Adaptive Skills Training Model for Young Athletes

Charmaine Lim, NYSI S&C Specialist, making the introductory speech for the workshop on the Adaptive Skills Training Model. 

The NYSI S&C Specialists and Youth Head Coaches conducted a workshop on the Adaptive Skills Training Model (ASTM) and how to apply it to young athletes at the 2019 Youth Coaching Conference.

ASTM is about adapting similar movement patterns in a training environment to stimulate movement connectivity and skill transference.   

“At the end of the day, our objective is to enhance the performance of your athlete,” NYSI S&C Specialist Charmaine Lim said.

NYSI’s Youth Head Coaches led the different groups based on their sport: swimming, water polo, and net barrier sports.

Leonard Tan, NYSI Swimming Head Coach, took participants through a figure 8 exercise with a medicine ball. “In swimming, we want full range of motion and rhythm. So that’s how we approach our gym sets,” said Leonard. 

Lee Sai Meng, NYSI Water Polo Head Coach and Reiner Lee, NYSI S&C Specialist, focused on increasing jump rotation in their group. Participants were taught to jump with weights to increase resistance. “This teaches athletes to develop more force and more power,” said Reiner.

Joanne Loo, NYSI Netball Head Coach, and Jericho Wee, NYSI S&C Specialist, led another group to discuss similar movements across net barrier sports. They then did lunges to focus on lower body power. When doing lower body exercises, participants were advised to “use a resistance band to hold the person back and get the person to practice the movement as fast as he or she can.”

Zhang Yong Qiang, NYSI Sailing Head Coach, and Elaine Gay, NYSI S&C Specialist, led their group in the discussion on the proficiency of sailing techniques, focusing on core strength endurance. Participants got to try different exercises such as the “Floor Leg Raise” variation, V-Sit holds with multi-directional medicine ball throws, and Compression drills. 

Elaine Gay, NYSI S&C Specialist, demonstrating multi-directional ball throws with the help of Zhang Yong Qiang, NYSI Sailing Head Coach

Leonard Tan (in red), NYSI Swimming Head Coach, took participants through a figure 8 exercise with a medicine ball.