Injury Woes

It's been three weeks or so since I have completed an Olympic challenge, it's been a frustrating time. An injury picked up in a football match means I've been limping, with pain in my left heel and foot as it impacts the ground. Known as "Plantar Fasciitis" it's proven to be a niggling injury that's hard to shift.  A set of orthodic insoles and stretching exercises should hopefully see me back to full fitness shortly.

In the mean time I've lined up a non physical challenge, I'm going Olympic rifle shooting ...so expect an update soon!

The opening ceremony of London 2012 is getting closer and closer. I have a long way to go with this Olympic Challenge in that time, getting back to fitness is the first priority, then it'll be rowing, diving, sprinting, cycling, high jump... Bring it on!

Challenge 3: Olympic Handball

Olympic handball (also known as Team Handball) is a team sport not to be confused with Gaelic Handball played here in Ireland, I'm not sure what those culchie folk would make of this sport to be fair!


With that in mind, let's start this blog off with a short video:

 

France vs Denmark - 2011 World Championships Final  

Teams consist of seven players each (6 outfield and 1 goalkeeper). The players are allowed to handle, throw and bounce the ball but they must not touch the ball with their feet. Handball is played in an indoor hall on a 40x20 meter court with the objective of the game being to score more goals than your opponents in a 60 minute match (30min per half).

Hitler: A big Handball fan.

Handball has origins in 19th century Northern Europe. A variation of the sport, Field Handball, was played at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin at the insistence of Adolf Hitler. It was removed from the list of sports but returned as Team Handball in 1972 for the Summer Olympics in Munich.
  


Unlike basketball, body contact is permitted, in-fact Handball is a faily physical sport! It is played at a very high speed, by players who are generally all 6ft+, weigh more than many international rugby players and have a serious level of fitness to constantly cover the court, in attack and defense.  


With the rules and history lesson out of the way lets check out my challenge.


I have joined Dublin International Handball Club (DI), the best handball team in Ireland and a side currently in their preparation for the European Handball Federation Challenge Cup in Malta - the first Irish Handball team to progress to European competition (the Shamrock Rovers of handball if you will).

Rule 1: With my Dublin International HC teammates

DI are the best side in Ireland and that includes our international team. DI versus Ireland was a recent contest - DI coming out on top, comfortably.
 
As the name suggests the club really does have an international feel to it, my teammates include guys from Poland, Croatia, Ukraine, Brazil, India…and one Irishman, Kari Andresson, who plays for the Irish international team.


Generally they are all big men, and when I look at are opponents, Astra HC, it looks like men against boys, they are a young team with some players new to the sport. They are bricking it to be fair.


Our coach is Boris Selak, who's also filling the goalkeeper position today as we're missing the regular net minder. Once we have warmed up with passing and shooting drills (I can already tell I'm out of my dept!) we get into our pre-match team talk ...the majority of which goes right over my head. There’s talk of 6-0 and 5-1 defense, of rotating the pivot player and of playing 2-2 ...it really doesn't mean much to me at this stage. All I can think is Pivot, Pivot, PIVOT. 

It would have been a good idea to prepare a bit more thoroughly for this one, my challenges so far had been in individual pursuits and consisted of coaching sessions, here I was being thrown in at the deep end with  teammates actually relying on me.

So my lack of knowledge, the fact I had overindulged heavily the night before, my fear of letting down my oversized teammates ....these things are all playing on my mind.

Once on the court I can see the guys’ line up in their positions, which can be best explained in the picture below: 

Handball positions, attack and defense.

You cannot step inside the six meter line at any time; all six of the defensive players will hang on the edge of the semi-circle looking to deny space and a line of sight for a shot. Attackers will look to create and exploit space to get their shots off. Goals are frequent in this game.  


For me the most interesting position is Pivot. This is where the physical stuff happens – as an attacker you are a disruptive force, you manhandle the opposition to try make space for your teammates to attack in. As the defender marking the pivot attacker you are in return pushing and pulling him to prevent him receiving the ball or taking the space you are defending. 


