Isle of Man Sport Aid Academy held the first in a series of two workshops covering rest and recovery over the weekend.

More than 40 athletes enjoyed the hands-on session at St Ninian's Lower School, which focused on the importance of sleep for sportspeople. 

It provided advice and guidance on a number of topics, including identifying stress on their bodies, the steps needed to be taken to get a quality night's sleep, identifying if they are a lark, an owl or a mixture of both, understanding the importance of naps and how best to take them, and recognising at least one way they can improve their own sleep quality. 

Isle of Man Sport Aid Sports Performance Co-ordinator Chris Quine said: 'Most athletes put a lot of thought and effort into their training, but how many consider the importance of what they do away from the sporting arena?

'Our aim was not only to provide the athletes, parents and coaches with important information about sleep, but also to help them think about their current routine and how they can improve that in order to enhance the quality of their training, competitions and other activities. Of course, good rest will help in everyday life as well.'

The Sport Aid Academy is a partnership between Isle of Man Sport and sponsors Newfield and SMP Partners, and works with more than 70 of the Island's young sporting stars to equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in elite sport.

Mark Denton, Managing Director at SMP Partners, said: 'Isle of Man Sport Aid Academy is providing another important lesson to the Island's sportspeople. Sufficient rest and recovery is critical to an athlete's success, especially when working towards elite sport, so it is great to see two sessions highlighting the important of this.'

Mark Reynolds, Director at Newfield, said: 'We are really proud to be involved in such a fantastic programme, which continues to provide support to the Island's young athletes and will hopefully inch them closer to their potential. The Isle of Man is bursting with talent when it comes to sport, so it's great to see an initiative nurturing this.'

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