Crossing the White Line

The ultimate goal for all
of us, sport coaches and athletic development coaches is to prepare the most
specifically fit, fast, technically proficient, tactically aware and
strategically ready athlete to thrive in the competitive environment when they
cross the white line to compete. Everything on the preparation side of the white line
is in pursuit of those goals. Training is not an end unto itself; it must be a
means to an end. Numbers in the weight room, speed numbers on and on are
meaningless if they do not translate into competitive results. By results I do not
mean wins and losses, but enabling the athletes to perform to the best of their
ability, to be adaptable to all the demands of competition and above all to stay healthy.
It is too easy to think that training is an end unto itself that is what has
happened today with the “strength coach” mentality. The never leave the weight
room and are disconnected from the whole process of preparation of the athlete.
Getting strong is easy, translating that strength into performance is hard. To
do that demands an integration of all aspects of the athletes’ preparation with
everyone on the same page. It is very much the model I was brought up with as a
track coach, I had to attend to all aspects of the athlete’s preparation and
see that they were all coordinated to produce optimum results. Too much emphasis
on one area results in poor competition results and injury.