Grassroots Magazine October 2022

"Is my son/daughter old enough to be following a strength and conditioning programme?" I find the best way to respond is by showing insights...

This is a question I often get

S&C Training For Footballers: What Age Is Too Young?

So what can we see?

In a nutshell we can see that the athletes who had the addition of following a structured strength and conditioning plan specific to their sport whilst also playing their sport, were able to achieve a higher level of neuromuscular performance (i.e. they became better athletes and could perform the actions demanded of their sport to a higher level) compared to playing their sport alone.

Not only did they start to increase their performance level (compared to playing alone) soon after starting to follow an S&C programme, but by the time they reached adulthood the peak level of performance they were able to achieve was also significantly higher.

What this means is, if you have two footballers of equal ability having access to all of the same football training and matches, but one of them ALSO starts consistently following a structured strength and conditioning programme...that player WILL break away and develop the potential to compete at a much higher level.

To top it off, the earlier they start following an S&C programme alongside their sport, the better. As the red line demonstrates, those who started following an S&C programme in pre adolescence still reached a higher level than those who played the sport alone...however they didn't achieve the same peak level as those (of the blue line) who started the process before them.

In short, the best time for a player of any age to start following a structured S&C programme if they're serious about fulfilling their potential and playing at the highest level was YESTERDAY.

The most important factor is that the training is TRAINING AGE appropriate and provided in a safe and professional environment

Access to this type of training on a regular basis is taken very seriously by professional clubs at all age levels, because they understand the value that it holds in ensuring their players can reach and maintain the highest levels of performance, as well as allowing their technical ability to shine on the pitch.

It also goes a long way to explaining why often the players who join professional clubs from a young age, have a significant advantage over other technically talented players who try to make that step up at a later stage but keep failing to get over the line.

S&C Training For Footballers

The physical (and mental) vehicle which these players who have been at a pro club from a young age have to express their talents from is simply more developed because they started working on their strength and conditioning at an earlier stage through the club.

As a result they:

• Are more resilient to common football injuries

• Are stronger on the ball

• Adapt to and recover from training faster

• Can maintain high intensity efforts for longer

• Possess more advanced levels of athleticism

• Can react and move more efficiently at a higher level of their speed capacity

…to name just few qualities.

Notice how none of them directly involve the ball?

All of these things are within your control, if you have access to the knowledge required to achieve them. From the moment they start following a structured plan, every player outside of that environment is playing catch up and that's demonstrated by the graphic on the previous page.

It's sadly why so many technically talented footballers struggle to make the step up to pro level when they get the chance at a trial (and also why many players are pro clubs get released too). It's often nothing to do with technical ability, it's the physical and mental side which is hindering them. I saw this first hand during my 9 years at Wycombe Wanderers FC. Three of my very technically gifted team mates who had each been at the club for 4 years were suddenly released, without any prior notice, and straight after a team training session.

The reason? It had been decided they were too small and wouldn't be strong enough moving forward. They were 13. During those 9 years I also saw many very good technical players come in on trial but fail to get signed. In almost every case it was because they didn't have the fitness, strength, speed or injury resilience to keep up week in week out.

We all know a player who's technically amazing (or maybe it's you, your son or daughter), only to be told they're "not strong enough", "too slow", "lack stamina" or "too injury prone" to make it. To be honest I found it quite traumatising to see how cut throat football can be, the margins between getting kept on or released can be so minor, every detail counts.

S&C Training For Footballers

There's also another important factor that I feel sometimes gets forgotten by players who trial with pro clubs...they need to be BETTER than the players who are already there (who play in their position).

Being "as good as" is not good enough. You need to be so good that they are willing to release a player who is already there, that they have probably already coached for years. Again, that's a very tough task, especially if you've not had access to the same level of coaching as them. So what do you do if you're not yet at a pro club, but you can now see the pivotal role that following a structured strength & conditioning plan consistently has in a players development and the ultimate level they're able to achieve?

You have to take it upon yourself to get guided. First team pro's get access to specialist trainers on a daily basis, their clubs obviously employ these coaches and in turn cover the cost. Do you know a specialist coach who could train you in person on a daily basis at exactly the right time for each session? Probably not. And even if you did, the monthly bill is going to come to a hefty, hefty amount. Certainly not sustainable for most people. But if you don't take action, you know the gap is going to continue to widen.

So what are your other options?

1. Educate yourself and become an expert. This is going to take years of study (at least 10) and tens of thousands of £$£$ in tuition fees. If you're serious about becoming a top pro, you probably don't have this amount of time on your side to get things sorted.

