Case study – Strength and conditioning client

 You will need to produce a case study using the following guidance:

Step one – Selecting your athlete

 In order to complete all the required elements of this assessment you must select an appropriate client for your case study. Your client must be:

• A real person who will be your client throughout the case study.
• An athlete who takes part in any recognised sport on a regular basis.
• An athlete who has current goals and targets that can facilitate the inclusion of strength and conditioning coaching.
• Apparently healthy and have no medical conditions which would be considered out of the scope of practice for a strength and conditioning coach.

Step two – Assessing the client

There are 5 marks available for this section. You must score a minimum of 5 marks in total to achieve a pass.

• Perform relevant medical and/or lifestyle screening to ensure that the client can safely and effectively take part in any assessments or training planned as part of the case study process.

• Perform a needs analysis, taking into consideration:
• General demands of performance activities (e.g. physical, environmental, physiological, biomechanical and psychological demands).
• Specific demands placed upon your athlete (e.g. biological and training age, training history, injury history, nutritional status, psychological status, role in the sport and time availability of the client).

• Select an appropriate battery of assessments to measure your athlete’s performance capabilities.

• Agree assessment methods with the client and relevant members of the support team and obtain appropriate informed consent.

• Perform planned assessments, following protocol accurately to ensure validity, reliability and accuracy of results.

• Record all information collected in a manner that adheres to legal and professional requirements.

Step three – Setting performance goals

There are 17 marks available for this section. You must score a minimum of 14 marks in total to achieve a pass.

• Analyse the data collected during the needs analysis and battery of assessments to accurately identify the current performance capabilities of your athlete, including comparison to normative data.

• Evaluate the analysis findings to identify key areas and priorities for athlete development.

• Develop short-, medium- and long-term performance goals that are informed by all collected data, analyses and evaluations.

• Develop a strategy to evaluate and review changes in your athlete’s performance at appropriate points in their programme.

• Discuss and agree performance goals and evaluation points with your athlete and support team (if, following discussions, original plans need to be adapted then adaptations should be made and recorded in the case study notes).

Step four – Designing a periodised progressive plan

There are 18 marks available for this section. You must score a minimum of 15 marks in total to achieve a pass.

• Design an annual plan (macrocycle) that will effectively facilitate the achievement of your athlete’s long-term performance goals.
  • Please note: The annual plan must take into consideration your athlete’s competitive cycle.

• Break the annual plan into appropriate meso and microcycles that will effectively facilitate the achievement of an athlete’s medium- and short-term performance goals.
  • Please note: Microcycles within a specific mesocycle should, when combined, facilitate the achievement of short- and medium-term goals. Mesocycles within a specific macrocycle should, when combined, facilitate the achievement of medium- and long-term goals.

• Design two detailed session plans. Each session plan should:
  • Be taken from a different mesocycle.
  • Cover a different aspect of training (e.g. session plan one may cover power development and session plan two may cover agility).
  • Minimise the risk of injury.
  • Optimise progression towards the achievement of your athlete’s performance goals.

• Discuss and agree plans with your athlete and support team and obtain appropriate informed consent (if, following discussions, original plans need to be adapted then adaptations should be made and recorded in the case study notes).

Step five – Evaluation and modification

There are 18 marks available for this section. You must score a minimum of 15 marks in total to achieve a pass.

• Work with your athlete using your case study plans for a minimum of twelve weeks.
  • Please note: Plans and sessions should be adapted as required throughout this time. Any adaptations must be recorded in the case study notes.

• On an ongoing basis:
  • Use a range of methods to collect relevant information to inform session evaluation, to include:
    • Performance data.
    • Athlete and support team feedback.
    • Self-reflection.

• Analyse and evaluate the relevant information, highlighting any effects on the achievement of performance goals.

• Identify modifications that are based on analyses and evaluations.

• Record analyses, evaluations and modifications in a manner that adheres to legal and professional requirements, whilst being clear and understandable for your client and support team.

Step six – Presentation and viva

There are 46 marks available for this section. You must score a minimum of 37 marks in total to achieve a pass.

Prepare a presentation to explain and justify the following:

• Needs analysis methods selected and used within your case study.
• Assessments selected for the battery completed with your client as part of your case study.
• Performance-related purpose, risks and benefits of the assessments carried out as part of your case study.
• How each phase of the periodised programme will facilitate the achievement of your athlete’s short-, medium- and long-term performance goals.
• How the planned sessions contribute to the achievement of your athlete’s performance goals.
• How all members of the support team can be incorporated into the plans to promote optimisation of the athlete’s performance.
• How you evaluated and modified the plans during the time spent working with the athlete, to include explanations of:
  • Methods used to analyse and evaluate effectiveness.
  • Findings gathered from analyses and evaluations and their effects on the achievement of performance goals.

A reference list must be produced to support this presentation. The reference list must detail all sources of information used throughout your case study to make decisions relating to any aspect of assessment, analysis, planning, or delivery of strength and conditioning programmes.

The presentation should be aimed at the athlete and their support team and must be a minimum of 10 minutes and a maximum of 15 minutes long. You can include supporting information in any format, for example:

• PowerPoint or Prezi presentation.
• Videos or images.
• Handouts or leaflets.
• Any other supporting information suitable for a professional presentation.

At the start of your presentation, at least one accessible version of all case study notes and each piece of supporting information (including reference list) must be given to your assessor, for example:

• Assessment records, periodised plans, session plans, record cards, client evaluation notes.
• Printed handout/leaflet.
• A memory stick with a copy of the presentation, videos, images and all associated records.
• A printout or electronic screen print of any web pages, etc.

A copy of all records compiled, case study notes and supporting information must be included in your portfolio.

At the end of your 10-15 minute presentation your assessor will ask you a number of questions relating to your case study. This is your opportunity to further explain aspects of your case study and presentation that the assessor feels needs clarification or expansion.

Please note: Viva questions will only relate to details you have discussed as part of your presentation, or presented within your supporting documentation.