FA FITNESS TESTS (for Level 4 and 5 Referees)
These will be held at starting at 9.00am on the following dates:-
Sunday 10 June 2007 (9am to 12pm) - "Spectrum" at Guildford
Sunday 8 July 2007 (9am to 12pm) - Kingsmeadow Athletics track, Norbiton
An evening session in July has still to be confirmed.
Be there at 08h45 to get changed and do a warm up for a prompt start. There are changing rooms and showers. All you have to do is say that you are a referee coming to do the fitness test. The cost to you is nothing, apart from your time.
REGULAR FITNESS SESSIONS
Geoff Turner, the County Fitness Co-ordinator, is pleased to confirm that these sessions will continue to be held at Kingsmeadow Athletics track, Norbiton starting at 7pm on the following dates:-
2007
May 2nd, 16th, 23rd
June 6th, 20th
July 4th, 18th
These are one hour sessions
The facilities there are excellent and details of the track can be found here. Be there at 6.30 to get changed and do a warm up for a prompt 7.00 start. There are changing rooms and showers. All you have to do is say that you are a referee coming to do the fitness test. The cost to you is nothing, apart from your time.
Those who participated last Season found great benefit and their performances improved as a result.
GETTING STARTED
You have completed your basic course of training to become a referee, taken the exam, and passed with flying colours. You are now one of the elite. You are now one of the Football Association's Referees. In the euphoria you readily agree to officiate your first game at the weekend. As you proudly announce this to anyone who will listen somebody says "Are you going to be fit enough to do it?" In anticipation of this great day, of course you have been training hard for weeks, and the 6km or more you will have to run at varying speeds and directions will not cause you any problems at all. Will it? If you have been fairly active recently you will probably be fine, but if you are taking up refereeing after a long lay-off you will need to ascertain whether you are in good enough condition before entering the field of play
Tip - You should always get fit to referee and not referee to get fit.
Warning - The older you are and the longer you have not been involved in physical activity the more care you must take before starting to referee. Whatever your age the amount of exercise you do should be carefully considered so you do not suffer from undue fatigue or strain. After a bout of exercise you should feel 'pleasantly tired' and not totally exhausted. If you do too much too soon you will become fatigued and the results could be harmful. Getting fit is a slow and gradual process and cannot be achieved overnight.
Advice - A medical check-up should not be necessary before you start a fitness programme. However, you should start gently and gradually increase the amount of exercise you take. Consult your doctor if you have any doubts about your health or if you have a history of heart disease, high blood pressure, chest trouble or aches and pains in your back or joints.
Thought - Fitness is not an exam; you cannot cram it all in at the end.
It is your responsibility as an active referee to attain and maintain a level of fitness appropriate to the level at which you referee.
IMPORTANCE OF THE COOL DOWN AFTER A GAME OR TRAINING SESSION.
How often do you see a colleague perform a cool down routine? This is possibly even more important than the warm up before a game yet so few people do it. Why?
The cool down is aimed at getting the body to return to its resting state as quickly as possible, in a controlled way. Do not return to the dressing room and slump in a chair or on a bench.
Advice – for cool down
- jog across the pitch and on the return
- gradually slow down to
- long stride walking then
- down to normal walking
This also gives you an excuse to avoid the enraged manager !!!!
Carry out stretching but hold the stretches each for 30 seconds on
Calf, quads, hamstring and Achilles.
This will help to prevent muscle stiffness and the onset of muscle soreness.
TRAINING GUIDELINES
Follow these simple Training Guidelines to improve your fitness and remain free from injury.
1. Don't work too hard too soon. Improvements in fitness take time. If you rush your progression you may injure yourself. The primary objective is that you stay injury free, so don't over-train.
2. Try to vary your training so you alternate hard and easy days.
3. All sessions should start and finish with a warm up/down followed by stretching.
4. Always train within your training zone (i.e. 70%-90% of maximum heart rate).
5. Do not train if you are ill.
6. If you are injured try and substitute training for activities such as cycling or swimming to help you maintain your fitness.
7. Invest in decent clothing and footwear. It is important to wear good shoes especially when training on hard surfaces.
8. Don't jog in fog!
9. If you go jogging in the dark always wear light coloured clothing so you can be seen easily. Better still, wear a reflective jacket.
10. Don't eat, drink caffeine or use tobacco products within 2 hours of a game or training session.
11. Regularly consume water before, during and after training and matches.
Some more training ideas from The FA can be found here.
FITNESS AWARDS
The FA offers the opportunity to achieve a Gold, Silver, or Bronze award.
You must attend a supervised fitness test and complete a 12 minute run. Points will also be awarded and you know points mean prizes. These points count towards the FA incentive scheme. So what distance do you need to achieve?
Bronze - 2900m
Silver - 3100m
Gold - 3300m
Where and when can I next do this?
Please go to the top of this page. See you there!
Geoff Turner
E-mail: geoff.turner1@btinternet.com
County Fitness Co-ordinator
Tel: 020 8654 6352
|