Bangalore: The Indian women hockey players have become tech-savvy and now understand the purpose of their training sessions, which they were earlier following blindly, experienced mid-fielder Monika said on Monday. Monika, who was part of the Indian team that competed at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, said Saturday mornings sessions are the toughest.
“It is always a red session. Red sessions are mostly higher-intensity training sessions where we focus on match intensity with the idea of superseding match intensity with small-sided variations,” she said in a release issued by Hockey India.
“Each session is either focused on speed or endurance or direction focused. We have about two-three such sessions a week. Those are the days when our fitness levels are really tested.
“Our awareness about each session, how it helps, what it’s for etc is much better now than before. Earlier, we would just blindly focus what Coaches said.”
The player from Chandigarh explained that the coaching staff is planning week-on-week training in such a way that the team peaks at the right time.
“The focus now is to keep improving on our strengths and work on the weak points. Our aim is to peak at the right time. Every player’s workload is taken into consideration and improvement is mapped accordingly.”
Read also: Motherhood “isn’t on her radar”: Kelly Brook
She further explains how each player keeps a chart that’s uploaded on to Google docs where the Scientific Advisor Wayne Lombard monitors crucial aspects such as sleep, recovery etc.
“Surely, we have become more tech-savvy,” says Monika.