2. Go for the free option, watch hundreds of hours of YouTube videos and try and piece something together yourself. From experience, this is the #1 cause of players wasting months if not years going around in circles. Free information is free for a reason, and studying takes years for a reason because it's not straight forward. It would be like watching YouTube videos about open heart surgery and then expecting to be able to do it yourself. The devil is in the details, which take years to study and are rarely covered in free information.

Whilst I'm on this topic, there is no single exercise or magic workout routine which can suddenly transform your game and set you up for lasting success. Career changing results come from sticking to a well structured PROGRAMME consistently. Players waste so much time and energy hopping from one plan to another looking for the magic workout, it doesn't exist. Try to be savvy to clickbait headlines such as the "Gareth Bale" or "Messi" workout. They are a marketing gimmick and will lead you down the wrong road. Remember that results don't just come from individual workouts, Bale and Messi have never heard of these workouts, and even if they did do them it doesn't mean it's appropriate for you. The magic happens when you work with a coach you trust and stick to a well structured plan consistently month after month, just like the pro's do. Success leaves clues.

S&C Training For Footballers

3. Train with a local fitness trainer once or twice a week. This is a good starting point, but you'll have to do the sessions when the trainer has a slot in their availability which is fine when it comes to technical training but isn't ideal when it comes to strength and conditioning, especially during the season.

Certain sessions need to be done at specific moments during the week for the best effect (and to not be detrimental to team training and match day performances). Also, unless they're a specialist in football S&C, it's likely that there's still room for more specificity in the training for a better transfer over to on pitch performance.

It's also common for a player's schedule to change week to week during the season, depending on cup matches, playing for multiple teams and rearranged team commitments. This often results in sessions having to be missed which could lead to the player not doing any S&C training for a week or more on a regular basis. The most important thing when it comes to getting results from S&C training is adherence and consistency. Stopping and starting is unlikely to generate lasting and career changing athletic development.

4. Be trained online by a company like mine, Matchfit Football. This way you can get access to pro level and specialised training on a daily basis (like the pro's), which is tailored to your needs and your goals.

• Do each session at precisely the right moment each week for maximum effect and benefit.

• Be guided 1 1, 24/7 through the messenger of our specialist private training app.

• Easily have your training adapted around your changing team commitments and schedule week to week.

• Be kept accountable to your training every day by your assigned personal mentor.

• Digitally track every single session and see your progress data represented visually over time.

• Learn cutting edge training strategies and methods which you can take with you and utilise for the rest of your career.

• Remove all of the stress and guesswork of trying to figure it out by yourself.

• Save the time and expense of having to travel to sessions.

Only need to invest a tiny fraction of the amount it would normally cost you to get the same level of training and support from in person sessions

My mission with Matchfit Football is to make professional level, daily, personalised football specific strength and conditioning training accessible to those players who (arguably) need it the most, but don't have access to the coaches in their local area or the budget to train with them on a daily basis. These are the players who have the skill but not the athleticism to make the step up to pro level football and stay there, or have been released by a pro club because of a lack of strength, speed or stamina and injury setbacks.

If you know that getting onto a football specific strength and conditioning programme, which is tailored to you, whilst being guided by a professional is the next step that you need to make...then click the link below to learn about the training process that I take Matchfit players through.

>>> Book a FREE career analysis call via this page with me or my team to discover how we can start fulfilling your true football potential.

Your coach, James

Owner: Matchfit Football Master Football S&C Coach

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Oaks Hospital

Orthopaedic Services

Do you suffer from bone and/or joint pain?

What is important is that we act quickly to assess and where appropriate manage your condition to prevent it from restricting your lifestyle. Our expert team of consultant surgeons and pain specialists are here to help.

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Essex Charity FC was founded in 2019 and has since helped raise around £20,000 for multiple different charities.

The club’s original directors were Spencer King & John King with Dean Parker coming on board later down the line.

These guys set the club up and achieved a lot of success not just on the pitch but off it too, with Essex being known up and down the country.

The club has now passed over to Dave Neill, Gaz Chermside and Greg Leslie. The lads now look to expand on the previous success of the club and take it to new heights. {Pictured below in this order}

One of the avenues is via YouTube, with Essex setting up the Charity Football TV YouTube channel. The goal for the channel is to provide a platform within the community that helps give exposure to not just Essex Charity, but other teams too. In time, the dream is to grow the channel into a real media outlet, so that any team that features on the channel gets massive exposure and hopefully a lot more donations for their chosen charities.

