Author: Vernon Gambetta
You Have To Do The Work
Lets not fool ourselves to get better you have to do the work, that is a given. Make no mistake that everyone who achieves at a high level does the work. All that being said just doing the work is not enough, anyone can work it is work with direction and purpose that produces results. We have this mistaken notion more prevalent today because of the “10,000 hour” myth that all you need to do is to punch the clock, accumulate hours and somehow magically at 10,000 hours you will be a champion. No way! If that work is not mindful, done with a plan that provides specific direction then all you are doing is getting tired and getting tired does not make you better. It is not the work it is what you put into the work that counts I know that is a cliché but some clichés are truisms. I have seen nothing in my experience to disprove this. Plan your work, work the plan, evaluate the results, recalibrate and keep moving forward with direction and purpose. I reminded of the words of a country western song that was popular a few years ago: "Work your fingers to the bone. What do you get? Boney fingers."
The Eye of the Beholder
It is interesting to listen to coach’s talk about what they see when observing movement. Are they really seeing what they think they see? Human vision is incredibly acute and at the same time fundamentally flawed. The longer I coach the more I realize that more often than not we see what we think we see rather that exactly what is happening. Whether we recognize it or not we all have a tendency toward a confirmation bias. Consciously or subconsciously we have programmed our brain to look for certain things. In many ways viewing motion is like looking at a Rorschach inkblot test, the shape of the object does not change as much as our perception of the shape of the object. I remember standing with three pitching coaches and three scouts watching a pitcher. Mind you six people watching the same pitcher throw the same pitch and they all saw something slightly different. As I listened to them I quickly realized that what each of them had seen confirmed each of their biases in regard to pitching. What is the solution? Obviously today we have high-speed video and a myriad of analysis tools, but we still need to be able to effectively use our naked eye to provide instant feedback for correction and instruction. First recognize your confirmation bias and work to erase that mental program. Second a very simple correction that I learned from Tom Tellez is to change vantage point. Instead of viewing a throw from the side watch from the rear or get up in the stands and view from above. You will be surprised at how many different things you see. A third solution is to learn to use you peripheral vision. Turn sideways to the action and you will be surprised at things you see. Our peripheral vision is very acute but we don’t train ourselves to use it to its fullest extent. Just like any coaching skill training yourself to have an accurate unbiased coaching eye is part of improving your skills as a coach. In words of that sage biomechanist Yogi Berra "You can see a lot by watching."
Communicating the Message
Regardless of the message you have a very small window to communicate the message in a meaningful way so that the person receiving the message with get it. I was reminded of this this morning at mass when the priest missed a golden opportunity to get his message across. His theme was love. Instead of making his point he used way too many analogies and mixed metaphors and droned on for fifteen minutes. He lost me! As I was driving home and reflecting on this I could not help but relate it to coaching. Effective coaching is all about communication. How many coaches do what the priest did this morning? How many coaches talk just to hear themselves talk? We get away with it because we have a captive audience, but is it best, is it effective? Know what you are going to say. Say it wit appropriate inflection and emotion. Get the point across. Short, sharp clear on point, don’t belabor the point. Follow the example of the great John Wooden who rarely spoke more that twenty to thirty seconds during practice. The majority of what he said was instructional. Speak in phrases, short and to the point that emphasizes instruction and action words.
The Front Seat of the Bus
A couple of days ago one of my former White Sox players now beginning his career as a manager in the Orioles Minor League system posted a picture of himself sitting on the front seat of the bus, a traditional place for the head coach or manager to sit. It was great to see him sitting in that position because I know he has worked to earn it. I quickly sent a message off to him to wish him good luck and to not forget what is was to sit back where the players were sitting. Sitting in the front seat of the bus is a privilege that you earn. I have sat on a lot of buses in my time both as an athlete and as a coach with many types of people sitting in that front seat. Some were characters, some had character, some did not, some were heroes and some were zeros. Some had paid their dues and earned the seat and other had been anointed and then appointed. I have been privileged to sit in that seat as a head coach. I must admit as a 23 year old I am not sure I was ready the first time I sat there, but I embraced the opportunity and took the responsibility. Each time I was privileged to sit in that seat as I gained experiences I realized more and more the awesome responsibility that the seat entailed. When you sit in that seat be a leader, lead by example and actions not words. The seat by its very position as the first seat on the bus means you lead from the front. Honor the seat by respecting your staff and the players and giving it your best every day.
Someway, Somehow
Have you ever noticed how athletes and coaches who are successful seem to find a way to get the job done? Winners find a way to win; where others see obstacles they see opportunity. They just seem to have a different worldview; they have a whole different mindset. There is not a lot of talk of what could have been or what should be done; the emphasis is on now, being in the moment getting it done. Winners fall and fail but they get up and go back at it without hesitation. They learn from failures and mistakes and apply those lessons to achieve future success. No doubt some of this in the DNA of the winner but in my experience it can be learned. It is learned by eliminating the negative, modeling behavior on what is needed to succeed and above all practicing the habits of a winner. It is a choice; make a choice to be the best and act on it now.
