Author: Vernon Gambetta
What are you missing?
As we often miss key elements of movement because we become very stereotyped and always see movement from the same perspective. It is so easy to have a confirmation bias and see what you are looking for and miss the real problem. It is so important to see movement with new eyes. Eliminate bias. Don’t focus on the site of pain or the perceived cause of the technical flaw. Look at how everything is connected and linked. If there is pain in the knee then look at the joints above and below. If the foot contact is loud and percussive, don’t look at the foot and ankle move back and look at how the knee are hip are connecting. Change vantage point, view from the side, the front, and the rear and even from above if possible. Look for flow in the movement. Look where there are disconnects or so-called energy leaks. In order to do that you need to clear your mind and get rid of preconceived notions. Sometime it is even beneficial to close your eyes and listen to the rhythm of the movement, which can be very revealing. This observational analysis ability is all part of the coaches toolbox. Learn to see what you are seeing and don’t be fooled by what you think you see.
Every Bit Counts
Training is a process. It is a process of blending all components of training into a useable whole to allow adaption in pursuit of competition goals. Every bit of training big and small counts. The art is assembling those bits so that they fit together seamlessly. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that all components of training must trained during all phases of the training year. That being said it should be obvious that each component cannot receive equal emphasis. There must be proportionality to ensure continual adaptation. Pay attention to all the bits and make sure they all count.
Figuring It Out
I don’t know about you but I don’t have it figured out. I think one of the biggest challenges in coaching and in life is the challenge of figuring it out. It makes coaching fun. I know there was a time 33 years ago when I thought I had it figured out and what followed was one of the worst years coaching I have ever had. If you think you have it figured out, you think you have cracked the code, sit down and get back in touch with reality. As Gertrude Stein once said “The answer is there no answer.” Enjoy the process of the challenge and keep learning and innovating. You probably won't figure it out but the challenge will sustain you.
Being Average
I find it very interesting to watch how hard people work at being average. It is easy to be average so I don’t really understand why people work at it but they do. Ever notice how those that choose to be average are always making excuses, it is too hot or it too cold. They overslept or didn’t get enough sleep. They forgot their water bottle. They forgot their spikes or their bathing suit and on and on. They are the ones who cut corners in workouts. I have no tolerance for this. I accept that people have different abilities, what I cannot accept is not working to maximize the ability you have. Choose to be the best you can be, don’t accept being average. Give it your best effort; take some risks, try a little harder. Many are called and few choose – it is a conscious choice. Choose to be the best you can be and then do something about it, take action, start now, not tomorrow or the next day. Set a level of expectations that demands reaching higher.
Functional Path Training – Eight Years Into it
Eight years ago this week I started writing this blog. I had no clue about blogging and even less about the connected world of cyberspace. I started writing the blog as a daily “warm-up” for my writing of my Athletic Development book. I had no idea that I would still be writing eight years latter and that it would be syndicated and have the followers that it does through various social media. As I have said before I do not write the blog for others, I selfishly write it for myself. I use it to organize my thoughts to direct my work at that time. If others get something out of it, that is a bonus. I have never shied away from expressing my opinions and will continue to do as long as I write the blog. If I am wrong I will apologize. We have all moved much farther down the functional path in the past eight years. Access to knowledge in training has exploded, yet in many ways we have not progressed. Injuries are higher that they have ever been perhaps because we have not learned the lesson of functional path well enough or applied those lessons. I guess only time will tell. I am looking forward to continuing to write this blog and share my ideas with anyone interested. I will close with a brief reaffirmation of my beliefs: I have no tolerance for phonies, gurus, complexifiers, commercializers and shameless self-promoters. I pride myself on charting my own path even though it may not always be comfortable or inline with conventional wisdom. I am old fashioned with respect to duty, to integrity, to honesty and the value of a work ethic. I certainly have made mistakes, both errors of judgment, errors of commission and errors of omission – hopefully I have learned from those mistakes and become a better person because of it. I have few heroes but am very thankful for my family and my mentors who are a constant guiding light for me. I wish you safe travel on your journey down the functional path.
Favorite Exercises
I always get a good chuckle when I am asked what are my favorite exercises and I answer I don’t have any. Why don’t I have any favorite exercises, really it is quite simple. I have a big toolbox of exercises accumulated over my years of coaching; I must know how to use each of those tools appropriately as demanded by the needs of the athlete and the sport and position. I have to be careful that I don’t go to my “favorite” because I like it but it may not fit the athlete or situation. I try to think about movements that would appropriate. I want to look at pulling, pushing, squat & squat derivatives, bending, hinging and bracing movements. Then I will begin to apply exercises that will fit the movements and address the need of the athlete. In other words I will put the horse before the cart to effectively train the athlete. Exercise should never drive the program, movements should, and exercises train movements.
Culture – The Difference Maker
I have been fascinated all my life with why some teams win and some teams lose. As a young athlete and I coach I sensed it but I did not really know what it was. After about ten years of coaching it was quite apparent it was culture. Culture is in some ways abstract and somewhat intangible. You know good culture when you see it and conversely you know bad culture when you see it. In my experience great coaches create great cultures. It is a level of expectation, a feeling that what you are doing will produce positive results. Culture is more than the domain of the coaches though. It starts with the receptionist that answers the phone, the equipment person, and the grounds keeper. They all have a hand in creating a culture of excellence. Everyone has pride in what they do and feels they are part of the success of the team on the field. It is not about facilities, it is all about people. It is how you conduct yourself as a coach and how you treat everyone you come in contact with. When you put on the uniform you feel special. I saw it in 1989 when the NY Yankees Rookie team shared our complex when I was with the White Sox. It was the way they wore their uniform, the way they acted, the persona of the coaches. They exuded excellence, because nothing else was expected. I saw it at Adams Sate when I visited Joe Vigil there in the summer of 1982. It was quickly very clear why they dominated cross-country at the time. Dr Vigil set the tone, but it was more. I saw it with North Carolina Womens soccer when I first got to work with them. I saw it with Kenyon College swimming. There was something special there. I saw it last fall when I visited Jim Radcliffe at University of Oregon. Watching football practices and a game it was clear what the culture was. It was more than the signs on the walls; it was the attitude, the people. Outside of sport Starbucks has it. They have it because they work at it, just like any great team. It does not just happen. Changing culture is tough. To change culture more often than not means changing personnel, getting rid of energy vampires that suck the air out of the room with their negativity. Sometime it means getting rid of athletes; sometimes it means losing some games to make a point. At the end of the day culture counts and what you do as coach minute by minute and day by day counts the most. It is elevating the mundane, the daily routine to make it matter.
Isolationism
It is easy to get caught in the isolationist trap. Trying to isolate an energy system or any system of the body may be mentally convenient and look good in theory but in practice it is like chasing a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. All systems of the body work together all the time and they work together synergistically to maintain a state of homeostasis. When you do a heavy lifting session it is certainly of high nervous system demand and very taxing on the muscles involved but there is also an ancillary cardiovascular effect and endocrine hormonal effect. In designing and implementing an effective long-term training program this must be taken into account. Look at how systems of the body integrate and how there is a spillover from one training method to another. Tap into the wisdom of the body, integrate to adapt to the demands of training in order to prepare for competition.