Essex now officially raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital as the charity closest to our hearts and are planning multiple large events over the next few years.”

Click on our social media icons to find out more

Safeguarding

Safeguarding

As one of the leading providers of security systems and installers of automatic and manual doors, you will be in safe hands when you come to Elite for our security and safeguarding services. Our track record demonstrates our ability, as we regularly work on some of the major commercial buildings in and around the London area.

Our breadth of knowledge, as access control specialists, allows us to provide clients with state of the art security systems that cover every eventuality. We meticulously plan a bespoke service for clients, in all types of commercial and communal buildings.

Whilst our services include undertaking remedial repairs, installation and ad hoc project work, we believe that our Planned Preventative Maintenance Contracts work better for businesses. This approach often results in being a more cost effective and competitively priced way of maintaining your buildings and also ensures year round compliance.

Estimating Manager

Mick Townson

PPM Compliance Simon Green

Engineering & Project Manager

Liam Nugent Business Development Specialist

Nikki Carpenter

Ben McCayna

Director

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magazine

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CLICK THE BADGE TO VISIT LEAGUE AND VIEW THE LATEST NEWS AND RESULTS.

CLICK THE BADGE TO VISIT LEAGUE AND VIEW THE LATEST NEWS AND RESULTS.

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Thurrock resident and recovering addict, Chris Shields is the founder of Turning Corners a community football project. The project brings together men of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to become a part of a community and to talk with like minded men who may have experienced substance misuse, social exclusion, mental health issues, or just love to play football. Chris’s story is the latest in series of case studies from Mid and South Integrated Care System that demonstrate the benefits of organisations working together to the benefit of local people. Chris set the project up in collaboration with health and care partners in mid and south Essex. It’s gone from strength to strength with now over 50 people from the ages of 18 upwards meeting at Lakeside Sports Ground every Friday. He also set up a WhatsApp for the club group during the COVID 19 lockdown so if someone is struggling, they can reach out to Chris or the other guys in the group. Chris, originally from Morecombe in Lancashire, didn’t have an easy upbringing and had issues with alcohol, drugs, gambling and had seen three of his friends die as a result of their addiction issues. Chris said: ‘When I was using drugs, drinking alcohol and gambling, I had no direction, I had no purpose and basically my life was just heading nowhere. I felt I was destined to die, or lose my mind end up in an institutions or jail, but I've turned off the road just in time with so much help from so many different people. In spite of my own struggles, I'm able to help others to fit into a group that's good for them. It’s a safe environment for people to grow and to find some happiness in their lives.” Chris has now been clean and sober since 2012 and he puts it down to the people who have supported him including “his little warrior Nana” who supported him up until her passing from cancer as well as local health and care professionals including Teresa O’Keeffe, Riverside Community, Karen Dobson,

who believed he was ‘destined to die or lose my mind’ is now inspiring local Thurrock residents through his love of football

Thurrock Council and Richard Jacklin from Inclusions Visions

Thurrock. Richard Jacklin was Chris’s Community Connector at Inclusion Visions and has supported and worked with Chris and Active Essex to initially set up Turning Corners. He said: “The development beyond just football has been extraordinary. It’s a community of recovery, of people who help each other not just with addictions, but also mental health and that is extremely powerful. Chris is using his lived experience to help other people and with his ability to draw people in he has exceeded my expectations; I couldn't be prouder.” Turning Corners is a community project and has received funding from The Wave Suicide Prevention Community Fund, because of its focus on men who are the group most at risk of suicide. Maria Payne, Strategic Lead for Public Health at Thurrock Council said: “‘We know men under 50 are more at risk of mental health issues, substance misuse problems and suicide and are less likely to come forward for help. Turning Corners offers another opportunity to bring men together and give them a shared goal and a space to talk and get support.’ Alfred Bandakpara-Taylor, Deputy Director Adult Mental Health for NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board said: “The work Chris has been doing with Turnings Corners to support other men’s mental health, as well as his own, is truly inspirational. We know that in the UK suicide is the leading cause of death in men under 50 which is why community projects like this are so important in enabling men to support each other and to breakdown the stigma. Chris is a credit to his community, and I hope Turning Corners continues to grow and change lives.”

