http://www.northampton-news-hp.co.uk/Sport/Cobblers/Boothroyd-looks-to-future-with-sports-science-improvements-12042012.htmAidy Boothroyd is determined to forge better links with organisations in the area that ensure Northampton Town do not miss out on benefitting from the latest sports science developments.
English football has, perhaps, been slower than other European nations on the uptake when it comes to realising the benefits in spending time focusing on player fitness and injury reduction techniques.
That is all changing under the new generation of managers such as Boothroyd, with most clubs now having their own fitness coaches, or in some cases whole strength and conditioning departments.
But the Cobblers boss is also keen to glean knowledge from other sports. He has spent time observing training at the Leeds Rhinos rugby league team, and soon after taking his current job he met with Northampton Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder to swap ideas.
Boothroyd is in no doubt that Town have failed to make the most of these opportunities in the past, and while they may not yet have their own equivalent of AC Milan’s renowned medical research facility he aims to at least ensure that they can utilise some of those in Northampton.
"We've got some fantastic facilities and organisations that we don't link with like Northampton University and the colleges around the place,” said Boothroyd.
“We don't have enough contact with them. We've got a top rugby union team not even half a mile away from us and we don't speak to them enough, and they are the best at their level.
“We're talking about the Manchester United of rugby union, and we don't speak to them enough.
“We've been a little island and you've got to have like minded people working with like minded people and getting best practise from all over.
“We've got a big sports science place up at Moulton College and we need to be getting involved with that so that we can tap the benefits of that.
“That way everybody will get something out of it; the students will be able to work at a local team and also we'll be able to get the best of the cutting edge stuff that is out there."
He has already started to get things moving within the club as well following the appointment of sports scientist Craig Smith from Championship side West Ham United.Smith started work at Sixfields on Monday and straight away has been tasked with ensuring the squad are in a much better shape physically when they return after the summer break.Boothroyd said: "Part of what we do as a staff is to make sure that we have got a good support system in place - particularly with the preparation in the close season and testing that needs to be done right now to get our fitness levels much higher, then we need to have a professional in place.
“The first thing he will be doing is assessing the squad as they are now physically, testing them and making sure that when we go away for the close season they come back in a healthier state than when they left.
“The last thing we need to be doing is having a load of players back that are three or four stone heavier than when they left.
“That was my day and then you go and run yourself close to death to try and get yourself fit.
“You've got to be a professional footballer for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year now.
“While it is important to have a change and a rest, it's still important to keep yourself in top condition so that when we come back for pre-season we can start pushing much harder."