INITIAL PLANNING

CONSIDERATIONS
PERFORMANCE AND FITNESS NEEDS (INDIVIDUAL,
TEAM)
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS/COMPETITIONS
CLIMATE AND SEASON
Initial Planning Considerations
The initial planning considerations for improving performance focus on the
specific sport of the athlete/s. The sport is broken down in order to identify
specific components of fitness that are more fundamental to the particular
sport. These components of fitness then become the focus for planning training
programs as they must be developed in both the individual and the team. Some
sports have different positions, with different fitness requirements, thus a focus
on the individual is also needed. Furthermore, sports and positions within them
have specific performance requirements, and some have specific skill sets that
need to be developed. For example, in netball a goal defender does not need
to be a great shooter.
In addition to the performance and fitness needs the type of competition needs to be
analysed. Some sports have a six (6) month period of competition, followed by an off season
(e.g. cricket), while other sports have a small number of major competitions at various times
and locations throughout the year (e.g. tennis). The schedule of events/competition needs to
be examines in the initial planning considerations for improved performance.

Finally the climate and season the competitions will be played in or on should be considered.
Cricket is a summer sport and is played for long periods of time in the heat, while AFL is a
winter sport. These sports have different planning considerations simply because of the
weather, not just because they are different sports.

It is important to note that the learn to focuses on the differences in initial planning
considerations for elite athletes and recreational/amateur participants. As the content is
discussed in detail, these differences will be highlighted.
Performance and fitness needs
The performance and fitness needs considered when planning for
improved performance are both sport and athlete specific. They are
sport specific because the components of fitness should be relevant to
the sport, and the performance requirements identify the skills and
other components used in the sport needing development. They must
be athlete specific so that each individual athlete improves for their
specific role in competition and meet their own specific goals and
starting points.
Sport specific performance and fitness needs
The athletes sport should be broke down into its various components and the key components
of fitness identified in order to become the focus in planning. Both the skill and health related
components of fitness should be identified, so that training can focus on those most relevant to
the sport. For example, a triathlete would need to focus on their cardiovascular fitness, while a
100m sprinter should focus on reaction time and power.

In team sports, the sport specific performance and fitness needs are essentially the
performance and fitness needs of the team. So that an AFL team will all need good
cardiovascular endurance, power, muscular endurance, coordination. The team will also have
performance needs such as the ability to tackle well, kick accurately, and
communicate effectively. These are all team performance and fitness needs.

In addition to these, other team needs could include: tactics and strategy, leadership roles,
training days etc.
Athlete specific performance and fitness needs
Each athlete begins the training year with their own levels of fitness, injuries,
and goals for the season. Individuals also have different roles in the teams
strategies and tactics, as they often specialise in particular positions within the
team. For example, a football striker needs to be fast, and fit, as well as co-
ordinated. They need to have very accurate shooting skills and an ability to
create space and make well timed runs that provide opportunities to score. A
center back, on the other hand, does not need to have the same accuracy in
shooting or the ability to make well timed runs. They need to be able to predict
athletes movements, make effective tackles and perform accurate and effective
passes.
Individual athletes will also have their own starting points and need to overcome
their own injuries. They will have their own goals and methods of competition
preparation. These are additional performance and fitness needs as the
individual needs to ensure they regain any lost fitness and redevelop their
performance needs. Individuals needs will also vary according to the athletes
age and sex.
Elite and recreational/amateur differences
Elite athletes will have much more detailed and higher level performance and fitness needs.
They will complete a wider range of fitness and performance tests in order to determine their
performance and fitness needs, which will require them to be at higher fitness and
performance levels. For example, the elite athlete playing AFL may need to complete level
20 in the beep test and be able to take marks under pressure from opposition.

The recreational/amateur participant would not complete as many tests and would often
have more general low level performance and fitness needs compared to the elite athlete.
For example, they may need to only achieve level 8 in a beep test, and want to work on their
ability to catch and kick a ball with no pressure. They may only need to perform for 15
minutes and be happy to be regularly substituted off the field. Their goals may be to
develop relationships and learn everyone's name, rather than be performance focused.
Recreational/amateur participants would also not have detailed goals, broken down into sub
goals.
Schedule of events/competitions
When planning training programs an initial consideration will include the relevant schedule of
events/competitions. In the creation of a training calendar or schedule, the first items that are
included are usually when major events and competitions are held. This is because these are
the times the athlete need to peak in their performance. Careful planning of training leading
up to, during and after events/competitions is vital for an athlete to perform their best when it
counts. It is no good having an athlete peak during the off or pre-seasons. Athletes need to be
performing their best during competition and at major events.

