The Human Element

Sometimes when I hear coaches talk and I read training articles
I get the feeling that they are mechanics working on a machine. I am left with
the impression that you can change a body part or just fix it and everything
will be OK. Nothing could be further from reality. The body is highly adaptive and
self-organizing, we guide and direct it, and we do not program it. The body is
not a machine with interchangeable parts. The brain that guides and controls
the system is not a computer. The body is a living organism that is continually
adapting and changing in order to maintain a state of homeostasis. The brain is
constantly rewiring reconnecting synapses to guide and control the system. As
coaches we are not technicians, we are conductors of the orchestra that plays a
symphony of movement. Our job is to get all the sections playing in harmony to
produce smooth efficient movement. We do not do this by focusing on parts. We
direct the movement symphony by enhancing connections between the parts.
Eventually with practice, with trial and error we achieve a harmony in movement
that is measured by performance in the competitive arena. As a coach resist the temptation
to micromanage the process, to take a reductionist approach and focus on parts,
instead focus on the big picture to get all the parts playing together in
harmony. Enjoy the creative process, it is both challenging and rewarding.