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grassroots magazine

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Stones Athletic YFC

Stones Athletic Youth Football Club (Standard Charter Development Club) was formed on 22.06.2004. We are a Community Club based in Ingatestone, Essex. We only do positive at Stones and provide a FUN environment for all our players.​​​

The club has a total of 210 players registered, with an age range of U4's up to U16's. These players are split across 18 squads, which includes: members of our Saturday club (4 6 year olds) , 3 girls teams and then teams ranging from U6's through to U18's. The Club has an active girls section and hosts an FA approved Wildcats Centre ages from 6 15 with a pathway into the Ladies team at 16. We pride ourselves on the quality of coaching provided to all age groups. We have pitches for training and matches at Seymour Field and the Anglo European school as well as a floodlight Astroturf training facility at Chelmer Park.

We currently play in The Brentwood Community League. These offer a mix of festivals, 5 a side, 7 a side, 9 a side and 11 a side matches with the added opportunity for Futsal for certain age groups.

The Youth Club has associated Clubs with Stones Ladies FC that play in the Essex Women’s League and 2 Walking Football teams that play in the Essex Walking Football Leagues.

Our philosophy is to welcome boys and girls of all abilities and help them grow and develop to realise their full potential. The Managers and Coaches focus is to ensure all players are enjoying their football and are playing with a smile on their face.

If you are looking for a friendly Club and wanting to get into football we would look forward to hearing from you. Please contact us using at: home (stonesathleticyfc.com)

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Get a Grip on your Health!

QUALIFIED SPORTS MASSAGE

PERSONAL TRAINING and INJURY SPECIALIST

Mike has over 30 years experience in health and fitness and is no stranger to in juries!

He treats all sports and non ports injuries and specialises in training with debilitating injuries like arthritis, joint degeneration and pre-diabetes, based on his qualified and personal experiences.

Mike uses a total approach to Health and Longevity including Mental Conditioning, Strength and Flexibility, Mobility, Performance Nutrition and Sports Massage.

His goal is to help you get a grip on your health and reach your true potential, without having to “hang up your gloves”.

Get in touch for more information.

Old Chelmsfordians SC

Lane Chelmsford Essex CM1 2NS

Sports Therapy - Injury Rehab - Functional Training - Performance Nutrition

Seabright’sBarnFC

Seabright’s Barn FC was created when 2 mates who had known each other since school decided it would be a good idea to start a men’s football team.

Having played grassroots football since the age of 8, Fletcher Kewley and Jamie Mackenzie had played for local clubs Name United and Marconi, before at the ages of about 16 when grassroots clubs never really had much of a progression into a men’s team, both went separate footballing ways. Mackenzie going to Chelmsford City and Kewley going to great Dane’s men’s. The buzz of playing with their old team mates though, many of whom were in similar positions was enough of a driver to make them think about setting up their own team.

Fletcher and Jamie set them selves the task of recruiting as many of their old mates as possible, whilst looking for enough bench strength to get them through a season. Nightclubs and bars were the obvious locations at the times to get the word spread about a new team on the block, and within no time at all Seabright’s barn fc had its team.

All that was required now was a manager, sponsor, home ground and kit simple right ? In early discussions, Fletch and Jamie were going to manage the team whilst playing. In reality, both knew that this wouldn’t work out, they could just about manage themselves!

Luckily Fletcher found the perfect manager. A young Andrew Tallis, fresh from college and with no links to any of the team. On top of this, although he had “apparently” played football and was in the same side as Neil Harris at school, we all know that school teams have an array of “talent”.

With a manager secured, the sponsor and venue for where the team would meet up was needed. Luckily for the lads, who were frequenting many local public houses at the time, John Reader of Seabright’s Barn in great Baddow / Galleywood agreed to sponsor the team and Seabright’s barn fc was created.

But what about a league ?

Having no background as a club, no club house and no credentials, potential leagues were approached. The one league that took a chance on the club was the Chelmsford and district Sunday social league. Relatively new itself, most games were at helmsfords real home of football, Melbourne park, but the lads and Seabright’s barn fc were up and running.

There were many hurdles along the way, many challenges to overcome, such as losing one of their close friends and players at age 20, Justin sims, but for Seabright’s, a club built on friendship and from playing with friends, their drive and determination got them through all of them.

In the 12 years it ran we had great success winning the league and League Cup, scoring the most goals in one season & narrowly missing out on being the first club in the League to do the double to our closest rivals Kenson! Football is not only about the game itself it’s about the friends and memories you gain along the way!

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grassroots magazine

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Grassroots is proud to be supporting Farleigh Hospice

Grassroots Magazine is delighted to be supporting local charity, Farleigh Hospice. In each edition, we will be sharing with you their latest news along with upcoming events that you can get involved in!

