As one of Sports most sought after premier Coaches, Al Vermeil knows the difference between what works and what simply does not when it comes to training at the Elite level. Watch the film above to see the clip.
Some Interesting facts on Al Vermeil
Al is the only strength coach who has worked in the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball and he is also the only strength coach to have a World Championship ring from the NFL and NBA
Recently inducted into the USA Strength and Conditioning Hall of Fame in recognition of his accomplishments
As the former strength and conditioning coach of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, his program made a major contribution to the team’s 1982 Super Bowl Championship
Al has been the featured speaker at many coaching clinics, including the National Strength and Conditioning Association and National Athletic Trainers Association, has been the subject of numerous television, radio and newspaper interviews over his 35-year career and he has written many articles for major publications like Golf Digest, the National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal, as well as several conditioning manuals
Al has consulted with the San Francisco Giants, University of Alabama, Texas A&M, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago White Sox, The Academy of Golf at Lakeway, Nicklaus Academy of Golf, Golf Digest School and the Los Angeles Lakers
The video addresses many of the complaints from Athletes and Coaches alike about problems resulting from lack of facilities and poor weather conditions. While most sprinters chase the sun, many have to contend with the harsh reality of bad weather and lack of facilities. Charlie’s former squad certainly fell into this category, yet achieved international success and perhaps this is why Charlie does not accept such complaints as a justifiable excuse for poor preparation. In this video series Charlie and wife Angela Coon, former Canadian National Team 100m Hurdler, present several general conditioning workouts for athletes of different levels that can be done almost anywhere. This is the advanced segment, which runs 1hr 41minutes and includes in depth commentary from both Charlie Francis, and Angela Coon.
Today, Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Anna Tibaijuka, UN-HABITAT Executive Director, met in Lausanne to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between their two organisations.
Fields of common action
In future, the IOC and UN-HABITAT will form synergies in using sport to mobilise and prepare young people for active participation in urban life and to promote poverty alleviation. Advocacy and field-level activities will be driven in close cooperation between the UN-HABITAT’s offices and the 205 National Olympic Committees. For a start, common projects will be implemented in the following three fields:
- youth empowerment through sport
- community-based sport activation in secondary towns, and
- slum dwellers’ activation through sport.
Sport for UN Millennium Development Goals
Encouraging young people to participate in sports activities will help meet UN targets set by the Millennium Development Goals. The new partnership builds on the important ongoing work of other specialised UN agencies that have already teamed up with the IOC to place sport on their development agendas.
“The IOC is working closely with a number of UN agencies. Through this collaboration, the IOC and UN Habitat will focus on the urban poor: millions of people, particularly children in the slums, for whom sport can bring escapism and hope”, said IOC President Jacques Rogge after the meeting.
Reaching out to young people in slums
“We must not forget that over 50 per cent of slum populations are made up of young people and there is no better way to give direction and motivation than encouraging them to participate in sports” added Mrs Anna Tibaijuka.
To guarantee the successful implementation of this new cooperation agreement, a follow-up committee will be established. It will meet annually to further define, develop, and maintain a programme of common interest.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that six National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have submitted applications to host the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2014. They are, in alphabetical order: China, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Poland and Turkey.
A number of NOCs requested additional time to designate the city they wish to put forward as Candidate City. The IOC has extended the deadline for these NOCs to submit the name of their cities to 1 April 2009. As of today, Jakarta 2014 (Indonesia), Nanjing 2014 (China) and Poznan 2014 (Poland) have already been confirmed.
The updated timelines below outline the bid process. The date of the election by the IOC members and of the announcement of the host city remains unchanged.
Updated timelines - 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games 2014 bid process
Signature of Candidature Procedure and submission of names of Candidate Cities
1 April 2009
Submission of Candidature Files
4 September 2009
IOC Executive Board to draw up list of finalist cities
December 2009
Publication of Evaluation Commission report
January 2010
Election and announcement of the Host City of the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games at the 122nd IOC Session in Vancouver
Representatives of the Olympic Movement, led by the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, today met with Ján Figel’, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, and his delegation at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne. The meeting came as a follow-up on the action points specified in the recent European Council Declaration on Sport, which was presented in the Conclusions of the French Presidency of the European Union (EU) in mid-December 2008. In the Declaration, the heads of state call on the European Commission to strengthen its dialogue with the IOC, besides underlining the values of sport and its specific characteristics above its economic dimension. The promotion of the autonomy of the Olympic and Sports Movement as well as the protection of the integrity and fairness of the competitions has been high on the IOC’s agenda over the years.
Topics of today’s discussions included:
- the specificity and autonomy of sport,
- the financing of sport and betting,
- the application of EU competition law and of free movement principles in the field of sport,
- and the fight against doping.
During the meeting, Ján Figel’ confirmed his respect for the autonomous and self-regulatory character of sports organisations. He also recognised that sport is organised internationally and built on a worldwide pyramid system, which was to be considered in the future dialogue between the EU and the sports world. The Olympic Movement representatives stressed the need to safeguard the existing mechanisms of financial solidarity towards grassroots sport – a principle for which the European Commissioner expressed his full support. Looking into the future, Figel’ stated that his team is currently preparing for the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, which still has to be ratified and contains a reference to sport. He considered the Olympic Movement’s input as crucial in that regard.
