Author: Vernon Gambetta
Three Books And A Movie
This past week I finished reading three books (89th, 90th & 91st of the year) and saw a very good movie. They were all so good I thought I would share them with you. The first book is by one of my favorite authors on contemporary world issues, Robert Kaplan. The book is THE REVENGE OF GEOGRAPHY – What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate. This book frames many of today’s world issues though the lens of geography. He also uses geography to explain many of the events of the past century. I have always found Kaplan’s books and writing in Atlantic magazine gave in-depth insights behind the headlines. If you want a deeper understanding of our world today this book is a must read. The second book was Muck City- Winning And Losing In Football’s Forgotten Town by Bryan Mealer. Muck City is a small town, Belle Glade, in South Central Florida. It is less than 100 miles from where I live in Sarasota but it might as well be on another continent in another century. Muck refers to the fertile loamy black soil that made Belle Glade the epicenter for "Big Sugar" and the area where much of the nations vegetables are grown. Belle Glade is a town mired in poverty, poor underperforming schools, gang violence, drugs and high incidence of HIV/Aids. It is a town where high school football is the escape, the way out. Since 1985 twenty-five football players from the Glades Central Raiders have made it to the NFL, five of those were drafted in the first round. Mealer spent a year with the team. I could not put this book down. It is a terrific read on so many levels. It is inspiring and deeply depressing at the same time. It hard to believe that places like this still exist in our country. I read detective fiction and mysteries for escape, one of my favorite authors in this genre’ is Michael Connelly. His latest book is The Black Box. It is so trite to say, but it is a real page-turner. I could not put it down. He takes his main character detective Harry Bosch to another level in solving a cold case murder from the 1992 LA riots. If you chose to read it be sure to block out a half day because you won’t put it down after you start reading. The movie is Searching for Sugar Man. I must admit when my wife convinced me to go see it I did not know what to expect. What a story! It was sad and inspiring at the same time. It is the documentary story of an extraordinary musician, singer and songwriter named Sixto Rodriguez who was born in Detroit of Mexican immigrant parents. He made a couple of albums in the US and the effectively disappeared from the US music scene. He became popular in South Africa. He was rumored to have killed himself on stage at the end of a performance. The movie centers on two South African fans who research his story and find that he is still alive and well and working in construction in Detroit. Many feel he is better that Dylan as lyricist and as a musician. I won’t ruin the story, go see it for yourself, the guy is amazing.
Contemporary Coaching Challenges
Coaching in 2012 has some different demands that when I started coaching in 1969. In so many ways how we meet those demands and adapt to the changes in society and sporting culture will determine our effectiveness as coaches. Here are three areas that I see as particular challenges today: Increasing Specialization – For whatever reason there seems to be more coaches who are specializing in narrower and narrower areas. I still maintain that it is best to specialize in being a generalist. To ultimately prepare your athletes it is important to have command of the big picture, to know how all the pieces fit. Narrow specialization does not allow this. More Emphasis on Science and Technology – Science has given us the ability to measure & see things as never before but the challenge is to determine what is relevant and what is a curiosity. Coaching demands a balance between art and science. We must be careful that we do not become so dependent on science and technology that we lose sight of the art. Remember that coaches, like artists hone their craft, they practice and adapt constantly. They achieve greatness through attention to detail. Constant challenge and refinement fuels their passion. More Management Responsibilities – Certainly the world around the coach and athlete has become more complex. There are more people involved in the process of athlete development than ever before. In many cases the effectiveness of the coach is measured by how effectively the coach can manage all the external factors so that they can effectively coach the athlete. Today when the athlete is near or at the elite level there is an entourage that must be constantly reminded that the goal is to help the athlete perform at their optimum in the competitive arena not to get more endorsements or a larger contract. That will come with performance. It is imperative that the coach has command of this. It is not the most fun part of coaching or the most gratifying but in today’s world it may be most important.
One Size Fits All
I have a friend who is 5’8” and weighs 165 pounds, I am 5’11” and 195 we cannot wear the same size clothing. That should be obvious, then why do we do that with training. We take one training program and use it as a universal prescription, in other words we make one size fit all. It does not work. It may be convenient to use with a large group but because it is convenient does not make it correct. The challenge is always to make the training fit the athlete and the demands of the sport not to make the athlete fit to the training. Sometimes to achieve that requires only subtle changes and other times it is major changes. It is important to never lose sight of the objective of the training – to get each athlete ready to perform at their best in competition on the appointed day at the appointed time. To do that we must train adaptable athletes not athletes who are adapted to one method of training. One size never fits all.
Key Abilities
There are certain key abilities that determine success or failure, those abilities are: Trainability – Can you do the work appropriate for your level of development. Does training match up with your current physical abilities? Adaptability – Are you completely adaptable to the demands of the competitive and training environment or are you adapted? Is you training really making you better or is just making you tired? Recoverability – Can you recover from the training? Competeability – Can you compete? Are you ready to perform on the day at the required time in competition? Accountability – Make what you do count!
Brilliant Thoughts
This is from the Oregana, the University of Oregon yearbook from 1962 talking about Bill Bowerman and the development of the Track & Field team that won the 1962 NCAA championship and ended USC’s record of a 104 straight dual meet wins. “World record shattering potential is not easy to come by, and even after it is found it has to be developed to realize it maximum potential. This potential is diverse in its many forms and a knowledge of the components that make up this potential is essential to successfully exploit it. With the pass of the javelin into flight, the years of training and practice pass with it and guide it into the ground. The lead shot falling to the earth comes to rest only as far as strength practice and knowledge can put it. The javelin throw and the shot differ greatly in the technical application of force, but they are alike in that they both require men who are willing and capable of learning and practicing the skill as it is taught to them. A great track and field team projects its muscle through a coordination of minds of individuals who make up the team. Bill Bowerman by 1962 had become a master at effecting this coordination.”
What Matters
When searching for solutions to a problem It is not what is the matter, that is evident, rather focus on what matters. In order to get meaningful results from training and competition it is imperative to focus on what matters. It is how you do what you do when you do it that counts. Never discount passion and emotion, as they are integral parts of the human spirit. Coach and teach with passion and emotion based on knowledge and reason that is what really matters. It is amazing how problems will then be minimized and when they do occur the solutions will be much clearer.
Short Term Thinking
If you only think of the short term and immediate results from training something will always be missing in the long term. Short-term thinking yields immediate results and long term stagnation. Always consider potential second and third order effects. What happens when the initial training effect wears off? Now what? Think process and big picture. Training is cumulative.
Seize the Moment
You can’t seize the moment if you are not in the moment. Be here now, in being, in mind and in spirit, not somewhere else. Being in the moment will make each moment count. The past is gone and the future will take care of itself if you take care of the present. Each moment is precious, use them!