A win yesterday against the Gold Coast following the draw mid-week with Perth are small steps in the right direction. We now play Melbourne Victory and it is imperative that we continue our momentum and get a great result. The game on Thursday will be our 4th in 13 days and our 6th in 22 so it has been very important to get our recovery right.
A win yesterday against the Gold Coast following the draw mid-week with Perth are small steps in the right direction. We now play Melbourne Victory and it is imperative that we continue our momentum and get a great result. The game on Thursday will be our 4th in 13 days and our 6th in 22 so it has been very important to get our recovery right.
Recovery begins as soon as the final whistle is blown with players consuming a drink high in carbohydrate and also a protein supplement. Following this we return to the field and complete 20-30 minutes of easy running, active movements and stretching. The players then return to the dressing room and complete a specific protocol with Ice Baths and follow this with dinner. The dinner includes pasta, lean meat and fluid to replace what has been lost during the game.
In general if a player loses 1Kg whilst playing they need to replace 1.5 litres of fluid. Our players all know how much they have lost so they can be specific in the replenishment of fluid.
Players are then encouraged to go home and get a very good sleep, which is the cheapest and best recovery procedure anyone can do.
On another note I was disappointed to see our W League team lose in the Semi-final on penalties. The girls are a great team and I have been very fortunate to have worked with them previously. I would encourage everyone to go and see a W League game in the future as it is great to watch.
The holiday camps were completed on Thursday and it was a great to see all the kids enjoy themselves and develop their skills. It was evident that there was some great young talent at the camp but we must remember talent is only one part of the equation. So many other variables are involved including hard work, persistence and luck. However, all of us should be entitled to dream and I hope many children achieve their ambition of becoming a professional footballer.
I hope everyone has a great week and as the school holidays come to an end I wish all the children a great school year.
Dr Craig Duncan
(twitter) @drcraigduncan
(email) craigd@sydneyfc.com
