High Performance Fencing E-Book

Ed Rogers

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 236

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

Legendary fencing instructor Maitre Bac H. Tau described what he called the 'six essentials that are in a fencer's mind': 'The first is called spirit; the second, rhythm; the third, thought; the fourth, technique; the fifth, tactic, and the last is strategy.' As a fencer you can fight with spirit, experience rhythm, think your way around problems, and develop technique, tactic and strategy by training with top-flight fencing masters. But there is more. Modern fencing is a highly competitive speed and endurance sport and the 'seventh essential' in a high-performance fencer's mind is how to prepare themselves physically and mentally to fence. In High Performance Fencing: The Seventh Essential, Ed Rogers covers every aspect of the preparation required by a fencer competing at the highest level. The book provides sound practical advice and is based on tried-and-tested training principles that have repeatedly proved successful. Aimed at intermediate to advanced level fencers, coaches, teachers and all those involved in competition fencing, and fully illustrated with 148 colour images and diagrams.

Leseprobe

HIGH PERFORMANCE

FENCING

THE SEVENTH ESSENTIAL

ED ROGERS

FOREWORD BY GEORGINA USHER

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2015 byThe Crowood Press LtdRamsbury, MarlboroughWiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2015

© Ed Rogers 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 84797 986 5

Frontispiece: Leon Paul Cup, Men’s Individual Foil Semi-final, London, 2013. Kristjan Archer of Great Britain, left, fights Maor Hatoel of Israel. Hatoel won 15/7 and went on to win gold, beating Italy’s Tobia Biondo 15/12 in the final. (Photo: Graham Morrison)

Disclaimers

Please note that the author and the publisher of this book do not accept any responsibility whatsoever for any error or omission, nor any loss, injury, damage, adverse outcome or liability suffered as a result of the use of the information contained in this book, or reliance upon it. Since some of the training exercises can be dangerous and could involve physical activities that are too strenuous for some individuals to engage in safely, it is essential that a doctor be consulted before training is undertaken.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my wonderful wife Hilary.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Dr Paolo Colombani at the Swiss Forum for Sports Nutrition for permission to reproduce its diagram ‘Food Pyramid for Athletes’; to Jane Griffin for reading and commenting on the ‘Nutrition’ chapter; and Linlithgow Academy for permission to photograph on the premises. Graham Morrison’s photographs appear as indicated. All other photographs and drawings are by the author.

CONTENTS

Foreword by Georgina Usher, CEO of British Fencing

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1      Fitness and Training

Chapter 2      Strength and Conditioning

Chapter 3      Nutrition

Chapter 4      Talent or Hard Work?

Chapter 5      Sports Psychology

Chapter 6      Becoming a High Performance Fencer

Chapter 7      The Seventh Essential (In Conclusion)

Glossary

References

Index

FOREWORD

To get to the top in world fencing you must work incredibly hard, find an inspiring coach and choose high-quality sparring partners who can push you to your limits. In addition, you will need a never-ending supply of self-belief and motivation to overcome short-term setbacks and continue working towards your longer-term goals. As you approach the higher levels in the sport, the time spent training, travelling and competing can be life-consuming. You will have to balance the cycle of training and competition activities, necessary to reach peak performance, as well as find space for the other things that make life meaningful.

Lessons learned early in life have an enduring quality that can last a lifetime. From the earliest days in your fencing career, close attention to detail becomes dominant, along with a persevering quality you will need to keep going, even when training or fencing feels difficult and other problems arise. Above all, you must hold on to your love of the sport, seek out constantly ways to improve and never falter in the belief that one day you will succeed.

Beyond the fundamentals of learning to fence there are other factors that, although they may seem incidental at the start, are vital in achieving long-term success. Worldclass fencers need to stay remarkably fit. Fencing-specific fitness is also required, often achieved through formal strength and conditioning programmes, using specialist advice. The importance of good nutritional standards should also be understood. What you eat will have a direct bearing on how well you perform, how hard you train and how fast you recover. The role of psychology in sport has now risen in prominence to the extent that many fencers now include mental training as part of their regular weekly routines. These and other topics are introduced within the scope of this book and should provide invaluable points of reference for all.

