1. Sport Science & Medicine
Rochdale AFC Academy
Sport Science & Medicine
2018/19

2. Departmental Plan
Elite performance support services departmental plan which incorporates principle areas such as; physiology, physiotherapy, soft tissue therapy, psychology, diet and nutrition, strength and conditioning and performance analysis.

3. DEPARTMENTAL PLANS
SPORT SCIENCE – Steve Wensley / Callum Ryan Jones / Simon Bowles – Analysis TBC
VISION
To progress the Academy by providing elite sports science service throughout all phases of the development pathway, developing a Club-specific approach to sports science support. The development of a full-time department with ‘football scientists’ at the core of supporting the holistic development of Academy players with the use of the Club’s own Strength & Conditioning facility. A comprehensive working integration with all other Academy departments for development of the Academy’s players & staff.
OBJECTIVES
Maximise playing & training time by developing physically robust players.
Develop an understanding of the physical profile of each Academy player.
Ensure all players receive & perform their individual physical development programmes.
Use of season-by-season fitness testing data to individualise both field- & gym-based physical development programmes.
Create physical performance profiles aligned to the Club’s positional profiles, philosophy, & DNA.
Observe maturation traits & use maturation data to guide the progression of players through the phases of the development pathway & assist in the informed-decision making processes.
Preparing Academy players for the full-time, professional, playing & training environment.
Managing the consistent intake of sports science interns.
Progression of the Department & staff by creating academic partnerships, using their research insights to inform practices; specifically the development of a Club movement screen to reduce injury occurrence.
MEASUREMENT & PERFORMANCE TARGETS
Ensure all Academy players perform physical fitness tests & maturation assessments three times per season.
Provide physical benchmarks for each age group within each phase of the development pathway.
Produce individual long-term player development plans for each Academy player & maximising player contact time & adherence to these plans.
Employ a full compliment of staff.
The notable (through recognised relevant qualifications) development of ‘football scientists’.
BUDGET IMPLICATIONS
CPD
Qualifications
Maintenance & upgrading of testing equipment
Field- & gym-based equipment
Intern expenditure

4. DEPARTMENTAL PLANS
MEDICINE – Wes Tensel / Steve Wensley / Callum Ryan Jones / Simon Bowles / Shannon Thomas
VISION
To further develop the Academy by providing an outstanding Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation service, including Assessment & Treatment, to all players. To develop a fit for
purpose staffing model with highly qualified medical personnel, in state of the art facilities using the latest technology and equipment. To provide a seamless multi-disciplinary
strategy and communication system.
OBJECTIVES
Try to increase playing time in minutes on the training ground and pitch for all players
To develop an internal communication strategy
To produce, analyse and make recommendations from an annual audit of injuries
Ensure all players have received annual medical screening
Ensure all Emergency Action Plans are in place for all facilities
Ensure medical procedures are communicated and followed for all reported injuries
Try to improve the department through research and innovation
MEASUREMENT & PERFORMANCE TARGETS
Analyse 2015/16 & 2016/17 audit of injuries and provide recommendations
Produce and communicate a monthly staff calendar and record multi-disciplinary meetings
Produce an audit of injuries document and on PMA
Submission of the ECG reports and medical questionnaires
Produce and distribute EAP’s for all facilities
Communicate medical procedures at inductions and on the website. Record all injuries on PMA through SOAP notes
Develop a research project to improve a specific area of the Medical department
BUDGET IMPLICATIONS
Increase Clinics = £???
New Medical bags and contents for each age group = £???
Medical Supplies for the season = £???
Licence Maintenance = £???
CPD = £???
Defibs = £0.00
Gases = £???
Stretchers & Board = £???
Electro Therapy = £???

5. Staffing Model

6. Head of Sport Science & Medicine
BOARD (BG)
+ CEO (BG)
Academy
Secretary (SA)
Academy
Manager (TE) -
Head of Sport Science & Medicine
Senior Academy Physio
(SW)
PDP & YDP
S & C
(CRJ)
Academy
Doctor (WT/IS)
FP S & C
(SB)
Ass. Physio (CRJ)
Match Analysis (CJ)
Ass. Physio (ST)
Sport Science & Medical Staffing Model

7. Emergency Action Plan
The Academy Doctor should be responsible for the development of the Emergency Action Plan for both training and games and all Academy staff should be aware of its content.

