You want to know one of the biggest things I got out of my three weeks with professional teams in Germany back in August of 2014? It was actually better coaching fitness. The last time I coached on a regular basis prior to that was in March at the end of the BUCS season. I did a couple of training sessions ahead of South West Championships in May, then the two days of the tournament. In July I helped out with England Cadet and Juniors trials. Aside from that, though, it was several months of being very focused on my PhD work. That meant many hours sitting in front of a computer. Not good for coaching! Or for my general well-being.
My first couple of days in Germany spending about 6 hours a day on my feet were very painful. I had all kinds of problems with my back and neck. My feet hurt. My knee ached. It was brutal. Over time, and with the help of a lot of stretching, things got better. By the end I could be on the court for two full sessions a day without any issues.
I returned to regular training with the university teams the last week of September. You know between the end of my trip and then I did everything I could to stay active so I didn’t revert back to where I was before my trip. I might have even done some of these exercises while I was working on campus.
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