Setanta student Shalini Mantravadi is the latest to feature in our student story series. Shalini is a student on the MSc in Performance Coaching and was the S&C coach for the India U19 Women’s Cricket Team as they recently enjoyed World Cup success. 

Shalini discusses her experience in the lead up to and during the tournament, her coaching approach and studying with Setanta. 

From Playing to Coaching

“I have captained and played for a few states at domestic level. I played Ind-A as well. I was one of the team’s fastest players and I loved training and fitness, I decided to become a strength and conditioning coach because there weren’t many women or trained S&C coaches back then. I wanted to serve my sport,” Shalini outlines as she discusses the transition from playing to coaching. 

“When I was playing, there wasn’t much structured planning or programming, and the same training was followed by every player irrespective of age, training and injury history. And the training was same during the in-season. So my approach towards athletes was always focused on need analysis, testing and re-testing, understanding their physical and mental health which enhanced the adaptability in players.”

Working with the India Womens U19 Squad

“We have been monitoring the girls for the last 6 months. My role was very clear – it was important for me to build the trust with players to follow the programme to the point. I had one-on-one sessions with each player and discussed training programs, areas to improve and educated them on nutrition and hydration. I ensured to mix up the programmes with fun and variation by performing the same action in several ways to keep the players engaged. On-field practice included different small-sided games followed by micro-dosing of training.”

Having also been involved in the 2023 success, Shalini outlines the feeling of winning the tournament again and the process of preparing the squad. 

“I was the S&C coach in the first-ever U-19 World Cup in 2023, and while our victory was memorable, winning back-to-back titles is even more memorable. Every player and member of the support staff gave it their all. It’s always a proud feeling to hold the national flag and getting back home with the cup.

Initial phases were more focused on building a good base of strength and endurance. Multi-directional movements, building muscle mass, developing plyometric abilities, running mechanics and jumping and landing mechanics were also focused on throughout.”

During the tournament itself, there were adaptations throughout. 

“It was mostly either taking sessions for reserve players, team bonding sessions and recovery.

As more matches were played, careful planning incorporating training frequency, volume and intensity was prioritised to make sure every athlete recovered from previous sessions and to prevent cumulative stress. We also planned priming sessions and active recovery sessions.”

Studying with Setanta

“I wanted to get more expertise in every aspect of strength and conditioning by diving deeper and acquire more knowledge which will help me in training elite players,” Shalini stated when asked her reasons for studying the MSc in Performance Coaching. 

“Data management is something I have consistently followed from the MSc. I also leaned on most of the research papers shared on each module every time I got stuck (it could be about movement efficiency, testing protocols, managing athletes and nutrition).”

Shalini also outlines how she struck a balance between studying and coaching. 

“Finding a balance between studying and working at a high-performance center was challenging at times. I’ve made it a point to study for at least two hours each day. To be honest, there were busy days. I watched videos of modules I had previously finished as part of my revision to help me stay focused on those days. I’ve practically used everything I’ve learned, which inspires me to learn more.”

Advice for Aspiring Coaches

Shalini outlines some advice she would have for students hoping to pursue a career in coaching. 

“In any profession, building a strong base is important. Keep studying to stay up-to-date with current methodologies. There is a huge scope for S&C coaches, so I would definitely tell them to back up both practical and theoretical knowledge to build a long future, especially those who train athletes.“