Author: Vernon Gambetta
Coaching – A Process
Coaching has been my life’s focus. I have had great role models and coaching mentors to guide me on this journey. I know it takes passion, commitment and focus, it also demands balance in your life if you want to be truly effective. Technical knowledge and proficiency is a given, that is the easy part. What exactly is coaching? Coaching is a process that has a strong foundation in pedagogy, supported by science, and forged in experience, tested and proven in the competitive arena. It is not something you do; it is some you are with every fiber of your being. It is teaching life through sport because it is about people not training systems and methods. Being a coach is special; everyday that I coach I am thankful for the opportunity.
Workouts
Everybody wants workouts. Can you send me the workouts you do with your swimmers or a volleyball player is a common request I get. Why? Workouts are only good for the people they are designed for. Sometimes (hopefully more often than not) they work and sometimes they don’t. If you work with football at Central Nowhere High school does what State University does in training have real relevance to what you are doing with you ninth graders? Workouts are all so contextual. Look at workout in the context of what they are doing, whom they are for, where they are applied and when they are used. Also keep in mind that a workout that is effective this year possibly will be ineffective next year as the athlete adapts and develops. Know the principles of training and apply them. There is no one magic workout or formula. Understand the thought process and reasons behind the workouts. Don’t get me wrong I love to look at and study other people’s workouts. They give me ideas and provoke thought. But I will never blindly copy a workout; I will adapt concepts that I think will work for the sport and athlete I am working with at the present time.
The Sports Gene
READ THIS BOOK! In the past three years I have read over 300 books, the Sports Gene is one of the best books I have read in that time. David Epstein not only nails the science but he tells compelling stores that bring the science to life. He takes the complexities of genetics and makes it comprehensible and applicable to the development of athletic performance. To me the clear message is that it is not about nature or nature but it is how we can best nurture nature. It raises many questions and offers some answers. In many ways this reminded me of one of my favorite books “The Sweet Spot in Time” by John Jerome written in 1980. At that time Jerome took the emerging field of sport science and made the concepts comprehensible by telling good stores, Epstein does the same. He offers great food for thought. It certainly puts the 10,000 hours “rule” in context and debunks some of the misapplied concepts in Gladwell’s book “The Outliers.” This book is so good that I have read it twice. This is a must read for coaches, parents, anyone interested in the why’s of sport performance.
Searching For Marginal Gains
"The aggregation of marginal gains" is a phrase that became the mantra of Dave Brailsford performance director of British cycling. What is overlooked in this phrase is the term “aggregation.” Certainly everyone in elite sport is looking for the tenth of a percent that can be the difference maker. In the search for marginal gains it is easy to lose sight of the fact that it is a process that is built on solid fundamentals and consistent focused training. In the search for that tenth of a percent don’t forget to keep refining the things that got you there. To be the very best, to stand on the top of the podium, it is not one thing, it is a succession of factors big and small that accumulate in a systematic manner over time to then make the marginal gains significant. Consistently take care the 98% and the other 2% will be much easier. As a wise old cowboy once said "Be sure to dance the last with who brung you to the dance." Keep refining the fundamentals. The fundamentals will lead to the marginal gains that are meaningful.
Self-Management for Coaching Success
As coaches a huge part of our job involves management. Management of our athletes first, then management of our assistant coaches, support staff, facilities etc. To be a good coach it is absolutely necessary to be an effective manager. That being said the biggest management task we face is management of ourselves. Without effective self-management I contend it is virtually impossible to manage others effectively. In preparing a team or individuals the goal is always to be best for the big game, or for the championship meet or match. We get our athletes ready to go, but what about ourselves? We need be on our A game, completely energized, when often it is the opposite because we have failed to mange ourselves properly. We have failed to manage our energy; instead of being up and focused we are drained, physically, psychologically and emotionally. Personally I think this is one of the biggest challenges we face as coaches – how to effectively manage and distribute our energy to be at our best when it counts the most. It demands taking control of our lives and achieving a balance so that we have a life outside of coaching. There are many ways to achieve this based on your personality and life situation, but just being aware is a big first step. Take a step back and assess how you approach what you do. What is your routine? Are you exercising and eating healthy? Do you have quality time for your family or significant others? Reflect on how you can manage yourself more effectively. Devise a plan and implement that plan so you are at your best when your athletes need you to be.
