How to Support a Champion: The art of applying science to the elite athlete

by Steve Ingham

If you are contemplating working with a champion, a potential champion, or anyone with untapped talent - be prepared, be very prepared. In 1998 Sir Steve Redgrave stared at Ingham and demanded to know, "Are you going to make me go faster?" Ingham had been trained and developed as a scientist, but in that single instance he questioned everything he thought he knew. Applied science in elite sport has boomed. Science has radically changed elite sport, but one thing remains as the guiding focus - the summit of performing to your best and winning. This applies to the athlete, the coaches and increasingly for the applied practitioner. In this book Ingham draws on the lessons learned from a career in the intense, unforgiving rollercoaster of elite sport; helping, supporting and developing some of the best athletes in the world, including Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Matthew Pinsent, Hayley Tullett, Kelly Sotherton, and Jessica Ennis-Hill as they pursue their goals. His journey shows that all the knowledge in the world will get you only so far, but it is with trust, team-work, critical thinking, adaptability, accountability and altruism that you can truly support a champion.

286 pages, Paperback

Published May 15, 2016

Reviews

[Chris Nash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably the hardest book to rate in a long time. The content of this book is excellent, and if I was rating solely on that it would be an easy 5 stars. However, first and foremost the book feels like it hasn’t been proofread, with multiple errors of both grammar and language. Also, whilst I loved the first 2/3rds (where it’s related to real life stories) I got a bit lost in the final couple of chapters. Worth persevering through though - the content itself is excellent.

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has an autobiographical feel to it, and the real-life examples allow knowledge to be applied in the right context and provide an insight into the high-performance sports world. The majority of the lessons occur in the first 6-chapters and these lessons then condescend into a recap at the end of the book.

[Vinay Babla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent

Good and helpful in parts but also very descriptive of different events and I found myself getting bored reading them. I think the author was going down memory lane a bit too much with his recalling of stories and should've answered the title of the book better.

[James Bateman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not baaaddd

[Steve Chilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve Ingham gives a great insight into sports science, and what it can bring to sporting performance. He also writes of his work with some world class performers, admitting that he was learning from them as much as vice versa. As an athletics coach this helped me focus on areas of potential improvement by identifying some of the important things an athlete (and coach) needs to work on to perform to their very best.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for anyone looking to support high performers - not only in the sporting world. I highly recommend the read. Only give it four instead of five because of the writing style - not how I would have preferred to read it, but the content is there and in a very digestible format. Read this book!

[Irene Chooi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heard the interview with the author on the Purple Patch podcast and searched for the book immediately. I found it insightful and very interesting, even for someone like me who is not a coach. Must read for anyone interested in becoming a coach or who just want to know what makes an athlete tick.

[Cesar Leao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muito prático para quem está a iniciar-se no acompanhamento de atletas.