Everything is coming together for Mark
From the Warrington Guardian archive, first published 26th July 2007.
From the Guardian.co.uk website, first published 26th July 2008.
From the swansea.ac.uk website.
Young Swans put through their paces
From the swanseacity.net website, first published 12th July 2009.
LATEST NEWS:
July 2009 - Tony Pennock, head of youth football at Swansea City FC, has recruited advisors from Swansea University and www.scientific-football.com to help develop and administer the youth team's preseason fitness training. Mark Russell who is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and PhD student at Swansea University has been given the task of improving the youth team's fitness levels following the end of season break. Mark says "Designing fitness programs that prepares the players for the demands of the upcoming season is a privilege and a job I don't take lightly. I will be using a number of scientific tests on the first time that I meet the team which will allow myself and Tony to sit down together and discuss where he wants the players to improve and what I can do to facilitate that."
August 2009 - Tony Pennock and his youth team from Swansea City FC return to Swansea University for their final pre-season testing session. Mark Russell, who has been given the task of monitoring and improving the player's fitness, strength and power levels said "the post-preseason testing period will be a replication of the session which happened in July. By carefully controlling factors such as hydration status and prior activity levels, in combination with the testing methods that we employ, we will be able to determine the effects that the squad's pre-season training has had on aspects of their performance such as sprint speed and body composition. The boys have worked hard both in the gym, and on the field, not to mention the work we have had them do on improving their lifestyles such as hydro-nutritional practices, so we anticipate some decent improvements."
September 2009 - Following the success of last years series of matches between the Swansea University first XI football team and Swansea City FC Centre of Excellence, www.scientific-football.com is hosting another research football match to be held on Monday 2nd November 2009. "As part of an ongoing link between advisors from www.scientific-football.com and the youth teams of professional football clubs, the matches allow an ideal opportunity for coaches, players and researchers alike to observe, critique and analyse the practices of all involved. Performing such matches give us a chance to observe and implement changes based upon the results of data concerning the metabolic, physiological and skilled responses of individual players collected during actual match play" commented Mark Russell.
January/February 2010 - Is this the turning point in your season? For aerobic fitness it might be! Check out the new page titled fitness throughout the season added to the demands of football section to find out more.
March/April 2010 - Are your players turning up hydrated before your evening training or matches? Check out the newly added case study in the hydration pages.