Solent lecturer helps AFC Bournemouth gain promotion

AFC Bournemouth were near the relegation zone at the start of the season and hoping simply to stay in League One, but this season they have  broken club records for winning streaks and are being promoted to the NPower Championship. Matt Johnson, Senior Lecturer in sport psychology has been providing sport science support to AFC Bournemouth’s first team this season and is thrilled to be part of this success story.

Matt Johnson (second from the right) enjoys promotion success with AFCB

Matt plays a key part of the ‘team around the team’ at Bournemouth, attending training sessions once a week alongside the other background staff to produce the best player performances. He works with individual players on the training ground and also does group work with the team working on leadership, team spirit and dealing with the game pressure. “I love doing my job, I love helping people achieve their full potential and achieve their dreams and psychology is just part of that jigsaw, helping people to find that other gear”, Matt comments. “When they’re successful on the field I know I’ve played a little part in that and that’s where you get the buzz”

As a member of staff Matt builds rapport with players and develops their relationship to a level where he can help them work on the controllable factors in their performance. “It’s not all been easy and different players have different needs – it’s about working through the good and the bad and keeping the focus and professionalism.”

This fairy-tale story brings a huge change, to the players, to Bournemouth as a town and at a local level many will be inspired to get involved in sport or physical activity. There are also great opportunities for Solent to provide students with more real world employment experiences through such collaborations - our graduates are already working with AFC Bournemouth’s academy, supporting up and coming players and current students shadow Matt in his work.

The collaboration promises to increase in the future and Matt will continue to work with the team to overcome their next big challenge of staying up in the Championship and invite players to use the extensive facilities we have at Solent for pre-season preparations. Solent also works closely with football clubs in Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Southampton with different staff involved in each project.

AFC Bournemouth at Solent for pre season preparations.

Health, Exercise and Sport Science students studying on the Applied Sport Science and Sports Coaching degrees got the opportunity to help out as AFC Bournemouth got put through their paces as part of their pre-season preparations.

The team was assessed at Solent’s centre for Health, Exercise and Sport Science under the scrutiny of Dr Stewart Bruce-Low, Laboratory Director and Senior Lecturer in sport and exercise science. As part of the process, all players undertook a VO₂ max text, to determine the maximum volume of oxygen that can be utilized during maximal exercise.

AFC Bournemouth's Steve Fletcher at the start of the test.

This is the third year AFC Bournemouth has taken advantage of the facilities at Solent which is one of many opportunities for students on the Applied Sport Science and Sports Coaching degree's to gain experience to bolster their CVs throughout their degree program. The AFC Bournemouth Manager Lee Bradbury outlined "We have an excellent relationship with Solent University and using these facilities, with the expert help from staff and students, is a key part of our pre-season planning"

As well as carrying out their pre-season preparations, AFC Bournemouth were also put through their paces by second year Applied Sport Science student Jameson Mola, as part of his dissertation. Jameson, who successfully secured an internship at AFC Bournemouth, is looking at optimal programmes to develop muscular strength and power during the short pre-season turn around.

Jameson is looking at recovery time between exercises whilst carrying out complex training which allows players to reap the maximal benefits from the minimal amount of time spent in the gym, thus giving them more time to focus on the technical aspect of the game.

The research, conducted under the supervision of Dr Stewart Bruce-Low, and under the guidance of Head Sports Scientist and Associate Lecturer at Solent Louis Langdown involved the players performing a three repetition maximum squat (strength exercise) and a counter movement jump (power exercise). The data, collected at the centre for Health, Exercise and Sport Science biomechanics laboratory will be analysed to determine players peak power output, jump height and rate of force development. The results could impact on the way AFC Bournemouth train in the future