By necessity the future
is where coaches live. Sure we have to be in the moment just like our athletes
but virtually everything we do in training is preparing for events in the near
or distant future. Planning is a huge part of this future orientation. Planning
is a way to bring the future into
the present and be able to do something about it. It seems that the longer you
coach, the more experiences you have the more proficient you get at producing
future performances.
You do
this by coaching day to day like it was your last day coaching. You do it by
being in the moment and keeping the athlete in the moment. You do it through
constant evaluation of day-to-day training and competition results to
constantly adjust and reorient to the ultimate goal in the future. Good coaches
are constantly self-correcting and reorienting toward their ultimate
competition goal.
None of us
have a crystal ball, but we do have the ability to control what we do today.
The way to most effectively build the path to future performance excellence is
by taking care of each training session as they occur. Thoroughly plan the
workout, listen to the athlete, adjust as needed and you will be doing
everything in your power to control future performance. The future is now.