I Think I can
Maybe this is subliminal programming from my childhood, but I grew up thinking I could. My favorite book as a child was the Little Engine That Could. When I had children I read it to them at least once a week. There is a clear message – Embrace the challenge. Look at possibilities. What can you do? How can you do it? Take one step at a time, move forward, never look book. Recognize that doubt and fear of failing are real – acknowledge that, but don’t be consumed by it. Yes you can, if you think you can. No Pollyanna approach here – so many people never give themselves a chance. Is Talent and ability necessary and important? You bet it is and if anyone says otherwise don’t listen. But my question is how many people really use their talent and ability? How many people fully exploit what they have? In my experience and observations not many. Why? In many cases it is because they think they can’t. Realistically assess your talent and abilities then devise an action plan to do everything in your power to develop that talent to the fullest. If you fall short so be it, but rest assured that you did everything in your power to be the best that you could be. I think I can, I think I can!
Just Doing It
Just doing it is not good enough to get significantly better. You can go through the motions and just do it. Anybody can that, but if you truly want to be the best and achieve your potential you must go beyond just doing it. Just doing it is putting the time; it is mindless work that makes you tired. You have to move beyond just doing it. What you do in training must be done with attention, focus, and precision. Good is the enemy of great just doing it is good, but it is nowhere near good enough. Each training session counts toward earning the right to be the best you can be. So make every training session count, never just do it!
Getting It and Getting There
Why do some athletes get it and make it and others with equal talent and ability fall by the wayside. This is a lifelong fascination of mine. Talent and ability are a given to make it to elite status, but it is so much more than that. Some athletes navigate the path easily and directly and other struggle, but both still make it. Why? Certainly athlete development and passage through to elite status is a process. There is no one model or framework. Nor is there a set time like ten years or a time period like 10,000 hours. No doubt it is related to practice depth and quality. It is related to coaching guidance to first ignite the spark of interest, then inspire and guide the athlete. Lately I have been totally immersed in studying the process of developing the athlete. It has been a four pronged emphasis: First I have been studying the research and coaching literature, interviewing experts, reviewing my experiences doing research for my new book and some presentations I will give this fall. Second my work with the Ministry of Sport in Trinidad and Tobago on athlete and coach development has driven me to look at various national programs and countries to see how they have approached the athlete and coach development process. Third and probably the most hands on and in my eyes the most important has been my work with the swim teams that I consult with. They are all age group development clubs so it is a living laboratory and window into the development process. Fourth I have been reviewing my career and experiences in developing athletes to see if there are patterns and commonalities. The goal is to identify the talent and ability and then develop that in a systematic manner. Sounds simple and some of the models that have looked almost exclusively at the physiology of it and the physical growth and development parameters have in my opinion oversimplified it. I am not into making it more complex, but in this case we must look at development from a more holistic perspective. We need to consider the socio cultural milieu in which we are developing the athlete and the athlete’s emotional, cognitive, social and psychological development. We know how important it is foster a growth mindset though the work of Carol Dweck. We need to avoid the dangers of anointing and appointing the young developing athlete on the bases of talent alone. We need to allow them room to grow into their perceived talent form a holistic perspective. We need to give them space and not impose adult values and expectations on them. We can’t deny that simple genetic inheritance plays a part in the process. You can’t take a plow horse and win the Kentucky Derby, however you can make it a faster plow horse or we can direct that plow horse to an event where it could be successful. That is part of the development process. In other words you must systematically nurture the nature, grow it, guide it to achieve its potential. In so many ways the physical development part is straightforward. We must be acutely aware of the effects of growth and development and adjust training and technique accordingly. My observation is that understanding and guiding emotional growth, self-image development and cognitive growth are the difference makes in those who make it and those who don’t. We need to teach them how to train, how to compete, how to live in the context of the “24 Hour Athlete” concept. They need to understand that athletic excellence is not a gift but a lifestyle. Recognize that talent and ability will only take them so far. One key difference maker is grit. Look at the work of Angela Duckworth at University of Pennsylvania on this. The ability to handle adversity, make mistakes in training and competition and persevere is a huge part of the process. Athlete development is not climbing a ladder toward excellence. That implies a linear process, which it is not. It is a journey, some of it through charted territory and some through the unknown as each athlete is different. The journey has many twists, turns and detours. As part of the process as coaches we need to help the athlete navigate the various roadblocks and obstacles along the way. We do this by teaching them how to train, how to manage their lives, and how to control their emotions. Developing an athlete from beginner to elite is a complex process. The path to excellence is varied; we must understand all the variables and account for those in the development process.