Come Sunday
The key to successful coaching is planning. The more detailed the planning the better. For me Sunday has always been the day for planning. It has been this way for 44 years, it has almost become a ritual, and certainly it is part of my Sunday routine. During the week I keep detailed notes on the workouts – what worked and what did not work. Did training go according to plan? What adjustments were needed? I use the long-term plan as a guide with each Microcyle having specific goals and objectives and if there is a competition that week or in the subsequent week I obviously factor that into the planning. When Sunday comes I usually go to church and then try to get a workout in, as I get older it is usually a swim or a longer bike ride or walk, in essentially time to think. Next weeks plan is beginning to take shape. I try to think in broad concepts rather than specific loads and sets and reps. Then I usually sit down with a blank paper and jot down exercises, points of emphasis, drills, anything that I want to include that week. Early in my coaching career I then went directly to constructing the workouts, I seldom deleted anything. After a few years I found that I was including too much in the workouts and I was cutting exercises and drills during the actual workout. That was not effective. So now I usually take a break come back to my notes and cut out everything but the absolute “need to do” exercises and drills. No fluff! Then I plan the workouts for that week. I will write each workout out but without details as to actually sets/reps, number of run, intensities. I wait and do that before each workout when I put in the detail. Sometimes is takes 30 minutes and other Sundays two hours, it depends on the time of the training years, the athlete and the long-term plan. For example this week is a transition week for my beach volleyball players. There will only be two workouts aside from their skill sessions. They have come off a block of power training and heavy skill work and will be going into a power endurance phase next week back to four sessions a week. It only took thirty minutes yesterday to plan the two sessions; it is a transition that we have used the past four years so all I had to do was refer to past years and factor in increased training age. I hope this gives you some insights that will help you in your planning. There is no formula; you must do what works for you.
GAIN Apprentorship
GAIN is an acronym for Gambetta Athletic Improvement Network. This emphasis is on network to connect professionals in order to facilitate learning and sharing of ideas. In my career I served as an apprentice to learn coaching skills and techniques and have been fortunate to h ave great mentors to guide and direct me. My goal in starting the GAIN program was to combine the best of a apprentice practice and the guidance of a mentoring experience hence the word Apprentorship. The objective is to provide an educational opportunity that will significantly advance people's careers by sharing information with other professionals in a setting that encourages an open exchange of ideas. This is an intense five-day workshop. We start at 6:30 in the morning and end at 9:00 at night. There is a mixture of lecture, discussions, hot topic panels and practical learn by doing participation and demonstration. If you are sincerely interested in advancing your professional development I would encourage you to apply as soon as possible. There are a few slots left open for this year. GAIN VI will be June 11 to June 15 at Rice University in Houston, Texas. The program is open to sport coaches, conditioning coaches, physical education teachers, athletic trainers, physical therapists, chiropractors and doctors. Enrollment is limited to apply please complete the following: What do you do in the Athletic Development field? (Please be as specific as possible) What is your personal mission statement? What do want to learn from the GAIN program? What or how will your participation contribute to the GAIN Network on an ongoing basis? Please attach a professional resume’ Send your application to: Gambetta Sports Training Systems – GAIN Apprentorship PO Box 50143 Sarasota, Florida 34232 or Email to: gstscoach@gmail.com Professional tuition is $3,800 and scholastic tuition is $1900 (High school, junior high school, elementary school teachers and coaches are eligible for the scholastic tuition). Tuition includes breakfast, lunch and dinner each day and room. For more information please go to http://tinyurl.com/3jwyo6q or call me at 941-378-1778 or email me at gstscoach@gmail.com Join us for GAIN VI apply now to advance yourself as a professional. For those who have attended and are in the network it has been a career changing experience.
Ideas on Being a Coach
Coaching is not something you do, it something you are with every fiber of your being, there is no half way you must be all in. The journey is long and rewarding because of the opportunity to guide athletes in their development athletically and most importantly as people. Here are a few thoughts and concepts that I have found to be valuable in my exeriences from 44 years of coaching. Philosophy – A philosophy is the cornerstone for everything you do. Be able to sum it up in one sentence. My philosophy is quite simple: “The pursuit of excellence has it’s own rewards.” Planning – Successful coaches have a daily detailed plan for their journey with built in landmarks to frequently assess their progress to goals. Stability – You need to be a rock. Be steady and consistent. Maintain equilibrium, minimize the highs and lows and learn from failures as well as successes. Progress is not linear. Focus & Refocus – With planning comes direction to focus on the plan. You need to know what to focus on, and then follow through with execution. Flexibility – A good plan will be flexible enough to evolve as you progress, regress or stagnate. Ongoing honest assessment will enable you to adapt and be resilient to the emotional challenges that come with change. Passion – Successful coaches always approach training with passion. You must love what you do and show that love. Humility – Coaching by its very nature demands humility. The process of growing and developing athletes is a humbling experience. Acknowledge that you need help from others and seek it out, especially when trying to address your weaknesses. Process Orientation – Take care of business along the way. Outcomes are dreams—the process is the route to the dream. Focus on the process all the way to the finish line and the outcome will take care of itself. Balance – Keep perspective and maintain a balance, you and your family are first. Be true to yourself and who you are. Define yourself. The Compass – Have a working compass that is oriented to true north and use it for guidance constantly.