In the match I played mainly as a Winger in attack and as Outside Defender when the opposition had the ball. I also had a spell as Inside Defender, up against their Pivot player. I'm still not sure where the boundaries lie in terms of just how physical you can be - at a high level of competition I am sure these guys really get stuck into each other. The lad I was marking knew I was there anyway.


Our best player on the day was Kari, he scored several goals and had the ability to break for counter attacks at speed and finish goals with great precision. Kari may have got a lot of the goals but I am glad to say I got on the scoresheet myself. I was only on the court two minutes when my chance arrived - a quick break involving Tomas and Kari saw me pick up the ball 15 meters from the opposition goal, two steps and a hop later and I was one on one with the goalkeeper. I aimed high to the top left corner and the keeper couldn't keep it out. As the ball hit the back of the net I was ready for an over-the-top celebration but quickly realized I needed to get back and take up my defensive position. End to end stuff. 


I had one more chance to get on the scoresheet, a second half penalty saw me called from the bench like some kind of special teams player in the NFL. It was a nice gesture and an opportunity I didn't want to miss. I stood on the 7meter line, just me versus the goalkeeper. Me safe in the knowledge I had beaten him once before, him safe in the knowledge I had no clue what I was doing!


As soon as the ball left my hand I knew it was bound for the back of the net, this time I aimed low and the keeper never got near it. As I reeled away in celebration my delight was cut short, a whistle blew and the ref indicated I had moved my front foot when shooting - a foul, meaning the goal was disallowed. I choked back my tears of disappointment. 


At the final whistle we were comfortable winners and I was left to reflect on my first experience of Handball. 

The final score: A comprehensive win for DI.

This has been my most enjoyable challenge so far, the team aspect, the physicality, the pure joy of sweating - this is what real sport feels like to me. Also, it's been my most difficult - going into the game I didn’t really understand the rules of what is an acceptable tackle and what is deemed a foul - after the game I'm still not 100% sure.


I am sure I wouldn't like some of the guys from DI tackling me though! There are definitely people in Ireland playing basketball, football and rugby who have never given this sport a try, but if they did they would find themselves very good players and perhaps competing on an international stage. Handball is a very good sport, it's a shame it doesn't get a wider exposure and more participation. If you are physically fit, have good hand-eye coordination and are a strong team player then this could be the sport for you.


Best of luck to all the guys in DI were preparing to go into European competition in Malta. Massive thanks to Bojan Kambic for arranging for me to join the team and to all my teammates on the day. On a personal level it’s nice to think I have played with and scored for the best handball team in Ireland. 


For more information on Dublin International Handball Club see: http://dublininternationalhc.info/content/, for the Irish governing body go to: http://www.olympichandball.org/

Challenge 2: Fencing

“Fencing - A game of chess with a blade”

Rule 1: With my Foil and Faceguard.

When taking up this Fencing challenge with Pembroke Fencing Club in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 I had preconceptions. I had imagined a gathering of aloof Frenchmen waving swords, shouting “En Garde” and quickly dismissing my general cluelessness. Instead I was nicely surprised to meet the very pleasant Olga Velma, my instructor for the night.

My instructor - Olga Velma

Olga is an experienced fencer originally from Estonia, she is a repeated champion and medal winner in the Estonian Epee Championships and has been living and fencing in Ireland for a number of years.

So I was in good hands, alongside a number of other beginners to the sport who had signed up for an introductory course.

Firstly we covered the background to modern fencing...

Fencing is one of only four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games. It’s practiced in three disciplines - The Foil, The Epee and The Saber.

Each one is a unique sword with various associated rules based around the scoring areas that register as a hit on your opponent and the right of way or priority rules which determine who scores the point in the case that both fencers hit at the same time.

Foil: The smallest and lightest of the fencing swords. Touches are scored with the weapon’s point on the torso of the opponent. Foil emphasizes strong defense and fast, precise actions.
 

