World Footy News

The US Revolution are hoping for a strong showing at the International Cup in August, and one man hoping to give them every chance of bringing home the cup is professional strength and fitness coach Troy Anderson.
World Footy News speaks with Anderson to give some insight into how the Revolution are shaping up.

WFN: So Troy, what's your own background regarding Australian football and what role do you play specifically in the Revolution team setup?

Anderson: I play for a metro side here in Phoenix, Arizona as well as for the Arizona Hawks. I am in my fourth season of playing; with a lot of 'practicing what I preach', I am still able play with the upcomers here. I view my role is primarily behind the scenes, a “secret weapon” of sorts - I mean, if I had to guess, I don’t think too many of the other teams would have a professional strength and conditioning coach working with them. I want to help build the players' physical attributes to the highest level possible, so that the other coaches can put them in action. The players need to be able to physically do everything the skill coaches ask of them.

WFN: If your field of interest is fitness, maybe talk us through a typical session for the Revolution?

Anderson: Interestingly enough, all of the fitness sessions that I have been involved with to date have been on-line via providing educational material and training programs or via telephone and e-mail coaching. So far this seems to have worked pretty well and the guys seem to be getting good results. Obviously, working with them in a small group or one-on-one environment would be great, but because everyone is so spread out this is my next best option. I have a worked with a few of the local guys one-on-one and will be meeting a few more of them in the upcoming training camp here.

WFN: What selection criteria do the Revolution work to in selecting players?

Anderson: I am not be the best person ask about this as I don’t play much of a role in the selection process, but my intuition tells me being able to accurately kick to a target while on the run is probably the most important aspect. As far as the role strength and conditioning play, it can be basically summed up as “fatigue makes cowards out of all of us”, meaning that if a player’s conditioning is lacking or he is getting pounded on by his opponent it will eventually have an adverse effect on his skills. Thus, being well conditioned and strong will allow his skills to shine during the selection process.

WFN: How do you think the US rate against other sides warming up for the cup?

Anderson: I will play this one pretty close to the vest, no bulletin board material out of me. However, I will say that as an USA footy player and fan of the game I will watching and hoping for a good outcome during all of the US matches.