It was a big decision to continue my education but one that I feel is necessary if I want to become a well-rounded athlete and eventually, a collegiate coach. There are so many facets to athletics and designing and implementing a successful training program/philosophy is tantamount. This week has been a blur - but a very enjoyable blur! So much of the information I'm coming across is brand new to me. I graduated from UCLA with a degree in History - more suited to studying the culture and habits of south east Asian island societies of the early 20th century than the components of a well-rounded integrated training program or principles of arthrokinematics.
However, I've been able to shake the dust off my notebooks and break out my study skills and hit the books running! This semester includes three courses (all taken online): Human Movement Sciences (Kinesiology), Sports Performance Training, and Exercise Science. Most of the courses follow a similar format because they are done online, so there are readings, lectures, discussions, and quizzes to be turned in each week.
It's exciting learning new things and my mind spins out of control with ideas when I come across a topic I know I can utilize in the future. I'm happy that I discovered a passion within the sport I enjoy so much. Coaching offers such a different perspective to endurance training than competing as an athlete does, although there are still many ways the two overlap.
As the year progresses I'll be able to get certified as a Sports Performance Specialist and work with athletes, clients, and individuals with a more solid knowledge base. I will continue to apply to coaching positions at the collegiate level (and hopefully land an interview!) and still compete individually, applying what I learn on myself (and maybe Tash too :).
I'll wrap it up with a few topics I found most interesting this week:
1) Arthrokinematics (study of joint movement) - So many components to joints it's just mind boggling!
2) Principle of Integrated Training - In summary, learning to systematically train the whole athlete from the ground up. Think, turning a runner into an athlete thereby making them a better, faster, stronger runner.
3) Stress Proteins - When cellular proteins are damaged a signal is sent to release stress proteins that go to repair them. This is part of the process of adaptation that occurs when we train.
As I learn more and more I will continue to share! If you have questions let me know! It will test what I have learned and help me study!
Until then remember to ask yourself: Who can you inspire?
No comments:
Post a Comment