Fitness Testing Day for Sports Scholars

On Tuesday 9th January, 10 pupils attended a Sports Scholar’s Fitness Testing Day at Hartpury University Centre.

With new and existing Scholars attending, it was a great chance to find out the limitations of our athletes across the board. The purpose of the visit was to identify testing protocols elite athletes use to monitor fitness, and to begin building a sport specific programme for each Scholar on their journey to becoming world class athletes themselves. The Scholars undertook a series of testing protocols in both strength based and cardiovascular fitness, in order to provide information about each Scholar’s baseline fitness. With the results of the tests, a strength and conditioning programme will be formed for each Scholar, which they will follow with Mr Davies on a weekly basis in order to improve these components of fitness longer term. The girls undertook the following:

• Anthropometric Testing
• Verticle Jump, Isometric Mid-thigh Pull and Agility
• Yo-Yo Test
• Step Test
• Nutrition Session (making recovery smoothies)

The final event of the afternoon ensured that the girls understood the importance of nutrition and refuelling after training and competition. They were put to the test, making different flavoured, and coloured smoothies to help replenish energy stores lost directly after exercise. They had fun utilising different combinations of flavours to make, nutritional, healthy smoothies to take away with them.

After a tough day of protocol testing, the Scholars made the trip back to Badminton and look forward to repeating the process again, in the summer term. The link to Hartpury University Centre hopes to build the Scholars programme, with the end result being that all athletes achieve their sporting aspirations and potential in their chosen sports.