Pre-season training well under way

The Western Storm squad have been back in for pre-season training over the last few weeks.

We caught up with Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach, Ian Fisher recently to discuss the importance of this part of the year.

“Pre-season training is going really well,” he explained. “The girls have been back for six weeks now, and they’ve all been working really hard. At the moment, we’re training four days a week and it’s a pretty tough physical programme. On Monday’s we do our speed and strength work at Clifton Rugby Club, on Tuesday’s we do some more strength work, on Wednesday’s we do some track work at Newport, and we’re back at Clifton again on Fridays. They’re also doing some yoga and some robustness sessions.

Why is pre-season so important?

“First and foremost, our pre-season work is about getting the players in a position where they are ready for everything that cricket throws at them in the summer. Pre-season is a bit different from when I was a player! All of our players are really invested in how they can develop the physical side of their game. They genuinely understand how that is connected to their success as cricketers. We’ve got a great group who work extremely hard and are really supportive of each other. It’s a pleasure to be able to lead the physical element of Western Storm.

“I see strength & conditioning as playing a highly important role in players having a successful season. We are trying to ensure that our players are healthy and are giving our coaches the opportunity to pick from as many fit players as possible. Therefore, ensuring that our players are strong, fit and robust is key to having a competitive advantage. We want our players to be impacting games through their physicality, whether that be an amazing piece of fielding, athleticism or through ball striking, that’s all underpinned by the work that we’re doing at the moment.

“The foundations of athleticism are mainly built through strength, coordination, power and speed. That’s what we are looking to achieve through a number of programmes, not just the gym. We want our players to be strong, but I don’t want them to be the best athletes in the gym, I want them to be the best cricketers that they can be. The goal of S&C is the transfer of really good speed, strength and power into outstanding cricket. It’s about underpinning the cricket skills with incredibly sound foundations of strength and conditioning.”

What makes Western Storm so special?

“One of the things that we do really well at Western Storm is that our players understand their responsibilities as representatives of the women’s game and as role models. They also understand the importance of creating the right culture within the organisation. That’s what makes this a very attractive place for people to come as a player or a coach. We all want to represent Western Storm and therefore the whole region to the very best of our ability.

“The region is large, and that’s part of the challenge. We see the size of the region as a massive strength for us because it means that we have a big and diverse talent pool to work with. It takes a lot of hard work by a lot of dedicated people to pull everything together, and people like Jack Bradbury do a fantastic job with everything to do with the Pathway.

“We’ve got another great S&C Coach here in Natasha Morton who heads up the Pathway programme. She delivers excellent work there and it develops an excellent foundation for our players of the future. It’s extremely important that I have a clear understanding of my role in helping Tash deliver that across the region. That is something that I really enjoy doing. I love going across the whole region and visiting our various hubs. It’s great to see the players that could be the future of Western Storm.”

How did Ian end up at Storm?

“Before joining Storm, I was self-employed and working in Yorkshire. I was then in Pakistan when I saw the role was available, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity for me. I know the region well because I used to live in Bristol when I played for Gloucestershire. Women’s cricket is on the rise and it’s an exciting time to be involved in the game. The West Country is a region that my wife and I love, so it just seemed like the perfect fit.

“I feel that being an ex pro means that I have a good idea of how players and coaches can connect positively. I can understand the players as cricketers, and I know what demands they are facing. Having played the game isn’t the be all and end all, but I think it helps my connection to the players and coaches.”

What does the future hold for Western Storm?

“There’s a huge amount of ambition from top to bottom and it’s that ambition that’s really drawn me to be here. We are definitely on the right path towards where we think Western Storm can go. It’s a great organisation to be involved with and I’m enjoying everything about it. There’s an incredible togetherness between the players, coaches and everyone involved. It’s as good an environment as I’ve ever experienced.”