Georgina Usher CEO of British Fencing

As a competitor, Georgina Usher has been on the British team at eleven World Championships, has been an FIE World Cup medallist, Commonwealth Championships medallist and British Women’s Épée Champion ten times.

PREFACE

There are six essentials in a fencer’s mind.

The first is called spirit;

The second, rhythm;

The third, thought;

The fourth, technique;

The fifth, tactic,

And the last is strategy.

(Tau, 2005, p.12)

Six essentials have been described that are present in a fencer’s mind. You can fight with indomitable spirit, experience the changing rhythms of a bout and think your way quickly around difficult problems. Indeed it has been said that: ‘Fencing is a fascinating game coordinating the mind and body in a harmonious form of movement. It has often been linked to a game of chess played at lightning speed.’ (de Beaumont, 1968, p.13) In this sense, there is not a move or action which cannot (potentially) be answered. This is an ‘open skill’ where individual moves are a means to winning. (Anderson, 1973) Technique is also of paramount importance: ‘Technical versatility is the base of richness of tactics and enables the fencer to surprise his (/her) opponent, not only by speed and choice of time, but also by variety of action.’ (Czajkowski, 2005, p.70)

Alaux (1975, p.172) says: ‘Fencing as a sport is classified as a “finished skill” that requires both high speed and accuracy. Technique is defined as “the mechanical or formal part of an art”. It allows the expression of one’s potential at its highest level. Potential is determined by the quality of the fencer’s senses, physical coordination, reflexes (both mental and physical), tactical ability, imagination, and so on. Undoubtedly, the foundation of a fencer begins with the development of his (/her) technique.’

Many factors are necessary to ensure effective fencing, some of which have been listed by Beke and Polgár (1963, p.28) as follows: ‘physical adaptability, adequate technique, tactics, sense of distance and timing, good reflexes, psychological adaptability, diligence, will power, ability to survey situations quickly and to take decisions, the will to fight, the ability to observe, speed, dexterity, stamina, and of course, strength.’ It has been observed that when applying tactics and strategy, two specific types of skill are in play: physical and mental. (Cross and Kirkham, 1996) Indeed ‘To obtain the full satisfaction from fencing it is necessary to use one’s brain as much as one’s body.’ (de Beaumont, 1954, p.13) In the words of Alaux (1975, p.171): ‘Any muscular effort is as much a mental act as conversation or writing.’

Modern fencing is a highly competitive sport. Many complex physical and mental qualities are necessary in order to compete successfully; and the ‘seventh essential’ in a high-performance fencer’s mind, is how to prepare him/herself physically and mentally to fence.

Preparation in this sense implies forethought; working to achieve a highly developed state of physical and mental readiness, in order to perform at one’s best (in a sustained manner) at a particular point in time. To achieve this, fencers are likely to consider various questions and find some answers: What is fitness and how should I train? What is strength and conditioning? What and when should I eat/drink, in order to perform best? Am I prepared to spend all the time (and money) necessary, to reach the top? Will thinking differently about myself and my opponents help me to succeed? What tactical applications will be of most value? Any individual’s list could potentially be quite lengthy and diverse.

The following series of thoughts and observations are far from all-embracing, but does attempt to address some of these questions. They are an exploration of what it means to become, or to coach someone who wishes to become, a high-performance fencer.

My first book, Fencing: Essential Skills Training (The Crowood Press, 2003), was written in the form of a training manual of sorts and many of the photographs were taken by passing a camera round at a fencing club. Advanced Fencing Techniques: Discussions with Bert Bracewell (The Crowood Press, 2013), came about after I met Prof. Bert Bracewell at a fencing competition in Edinburgh. He had come across his notes of fencing lessons he had taken in the past, and wished to record the many fencing variations he had learned during his career; which then formed the basis of that book. Luckily, Bert was able to appear in a number of the photographs, depicting some of these actions. In this book, a number of (fencing-related) topics have been examined, in an attempt to get an overall picture of ‘high performance’ in the broader context of fencing skills. Most of the photographs that appear herein have been taken at fencing venues. I am grateful to all those who appear in these photographs for their tolerance and for the obvious enthusiasm they display.