8. See Documents Below
Soccer Factory
Matthew Moss

9. Heywood Sports Village
Hopwood Hall College
Stalybridge Celtic

10. Intra Departmental Integration
Practitioners are fully combined into the holistic Academy support team and work closely with other departmental staff at training and at matches. Practitioners operate holistically through effective communication, integration and understanding to facilitate decision-making when planning coaching sessions to provide data required to analyse each player's strengths and weaknesses and structure training sessions with detail and purpose. 

11. Medical Screening
Testing and interventions are designed and used to identify syndromes, injuries, illness  etc.,  enabling earlier intervention and management to reduce injury and illness occurrence. The range of medical and physiological tests or examinations conducted by a health professional as part of a regular check-up of a player. A prime objective of such screening is to find abnormalities likely to present a risk of injury to the individual, or to detect any condition that would be aggravated by exercise.

12. Medical Questionnaire
Please note that all coaching staff are L2EAIF/BFAS qualified and hold medical records for their own age group, this includes details on asthma, allergies and any other condition that they need to know about.

13. Fitness Testing
Fitness testing is a way of assessing and recording the physical related components of a footballer’s capacity. Testing refers to the exercises carried out in order to establish a comprehensive physiological profile of a player and will be specific and reliable enough to reflect the actual status of specific fitness components of players.

14. Fitness Testing
Physical fitness tests are performed three times per season for all phases of the development pathway (PDP, YDP, & FP).
Tests are performed at the following stages of each season :
Pre-season (June/July)
Mid-season (December/January)
End-of-season (April/May)
The following physical capacities & tests are performed, to establish a comprehensive physical profile of Academy players:
Aerobic capacity: Yo-yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1
Change of Direction: Arrowhead (Right & left)
Acceleration: 0-5 m sprint test
Speed: 0-10 m & 0-30 m sprint test
Power: Countermovement Jump (no arms)
See PMA:

15. National Benchmark Fitness Testing
Club comparison of physical and physiological fitness component tests (as defined by BASES, the Premier League or another recognised series of fitness tests). This shall be submitted to the League (upon request) in order to establish a national database of player performance and development. 

16. National Benchmark Fitness Testing
Rochdale AFC Academy registered their interest in taking full part in the ‘National Benchmark Fitness Testing & Growth & Maturation Projects’ proposed by the Premier League & Football League (pro forma completed & returned), but have since received no feedback as to the progress of these projects.
Rochdale AFC Academy is willing to submit its fitness testing results to the Football League when requested & allow access to the data via PMA.

17. Movement & Physical Screening
Kinanthropometry analysis serves as the basis for assessment of movement skills (jogging, sprinting, jumping, landing, twisting, turning under control, receive and give body contact) to measure complex movements. It is used to identify functional movement deficits such as muscular imbalances/asymmetries, flexibility deficits (mobility), balance or stability.

18. Movement & Physical Screening
Movement & physical screening is performed in the YDP & PDP. Rather than use commercially available movement screens (i.e., FMS) that do not depict biomechanical differences or assist with the identification of players at increased risk of non-contact injury, RAFC Academy assesses the movement qualities of its YDP & PDP players via a movement continuum (see next slide).
This consists of assessing players’ efficiency & proficiency at performing the following movements:
Squat
Push (upper)
Hinge
Pull (upper)
Unilateral lower
This information is then used when designing individual strength & prehabilitation programmes; & is continuously assessed on a weekly basis, by progression or regression within their programme.
See personal files & 6/12 weekly reviews.

