Just finished reading an outstanding coaching book – Four
Champions One Gold Medal: The true story of four swimmers who battled for the
same Olympic dream by Chuck Warner. Some real insights into what it
takes to compete and win at the highest level. You definitely have
to get
comfortable with being uncomfortable all the time. Also a clear in depth picture of athlete development. This book has some great
insights if you read between the lines. Even if you don’t this is a great
chronicle of coaching in a different era.
This paragraph struck me as particularly relevant to what I
see as a move away from coaching toward more sport science. (We have been there before)
“During the 1980’s many American
coaches sought more effective training methods through better utilization of
scientific testing. Unfortunately many scientists attempted to provide coaches
with new, scientifically-based training methodologies rather than study
existing programs, learn why they were successful and help coaches improve
them. For many well-intentioned coaches and scientists, this created what
Thomas Huxley once called ”The tragedy of a single fact killing a theory.” Training programs that were proven from
experience, and developed on the basis of a coach’s theory, were often
discarded in favor of a program based on a few, or even a single, isolated
fact.Although science has a great deal
to contribute to the success of all athletes, including distance swimmers, it
must be filtered through the mind of a coach’s theory based on experience.
Anyone who has been a swimming coach for five or ten years should be able to
begin to draw his own conclusions from science, research and other coaches’
training programs.” (Page 174)
No sport scientist has ever invented a viable technique or
training method. As coach’s we must work with the sport scientist and understand
sport science, but ultimately we must coach. Three of the four swimmers
programs detailed in this book are coach driven and athlete centered, which is
the road to success.
Howard
“As coach’s we must work with the sport scientist and understand sport science, but ultimately we must coach”
Whole heartedly agree!
chris webb
When I first read this book about 10 years ago I felt caged in and bound by the scientific principle that surrounded sports science. I always wanted proof before trying anything new. However on the pool deck every day I saw evidence of the contrary from athletes. I am only now beginning to do what works then figure out later if its “sound” My mentor at the time loved the book because he based our program on the old school blue collar work ethic Brian Goodel and Bobby Hacket possessed but used sound sports science to guide his hand.
Will Wayland
Science is meerly a means of measurement, it takes a good coach to interpret and apply the information the measurement gives us.
Wesley Crozier
Would you happen to know where I can purchase a copy of this book? I am a young swim coach looking to learn more about the sport and coaching in general.
Craig Liebenson
The Nobel Price winning scientist/author Rene Dubos said “the measurable drives out the useful”. Seems to fit here. Science is worthy, but at the end of the day we are still at the empirical stage where we must find what works for each individual (n =’s 1).
chris webb
I think it’s out of print, but there should be some local old head coaches in your area that have this book gathering dust in their library. I don’t recommend getting obsessed with the workouts written out in the book because they are for super freak endurance swimmers from a different era. However there is a reason it took nearly 20 years for American men to swim as fast as these boys and the book really capture the essences of the drive an endurance swimmer needs.
Carson Boddicker
I think you make a very valuable point here, Vern. I am not sure who said it, but he said something to the effect of “A sports scientist is just as bad at making athletes better than a person who knows next to nothing.”
-CB