SAQ® International visits Manchester United

Alan Pearson & Michael Carrick

SAQ® International Managing Director Alan Pearson recently visited Manchester United’s training ground to install a second batch of the revolutionary rehabilitation and training surface, Aerofloor®.

Whilst there, Alan also caught up with old friend and England midfielder, Michael Carrick (pictured), who he coached during his time at West Ham United, as he explained.

“It was fantastic to visit one of the biggest clubs in the world. Everybody at Manchester United is top class, from the staff at the door to the coaches and players. It was great to catch up with Michael Carrick. We used to hold extra SAQ® sessions before training at West Ham and Michael always used to come in for them. He is a very committed trainer, a great professional and a fantastic ambassador for football.”

SAQ® Shortlisted For Northwest Football Award

SAQ® International has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Professional Services to Football Award at this year’s Northwest Football Awards.

The Northwest Football Awards celebrates the achievements of the region’s 23 professional clubs, including Manchester United and Manchester City, and this year takes place at Lancashire County Cricket Club on Monday 12th November.

SAQ® has been nominated alongside international law firm, Pinsent Masons, and the Manchester-based George Davies Solicitors.
SAQ® has provided a range of professional services to football clubs in the North West for over 16 years, as many of the region’s teams, including Manchester United, Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool, Preston North End and Everton, have regularly sent their coaching staff to qualify as SAQ® Trainers.

During a recent meeting with Everton Football Club, the club’s sports science and medical staff commented to SAQ staff that SAQ® International had fundamentally changed the way footballers physically prepare for the modern game.

In the past 12 months SAQ® International has developed a new innovative, state of the art rehabilitation and training equipment called ‘Aerofloor’, which has been introduced at Manchester United, Manchester City and Everton to assist with their medical, rehabilitation, training and conditioning protocols.

In fact, SAQ® International Managing Director, Alan Pearson, recently visited Manchester United’s Carrington training ground to install a second batch of Aerofloor®.

Alan, who is pictured installing the floor and catching up with United and England midfielder, Michael Carrick, who he coached during his time at West Ham United, spoke of his pride at SAQ® being nominated for the Professional Services to Football Award at the 2012 Northwest Football Awards and the recent trip to Manchester United.

“We are very excited to be nominated for the award. It is a really positive pat on the back for SAQ® International and all of the work we’ve done with Premier League, Football League and amateur clubs all over the country and particularly in the north west region where we’ve enjoyed a great working relationship with a number of the clubs. We are looking forward to attending the awards and are hopeful about our chances.

“It was fantastic to visit one of the biggest clubs in the world recently. Manchester United always make us feel very welcome and everybody at the club is top class, from the staff at the door to the coaches and players. It was great to catch up with Michael Carrick who I worked with at West Ham. He is one of the best players that I’ve worked with and I’ve followed his career ever since. We used to hold extra SAQ sessions before training at West Ham and Michael always used to come in for them. He is a very committed trainer, a great professional and a fantastic ambassador for football.”

For more information on SAQ® International and Aerofloor® visit our website.

SAQ® International & Aerofloor Success

SAQ International has spent two years developing the Aerofloor which uses special fabrics to take pressure off the users joints while simultaneously increasing their heartbeat.

The product has already been purchased by top premiership football clubs such as Manchester United, Manchester City, Stoke and Sunderland along with Saracens rugby club and Australian rugby league team Canberra Raiders.

Now, SAQ founder Alan Pearson believes it could take the health and fitness industry by storm.
Mr Pearson developed the product with Pete Friar, formerly head physiotherapist at Sunderland football club and sports science expert.

"We knew the products were fantastic but it's great other people are realising it too," said Mr Pearson.
"This could be used in front of the TV and would be great for people who are obese, or older women with osteoporosis."
SAQ carry out sports training projects in various parts of the world, including ones that coach children in South African townships and have received praise from the country's government.

Former Manchester United strength and conditioning coach Mick Clegg has installed the Aerofloor at the gym he owns in Manchester. Members at the gym include Blackpool goalkeeper Matt Gilks and taekwondo world champion Aaron Cook.

Mr Clegg said: "The main thing I've wanted Aerofloor for is rehab for any sort of leg injury. One of the big problems for athletes is the amount of pounding their joints receive during training."

Lean more about  SAQ® International and the Aerofloor®

SAQ® Presents Awards to Namibian Biokinetics Association

Dr Andrew McKune, an Associate Professor of Exercise Science in the College of Health Sciences and Advanced Trainer for Speed, Agility and Quickness (SAQ®) International presented two awards to over 50 delegates of the Namibian Biokinetics Association following the success of the training programme in South Africa.

