ABOUT US - LATEST NEWS, ARTICLES, BLOGS, PODCASTS, RANELL HOBSON, ASSA COACHES, RECOMMENDATIONS
Regardless of the sport, the ability to rapidly and efficiently accelerate, decelerate, change direction and move a body segment or the entire body rapidly is a nearly universal and essential element of success.
At the Academy of Sport Speed and Agility we focus on perfecting the explosive acceleration that gets you to the ball first, or allows you to hit the line at your maximum speed possible.
Training Director Ranell Hobson is a highly respected figure in the world of speed coaching, with over 25 years of experience. She is the founder and Head Coach at the Academy of Sport Speed Australia (ASSA), specializing in sprint mechanics and strength and conditioning for speed. Her programs are used across various sports, including athletics, netball, soccer, rugby, and basketball, to help athletes maximize their performance through explosive speed, agility, and injury prevention.
Hobson holds a Master's degree in Sport Coaching and a Bachelor's degree in Sport Science & Coaching. She is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and an ASCA Elite Level 3 coach. She has been recognized for her expertise by prestigious organizations like the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association, which awarded her the Performance Development Coach of the Year in 2019.
An accomplished athlete in her own right, Hobson has competed internationally in Masters track events, winning multiple medals, including world championships in the 60m sprint. She was also part of the Australian W35 team that set a world record in the 4x100m relay.
In addition to coaching, Hobson is a frequent presenter at international conferences and offers educational courses for coaches and athletes worldwide. Her work is widely respected, earning her praise from elite sports organizations such as Arsenal FC and international sports scientists.
She has an international reputation for excellence in this field that grows every day.
The ASSA training system has been designed for progressive athletic development in speed mechanics, acceleration and force production (strength) to make you run faster, for longer.
Based upon decades of experience and world-class research, we specialise in youth long term development for explosive sport speed and reduction in injury through perfect movement mechanics.
The programs are a huge success for all field and court based sports players aged 9 and above and are easily implemented into your pre or post season training plans.
Ranells Latest Blogs / Articles
TRAINING FOR SPEED IN SOCCER – NECESSITY AND TRAINING
By Ranell Hobson CSCS Sprinting skills of soccer players is becoming of vital importance as the game and the players are becoming faster (Haugen et al, 2014; Wallace & Norton, 2014) and the amount of sprinting required within a game is ever increasing (Andrzejewski, et al. 2013; Di Salvo et al, 2010). Straight line acceleration…
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COMPONENTS OF SUCCESS IN THE 100M SPRINT
Traditional Phases of the 100m The 100m sprint has four distinct phases that should be addressed by the coach – the start, the acceleration phase, the transition phase and the maximum velocity phase (Winkleman, 2009). The acceleration out of the blocks is depicted by a piston action of the legs (triple extension of the hips,…
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UNDERSTANDING SPEED IN THE MODERN GAME OF NETBALL
By Ranell Hobson The game of Netball comprises of explosive short acceleration, vertical propulsion, catching, passing, defending and shooting where a team’s success is largely dependent on their ability to maintain and take possession of the ball and accurately shoot to score points. In the modern game, Netballers accelerate, sprint, decelerate, stop, change direction and…
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CAN I GET FASTER?
Speed is a complex component of athleticism, but one that EVERYONE WANTS. The pillars of explosive Speed are: SPRINT TECHNIQUE Sprint Technique – Athletes who apply the most force relative to body mass and in the right direction, are faster athletes. Without efficient sprinting technique you lose a lot of force as energy leaks. Athletes…
Read MoreRanell's Podcasts (Excellent knowledge sharing, tips and advice)
In this episode Ranell discusses:
- The importance of increasing strength through peak weight velocity in female athletes.
- How she integrates strength training on the track, pitch and court.
- When to focus on strength/power and when to back off during the menstrual cycle.
- How she organises her training programs within a squad of female athletes according to their cycles.
- The opportunities to get better at the individual details within a team context.
Today we talk about the pillars of speed every athlete should be strengthening, and every coach should be studying, ensuring athletes stay injury free with correct technique, amongst other points in this effervescent discussion.
A coach who isn’t out to steal your S&C job, and only wants to make you look good by way of strong and fast athletes, Ranell brightened our podcast room the moment she joined us, and we’re excited to share this interview with you all."
