How do I become game fit and still have fun?
For most people becoming game fit is problematic. I also have a problem staying on one training program long enough for it to work. I have now come up with an idea that in the last few weeks has changed the way I feel and train. For a training program to be effective it needs to be specific to the sport that you are playing. The principle of specificity comes into play when writing up your training program. What do I want to achieve, in how long do I want to achieve it and am I going to follow through my plans one I have started? All these questions should be running through your mind when you are thinking of starting your sport specific program.

So let us discuss the first point: What do I want to achieve?
Today I am going to discuss how you can become fit for court sports; such as tennis, basketball, netball, badminton and squash. All these above mentioned sports have one common aspect and that is the fact that you are constantly in motion, this might not always be in a physical context but it can be in a mental context as well. All these sports require the individual to think of the next move or plan. With this thought in mind the athlete needs to be very cautious about everything that they do. So how do I become mentally and physically fit? For these sports to be carried out successfully the individual needs to do the following:

1.Agility
2.Balance
3.Anaerobic endurance
4.Proprioception

I will now explain all these above mentioned and possible exercises:

1.Agility
2.Balance
3.Anaerobic endurance
4.Proprioception

Agility:
Can be defined as a person’s ability to change his/her body position, it requires a combination of balance, coordination, speed, endurance and muscular endurance.

Balance:
An awareness of where your body parts are with regards to your surroundings

Anaerobic endurance:
Is your body’s ability to function without “air”. What this means is that your are not dependant on the aerobic system solely but that your body uses other by products to produce energy or ATP

Proprioception:
Is your awareness of all your senses in relation to your surroundings and your body parts in that specific surrounding.

Exercises you can do to improve these abilities:
T-Drill (agility)
Stand on one leg (balance)
20 m sprints (Anaerobic endurance)

Illinois agility test Stand on one leg but bend the leg as if in a half squat (balance)
10m shuttle runs over 100m (Anaerobic endurance)

Hexagon agility test (agility)
Close your eyes and stand (balance)
20m shuffle then 10m sprint (Anaerobic endurance)

Side to side agility test (agility)
5m sprint, walk 5m then sprint 5m and walk the next 5m over 20 m (Anaerobic endurance)

5 Dot drill (agility)
Across court running, game specific activities (Anaerobic endurance)

The next question that should be asked is in how long do I want to achieve my goal?
You as the individual know how long you have before your competition starts. You must plan ahead to make sure that you have adequate time to get game ready. Therefore it is important to structure your training in such a manner that you can prepare for all facets of your game which can be the following;
Ø Aerobic fitness
Ø Anaerobic fitness
Ø Sport specific fitness
Ø Sport specific skill training
Ø Game preparation
In how long do I want to achieve my goals?
· When is your sporting event
· What is the sporting event
· What stage of your training program are you currently in
· Do you have any injury

You should start at the top and work your way down to the bottom to achieve optimal performance. Make use of timing and fit all of the above into your program.

The last question is how am I going to follow through with my plans and training once I have started?
Here are a few ideas on how to stick to your program and make it work;
1.Find yourself a motivational training partner
2.Train only if you are happy and feeling well, do not try and train if you are unwell
3.Make a play list that you can train to and that will motivate you
4.Diarize your training schedule so that you can have enough time to train and not rush your session because you have no other obligations, if something is hindering you, you might not train optimally
5.Record what you have done

For any athlete to train it is difficult, but with hard work and perseverance it can work, you can succeed.

Regards
Chrysilla Stander