Author: Vernon Gambetta
Lessons from 2012 – Part Two
We may think we are training the body but we are really training the brain – To borrow Tim Noakes terminology the brain is the “Central governor” it controls everything we do. Talent development is not survival of the fittest – It is not about ten years or 10,000 hours it is a process that involves deliberate practice. It is understanding growth and development, individual rates of maturation. You cannot separate excellence in sport from excellence in life – You can’t be a chump outside of training and a champ in the game. You may get away with for a little while but eventually it will catch up with you. When working on skill or acquiring a new technique – Once someone gets it right – STOP (Allow the brain to retain what it learned) Vin Walsh Important to learn how to ask the right questions – This is the key to learning. Asking questions that are insightful and on point. You must train the way you want to play – Yes it is about specificity, but it is more than that. All aspects of training must line up with the demands of the sport. Train fast to play fast; if you train slow you will not be able to play fast. Nothing ventured, nothing gained – No gain without risk. Mistakes are learning opportunities. Coach the athlete you have not some mythical hypothetical model – Know your athletes, their strength & weaknesses, individualize to the greatest extent possible. Know the basic technical models of your sport – Master them and build on these. You must train the female differently – There is a whole different endocrine hormonal environment. Strength training is much more important during all phases of the training year. My rule of thumb with the female athlete is more volume of intensity. Those who achieve at the highest levels are seldom if ever concerned what other have to say about them or judge them to be – High achievers are confident and will stand out from the crowd regardless of criticism.
Lessons from 2012 – Part One
Being ready to deliver on the day – The ability to have your athletes ready to perform at their best at the required time is most important. That can be the final of the Olympic games or a high school state championship. Everything is directed to this goal. Coaching is a careful blend of art and science – No more explanation is necessary Emotional intelligence is the key to effective coaching – It is all about people and how we as coaches grow and develop ourselves and the people we work with. An overemphasis on injury prevention will lead to injuries – Good injury prevention is a transparent part of a sound training program. What is happening today is an emphasis on so-called corrective exercise and special injury prevention exercises that normal training is being ignored. When training is ignored then the athlete is predisposed to injury because they are not ready to perform. The ability to race is different than the ability to be paced to a fast time – Anyone with ability can hang on and be pulled to fast time the medals are won by those who can race. Those who are race hardened, who understand tactics and are fully adaptable to variety of race situations. It is imperative to develop and refine physical literacy in parallel with skill development – Physical literacy slightly leads skill and technical development; it is impossible to have one without the other. We must take a giant step back and look at what we are doing with recovery – I think we need to learn to use recovery methods more judiciously. Not necessary to ice bath after every workout. We need to understand that the inflammatory cascade is part of the adaptation process. Must educate the body to take advantage of this not interfere with this all the time. Little things count – Big things are a given, they are hard to overlook but it is the little things that quickly add up. Coaching men and women is different. “Men battle to bond. Women bond to battle.” Nigel Redman – I think this is pretty self-explanatory.
2012 Looking Back
Each year at this time of year I look back on the previous year just completed and as I get older I find myself looking back increasingly over years gone past. I do this not for nostalgic reason rather I do it to gain perspective to more forward. Much like a rower in a single scull sits facing away from the direction they row, they must look back to move forward effectively. The end of the year is a time for reflection and analysis. Each day is special, so do something to make each day special for yourself and for someone else. Family is special; it is too easy to lose sight of this in pursuit of a career. True friends are special – those who are willing to tolerate your mistakes and stay with you during the good and bad times. I am looking forward to 2013; it will mark my 44th year coaching. I stopped making resolutions years ago, rather each year I try to renew my resolve. I simply want to keep improving as a person and as a coach. I want to continue to honor those people who have helped me and to help others to achieve their potential. I will continue to do what I do not for recognition but for the fact the pursuit of excellence has it’s own rewards. Have a happy and healthy 2013.
Happy Holidays
Best wishes to all for a happy holiday season. We have much to be thankful for in this crazy world we live in. Take a moment amid all the revelry to give thanks for all the good things we have, the good people and family who have enriched our lives. Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. I am looking for to sharing more of my ideas and experiences with you in 2013.
Advice to Young Coaches
Here is some advice for young coaches from my experiences. This advice reflects lessons that I learned, no need to make the same the same mistakes I made. Be prepared to pay your dues, you don’t enlist the army as a general. Practice humility – No matter what your athletic or academic accomplishments you are going to have to prove yourself as a coach. Check you ego at the door. Keep Learning – Keep a note book of your ideas and observations. Write in it as often as possible. It will be an invaluable reference as you progress through your career. I have filled Moleskin notebooks in my 43rd year of coaching. Listen and watch – You have two eyes, two ears and one mouth for a reason. Dress Professionally – That should not need explanation. Be fit, look the part. Learn the culture of the sport(s) you are working with ASAP. Do your homework. Be the first to arrive and the last to learn – Earn your stripes. Never let anyone outwork you. Forget what you are being paid work until you get the job done. Do the grunt work, in fact volunteer for it. If you are working with athletes that don’t speak English learn the language, it will open doors for you. File the theoretical peer reviewed stuff you learned in class. You are in the real world now, on the job it is about producing results, make the athletes better. Maintain professional distance from your athletes you are not their friend you are their coach. Rome wasn’t built in a day learn patience it takes time. Coaching is a profession – Never lose sight of that. The head coach is the boss. Be loyal and respectful. Never forget coaching is not about sets and reps or X’s and O’s it is about people. When it is all said and done be sure that you have had as many experiences as possible not one experience many times. Enjoy the journey, we are fortunate to be coaches.
Thoughts on Leading
Know the Way – To be effective make sure you and everyone involved knows the final destination. Show the Way – Lead from from the front, set the example. Go the Way – Get it down, meet obstacles head on and overcome.
What do you coach?
Do you coach Track & Field, Football, Basketball or Swimming? Yes you do but more importantly you coach the people who compete in those sports. The human element transcends all. Anyone can learn the techniques and strategies, but to be truly effective as a coach you must coach the person. Know what makes your athletes tick. Take an interest in them as people, they are not machines, they have feeling and emotions, they have lives outside of sport. I think of the great coaches I have been privileged to be around, this is a characteristic they all shared. They were emotionally intelligent; they took the time to understand their athletes as people and coached the person who did the sport. At the end of the day I always ask myself did you coach today the way you would have wanted to be coached?
Q
Q stands for quality. Quality is a measure of perfect. Each day, each training session we should strive for the highest quality possible. Start with perfect effort that should not be difficult. Effort sets up the outcome. Quality effort and intention leads to quality outcome. Quality training outcomes in turn yield quality competition results. To asses progress in training at the conclusion of each training session rate you quality of training on a scale of one to ten. One being the poorest and ten being perfection. Focus on the process to achieve the desired outcome. Quality is the key to optimizing the process.