For those readers in the United States and others who use numerical fencing terminology, I would ask for your indulgence later on when typical British terminology is used; the tactical variations described are what matters and I hope that this will in no way spoil your enjoyment. Also, I have attempted assiduously to avoid the use of the masculine term ‘his’, in isolation. The term ‘High Performance Fencing’ and the contents of this book, apply equally to men and women fencers.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this book – good luck with your fencing.

Ed Rogers, Fife, Scotland

INTRODUCTION

Once their interest is captivated, people pursue fencing for the same reasons they pursue many other activities… These activities satisfy their need to use their abilities as significant, creative, self-reliant, and confident beings.

(Garret, Kaidanov and Pezza, 1995, p.7)

Over the years, my interest in fencing has given me a great deal of satisfaction and I have no doubt that as an adult I am more confident as a result. It has been said that: ‘Fencing develops quick thinking, powers of concentration, decision and self-discipline to a high degree. It gives poise, balance and muscular control, and is valuable for strengthening the limbs and back.’ (de Beaumont, 1978, p.12). In combat, a fencer must balance wisdom with audacity, always being willing to take a ‘reasonable’ risk. (Campos, 1988) Just as chess is based on a limited number of moves that can be used with almost infinite combinations, fencing is also based on a limited number of moves. (Manley, 1979) Yet within these: ‘Fencing provides a continuum of complexity and an unlimited range of mental stimulation, as the possible attacks and defences grow more and more involved and the moment of the final arrival of the touch becomes more and more delayed.’ (Wyrick, 1971, p.6) In this vein, Anderson (1973, p.9) describes fencing as ‘a game of physical chess, without checkmate, for there is not a fencing move or situation which cannot be answered’.

It is sometimes suggested that fencing develops one side of the body at the expense of the other. To some extent this is correct. An examination of the forearms of any regular fencer will show greater muscular development in the sword arm. This apparent lack of symmetry can be overcome by learning to fence with both hands but the fact that few ever do shows how little importance is placed on this. It is more important to remember that all parts of the body are exercised while fencing and the muscles of the abdomen, particularly, are kept in very good shape. (Hett, 1951)

Alaux (1975, p.183) underscores this point when he says: ‘Fencing is an inherently asymmetrical sport. The rear leg and the front leg receive different stimuli. The hand holding the weapon and the hand in the rear have different functions. This can result in the disproportionate development of the stressed portions of the anatomy unless a general exercise program with symmetrical exercises is undertaken to develop the strength of both sides equally.’

It is important when setting out to become a fencer that you have a clear understanding of where you are going. If you have strong family support, perhaps a family member who takes a keen interest in your progress, providing moral (and perhaps financial) support and who may also accompany you to fencing competitions, this is bound to help. Some may be fortunate to have a parent who has fenced and who can explain how fencing competitions work, give helpful pointers and even to some extent provide early coaching. Alternatively, you must find support at a local fencing club.

At such clubs you will encounter a wide variety of personalities from different backgrounds, each with their own reason for taking up the sport. (Norcross, 1978) Indeed, a fencer’s personality affects the style of fencing and tactics they adopt in competition. This is reflected in their personal motivation, level of arousal, and temperament. (Czajkowski, 2005)

Perhaps beginning with borrowed ‘club kit’, you will graduate to owning (and in time replacing) your own. Coaching, club facilities and kit all have to be paid for, as will entry fees and travel to and from fencing competitions, which is something to think about. As you improve, you are likely to venture further afield, seeking out more successful clubs and higher-calibre coaches. You will also travel longer distances (and more frequently) to competitions.

The rules of fencing set out a framework for the sport. Any attempt to describe a ‘best way’ of fencing effectively within these rules must be described as a ‘theory’. (Manley, 1979) There is a theory, for example, that it requires 10,000 hours of ‘deliberate practice’ to become an expert in a given field (such as fencing). There are individual differences in how skills are acquired, the learning environment must be correct, which in turn may require a large amount of luck; but it follows that to become world class does indeed take an enormous amount of dedication and practice. (Barraclough, 2013) The best advice from Paul, et al., (2012, p.35) is: ‘Don’t delay accruing these hours.’

