Fitness the Key for New-Look Coaching Team
Carl Abbott’s Hinckley AFC squad may only have just started training, but there has already been a noticeable difference in preparation this time around, such has been the attention to detail with which ‘Abbo’ has approached this particular pre-season.
This season expect a sharper AFC thanks largely to the new-look ‘team behind the team’ that Abbo has brought together during the close season.
The familiar faces of Paul Tomlinson (Assistant Manager), Tony Workman (Goalkeeping Coach), Ian ‘Geordie’ Nichol (Kit Manager) and Dave Gunn (Chief Scout) have been joined by some new faces that have already made a big impression in the opening week of training.
With a double session on the opening Saturday quickly followed by sessions on Tuesday, Thursday and another high intensity outing on Saturday, fitness should not be in short supply come the big kick-off on Saturday 8th August.
The new-look backroom team sees Simon Mellor (Coach), Matt Hart (Conditioning and Fitness Coach), Sam Palmer (Physio), Richard Gamble (Head of Performance) and George Knapp (Kit Assistant) all formally joining the backroom team for the 2015-16 season.
Abbo explained the additions and how he anticipates they will all have a big part to play this season: ‘Every club is looking for year-on-year improvement and with the development of our backroom team this will bring a more professional edge to how we plan and prepare throughout pre-season and during the season.
‘We have a budget to work with that we know we can maximise the value of; if the players are fitter, stronger and faster than last year then that can only be a good thing for us as a club and for them as individuals.
‘Each member of the backroom team has already made a massive contribution to our planning and execution of what we feel is a Football League level pre-season, we are looking to start the season as strongly as possible and the players appear to be really responding to that.’
As well as many of the returning squad from last term, the group has been joined by a host of players looking to make an impression, some already catching the eye of the gaffer.
‘Pre-season is never a time that players relish as there’s a lot of hard graft in those early weeks but the lads that have joined us have not hidden from it. It’s an opportunity for some of them to stake a claim and we will take a good look at them during the coming weeks.’
Next up for the players is more fitness work at Croft Hill, which will provide another day of laying the foundations ahead of the first pre-season friendly just over a week away against Heather St John’s on 4th July.
Everyone at Hinckley AFC would like a welcome all of the new arrivals to the Coaching Team.