19. Movement & Physical Screening: Movement Continuum
Squat
Push
Hinge
Pull
Unilateral Lower
Back/Front Squat Variations
Landmine/DB Press Variations
Deadlift/RDL Variations
Pull Up/Row Variations
Loaded Bulgarian/Step Ups 5
Landmine Squat
Loaded Push Up
Deadlift
Pull Up
Single Leg Squat Variations 4
DB Front Squat
Band Push Up
Single Leg Hip Thrust
Band Pull Up
Multi Directional Lunge 3
Goblet Squat
Feet Elevated Push Up
Hip Thrust
Eccentric Pull Up
Cossack Squat 2
Box Squat (Goblet)
Push Up Eccentric Emphasis
BW Single Leg Romanian
Bent Over Row
Bulgarian 1
DB Sumo Squat
Push Up Pause
Banded Good Morning
Supine Row
Walking Lunge
BW Squat
Press Up
Barbell Romanian
Supine Row Reverse Grip
Reverse Lunge -1
Heels Raised Squat
Push Up Hands Elevated
Dowel Romanian
Bent Over Row Dowel
Split Squat -2
Pole Squat
Eccentric Only Push Up
Wall Romanian
TRX Row
Step Up -3
Supermans
Scap Push Up
Hip Bridge
Supine Kettlebell
Hurdle Drills Under -4
Wall Squat
Plank on Hands
Glute Bridge
Hurdle Drills Over -5
Supine Squat
Plank
Lying Leg Raise
Unilateral Balances

20. Maturation Measurement Predictive Testing of Size & Shape
Qualitative changes in a player’s body composition. The major difference to growth is that growth is linked to measureable changes in height, weight and fat percentage, anaerobic endurance, power, speed  etc.  More biologically mature players often have the advantage of being bigger, stronger or faster and may therefore be more immediately successful, which may result in greater coach involvement. These processes may result in an uneven birth-date distribution in the selection process, which is commonly known as relative age effect (RAE). Predictive Testing of Size and Shape / Maturation Measurement is thus referring to the association of biological maturity with the performance characteristics of growing children and adolescents. It is essentially the prediction of adult stature for the purpose of player development.

21. Maturation Measurement: Predictive Testing of Size & Shape
Measurements of maturation are performed at least three times per season for all phases of the development pathway (PDP, YDP, & FP).
Tests are performed at the following stages of each season :
Pre-season (June/July)
Mid-season (December/January)
End-of-season (May)
The following measurements are taken in order to provide a predicted maturation profile of each Academy player:
Body mass
Standing stature
Seated stature
Leg length
From the aforementioned measurements, the following indices of maturation are attained:
Predicted height
Peak height velocity
Age at peak height velocity
Developmental stage
See PMA: & personal files.

22. Monitoring of Physical Exertion Training & Game Intensity
Measuring a player's physical response to testing, training and matches. Measurement of physical exertion can be used to signify and influence training intensities, load and recovery which may help prevent injury and illness.

23. Monitoring of Physical Exertion: Training & Game Intensity
Physical exertion is monitored daily for each player within the PDP, measuring training & game load/intensity.
PDP players’ physical exertion is monitored objectively & subjectively using the following methods:
GPS (PlayerTek): performance metrics including total distance, high-intensity distance (distance covered > 18 km.h), sprint distance (distance covered > 25.2 km.h) & top speed.
Rating of perceived exertion: physical exertion scale, 1-10 (1 = “rest”, 10 = “I’m going to die”). Post-session / post-game players give a rating between 1 & 10, this is then multiplied by the duration of the session / game to give a subjective physical “load” for the session / game.
See PlayerTek website (go.playertek.com) & personal Excel Spreadsheet

24. Monitoring of Wellbeing Readiness to Train
Monitoring each player's mental, lifestyle and physical wellbeing. Mental health, emotional and social well-being focus on how players act, behave, feel, communicate their feelings and co-exist. The positive mental health, emotional and social well-being of players have a profound impact upon their physical, cognitive and football development.

25. Monitoring of Wellbeing & Readiness to Train
Player wellbeing & readiness to train is monitored daily in the PDP.
The PDP players’ mental, lifestyle, & physical wellbeing is monitored by:
- Wellness Questionnaire (PMA): players answer a series of questions on a 1-5 scale using the PMA application, before or upon arriving at the Club.
The PDP players’ readiness to train is assessed by:
- Countermovement Jump (no arms): daily pre-training assessment of lower body power; individual players’ personal best is used as a reference to compare & assess their readiness to train.
See PMA:
See personal Excel Spreadsheet

26. Conditioning Programme
Individual Strength &
Conditioning Programme
The physical and physiological development of footballer's fitness components regarding analytic power and lactate threshold. The role of strength and conditioning (S&C) is to bridge the gap between sport science theory and applied training; coaching athletes to become faster, stronger and to build their endurance so they perform better and reduce injury occurrence. The focus is on coaching young footballers to move more efficiently through loaded exercises and postural and form corrections. As footballers improve in these areas they should increase their first-step quickness, lateral quickness, explosiveness, deceleration, overall speed and power.

