Coaching is much more than refining tactics and leading training sessions. Inka Räisänen has been the strength and conditioning coach at ONS (Oulu Naisfutis) for the third year and is an excellent example of how modern strength coaching combines diverse knowledge, technology, and a people-centric approach to player development.
However, her career path did not start directly in football – nor even in strength coaching. Inka’s journey to becoming a strength coach began with a diverse sports background in basketball, athletics, and horseback riding, before transitioning into professional physiotherapy. Her path eventually led her to the football club Ilves and later to ONS in Oulu.
In her current role in ONS football, strength and conditioning involves much more than designing training programs. She is responsible for the women’s first team and the U-19 girls, where optimizing performance and health is an ongoing balance between load, recovery, and the specific demands of the sport.
At the core of the role is developing the players’ physical performance – considering strength, endurance, and mobility. Additionally, her work includes monitoring load through both subjective player feedback and data. Subjective RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) values provide concrete guidelines: how intense the training has been and how it relates to the player’s recovery and future workloads. For example, if a planned intense session feels too light to the players, adjustments can be made for the next training, such as increasing the field area, reducing the number of players, or shortening breaks.
“We also intentionally vary the load across weeks. For instance, one week may have overloading, followed by a lighter week. We use load data – such as players’ perceived exertion (RPE), which is calculated based on the training intensity and duration. The weekly load is then summed up. When I calculate the weekly load total, I always compare it to the longer-term chronic load. This helps us track the balance between acute and chronic loads and prevent injuries, while ensuring that the load is sufficient to promote development. The Qridi Sport tool has been useful to us,” explains Inka Räisänen.
In addition to monitoring training load, coaches track the overall weekly load and compare it with chronic load. This enables the progressive planning of weekly loads – including for players who are recovering from injuries.
Furthermore, morning surveys have become a key practice. These surveys assess the quality of players’ sleep, physical sensations, and mental alertness. Based on this data, training programs are adjusted as necessary. “If the data shows that the team or an individual is completely exhausted, we can react immediately,” Inka shares. This information allows coaches to make necessary changes to the sessions. For example, if several players are showing low energy levels, training for the day can be lightened. On an individual level, player-reported issues, such as muscle tightness, can lead to personalized adjustments in training.
How does load data help in strength coaching? In coaching, load management doesn’t just apply to a single training session, but is also analyzed over the long term. This brings in the concept of chronic load, which refers to a player’s body and mind adapting to long-term load. It shows how the total load – training, games, and recovery – is distributed across weeks or months.
This is often compared to acute or daily load, which measures the impact of a single session or a short period on the body. If acute load is too high in relation to chronic load, the risk of injury increases. On the other hand, if chronic load is too low, the player’s development may be compromised.
Seeing players develop is what motivates a coach. “That moment when you see a player improve. It’s rewarding to notice that my work has benefited them – both on the field and in test results. For example, if there’s a five-centimeter improvement in jump test results, that’s great, but even more rewarding is noticing that the player is more agile on the field and can run longer,” says strength and conditioning coach Inka Räisänen.
However, the rewards of coaching aren’t solely about results. Inka highlights the importance of injury prevention. “Preventing injuries is also a motivator. It’s really important that there aren’t major injuries in the team. Of course, it’s normal for ankles to twist or minor injuries to occur, but avoiding major injuries is one of the greatest rewards of my job.” The success of a season without major injuries indicates that strength training and load management are truly working.
ONS’s strength coaching relies heavily on data-driven leadership. Analyzing load data helps build weekly programs that support player recovery and development. Collaboration with the head coach and the team is crucial. “As a team, we combine expertise in the sport and physical coaching knowledge to ensure the training is as effective as possible,” Inka explains. ONS coaching is of high quality with ambitious goals. At the same time, the team’s playing style demands physical strength, endurance, and aggression from the players. Developing these traits will be key in the upcoming season.
Inka emphasizes that a coach has the right – and the duty – to demand a lot from players, but it can be done in a friendly and encouraging way. “I’ve learned that demanding doesn’t mean being mean. Players understand that I do this for their benefit,” she reminds us.
Strength coaching isn’t just about counting repetitions or lifting weights. It’s about developing players holistically – physically, mentally, and emotionally. That’s why coaching is so rewarding.
Inka and the ONS coaching staff are setting an example of how Finnish coaching in football and other sports can evolve toward even more professional practices, with high-level expertise and data-driven leadership in sports – all while keeping the athlete at the center.
For more information about ONS’s activities:
https://www.onssi.fi/
For more information on the topic
Here are some reputable articles discussing the importance of training load monitoring in athletes:
• “Training Load and Its Role in Injury Prevention, Part I”: This article, published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, explores how monitoring training load can help prevent injuries by ensuring athletes adapt appropriately to physical stress. Link.
• “Monitoring Fatigue and Recovery”: Offered by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, this piece discusses the significance of tracking training load to determine if athletes are adapting to their programs and to minimize the risk of overreaching, injury, and illness. Link.
• “Load Management”: This entry from Physiopedia emphasizes the importance of monitoring both external and internal loads to understand the work completed by athletes and their capacity, highlighting that individual responses to training stimuli can vary significantly. Link.