FEATURE: S & C IN SWIMMING This holistic approach to strength and athletes and coaches in an interactive Young athletes are conditioning is what many elite physical and visually appealing way helps makes generally not as physically preparation coaches are applying to the trends stick, however, it is not always their athletes, which feeds into the appropriate for use with athletes. prepared as they have philosophy of having the athlete’s been in the past body fully prepared; not only for the While Dickson believes some of these situations that can be foreseen, but trends have a place in strength and also the unexpected. conditioning, he does not believe that less developed general motor skills and any one system has all the answers. in many situations, have specialised from Dickinson sees a positive trend within an early age instead of developing the industry carried in the use of data “It can be difficult to know the difference well-rounded physical skills across and technology. sometimes between a good salesman many sports. and a good product.” “In my opinion, the knowledge base and “One of my mentors, Kelvin Giles, talks use of technology within the field has Dickinson also highlighted his concerns about developing stability, mobility and improved a great deal. in the field regarding youth athletes beingstrength through the required range of comparatively less physically conditionedmotion and training movement patterns “We collect more information than ever than athletes from the past. This he that are relevant to the sport. [Please before about our athletes and try to use found, seems to be a common thread note, that does NOT mean that these that information effectively when across almost all sports and cites the movement patterns are exclusively prescribing programs.” reduction in physical activity and the same as the sport itself]. participation in sport generally as Dickinson also cautioned there have beenbeing a key reason for this. “Another person who has been certain “systems, fads and gimmicks” influential in my career is Vern that have seen a surge in popularity due “Young athletes are generally not as Gambetta who describes resistance to the power of social media. The push physically prepared as they have been training as ‘coordination training of information and misinformation at in the past. Athletes are less robust, have with appropriate resistance.’” VOLUME 36 • ISSUE 3 2018 21 negorcim/segamiytteg