27. Individual Strength & Conditioning Programme
Aerobic, anaerobic, & speed qualities are developed within the coaching programmes, with the prescription of SSGs, technical delivery with a physical conditioning focus; & warm-up & SAQ delivery.
The physical development of FP players is delivered through the coaching programme & multi-sports, & movement delivery.
YDP & PDP players’ physical development is delivered through the coaching programmes & with individual S&C strength & prehabilitation programmes. Individualised S&C strength-based programmes are designed through a movement continuum assessment (previously described) focussing on five principle movement patterns.
See personal files & PMA 6/12 week reviews.

28. Individual Diet & Nutrition Programme
Good food choices help ensure needs are met to promote adaptations to training and to aid recovery in order to continue and intensify training, and to ensure good health to reduce illness and injury occurrence. Food and water intake and the holistic education of players regarding what they consume, in order to maximise performance. Personalised nutrition programmes could be prescribed to meet individual needs. This may include meal-planning and dietary supplements, where appropriate.

29. Individual Diet & Nutrition Programme
Player & parent nutritional workshops are delivered once per season for each phase of the development pathway, offering advice & guidance on basic nutrition.
See PMA:
One-to-one consultations are provided, on request for FP players, & for every player from U14s through to PDP.
See personal files.

30. Individual Development Plan Schedule
Detailed planned training which results in a wide spectrum of player adaptations to various physiological systems. The physiological alterations induced by resistance training will be specific to the individual and the number of sets and repetitions and exercises performed. Special attention is required when developing and recording outputs and outcomes /adaptations to individual's programmes related to the training and testing/screening exercises.

31. Individual Development Plan Schedule
Physical-specific development is structured within each phase of the development pathway coaching programmes. In addition, specific physical development sessions are timetabled within the players’ training hours (field-based) & in addition to the training hours (gym-based).

32. Individual Development Plan Schedule
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
PDP
Subject-to-change according to match schedule, organic ever-evolving.
YDP
16s & 15s
Pre-training: S&C prog. (strength & power).
In-session: speed training & SSGs (aerobic/anaerobic)
14s
In-session: speed training & SSGs (aerobic/anaerobic); post-training: S&C prog. (strength & power)
Post-training: S&C prog. (speed & power)
13s
Pre-training: S&C prog. (strength & power) FP
12s
In-session: fundamental movements
11s
10s 9s

33. Medical Procedures
Implemented procedures in case of accident / injury detailing who is responsible for First Aid and rehabilitation decisions from time of injury to a phased and completed return to play.

34. Fit Player Injury Return to training
Contact made by parent to physio to arrange appointment
CRJ/ST/SW
Assessment made by Physio
Initial Treatment
Early Stage Rehabilitation
Mid Stage Rehabilitation
Late Stage Rehabilitation
S & C Coach
Return to training
Phase Lead/Age Group Coach

35. Medical Personnel Timetable
MORNING
AFTERNOON
EVENING
Monday
Youth Team
SW (8am-1pm)
Academy Doc (9am-10am)
SW (3pm-5pm)
Tuesday
SW(8am-1pm)
SW (1pm-4:30pm)
Academy & Clinic - FP & YDP
CRJ/ST (5pm-9:30pm)
Wednesday
SW (8am-12:30pm)
SW (12:30pm-4:30pm)
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Youth Team Fixtures
SW (8:30am-1pm)
(CRJ to support)
Aug-May only
Academy FP & YDP Clinic
ST (9:30am-1pm)
Sunday
Academy Fixtures
CRJ Home (8:30am-1pm)
ST Home (8:30am-1pm)
(SW available for cover)
Sept-May only