Coaching Art & Science

One key to being an effective coach is maintaining a balance
between art and science. In today’s world where we can measure so much more
than ever before in terms of competition and training monitoring it is tempting
to tip the scale toward the science. I keep reminding myself that just because
you can measure something does not mean that is meaningful. Science can only
get us so far, it is how it is applied and interpreted that matters. Australian
swim coach Bill Sweetenham put it quite well: “Science is only useful if it
makes the coach a better artist.” The challenge for coaches then is have
science serve us to make the athlete better; we should never be a slave to science.
Know the science but more important know yourself and your athletes. There is
no doubt in my mind based on what I have seen over the years that ultimately it
comes down to who is the best artist but without the science the colors in the
picture may not blend as well. Winston Churchill said it best: “Science should
be on tap not on top.”