Ouch

At football today we started doing some physical drills using pads. Nothing too full on but our group went a bit harder than the rest. I was going up for a mark and one of the guys knees hit the outside of my lower right leg. I kinda ran it off, but when I got home and stepped out of the car it was killing! There's two fairly solid lumps there and i'm hoping it's not a haematoma.

One day..

Yesterday afternoon my Performance Studies class was lucky enough to have Glenn Stewart (Sports Science Manager for the West Coast Eagles) come to ECU and give a 1 hour lecture to the class. His job is to manage the tracking and development of players, and tell the coaches what they can do to get maximum results from training sessions, as well as the best way to prepare or recover from a game. He's also in charge of the Eagles bench at the games, and is John Worsfold's voice at ground level on game day. He says that's always an interesting few hours :) He was very well-spoken, intellectual and funny and i was captivated through the whole presentation.

Basically the talk was about the different types of data collection the training team uses at the Eagles, and how they use it to modify training drills to mirror game play situations. There was a bunch of brand new technology that was really amazing, displaying so much data from so many different aspects of the game. I think the most interesting and my favorite piece of statistics he showed was the tracking of Ben Cousins using Trak Performance Software. That specific data collector follows distance, velocities, areas covered and contests. The data he showed us was from a game back in 2004 and tracked Cousins for the first quarter. The image he showed was unreal, revealing the exact movements of Ben which equated to 5.9km travel in a 20 minute quarter (plus time-off). It also showed that he was involved in 23 contests. I don't think i have to tell you, that's pretty extreme.

Another interesting statistic was the time players were travelling at speeds over 25km/h. It showed that players were usually running over 25km/h for 1 to 3 second bursts but very frequently. Running at over 25km/h for more than 10 seconds was uncommon. This reflected the need for their players to have lightning fast take-offs from almost stand-still positions. He went on to explain how this data helps them target specific players and change their training drills by focusing on areas that need improvement. He also showed us drills and exercises that helped mirror game situations. The general idea he wanted to get across was that specificity in every sport is a key to acheiving maximum potential; there's no point teaching a sprinter how to run a marathon.

It was an enjoyable experience and I felt really privileged to have been there. It was generous of him to put time aside of his busy schedule to come and do a talk. He's coming back in a fortnight, and i'm really looking forward to it. He's been a big figure in the Science deprtment at the Eagles for over 10 years, and said he's very fortunate to have been there so long in such a cut-throat sport. I could only hope when i finish my studies I can land a job in a position like that.

"Get Smart".

Tonight i went to the cinemas to see the new comedy/action film "Get Smart". I like Steve Carell in most of his films and in "The Office"; he has a certain uniqueness that makes him stand out over other comedians. His ability to keep a certain face in the most funny/awkward moments makes him a joy to watch. His role in this movie is slightly different and i think he does a great job playing a secret agent.

I really enjoy a good comedy flick and the last few ones i've seen have been a bit disappointing. "Get Smart" did not let me down in the laugh department, though it was more than just the laughs in this movie that impressed me. There was some really cool and exciting action scenes that made you forget you were watching a comedy, some of them probably better than some action specific movies. The plot was really good, too, and i was kept captivated through the whole 110 minutes.

I don't want to say too much in case any of you are planning on seeing it, but i do recommend you check it out. It's got a bit of everything; romance, awesome action scenes, gags galore, a star filled cast, some cool gadgets, and Anne Hathaway who does an awesome job (and looks great ;) as Agent 99's partner. It was funny to see Ken Davitian who plays "Azamat Bagatov" in the movie "Borat" playing a different character. He chips in with a few good ones too :)

So the movie along with some great company has been the best start to the weekend, one which i'm really looking forward to. I just hope this weather goes away!

Foozball.

This evening i headed down to Kingfisher Oval, a place that holds many childhood memories, for my first ever football training session. Whether it was playing soccer on a Sunday morning, or chasing girls around the skate park, i spent alot of my days as a child floating around this area, and it was a good feeling to be back there under the bright artificial lights. I was a bit worried leading up to the night as i'd never played any structured Aussie rules footy. I worried i may be out of my league and not "fit in" to the already concrete team they have . I knew a few of the guys from the Ballajura Football Club so that made it a bit easier, and as the night went on i learnt that they were all a great bunch of guys, willing to help and make me feel comfortable.

The fitness aspect was pretty cruisy, but it was pointed out to me that they concentrate more on skills during the season and fitness during pre-season. One of the drills we did was a hand-passing exercise, involving defenders with the big padded squares who attacked you quite viciously. It was very fast paced and was one of the more physically challenging drills of the night. Not long after that the rain came pouring down, making the long distance kicking and marking drills a little bit tricky. It was the first time i'd really tested out my new boots, and at this stage could feel some nasty blisters forming on my heels. It was really uncomfortable but i pushed through the pain and kept on with the exercises.

At different stages throughout the night, almost each individual player introduced themselves to me and gave me a pat on the back with some motivating words. A couple of things that impressed me was the determination and comradery within the group. They are some dedicated people with an abvious love for the sport, and witnessing this was the most rewarding thing i took from the night.

So at the end of the 2 hour session i felt very satisfied with what i had learnt, and excited that there's still so much more to learn. After taking my bloodied socks off i walked to my car with Chris who commended me on my performance. That meant alot coming from him, and capped off a very rewarding night.

24 hours'till freedom

I just finished my second last exam for the semester, and at this time tomorrow i'd have finished all 4. It's a good feeling knowing i'll have a lot less stress and a lot more time to do the things i've "given up" over the last few weeks.

One thing i've noticed with myself and my peers over this exam period is all the tall talk about studying. You often designate days on end to be a book (or computer) worm, but i've found very little study actually happens. In most cases you learn more the day before than you had the past 4 days. Talking to Drew we discussed a somewhat comical throw on the study lifestyle, and how a day begins with the desire to do nothing but hit the books, but it really turns out full of distraction. Even so, we give up the things we love day in and day out in the hope that we will learn something in our free time.

I've definitely learnt a lot this semester in terms of my study habits, and effective approaches of learning that i think will help me well into my future.

I look forward to having the freedom to get up early and catch that new pulse of swell without having to worry too much about sleep or time management.