Farleigh Hospice has been a cornerstone of our local community since 1982 when, following the death of a lady called Audrey Appleton from cancer, her friends Glenda Lance and Dr Gill Collier launched an appeal to establish hospice services in and around Chelmsford.

Since its creation later that same year, Farleigh has provided hospice care to thousands of people affected by life-limiting illnesses and bereavement across mid Essex. The hospice, which is celebrating its 40th birthday this year, continues to help people to live as actively as possible from the point of diagnosis to the end of their lives, by providing physical and emotional care, free of charge.

As a charity, Farleigh relies on the generosity of the local community to raise the £6 million it needs every year to care and support those who rely on its services. One of the ways that Farleigh engages with the community is through the range of fundraising events it organises throughout the year, which are listed on its website www.farleighhospice.org/events.

Here we take a look at some of the exciting events coming up… the Annual Quiz, Halloween Sponsored Doggy Walk and Autumn Shopping Extravaganza!

Annual Quiz

Help celebrate Farleigh's 40th birthday by solving 75 clues related to all aspects of celebrations and you could win £100, plus other prizes.

By taking part in this popular quiz, you'll have the chance to win the first prize of £100, plus other prizes.

It only costs £2.50 to take part. Simply go to www.farleighhospice.org/events/annual quiz 2022 and sign up and an e copy of the quiz will be emailed to you.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Farleigh’s Fundraising Team by emailing fundraising@farleighhospice.org or by calling 01245 457 411.

Answers will be provided and the prize winners announced later in the year on the Farleigh Hospice website. Good luck!

Halloween Sponsored Doggy Walk

On Sunday 30th October, join a sponsored 5K dog walk through the beautiful Little Waltham Nature Reserve. You can set off anytime between 9.30am and 11am and the entry fee is £5 per dog (owners are free!). Fancy dress is optional, but the best dressed dog wins a prize.

There will be refreshments available afterwards for both you and your pooches.

You can register online at www.farleighhospice.org/halloween dog walk before 2pm on the 28th October or alternatively you can come along and sign up on the day by 11am. This event is in memory of a Little Waltham resident, Jean Irving Tew, and is in aid of Farleigh as the Mayor of Chelmsford's chosen charity so we are encouraging participants to get sponsored.

Autumn Shopping Extravaganza

Start your Christmas shopping at Channels Estate in Chelmsford on Wednesday 2 November, 10am to 3pm.

Browse a range of fabulous pop up shops selling boutique clothing and accessories as well as homewares, glass decorations, skincare, handmade jewellery and crafts, chocolates and speciality gins. The Channels Bar and Brasserie will also be selling coffees, teas, lunches and snacks.

No shopping trip would be complete without a rest stop and some of the qualified therapists from Phoenix Holistic and Complementary Therapy Massage have kindly offered to give up their time to treat shoppers to a 20 minute session in exchange for a donation to Farleigh Hospice. There are a range of relaxing therapies to try, including Mian Dui facial and head massage.

Entry to the shopping event is just £5 which includes the chance to win a luxury hamper. To find out more, please visit www.farleighhospice.org/events/shopping extravaganza

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The bathroom is a place we all visit on regular basis. Whether it is to answer nature's call or just freshen up, we somehow end up developing a special relationship with our bathrooms. There is no other place on earth where we can find so much peace with nobody to bother us. And we can create this excellent place right for you! We are very high skilled and experienced professionals providing only high quality workmanship. Our speciality is bathroom installations and all interior works. Our ethos is to always work cleanly and tidily around our working area and treat our customer’s property with the same respect we would accord our own homes. It is a well known fact that bathrooms sell houses. They also add a touch of indulgence to your home. With this in mind, choosing your bathroom is a long term investment; it is important that you choose wisely. Our years of experience have helped us to gain a good understanding of what works and what doesn’t. We take the time to listen to our customers’ needs and make recommendations to them based on their requirements and our extensive experience. We are proud of our team of bathroom fitters and guarantee a friendly, clean and tidy service; we always aim to exceed your expectations, which is why we have gained the reputation as one of Essex's finest local bathroom installers.

We take a personal approach to every bathroom fitting we complete and ensure that every bathroom delivers on quality, value, functionality and appearance. If you would like a free, no obligation consultation and quote please contact us.

For more information about our bathroom installation services and to take a look at some of the work done by our friendly, professional bathroom fitters.