In this relaxed interview from 2020 with LANSW, Ranell discusses and shares her :
- Favourite coaching moments
- Core coaching beliefs
- Strength training for young athletes
- Scheduling strength training into a busy program
- Running technique instruction and cues
- Training loads for young athletes
- Recommended readings and podcasts
- Strength of speed development
- Coaching arms
- Best tips for beginner coaches
- Future coaching plans.
All within 38 minutes.
ASSA Recommendations :
Products We Use By Choice.
“Trainer Roller and Recoil 360 Bungee ”
SKLZ Australia
Always found in Ranell's coaching kit and used EVERY session - Acceleration Trainer, Recoill 360 Bungee, Mini-Bands and Accu-balls. They should be in yours too !!!
For all of your speed and agility equipment needs.
We use SKLZ equipment for all of our practical sessions in courses or when training in the Academy. We have found this equipment to be without flaw and more than equal to the demands that Ranell’s programs place upon them.
Whether foam-rolling before or after a session, creating resistance through use of their Recoil 360 bungee, or challenging the athletes with drills involving the mini-hurdles, SKLZ equipment has always performed at the highest level.
The company statement is below:
“SKLZ offers a wide selection of training equipment and programs to hone and fine-tune your athletic training for any sport. We offer performance training equipment specially designed to increase your speed, vertical jump, strength, agility, flexibility and increase your responsiveness. As well many products will support your muscle maintenance program and help to work on your soft tissue.
You can warm-up with our Mini-Bands and the variety of our Barrel Rollers, train with our innovative Speed Hurdles, Quick Ladders and for example Super Sandbag and afterwards you recover with the Massage Bar and various Accu products like the AccuBall or the AccuStrap that will help you recover quicker.”
To compete effectively in the world’s most popular sports, you need well-trained skills, plenty of practice and in-depth knowledge of the game. That is where SKLZ comes in. We offer the most advanced training equipment because we are passionate about innovation. Our training products can help you refine your talents, develop an effective training routine, and sharpen your unique skills to a fine edge. ”
Fluid X - One Aqua Bag Unlimited Workout Possibilities
We have a CODE for you - ASSA10 gets you 10% off your order !!!!
Ranell met Wendy at the Asian Fitness Conference in Bangkok in 2022 when she needed aquabags and similar equipment to help with her presentation on "Integrated Strength Co-ordination Training" which was happily supplied.
Ranell loved using the equipment and after spending more time talking with Wendy and her team it was obvious that they shared common beliefs on quality of product and how to best use it in a training environment.
As with all of our recommended products featured on our website, they are items that we use ourselves either in our personal or coaching environment and are recommended wholeheartedly. We have personally used the items, met the people behind the scenes and am very happy to work with them into the future with full confidence.
Futher information taken from the website :
"The Fluid X is the accessible aqua bag training exercise equipment for fun, portable, and effective resistance and instability training workouts, delivering Hong Kong and worldwide."
Their story from the website :
"Sister team Wendy and Winnie Cheung are serial entrepreneurs who share a love of fitness, startups and swoon-worthy K-drama. When the pandemic hit and the gyms closed, the sisters went from training at the gym nearly everyday to training at home. Wendy especially missed the community and camaraderie at the gym: a place where nobody talked politics, and everybody supported each other to get stronger on their fitness journeys.
Feeling a bit bored of the usual home workouts, Wendy was introduced to aqua bag training and was immediately inspired and motivated by the versatility, challenge, and fun of the fitness product. Thus the vision for the Fluid X was born: a community of trainers and fitness enthusiasts who come together for fun and challenging workouts. Together, we can move past our differences and focus on the basics: a healthy, vibrant life."
Recovery Systems - 3 day delivery to Australia
Recovery Systems supercharges recovery by using active compression to accelerate the body´s healing and recovery process by eliminating metabolic waste, decrease inflammation and speed up the delivery of nutrients for repair to the muscles faster than any traditional mode of recovery, massage or rest alone.
If you haven't tried our intermittent pneumatic compression device to increase your circulation, you're missing out! We'll make you feel fresher, faster, better!
Recovery Systems uses active compression to speeds up the bodies natural recovery process by accelerating the elimination of the waste and the healing process for recovery and gains faster than any traditional mode of recovery, compression socks, massage or rest alone.
In other words – out with the bad, in with the good.
Ranell getting some Recovery in between Expro2019 Sessions