In the final outcome, the extent of your eventual success may be memorable, like this experience recounted by Tim Morehouse:

My opponent slashes hard at my Kevlar jacket and his shout shakes the hall as he takes the first point. Did I even move? I’m the secondto-last US fencer in the team saber competition at the Beijing Olympics. We trail 28–36 in a race to 45. The winner goes on to the gold medal match; the loser fights for the bronze.

I’ve given twenty years, two-thirds of my life, for the right to stand opposite Russia’s Alexsey Yakimenko on this fourteen-metre strip… Yakimenko and I retake our en garde lines, facing each other from twelve feet away with our sword hands raised. I can’t see through Yakimenko’s mask but I can feel him, confident and ready.

Since the 1960s, Russia has taken almost every Olympic gold medal in this event. The most recent American medal in team saber was bronze in 1948. Cameras flash all around us, but inside the mesh of my mask I’m alone, trying to wring the panic from my breath. This is what I work for, I say to myself, as I always do in that moment of stillness before the point begins.

The referee calls, ‘En garde. Prêt? Allez!’ and Yakimenko leaps forward to slash past my guard, his saber edge popping against my jacket as I stand there flat-footed and listless. His speed is stunning but more troubling, Yakimenko has gotten inside my head… Yakimenko and I square off again in the en guard position, facing each other completely still, standing as mirror images… He is the sum of his hours of work, the tournaments he’s fought, the lessons he’s learned on and off the strip, the people in his life, and the fencers who have come before him, And I am the sum of mine…

Allez! Yells the referee, and I jump forward out of the box…

(Morehouse and Sundem, 2012, pp.xi–xiv)

Tim Morehouse, Jason Rogers, Keeth Smart and James Williams (USA) won the team sabre silver medals. France won the gold, Italy won the bronze. (Olympic Movement, 2008) The closing ceremony took place in the ‘Bird’s Nest’ Stadium.

Grand fireworks and spectacular choreography brought to a close the Beijing Games Sunday as one of the most remarkable Olympics in recent history were declared at an end. Fireworks across China’s capital as a crowd of more than 90,000 at the landmark ‘Bird’s Nest’ Stadium watched the pyrotechnics… (CNN, 2008)

Exterior view of the ‘Bird’s Nest’ Stadium at night, Summer Olympics, Beijing, 2008. (Photo: Graham Morrison)

Closing ceremony at the ‘Bird’s Nest’ Stadium, Summer Olympics, Beijing, 2008. The closing ceremony was truly spectacular. A total of 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) took part, with 132 Olympic and forty-three world records being broken. Amongst the eighty-seven NOCs in the medal count was war-torn Afghanistan, with its first. In sport you can make friends from around the world but especially so at the Olympic Games. Consider the words of the Tang period poet Du Fu: ‘It is almost as hard for friends to meet, as for the morning and evening stars.’ (Photo: Graham Morrison)

Closing ceremony at the ‘Bird’s Nest’ Stadium, Summer Olympics, Beijing, 2008. (Photo: Graham Morrison)

CHAPTER ONE

FITNESS AND TRAINING

Sports training is all about making the right conditioning (training) choices for a particular sport and marrying them to the specific needs of the athlete and/or team.

(Shepherd, 2006, p.ix)

It used to be said that: ‘Training for fencing is best done by fencing.’ (Hett, 1951, p.118) The implication being that no other form of training was required. However, these days it is considered that fencing requires: ‘A base for fitness and flexibility gained through a well-balanced regime of diet and exercise is essential to any aspiring fencer.’ (Kingston, 2001, p.62) This is because modern fencing is a dynamic sport and most training is done at speed, with the greatest physical demands being placed on the legs. (Pitman, 1988)

‘Fencing is classed as an “intermittent highintensity sport”, as there are periods of very high intensity along with periods of low intensity and quite a lot of rest in between bouts. The duration of an international fencing competition can be between nine to eleven hours, however, of that time only 18 per cent will be actual fencing.’ (Paul, et al., 2012, p.7)

But: ‘The longer you are competing in a fencing competition the more tired you are likely to become as the recovery time becomes less effective.’ (Paul, et al., 2012, p.35) Fitness is a necessary precondition for handling the workload requirements of training, and for sustained high performance at fencing tournaments, where a fencer is required to be quick, explosive and persistent. (Barth and Beck, 2007) Consequently, concentration and self-confidence tend to be greater among fitter fencers who are less fatigued. (Wojciechowski, n.d.) These days, it is generally understood that physical fitness is of interest to us all, since it affects our everyday quality of life. The amount of energy we expend in a day will affect our mental states, attitudes and moods. (Shaff, 1982)

The photographs that feature later in this chapter show fencers of various standards juxtaposed in poules. Despite the competitive element, there is a lot of good natured rivalry going on. Friends and family watch from the sidelines, occasionally getting caught up in the drama. If you have never been to a fencing competition like this, try visiting one after the action has started and blend in with the crowd.

