At the start of the Lent term, Denstone College saw a re-launch of the Dedicated Athlete Scheme (DAS), with 25 pupils being selected from a range of 7 sports. The programme supports pupils who are on a performance pathway to develop as athletes, offering an additional 1:3 athletic development session a week, individualised progress plans, seminars with external professionals and visits to world-class facilities.
The first external trip was to the world-renowned St George’s Park, with 16 pupils and 3 staff members venturing to the home facility for the England football teams. Pupils took part in three sessions, the first of which was pitched based, with the Gamechanger Performance staff delivering a warm-up following the RAMP protocol: Raise, Activate, Mobile and Potentiate. Once the pupils were physiologically prepared for exercise, their engagement in game-based activities, with a focus of accelerations and decelerations, as well as change of direction, was excellent. Physical qualities such as these are paramount, with a primary aim of reducing their risk of injury and improving performance.
For the second gym based session, the pupils were split into two groups of 8. This session consisted of yoga and movement-based skills, as well as time on the Wattbikes. Pupils were able to find their peak power with live feedback. This made for a very engaging competition! Pupils were challenged on the importance of mobility and how it may affect performance in their sport.
To finish off the trip, pupils attended a hydrotherapy session – seemingly the favourite! Pupils were fortunate enough to be able to experiment on the underwater treadmill, gain exposure to contrast baths and participate in an aqua recovery session. The cost of an underwater treadmill is approximately £250,000.00 and there are only a handful in the UK. Again, each aspect was contextualised so that students understood the ‘why’ and the ‘when’ these would fit into an elite athlete’s schedule.
Head of Athletic Development, Mr George King said, ‘I hope it was an enjoyable and insightful experience for the pupils and I look forward to the next trip’.
