Direkteur: KGD, het gesê hulle is as ’n erkende diensverskaffer by die Suid-Afrikaanse Sportgeneeskundevereniging geakkrediteer en het al vir 40 jaar ‘n trotse rekord van steun aan Matie-atlete met betrekking tot sportgeneeskunde en fisioterapiedienste.
“Die meeste van hierdie atlete ken die personeel by KGD en dit maak dus sin om die steun voort te sit. Om hulle prestasies as handelsmerkambassadeurs van die US te erken, wil KGD verseker dat hul finale voorbereiding sonder enige mediese struikelblokke plaasvind.”
Sean Surmon, hoof van die HP-eenheid, het verduidelik dat die borgskap in wese aan ‘n groep atlete gegee is wat aan sportklubs by Maties behoort en die potensiaal het om vir die 2016 Olimpiese en Paralimpiese Spele te kwalifiseer (as hulle dit nog nie gedoen het nie).
Die potensiale deelnemers op hierdie tydstip is: Shaun de Jager, Justine Palframan en Victor Hogan (atletiek); Charl du Toit, Anruné Liebenberg, Anika Pretorius, Dyan Buis, Fanie van der Merwe, Ilse Hayes, Arnu Fourie, Reinhardt Hamman en Zanele Situ (Parasport-atletiek); Hendri Herbst (Parasport-swem), Marie Rabie (driekamp), Mariska Strauss (bergfiets), Ernst van Dyk (Parasport-handfiets (pad en tydtoets) en Parasport-atletiek (rolstoelmarathon)) en Roxy Burns (Parasport-baanfietsry).
Surmon het gesê hy is baie dankbaar oor hierdie borge se steun.
“Twee noodsaaklike velde van hoëprestasie-ondersteuning aan atlete in hul Olimpiese/Paralimpiese jaar is krag en kondisionering, en mediese steun.
“Met die hulp van Maties Gimnasium, KGD en Winelands Radiology het ons atlete toegang tot ‘n fasiliteit van wêreldgehalte vir hul oefening en herstel, asook onmiddellike en akkurate diagnose in die geval van beserings. Vinnige diagnose help dat die atleet onmiddellik behandeling ontvang (fisioterapiedienste word ook deur KGD ingesluit) en beteken dat ons die atleet so gou moontlik terug in oefenomgewing kan kry sodat hy/sy hul voorbereiding kan voortsit.”
Onderskrif: Francois Kotze, bestuurder van die Maties Gimnasium, dr Pierre Viviers, Senior Direkteur: Kampusgesondheiddienste, Ilhaam Groenewald, Hoofdirekteur: Maties Sport, Sean Surmon, Hoof: Maties HP-eenheid, en Carene Valentine, radiografis by Winelands Radiology.