The Performance Movement and the Special Needs (Children) awards are the first of their kind in Namibia, where McKune is also supervising two candidates who are pursuing a Masters and PhD qualification. 

Read the full article from The University of Kwazulu-Natal.

SAQ® International in Clairefontaine

The worldwide appeal of SAQ® International continues to grow as the Melton-based company attended Clairefontaine, the French Football Federation’s headquarters, to deliver theoretical and practical sessions on the SAQ principals.

Arnaud Bruchard, Head of Kinesport, invited SAQ® International Managing Director, Alan Pearson, to spend the weekend at Clairefontaine. During a two-day period, Alan provided coaching drills and lectures, as the Kinesport representatives enjoyed an intensive SAQ® award, which also included a written exam.

Click here to read the full article in Soar Magazine

'English Footballers Are Not Second Rate' says coaching expert Alan Pearson

English footballers are not second rate and in many ways the English game is a global leader, a leading Leicestershire coaching innovator claims. Alan Pearson is the founder of SAQ International, based in Melton Mowbray, which has developed a training system adopted by the leading football clubs around the world.

 He believes English football is not playing second fiddle to the Spanish, French, German or Italian games, and said it is English techniques like his own Speed Agility and Quickness programme that are being sought around the world.

Read the full article in This is Leicestershire

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Leicester School Using SAQ® Principles To Improve Focus, Behaviour & Results

A school in Leicester is using the techniques of SAQ® International to transform the lives of children with a wide range of learning difficulties and disabilities.

West Gate School, a special school for pupils aged from 4 to 19-years-old, has been using SAQ® techniques since 2003, when the school was known as Piper Way School. It is currently the only school in Leicester to have a member of staff dedicated to delivering the practises of SAQ®.

The pupils have extremely wide-ranging physical and learning disabilities, including autism, epilepsy and Down’s syndrome. Each child is assessed individually and given their own unique SAQ® program.

Each pupil is observed with various elements being assessed, such as posture, head position, balance, joint movement, multi-directional movement and coordination.

Targets are set and a yearly term plan is devised, containing key learning objectives to accompany a weekly plan. Each child has at least one 30 minute, individually tailored one on one session a week.

Read the full article in Soar Magazine here

SAQ® Online Sports College

SAQ® Online Sports College has expanded the number of courses available by adding a course devoted to coaching young athletes from birth to 20 years of age and our recent addition is a Diploma in Sports Team Management which will be launched with the next intake of students.

The next intake is Wednesday 13th June 2012. All prospective students can enrol now.

SAQ® International in Namibia

SAQ® International has held its first Training Awards in Namibia, Africa.

After the recent success of the programme in South Africa, SAQ® advanced trainer and Associate Professor at the University of Kwazulu-Natal, Dr. Andrew McKune visited the neighbouring country to present 2 PSM and SEM Awards to open 50 delegates of the Namibian Bio Kinetic Association.

This has generated great interest in Namibia with the potential of the programme being introduced to schools across the country.
 

SAQ® International Backed in South African Parliament

SAQ® International have recently been mentioned and recommended in South African Parliament during a Human Rights debate discussing ‘Children and Youths in Modern Democracy’.

Mark Wiley, Community Safety, Cultural Affairs and Sport lead for the opposition Democratic Alliance party, presented information about the positive effects that SAQ® International’s Early Movement coaching principles are having on primary schools in townships within the country’s Western Cape.

Mr Wiley is a champion of The Mass Participation Programme (MPP) that aims to give as many children as possible the opportunity to participate in regular sports activities and develop life skills through sports programs.

Melton-based SAQ® International has 21 full-time and part-time instructors working in South Africa and they all come from the areas involved in a pilot project being carried out in the Fish
Hoek Valley and Hout Bay areas, near to Cape Town.

Read the full article here

Former Leicester City FC Winger Endorses SAQ®

Former Leicester City winger Matt Piper is the latest football coach to give his backing to SAQ® International.

Piper is familiar with the SAQ® principles since his early days at Leicester City, when SAQ® Managing Director, Alan Pearson, visited the club’s Belvoir Drive training facility.

Now a coach with Leicester City’s under 15 team, Matt talked about how the SAQ® techniques benefited his career.

“SAQ® massively helped my game, with everything; speed, quickness and agility and that’s why I kept up with it. From the youngsters that I’ve coached through to the adult teams, I always try to implement SAQ® into my training schedule.”

To read the full article in Soar Magazine click here.