Epee: The heaviest of the three weapons, the Epee is a descendant of the rapier and has a large bell guard to protect the fencer’s hand. Touches with the epee are scored with the point, anywhere on the opponent's body. Epee technique emphasizes timing, point control, and a good counter-attack.
 

Sabre: Sabres are a cutting and thrusting weapon, derived from calvary swords of the late 19th century. Sabre touches can be scored with the point and the edge anywhere above the opponent's waist. Sabre technique emphasizes speed, feints, and strong offense.

A picture paints a thousand words...

Fencing swords and target areas

A fencing bout takes place on a piste, which is a strip 2 meters wide and 14 meters long. Fencers line up either side of a mid-point at en-garde lines. Retreating off of the strip means a point for the opponent.

Once we had digested that info it was time to learn the stance of a fencer.

As I am right handed I adopted a stance with my right foot and right hand as lead. My feet positioned at a 90° angle, approx shoulder width apart with my front foot pointed directly ahead in the line I was looking to move in. The footwork is similar to that of a boxer, albeit with the lead hand / foot reversed, whereas a boxer will push off his stronger back foot and lead with his weaker hand, in fencing the opposite is true. (Then again a fencer doesn't have two weapons to hit with!)

The fencing stance and thrusting attack

The knees are slightly bent, the body upright to ensure stability and good balance. The front arm is extended, the non-fencing hand is held high behind the body. It wasn’t the most natural of poses but it felt right for the occasion.
 
After practicing our footwork and movements we finally got our hands on a foil to practice some sword work.  


The foil was light and flexible and once it was in my hand my mind was screaming at me to thrust and slash and slay invisible opponents like a great reincarnation of one of the Three Musketeers. Had I been alone with no judging eyes that’s exactly what would have happened, in reality the fear of embarrassment kept me in line with my classmates as we ran through the exercises. We practiced using the edge of the blade, thrusts forward to strike with the point and general control. Clashing foils together I could definitely see the allure of the sport, even at the basic level I was operating at.  


As we wrapped up the session I had worked up a sweat and gained some insight, but I was keen for more. Thankfully I got the opportunity to learn more from Olga and to see real fencers in action. The International class fencers began their session, hooked up to the electronic scoreboards, paired off and ready to duel.

 

The real deal: Yves Carnec (FRA)  V Martin Shields (IRL)

One of the guys I got speaking to was Ido Ajzenstadt, who has represented Israel. Ido was about to compete in a qualifier for London 2012, the top four will qualify – Ido is ranked fifth going into the event …Good luck Ido!! 

To see guys at the top of their game in full flow was amazing. They were demonstrating real agility, strength, and speed, along with cunning. Attacks are sudden and aggressive but very purposeful; there is a real craft to this sport. I heard fencing described as a game of chess with a blade, in other words - a thinking mans knife fight!

One other thing that struck me, they looked great …in earlier times white fencing clothing were worn to show when duelists drew first blood from their opponent and this clothing tradition is carried into modern fencing. There is something very classical about the look. 

In summary I can say fencing is a very fast-paced, challenging, modern sport. By its very nature a dueling sport holds a certain drama and excitement and this is certainly true of fencing. There is an almost romantic quality to it. I will definitely be tuning in for this event in London 2012, hopefully I’ll be seeing a familiar face on the piste in Ido.

Pembroke Fencing Club is based in St Clonleths College, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. See http://www.pembrokefencing.ie/ for more details. Many thanks to my instructor, Olga Velma, who is available for group or individual lessons for adults or kids.
 

See http://www.irishfencing.net/ for the website of the Irish Fencing Federation, the governing body of the sport in Ireland.

Challenge 1: Archery

Who knew the largest Archery club in Ireland is based in Tallaght!? 

Rule 1: Picture proof is essential. Look at that technique!

Being from Tallaght and having been "educated" in the school next to the complex that the Greenhills Archers club train in, this was a great starting point for my Olympic Challenge. The fact that I enjoyed the sport makes it all the better. 