After the meeting, the IOC President said: "The EU benefits from sport and its values. Organised sport is one of the biggest social movements in society, and its social, educational and health-promoting role is significant. At the same time sports organisations also need the support of the EU to tackle challenges like doping, irregular betting, racism and violence and to safeguard the specificity of sports structures and sporting rules. It is vital that we work closer together to tap the full potential of sport, and today’s meeting was an important step."
Commissioner Figel’ said: "I am pleased that the profile of sport has increased in the minds of government policy makers and stakeholders. Last November’s informal Sports Ministerial Meeting and EU Sport Forum gave sports an additional strong boost, and it is important that we maintain this momentum. There are important issues at stake. That is why we in the Commission welcome the new approach of having a regular, structured dialogue with the IOC. Today’s meeting is a tangible outcome of the new approach. "
List of participants in the meeting:
European Commission
Ján Figel’, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth
Bernd Biervert, Member of the Cabinet of Ján Figel’
Pierre Mairesse, Director of Sport
Michal Krejza, Head of the Sport Unit
Olympic Movement
Jacques Rogge, IOC President
Mario Pescante, IOC Executive Board member and Chairman of the IOC International Relations Commission
Patrick Hickey, IOC member and EOC President
Joseph S. Blatter, IOC member and FIFA President
Jérôme Champagne, FIFA Director of International Relations
Marco Villiger, FIFA Legal Director
Denis Oswald, IOC member and ASOIF President
René Fasel, IOC Executive Board member and AIOWF President
Patrick Baumann, IOC member and GAISF representative
Guy Drut, IOC member
Henri Sérandour, CNOSF President
Yves Vonlanthen, IIHF Administration and Legal Manager
Jean-Paul Clémençon, CNOSF Chief of Staff
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For further information, please contact the IOC Communications Department, Tel: +41 21 621 60 00, e-mail: pressoffice@olympic.org
CharlieFrancis.com is happy to release a new film titled “Peaking when it counts, Perfecting the 10 Day Taper”.
Overview
A new download presented by CharlieFrancis.com. Charlie Francis implements a real-time 10-day taper program with an athlete preparing for the 100m in a championship meet.
The 10-day taper schedule begins with a local meet as a last maximal stimulus, then progresses through meticulously to the championship heats and finals. This product is unlike any other video provided on the market today. While many other videos are scripted and planned for publication, this video was spontaneously created during an actual taper schedule for an athlete preparing for a championship competition.
In the process of creating the video, the authors had no idea how the athlete would perform on the day of championship competition. Not only does this scenario make it more exciting for the viewer, but also puts the Charlie Francis approach to a test.
Peaking When It Counts is a must have video for anyone working with high performance athletes and speed athletes. The DVD provides insight into programming for peaking, but also identifies key sprint mechanics issues throughout the process. Available for immediate download.
The Host City Contract for the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck in 2012 was signed in the Tyrolean capital by IOC President Jacques Rogge, the Host City and the Austrian National Olympic Committee (NOC) authorities. President Rogge, accompanied by an IOC delegation including IOC administration representatives, visited several competition venues where the events will be held in 2012. He also met a group of young students who appeared on the promotional video clip for the Innsbruck bid. “We are glad to be back in Innsbruck where the extraordinary 1964 and 1976 Olympic Winter Games were staged”, said the IOC President at the press conference.
Given the short preparation time (three years), the IOC President underlined that Innsbruck was a strong partner, in terms of already existing first-class venues; Innsbruck’s high degree of competence in organising international sports events; the enthusiastic population that has an excellent understanding of winter sports; and the full support of the local, regional and national authorities.
Moreover, the Innsbruck 2012 bid excelled through its good understanding of the cultural and educational component of the Youth Olympic Games. The event will thus offer an excellent platform to create a true community between the youth of the world and the participants by learning and sharing experiences. Specific cultural and on line activities will spread the fever beyond the Austrian borders. “Innsbruck can count on the IOC and particularly on the Coordination Commission under the leadership of IOC member Gian-Franco Kasper,” added President Rogge.
The 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games will encompass all seven Olympic winter sports: bobsleigh (bobsleigh, skeleton), biathlon, curling, ice hockey, luge, skating (short-track, speed skating, figure skating) and skiing. The latter will feature Alpine, cross-country, freestyle, Nordic combined, ski jumping and snowboarding. Details of the events and qualification systems will be elaborated in close relationship with the International Olympic Winter Sports Federations in the near future.
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For further information, please contact the IOC Communications Department, Tel: +41 21 621 60 00, email: pressoffice@olympic.org
Today the International Olympic Committee (IOC) launched the registration process for the first ever International Forum on Sport for Peace and Development, which will take place at The Olympic Museum in Lausanne from 7 to 8 May 2009.
