Soccer

My pick is Holland's Memphis Depay, who has already been world-class and has kicked on massively this year.
 
Transcript: "This is somebody that's already been world class in my opinion for a few years now but they've already proved that they're kicking on massively this year and that's Erling Haaland. The amount of goals I think he's going to score this year is going to be crazy so that's my pick, there's plenty of others but yeah, Erling Haaland."

When designing an effective strength and conditioning program for an individual, the top three factors to consider are injury history, movement quality, and type of player/position.
 
Transcript: "What are the most important things a coach should consider when designing an effective strength and conditioning program? This I'm going to take this as it's an individual program because obviously it'll be different if you're planning for a team. I think in terms of a top three injury history of a player I think is really important. Movement quality so however you screen your player I think that becomes really important that gives you an individual insight into what the player is like how they move and then also the type of player so type of player but also position I think they're the top three that I would consider when planning individual S&C programs."

Yes, nutrition is a key factor in soccer performance. It can help with maintaining physical condition, fuel performance, aid recovery and prevent fatigue during matches.
 
Transcript: "So is there a correlation between nutrition and soccer performance? The short answer is yes, nutrition plays a big role in how you perform on the pitch. It can also help with recovery following training and matches. And it can help you maintain the physical condition you're in. So one key area may be maintaining a low body fat percentage. The way I like to think about it is carbs are your fuel source, protein is for repairing your muscles and tissues, and then the other thing is hydration which is often a forgotten about part of nutrition. But it's important that you stay hydrated for both training and matches as that plays a big role in how fatigued you might get during the game and how you're going to perform."

Soccer players tend to peak in terms of performance and skill around their mid to late 20s, at which point they may need to rely more on their skill as their physical attributes decline.
 
Transcript: "So when do you think soccer players peak in terms of performance and skill? This depends really. It depends on the individual, on their genetics, on their training regime, and how they kind of play the game. So in terms of performance, I would have said players probably peak around their mid to late 20s. And at that age, then their physical attributes may drop off slightly, and they have to rely more on their skill. And this could be anything from their technical skills to their tactical awareness. And I think that can continue to improve throughout their career."

Mental toughness in elite soccer players is developed through training and matches, as well as having the confidence to complete a task regardless of the situation.
 
Transcript: "So where do elite soccer players most commonly develop their mental toughness? In my personal opinion mental toughness comes from the confidence in yourself that you can execute a certain skill. So I would have said mental toughness comes from training and matches and and being exposed to certain scenarios over and over again and it's almost you have to keep getting the reps in whether that's in training or in a game. I think they are way more important than any of the other mental toughness training, grueling, conditioning runs and that kind of thing that that doesn't really apply to to football. It comes more from the understanding that you can complete a task regardless of the situation you're in."

A challenge coaches face is not understanding the physical and mental demands of their training methodology and how to get from point A to point B. It's important to build a relationship between coach and sports scientist to build on current conditions and reach desired goals while understanding the game and training model requirements.
 
Transcript: "The biggest challenge that a coach faces, particularly sports specific coaches, is they don't actually know the demands of their training methodology. So what do their sessions require physically and mentally? And they don't always necessarily understand that, so they don't understand how to get from point A to point B. So a clear idea of what your game model is and what it requires and how does your training link to that is usually where there's a gap. The other fact is that often when sometimes sports scientists are looking to help the coach, is that we can come a little bit too hard and say, do this, don't do this. So it's really important to try and bring that relationship together and work together to build from where they're at to where they want to go with clear understanding of what the game model and training model requires."