Greenhills Archers are genuinely the largest Archery club in Ireland. Last year they boasted over 75 members - a mix of 10 to 60 year olds, male and female and all skill levels from absolute beginners (me on this occasion!) to Olympic hopefuls.

Archery looks a fairly simple sport, and when it’s done right, it is! But doing it right is not such an easy task. Before getting into the specifics of how you position your body (and there are many specifics), how you draw the bowstring, etc here’s a bit if background....

There are two main forms of Archery, the obvious difference between them is in the bow used. The first is Recurve - this is your classic curved bow, and the only one currently used in Olympic competition.


The second is Compound - a compound bow is a modern bow which requires less force in the drawback of the string and takes advantage of mechanical aids such as cams and a magnifying sight, it is less physically demanding. Compound Archery is due to be added to the Olympics in 2016.

The Recurve Bow - side on profile.

Straight away I knew I was a Recurve man. The compound bow is impressive but those childhood images of Robin Hood and William Tell didn’t include bows with cable and pulley systems. Recurve is the one for me! 

I got speaking to the number one Recurve Archer in the club, Jason Yourell. Jason is a full time Archer, he’s dreaming of making the London 2012 Olympics, unfortunately that is looking out of his reach right now but in this sport he will get plenty more opportunities.

There is currently no national range for Archers in Ireland, funding from the sports council is minimal and there is a lack of suitable indoor training facilities. But the biggest problem is the one outside of everyone’s control – the Irish weather.

Wind and rain are not the friend of an archer in practice or competition. So against this backdrop guys like Jason who make it to Ireland’s elite training squad have serious obstacles to overcome before it even comes to firing 300 or 400 arrows in a day’s practice sessions. 


In a sport requiring serious levels of discipline, it’s probably not all that surprising to hear that the Korean’s are the world’s best. They are untouchable in the sport and stories suggest they shoot 1000 arrows a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.



Dont mess with the Koreans!



It came time for me to have a go myself, and I had a personal tutor - Eric Kelly. Eric was very patient and showed me the basics, which I remember as:

1. Stance - feet shoulder width apart, standing square on, parallel to the target. Adopt a firm stance but not too rigid.
2. Load – Load the arrow to the string and get your fingers set – one above and two below the arrow.
3. Pre-draw – Rotate your head to the target, close your left eye to focus with your right eye. Take some tension in the bowstring, then begin to lift your bow arm and draw arm together
4. Aim and Draw – Set your eye on the target as you raise your bow and draw the string back until it touches your nose and your drawing hand rests under your chin.
5. Anchoring– A very brief hold in position to set your aim at the target – you want the movement to be as fluid as possible.
6. Release – Release your fingers on the draw hand and let the force of the string fire the arrow.
7. Relax - Hopefully you’ve hit the centre of target and have a suitably large grin on your face. Otherwise it’s the walk of shame to collect your arrow off the floor.


The picture below shows my early efforts, what you are looking for is “Grouping” – at the beginner stage it is better to have three arrows grouped together even if they are at the edge of the target rather than have one in the centre, one on the left and one on the right. Repetition is key!


I must admit, my target was about 10 meters away, at Olympic level the archer is 70 meters from the target.

The beauty about this sport in my eyes is that right from the get-go I was able to pick up a bow and hit the target. There’s a huge amount to learn if you want to get to a high level in the sport but to pick up a bow and fire an arrow at a target, regardless of the perfect technique - it feels natural, and very satisfying.

This is a sport with few barriers - age, physique, sex - these are not defining factors in who can be good at this sport. One would assume the cost of the equipment would be high but for a beginner archer joining a local club this isn’t a problem, everything is provided for a very small joining fee and only when you get to the high levels of competition are you considering spending 2,000 Euro on a top class bow engineered from carbon composites.

The best and most expensive bow will only eliminate error from the bow itself, not from the archer – so this isn’t a sport all about who can afford the best equipment.


Having attended two sessions with the club I can honestly say I have a greater appreciation for the sport. Anybody looking for a sport with an easy entry level, a massive scope for learning and improvement, and a good social element could do far worse then give Archery a go. It’s very enjoyable and gets a big thumbs up from me!