As a socially responsible organisation, the IOC is engaged in sports development at grass-roots level, aiming to increase access to physical activity worldwide as well as to improve social and human wellbeing at large. Moreover, many other international participants within and outside the sports family are working in this area, thereby recognising the value of sport as a tool for development and peace-building across the globe.
Topics for Discussion
Under the patronage the International Olympic Truce Foundation (IOTF) and the IOC’s International Relations Commission, the Forum discussions will centre on themes such as the value of sport in supporting the community’s search for peace and in achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals; how to maximise the impact of sport through partnerships with UN bodies; how to enhance youth empowerment through sport for development and peace programmes; and how to better measure the impact of physical activity on the development of deprived populations. Furthermore, the question of how to pool resources and support to invest in sport for development cost-effectively is a question of the moment, which will be discussed among the Forum participants.
Target Groups
The Forum will feature experts from the field who will share their know-how. The insights gleaned at the event will be taken to the Olympic Congress in October in Copenhagen.
The Forum is also aimed at representatives of the Olympic family, governmental and non-governmental organisations, UN bodies, academic and research organisations and the media. Save your place now by registering through the forms below!
Insights into field work
As part of its latest initiatives, the IOC joined forces with the Somali Olympic Committee to provide sporting equipment for athletics, basketball, football, volleyball and table tennis to local young people. This project aimed to help revive the sports programme of a nation which conflict and lack of facilities have severely penalised over the years, depriving its young people of healthy pastimes. In addition, inter-regional sports activities are planned to facilitate the dialogue between the various communities involved.
Similarly, the IOC recently partnered with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in a project to clear outdoor sports areas of landmines in Azerbaijan. The newly created “safe play areas”, which have been rigged with basic sports equipment, have enabled local children to move freely and play like any other children in the world, which also promotes a healthier lifestyle in this war-affected area.
A new emblem is born. On Saturday, Singapore 2010 launched its official emblem for the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games. “The emblem embodies the spirit of the Youth Olympic Games and represents the blending of the IOC’s and Singapore Organising Committee’s vision to bring the youth of the world together,” said IOC President Jacques Rogge in his message.
Colourful and vibrant
The emblem illustrates in a colourful and vibrant way the passion of sport with the champions in its centre. It will be a strong ambassador for Singapore 2010.
An event in itself
The emblem launching ceremony was accompanied by sports demonstrations based on the new disciplines of the 2010 Games sports programme (like basketball 3 on 3) and a 2010m run with many Singaporean youngsters participating.
Sport, Culture and Education
Some 3,594 athletes from all 205 National Olympic Committees will compete in Singapore in 26 sports comprising 201 events. Besides the sports competitions programme, the YOG will feature an extensive Cultural and Educational Programme (CEP), which aims to introduce, in a fun and festive spirit, the young athletes to Olympism and the Olympic values, and to raise awareness of important issues such as the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, the fight against doping and their role as sports ambassadors in their communities.
The authors of these projects will benefit from a scholarship which will allow them to consult the OSC’s collections (unique collections of more than one million archived documents, publications, official reports, photos and films). The results of their research should be published at the end of the year. The seven candidates selected and their chosen projects are:
- Ana Adi (University of the West of Scotland, UK / Romania): New Media, Human Rights and the Olympic Movement – a literature review.
- Pascal Charitas (University of Paris-Sud XI Orsay, France): Les conditions d’émergence du développement sportif olympique en Afrique: analyse comparée entre le Royaume-Uni et la France.
- Kathryn Henne (University of California (Irvine), USA): A historiographic investigation of anti-doping regulation and enforcement in international sport.
- Jialing Luo (University of Cambridge, UK / China): Olympism and nation-building: Impacts of the Beijing Olympics on traditional courtyard neighbourhood.
- Lynn Minnaert (University of Westminster, UK / Belgium): Database and analysis of recent Olympic non-infrastructural programmes that specifically target socially excluded groups.
- Nancy Stevenson (University of Westminster, UK): London 2012: The impacts of cultural legacy programmes on local communities.
- Jason Charles Vuic (Bridgewater College, USA): Multiculturalism through Olympism: the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics.
40 files from 19 countries
The winners were selected by a committee comprising world-renowned experts for the quality of their research linked to Olympism and/or for their involvement in Olympic studies. This year, 40 candidature files were submitted from 19 countries, addressing a variety of themes such as the Olympic values and multiculturalism, the different aspects of the Games’ legacy, the role of the Olympic Movement in society and international relations.
Who chooses ?
The selection committee for the 2009 edition of the programme comprised the following members: Gudrun Doll-Tepper (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany), Beatriz García (University of Liverpool, Great Britain), Bruce Kidd (University of Toronto, Canada), Hai Ren (Beijing Sport University, China), Alberto Reppold (Universidade Federale do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil), Kristine Toohey (Griffith University Gold Coast, Australia), Stephan Wassong (Liverpool Hope University, Great Britain) as well as Nuria Puig (Head of University Relations - IOC), Philippe Blanchard (Director of the IOC Information management) and OSC representatives.
Read the First Comment 
