Waszp X Camp Talamone 2024
by Elena Giolai 19 Apr 2024 15:23 BST
Improving sporting performance by deepening mental, structural, physical as well as technical aspects, consolidating team spirit.
The Italian Waszp class continues with commitment the project developed for young people and does so thinking not only of sailing, because, it is now beyond doubt, that the best performance is also achieved by developing and perfecting a set of physical, psychological and technical skills and dynamics. This is why, after the experience at the Technogym Village in Cesena, an X-Camp was organised in Talamone, at Seaside Sport Academy and thanks to the collaboration of its founder, FIV technician Marco Iazzetta, with the logistical support also of the Circolo della Vela Talamone, an X-Camp with proposals and activities aimed at the 14 youngsters present, which went beyond sailing.
Regardless of the weather, which was characterised by a violent sea storm that made sea outings impossible, meetings were organised with osteopath Mauro Mandagaran (Jannik Sinner was one of the athletes who came to see him) and sports psychologist Cristiana Artuso, to make them understand how important it is to consider many aspects related to growth, athletic gestures, the prevention of certain injuries, and therefore sports performance. Hosted in the Health Lab gym in Grosseto, the athletes of the X-Camp Waszp (aged between 14 and 19) were able to carry out, divided into two groups, a physical preparation session with Technogym manager Daniele Amato and a series of objective tests recorded and repeated after an osteopathic manipulative treatment. The improvements in performance in the post-treatment test were evident, making it clear how important it is to get the body structure in line, as well as to warm up the muscles properly.
Sports psychologist Cristiana Artuso also showed the guys the importance of mental preparation, which often makes all the difference: today there are many tools available, and the team was offered one of them, which proved to be the most suitable for an initial approach, because it is carried out in a playful form with specific software modulated for sports psychologists, with which concentration can be trained in even disturbed situations. By observing these tests, one can also notice whether there are more difficulties in responding from the right or left, and can then work on these aspects, which can also affect technical performance in the water.
Thanks to coach and Italian Class President Marco Francalancia, there was no shortage of analysis on boat preparation and tricks to solve technical problems with the equipment at sea. Adjustments and preparation in detail become even more important in foil sailing, where speed can have important differences. From now on, the youth activities of the Waszp class will be concentrated between regattas and further training meetings, which at Foiling Week in Malcesine will have a large number of participants, including from abroad. Italy is the first nation to propose the Waszp at youth level, as a first approach to foil sailing, thanks also to the support of the Italian Sailing Federation and the Next Generation Foil Academy powered by Luna Rossa. Alessandra Sensini, the FIV youth director, also spoke in Talamone to find further synergies between the Waszp class and the Italian Sailing Federation.