Being physically fit enough to fence at a high level is undoubtedly a contributing factor towards success and requires appropriate training choices.

Camden International Cadet Sabre girls’ individual semi-final, London, 2014. Japan’s Misaki Emura, left, fights Lucia Lucarini of Italy. Emura went on to win gold in the final by beating Caroline Queroli of France 15/14. Both these fights were close with some drama, especially in this semi-final when the Korean coach of the Japanese squad produced a ‘coach’s intervention’ to no avail. (Photo: Graham Morrison)

Camden International Cadet Sabre girls’ individual final, London, 2014. Misaki Emura of Japan, left, fights Caroline Queroli of France. Emura won 15/14. (Photo: Graham Morrison)

Physical Fitness

The term ‘physical fitness’ generally refers to the overall physical fitness of an individual, but a number of components contribute to the whole:

Endurance – the capacity to continue prolonged physical activity of low intensity, despite the onset of fatigue.

Flexibility – the range of movement at a joint or a series of joints.

Strength – the maximum force which a muscle group, or group of muscles, can generate against a resistance.

Speed – the time taken to coordinate the movement of individual joints or of the body as a whole.

(Hazeldine and Cadman, 1984)

Lack of endurance can result in injury. Tired athletes will attempt to make moves that are beyond their physical capacity, resulting in damage to muscles. Fatigue also has a disastrous effect on coordination. (Brown and Adamson, 1995) Fitness and flexibility are also essential to fencing success and both are preventative measures against injury. (Paul, et al., 2012)

The golden rules for avoiding injury are:

Be fit for your sport.Check your kit and equipment for wear and tear.Check the competition and training environment for hazards.Always warm up and cool down.Allow your body to adapt to higher levels of training.

(Brown and Adamson, 1995, p.36)

Sabreurs and épéeists participate in the early rounds of the M8 Open, Bathgate, 2013.

Speed is important in modern fencing. Prof. Zbigniew Czajkowski (cited in SSTT, 2011, p.116) says: ‘Fencing is, par excellence, a fast sport, in every sense of the word (speed of perception, speed of reaction, speed of movement, fast change of action, change of rhythm, etc…’ One of the best ways of improving a fencer’s performance is to engage in lots of practice bouts. It follows, therefore, that to increase (effective) fencing speed, a fencer should repeatedly practise fast fencing bouts. (Bandrei, 2012)

Speed is inherent and no amount of training will improve its given level by more than about 10 per cent. Running speed can improve significantly more than 10 per cent, because, although it is affected by inherent speed, it is also affected by the range and strength of movement. But intrinsic speed (on its own) is a quality that you have from birth and relates only to physiological parameters, such as the type of muscle you are born with. Strength, on the other hand, can be increased by a factor of approximately 400 per cent. (Winch, 2004) Many people can compensate for a deficiency in speed with a heightened sense of tempo, a steady point, good nerves, patience, etc. (Lukovich, 2013)

The human skeleton is covered in about 600 muscles, which account for about 40 per cent of the body’s weight. Muscles are a collection of long fibres made up of cells and grouped into bundles, which are wrapped in a sheath that protects and hold them together. They are organized in pairs. Each muscle has a partner that produces the opposite effect; when one muscle tenses, the other contracts. These muscle partners are controlled by the brain and nervous system. The heart, lungs and blood vessels act as the body’s supply system. They supply the muscles with the necessary fuels – oxygen, water and building materials (protein) – and carry away waste products such as lactic acid, heat and carbon dioxide. (Hazeldine and Cadman, 1984) Some muscles are large and some small. They may be close to the surface and just under the skin, or deep inside the body. Their function may be to provide stability or to initiate movement. Muscles have amazing potential for lengthening and shortening. A muscle can shorten 25-30 per cent of resting range when contracted and, when passively stretched, may extend more than 150 per cent of its regular length.