SAQ® International – Football Focus

SAQ® International and the company’s Managing Director, Alan Pearson, have worked extensively with some of the world’s elite professional football clubs, including reigning Champions League winners, Barcelona, Premier League giants Arsenal and four-time European Champions, Bayern Munich. The SAQ® ‘P’ License Award is also a core requisite at most English Premier League clubs...

To read the full article click here

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SAQ® College

Enrol Today for an April start!

SAQ Online Sports College is now open for enrolment. Courses begin on Wednesday 11th April, but you can register TODAY for any one of our superb sports diplomas.

SAQ® International is recognised as an approved NCFE Centre and is licensed by Skills Active as a REPS Training Provider.
Our Distance Learning courses are a fantastic resource for all sports men and women seeking to gain a professional sports qualification. Plus, you can study alongside existing work or social commitments and you can study from the comfort of your own home.

View the full range of courses available at www.saqsportscollege.com
"The SAQ® Online Sports College football-related diplomas are the ultimate way to increase your knowledge on how to improve your player and team performance and they have made it so easy to access. No overnight stays, petrol expenses... Learn from the comfort of your own home." Steve Lomas - Manchester City, West Ham United, Northern Ireland, St. Johnstone Manager
"I highly recommend the SAQ® International football-specific diplomas. SAQ® training, education and equipment are the leaders in the field, in fact miles ahead. I should know; I use it all as part of my coaching on a daily basis." Gary Breen - West Ham United, Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Coventry City
"SAQ® educational awards are a great resource for football coaches and I recommend them to all non-league coaches, managers and trainers." Steve Palmer -Ipswich Town, Watford, Tottenham Hotspur academy, Watford backroom staff

Pick your course now at www.saqsportscollege.com

Virgin Active – Active Academy Powered by SAQ® Training

SAQ® International are delighted to announce an exciting new collaboration with Virgin Active Health Clubs.

Beginning in September, 7 clubs around the country will be running a new and engaging SAQ® designed Fundamental Movement & Fitness Programme specifically aimed at the 10 to 15 year old membership.

The Project is the brainchild of Club V Development Manager Jane Whittingham and SAQ® Training Director David Hawkins.

With over 30,000 Junior members, the development of youth lifestyles and health and fitness is an ongoing priority for Virgin Active.

Once the pilot has been successfully completed it is intended that it should roll out across more than 60 clubs nationwide.

Photographed are the handpicked team of the most enthusiastic and inspirational Virgin Active Trainers who attended two days of intensive training in Nottingham.

SAQ® VETS Glasses focus Canberra Raiders

SAQ® International's unique VETS Sports Vision Glasses are being used by Australian rugby league side Canberra Raiders to help improve their skills, particularly their long-range passing and catching.

Canberra Raiders coach Dave Furner commented, "It's not really for peripheral vision, it's more for depth perception and hand-eye coordination. Basically, it's resistance training for your eyes."

The VETS Glasses are designed to offer unique training benefits, including:

Improving the ability to judge the speed and distance of objects
Developing the ability to maintain concentration and attention
Improving movement of hands and body in response to visual stimuli
Enhancing the ability to look from near to far and vice versa without 'visual blur'
Improving the ability to track moving objects

Raiders player, Terry Campese, commented, "They do work - I don't think any of us have dropped a ball after we've had them on".

VETS Glasses are available for purchase via the SAQ Online Store, or by calling +44(0)1664 810101.

To read the full news article, please visit The Canberra Times website.

Sports Stars Endorse SAQ® International

Two experienced sportsmen have added to the weight of professional endorsement behind Melton-based company, SAQ® International.

Former Republic of Ireland captain, Gary Breen, praised SAQ® and Managing Director, Alan Pearson.

"I worked with Alan at West Ham and Sunderland. When Alan introduced the programme at West Ham we went on an incredible run, getting 22 points from 11 games. I felt quicker, faster and really loved the training."

Dave Furner, a coach with the Australian rugby league team, also gave his backing: "I have used the SAQ programme for many years and, undoubtedly, it makes a massive difference to performance."

Independent Research supports SAQ® Training

There has been more research conducted that supports the positive benefits of SAQ® training.

The University of Zagreb in Croatia performed an experiment to evaluate the effects of using the training methods on young footballers and concluded that 'The SAQ® training program appears to be an effective way of improving some segments of power performance in young soccer players'. View the results of this independent study.

In a seperate study, as reported on 'Science In Football', after 8 weeks of SAQ® training, football players showed:

2.1% improvement in 5m time
3.7% improvement in 10m run
1% improvement in counter-movement jump

No such improvement was displayed in a control group of players, who did not use SAQ® training. Read the full details.

If you would like to discuss your training requirements, please get in touch.