You’ve no doubt heard a great deal about invisible coaching in sport. If you’re still unclear about this concept and its importance, this article will explain what invisible coaching in football is exactly and why it is so important to know about it.
What is invisible coaching?
This terms is what differentiates good athletes from the best. When people talk about invisible coaching in football, they are referring to everything an athlete does away from the training ground and that might have an unconscious impact on their actual training.
They are characteristics and habits that need to be taught and studied in order to improve performance in sport, recovery and motivation. Therefore, it should be realised (,) that invisible coaching must be an integral part of the physical training undertaken by players.
How to improve in football through invisible coaching?
We are going to highlight the four key factors that should be considered in the invisible coaching of a football player: coaching that takes place 24/7.
1. Diet
It is important to maintain the correct dietary habits in order to ingest the essential nutrients that a footballer needs:
a) Proteins to help build and recover muscle tissue and prevent muscle degeneration.
b) Fats to maintain energy reserves in the body and not lose performance.
c) Carbohydrates to provide the body with the energy it needs during physical exercise.
It is also very important to keep the body hydrated with water, vitamins and minerals, which help regulate the body’s physiological processes. Improper hydration can be the main cause of poor performance in sport. This is why we should stay hydrated both during sport activity and during after-sport training.
What should you eat?
50% of what an athlete eats should be carbohydrates. The other 50%
should consist of fats and proteins. Even so, it should not be forgotten that
each body has a different metabolism and that’s why nutrition experts
can recommend a healthy balanced diet that meets the needs of
each footballer. It should not be forgotten that an imbalanced diet can
lead to serious illness.
2. Rest
Resting a footballer is just as important as training. It forms part of the player’s recovery process and ensures the body can perform to its full potential when playing football.
You need to be able to distinguish the three stages of rest in a player:
1. While training. Physical exhaustion takes place while training that must be compensated with proper recovery. The coach is responsible for correctly providing breaks during training so the body can recover after effort in order to avoid muscle degradation and fatigue.
2. Sleep. When we sleep, our metabolism is able to regenerate cells by eliminating waste. It is recommended to sleep between seven and nine hours a day, going to bed and getting up at the same times.
3. Personal rest. It is also important for players to have their own free time for personal rest and relaxation.
3. Hygiene
A football player or athlete should maintain good personal hygiene. Otherwise, this could damage performance or impact the player. For this reason, the H8S Fútbol academies and camps help establish routine schedules and healthy habits among players:
⁃ Body care: showering after each training session with neutral soaps and drying off properly afterwards, as well as looking after feet (nails and calluses).
⁃ Oral care: it is important to brush your teeth properly and go for regular dental checks in order to maintain good dental health. An oral infection can lead to muscle problems and reduce defences in a player.
⁃ Sports equipment: the sports equipment should be in optimal condition for practice. For example, avoid damaged laces, keep training kits clean, maintain protective clothing in good condition, etc.
4. Recover methods
Various stimulating factors should be considered to ensure player recovery, such as:
– A good training programme
– Active rest (i.e. don’t finish the training session suddenly)
– Respect the passive rest periods while training (don’t do anything else)
– Good diet
– Active and passive stretching
– Professional care (massage, hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, electrotherapy)
Many people will think that invisible coaching is only for élite athletes, but we at H8S Fútbol believe that every one of our players should act like a genuine professional.
At the H8S football academy and H8S camp, we train our players using the H8S Fútbol method and educate them to pick up these essential habits to improve footballing performance.
Come and discover the H8S football academies!