Tendons attach muscles to bone and act to transfer tension to the bones, thereby facilitating movement. Ligaments bind bone to bone, holding the bones in place and thereby supporting the joints. Depending on its structure, a joint can provide either stability or mobility, and those that provide mobility are of most interest to sportspeople. (Brown and Adamson, 1995) ‘Strong adequate musculature leads to good balance and balance is the key to mobility in fencing.’ (Alaux, 1975, p.183)

Winch (2005, p.14) draws the following distinctions: ‘Mobility is the range of movement allowed by the joints. Suppleness is the range of movement allowed by the muscletendon soft tissue structures.’

The length of time that an athlete has been doing a particular sport is also relevant. The term ‘training maturity’ refers to the number of years that an athlete has been training at their sport. If you have trained as a fencer since childhood, you are likely to be more mature, in this sense, than an adult who has recently started. (Shepherd, 2006)

Training maturity will influence:

the type and intensity of training that the athlete can handle;

the athlete’s bank of appropriate skills (and their ability to pick up new ones);

the physiological responsiveness of the athlete’s body;

the athlete’s mental readiness, motivation and focus.

(Shepherd, 2006, p.15)

Foilists participate in the early rounds of the M8 Open, Bathgate, 2013.

Warm-Up

During a competition the fencers shown in these photographs are likely to warm up several times, to a greater or lesser degree, even if only by bouting with a friend. Czajkowski (2005, p.365) mentions that ‘In the direct elimination rounds, it is often necessary to perform an additional, short warm-up before each bout – especially if the intervals between them are prolonged. Such a warm-up may consist of a few limbering and flexibility exercises, and a few fast movements of weapons, accompanied by a lunge or flèche.’

During physical training or competition, the body has to work hard to adapt to higher levels of stress. That is why it is necessary to warm up first in preparation for the increased energy demands that will be imposed. There are three main reasons for doing this:

To protect against injury by raising deep muscle temperature and by stretching the muscles, ligaments and connective tissues. This raised temperature will also slightly increase the speed of contraction and the force exerted by the muscle, while reducing viscous resistance in the muscle.

To improve the body’s efficiency by raising the heart, metabolic and respiratory rates.

To practise and improve performance. Although it cannot be said that a warm-up improves skill, it can assist good performance.

(Hazeldine and Cadman, 1984)

The body works more efficiently when warm. A warm-up allows the body tissues to work more efficiently. While relaxed, the muscles receive only about 15 per cent of the total amount of blood; the rest goes to body organs such as the brain, liver and intestines. During vigorous exercise, the muscles need far more fuel to provide energy and their requirement for blood increases to 80 per cent of the total blood flow, which needs some time to adjust before the muscles can work efficiently. For this reason, it is inadvisable to exercise too soon after eating a heavy meal because the blood needs to remain around the stomach and intestines to absorb the digested food. Exercising too soon will move the blood away from the digestive organs and into the working muscles.

The extent of exercise required for an effective warm-up will depend on the individual’s fitness level. Changes in body temperature vary with body size, fat level and rate of body metabolism. To be effective, the warm-up should be intensive enough to cause mild sweating. When this happens, the inside (core) temperature of the body has increased by about one degree Centigrade. As we are trying to raise body temperature, it is preferable to wear warm clothing to retain body heat. Warm-up activities should be continuous and rhythmic in nature and should last ten to fifteen minutes. (Norris, 1994)

It has been suggested (Lukovich, 1998, p.15) that on occasions warming up with a fencing lesson at major competitions may be undertaken for psychological purposes. On the one hand, this mobilizes physical performance and, on the other, it can reduce factors that can have a detrimental effect on performance.

Proprioception is the ability of the brain to sense the position of a joint or how the body is positioned. Evidence from recent research demonstrates that proprioceptive training programmes are effective in improving dynamic balance in footballers and in reducing the rate of ankle sprain in athletes. (Roberts, 2011 cited in Esteves, et al., 2015, p.19)