The schedule of events/competitions is used to guide the creation of a year or more long
training program. The schedule of events/competitions will vary considerably between sports.
Many sports, such as football, rugby, netball and cricket, have seasons that go for 6+ months
with weekly competitions with finals at the end of the season.
Other sports, such as tennis, golf, and athletics, have a more varied season with
competitions spread throughout the year. It is therefore, important that these are
selected and schedules into the calendar before the training is planned.

Furthermore, a single athlete may have a larger number of scheduled

events/competitions than others. For example, a rugby league player in the NRL
will have weekly competitions, but then may also play in major events such as
the State of Origin, and international competitions, as well as playing in the
rugby 9s competition during pre-NRL season. In addition to this, the schedule
should note the location of events, as many major events/competitions occur in
different locations, both within a country and around the world.
 Elite and recreational/amateur athletes different schedule of
events/competitions
Keeping a good schedule of events/competitions becomes more complex for
elite athletes compared to recreational/amateur participants. Elite athletes have
a larger array of events/competitions that they can compete in, including club,
representative, state and international levels of competition. This means that the
schedule of events/competitions is more vital for an elite athlete than an
amateur or recreational athlete. Many recreational/amateur athletes do not
make schedules of competition, they simply know when they care competing and
turn up. They may not create any form of schedule or detailed training program
around the schedule.
An example of this can be seen when comparing elite football players
with recreational/amateur players. An elite football player would be
playing in a national competition. We will use Australia as our base
for this athlete, who plays in the A-League. This athlete may also have
to compete in the Asian champions league and play for Australia in
multiple international games, both friendlies and competitive matches,
such as the Asian Cup or World Cup Qualifiers. These competitions all
overlap with each other and form a complex matrix of
events/competitions. Therefore, the need for a schedule is high.
Comparatively, the recreational/amateur player, registers for his
local club with his mates, may not show up to training as it is not
compulsory and only has to worry about the weekly weekend game.
At the end of the season there might be a finals competition if the
team qualifies.

Therefore, it is clear that a schedule of events/competitions is more

important and more complex for the elite compared to the
recreational/amateur player.
Climate and Season
Climate and season are an important aspect to be considered when planning
training programs. Many sports have a season in which they are played.
Football, for example, is played during the winter season in most locations,
though in Australia our professional competition runs through the summer season.
Cricket is another sport with such as season, running throughout summer.

However, there are a number of sports that do not have specific seasons, such as
tennis and golf. These sports have various major competitions throughout the
year, and do not focus on specific seasons.
As an initial planning consideration climate and season is important because it determines the
type of environmental conditions in which the sport will be played. Cricket is often played in
the heat of summer, while rugby is played during the colder months of winter. The climate and
season then affect how to best prepare for the sport. A sport played in summer, should be
prepared for by training in the heat with summer like conditions.

Furthermore, the various climates also need to be considered. Is the sport being played in
Melbourne or Townsville? Each location has a different climate, and should be prepared for in
a similar climate. Considerations concerning climate may also include the altitude the sport
competition is played at, or which area of the world. Tennis competitions are held at various
locations around the world, each requiring specific preparation according to the climate and
season where the competition is held. There is a similar situation around athletics, world cups
and Olympic competitions.
Elite and recreational/amateur differences
The elite athlete will have to consider a wider range of climates and seasons in their planning.
The elite athlete will have to travel around the country for their national competition and
around the world for the international competitions. This travel moves them into different
climates and seasons, depending on the location. For example, a professional football player,
may have a regular competition in England, compete in the Europa cup, but then be required
to travel to Asia or Australia for international competitions.

The recreational/amateur participant does not have the same issues. These athletes do not
travel large distances and only have to consider the climate and season at the local level
where they play. For example, the recreational netball player, will often train and play in the
same locations every week throughout the season. The climate may change with the weather,
but it will not have the same amount of variation as an elite player has to adapt to.