Meet Matthew, a BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise student, who shares the hands-on experience he gained through helping with a strength and conditioning day for Birmingham City FC Women's team at our Alexander Stadium facilities.
Opportunities to work with elite athletes are an important part of the experience for our Sport and Exercise students. One example of this is a visit by Birmingham City FC Women’s team to our new facilities at the Alexander Stadium. Players took part in a number of strength tests conducted by BCU staff and students. Sport and Exercise Science student, Matthew Hemming, outlined what the day involved and how the experience has benefited his development.
“Before the BCFC visit, we had a training day where Dr Craig Perrin, Callum Davidson and other lecturers presented the tests we would be performing such as isometric strength tests for the ankle, knee and hip and Isokinetic dynamometry for the quadriceps and hamstrings. They demonstrated the technique of each test and provided the essential technical and coaching points for each of the tests as well as how to use the portable force plates. This allowed us to ensure the data from the tests we collected was as reliable and valid as possible, so the sport practitioners at BCFC Women’s 1st team can pinpoint the areas to focus on in the lead up to the start of the season.
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“On the day players performed a warm up to ensure injury risk was minimised and they were ready to perform the tests with their maximum effort. Once the warm up was completed, players performed each test one by one. These tests we did mirror the position during the mid-stance of a high-speed running stride and bias each key joint involved, which assesses the force-generating ability of the muscles around the joints. I was located on the hip isometric strength test where I demonstrated the test to the players, providing them with coaching points, and ensured they were in the correct position, where the player is supine on the ground with one heel in contact with the force plate. The players performed a couple of warm up efforts, slowly ramping up before performing two maximal efforts for the test where I recorded the data for the peak force generation.
“This experience has exposed me to how performance metrics from fitness testing are collected and used to assess the performance of players, as well as the demands required for players to compete at the professional level. I will be able to use this unique experience in the next step of my career on my MSc Strength and Conditioning programme at Loughborough University as well as my placement at the Walsall FC Academy and throughout my future career.”