Greenhills Archers train every Wednesday night from 8.30 to 10.30pm in Tallaght Sports Complex, Dublin 24. The club are currently enrolling for a new beginners course, for more information see: www.greenhillsarchery.com/

http://archery.ie/site/ is the site of the national governing body of archery in Ireland.

To keep up to date with this blog click the "Join this site" button on the right hand side of the page. Blog link: http://olympicchallenge.blogspot.com/

A quick update...

There’s been lots of interest in this over the last couple of days, it’s been really positive, which is great!! It means I really want to follow through and do this right.

Wednesday night I started my training. For two hours solid I played “Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games” on Nintendo Wii. 

On Thursday morning reality hit and I realized that when I get myself on a track for real, when I’m at the start line for the 110meter hurdles, then my “training” of shaking a games controller furiously and pressing the A button every couple of seconds won’t do me much good.    

Also, it would be simple to just go play a game of table tennis with my mate (and my mate is good at table tennis!) or go run the 400 meters on the local track but I WANT A REAL INSIGHT FROM REAL EXPERTS...I want to blog, not blag!

It has to be a meaningful effort to find out what each sport is really about.  

With that in mind I’ve been busy making plans and contacting people / sporting bodies who can really help.

So, expect updates within days on the schedule of events and very soon I hope to be completing my first Olympic Challenge ...wheels are in motion, cogs are turning, the ball is rolling, or any other overused nonsense phrase to say that this is progressing.

To keep up to date you can click that “Follow” button over on the right -->>
And don't be afraid to forward this on. The link is: http://olympicchallenge.blogspot.com/

Anybody reading this who can help out / has relevant sporting contact please drop me a line. Cheers!

Brian's Olympic Challenge

This idea hit me this morning and it has me excited.

I love sports, all sports! I love watching them and I love playing them. I read about them and I talk about them all the time. As a kid I played Gaelic Football, I boxed for a few years, I cycle and I still play football (that's soccer if you are from America or rural Ireland).

I can’t wait for the Olympics in London this summer; I end up watching all sorts of events during the Olympics. Archery or Athletics, Diving or Weightlifting, bring it on!

BUT here’s the problem; I’ve only ever actually tried out a couple of the events myself ...so how can I truly appreciate them?

How can I really know how difficult it is nail that Triple Jump or to keep balance on the Beam if all I have ever done is watched it from the comfort of my couch?

The reality for me is I’m no longer a kid; I’m a 28 year old with average fitness and average sporting ability. I’ve never been exceptional at any sport yet and am not going to fulfill an Olympic dream on the track at this stage.

So, the idea: Between now and the opening ceremony of the London Olympics on 27th July 2012 I am going to try out as many Olympic sports as possible. I’ll blog about my experience of each one and educate myself (and any readers) a little on that sport

That’s the plan. That’s Brian’s Olympic Challenge. 

...One other thing on my mind is how did some of these Olympic athletes get a start in their sport? Sure, kids will play football on their road, a game of chasing shows you who runs fast, P.E will introduce you to a couple of random sports ...but how did the kid who was a natural Javelin thrower figure that out??

I was in clubs and grew up in a family that encouraged sports ...but I never got near a Javelin! or a Row Boat or Fencing equipment or any number of sports.

I don't know if it’s a class thing or the result of schooling / geography / climate / a million other things - I’m sure they are all factors. I do know it’s something as a society we need to do better. Maybe I could have been a world-class Fencer!

I have realistic outcomes here; my aim isn’t to discover a sport where I will be at Olympic qualifying standard or to become an expert in every aspect of a sport. I do expect to get a new appreciation for sport and a better understanding of each event.

By reading this blog maybe you can do the same …or just get a laugh at my attempts to conquer the Parallel Bars.

So, what’s first up? What Olympic event should I start off my challenge with???

The list of possibilities is here:  http://www.london2012.com/sport