With the current 2020 MLS season on pause, the New York Red Bulls’ coaches, staff and players have no choice but to train from home. This will be a time for them to try new things, but to also stay active and ready for when everything returns to normalcy.
Strength and Conditioning Coach Tony Jouaux shared with us what he has been up to in recent weeks:
How has this experience been for you, scheduling workouts with players you can’t see in person?
"My job has changed dramatically, and I have become a virtual trainer in some ways. I send daily programs to each player and have daily communication with them. They report their wellness, sleep quality before training, and they will report the difficulty of training after the session. It's been really important to our club to obtain data and check on our players daily to make sure their energy and mood are good. Some of our players live alone, and this time is long without family with them. On top of the running exercises they have to do, we meet three times per week through a live session to do our strength work; it's been a great way to connect and see their faces. It brings me a smile every time I see their faces."
What are the things you are specifically working on?
"At first, we treated these periods almost like a regular week of training in-season. We matched players' training loads with what they usually do for a regular week. After getting information that the league will start later than we previously thought, we shifted our plan toward something close to an offseason program, where we now focus on strength development and aerobic fitness. These two physical components will be key to be able to play three games per week on a regular basis if we end up playing a full season. As a staff, we are also planning what training will look like once we’re back. It will be important to be efficient with our training leading up to the first game. We could train for a short time before our first game; we don't know that."
What have been the challenges that you’ve faced?
"The biggest challenge from a training standpoint is planning training sessions without having an end date to it. It's such an unknown timeline that we are moving forward and developing our players without knowing our game schedule. It's such a unique process. On the other end, things are changing quickly, players used to have access to soccer fields or parks and are now restricted to run on the streets or grass areas they may find. We sent our players all of our bikes from the facility because some of them can't even get outside anymore. We are looking at different creative ways to keep them in shape."
When you’re not chatting with the players, what are you doing with your time available?
"That's an easy one. I spend time with my wife and my three-year old son. Family, training sessions and training reports are keeping me busy during this time. I have been speaking with other coaches from around the world to share training ideas. Lastly, I look for online seminars to keep learning about the best training methods we could use."
Message to the supporters:
"Players have been fully committed to their training regimen. I have been impressed with the way they have been handling themselves. We also provided our players equipment (bands, bikes, soccer balls...) to make sure we are creating the best training conditions for them. With the work that they have put so far, I'm fully confident that they will be physically ready for whatever schedule the league will decide."
