Author: Vernon Gambetta
Some Friday Thoughts
Never ever forget that training accumulates day to day, week to week, month to month and year to year. Therefore, you do not need to start over at zero each year. Build upon what you have done in a logical progression. Sometimes what we do not do in training is as important as what we actually do. Sometimes imitation can spur innovation. To prevent shoulder injuries, hamstring pulls, and groin pulls stop the focus on the shoulder, hamstring and groin and look at their role of the in the kinetic chain. Think coordination & muscle synergies to achieve technical mastery which will go a long way to preventing injuries. It would be great to see youth sport come back under the umbrella of education as part of the schools offering. Instead, it has been farmed and it has spawned a multimillion-dollar industry that is not good to the kids. Kids are being used! "Do not place hope in finding a secret technique," said Kyuzo Mifune. "Polish the mind through ceaseless training; that is the key to effective techniques." Challenge – What are you doing NOW to get better at what you do?
Words
Words create images and images create action. This is an axiom that I learned over 50 years ago. It has stood the test of time. Words are important. Using the appropriate word at the appropriate time with appropriate tone and inflection to your voice are difference makers in effective communication. Be more aware of what you say to whom to be a more effective coach. Just like in training, less is more, a few well-chosen words are more effective than a speech.
No App for that
There is no app that will magically teach you to be a better coach. Becoming a better coach is a process. It requires daily investment in time and effort to achieve mastery of the skills necessary. Coaching is a people profession – it is not high tech; it is high touch. Technology and science should inform what we do, not drive what we do as coaches. Know your strengths. Know your weaknesses. Enhance your strengths and improve your weaknesses. Know you sport, leave no stone unturned to learn all you can about your sport. Learn from the past, high-level performance is not new. Find a mentor who has coached for at least forty years, learn from their success and mistakes. Learn from other sports, broaden your horizons. Look at dance and music for creative ideas on rhythm and movement. Keep challenging yourself to get better. Set the example for your athletes. Learn to listen better. Learn to see more. See your sport with childlike eyes. Coaching is a way of life, you must live it to be good at it, there is no app for that.
Sam Cunningham (1950 – 2021) RIP – Memories
Sam was a great athlete that I was fortunate to coach in my first-year coaching when he won the California State Meet in the shot put. I have fond memories of Sam the athlete. In 1970 in my first decathlon Sam also did his first and only decathlon. After that he turned his attention to football, where he was a legend. Looking back through the prism of time my fondest memories are of Sam the person. He was special, a real leader, quiet and assured, he led by example. He had a presence. He was genuinely humble. He was an incredible competitor, refused to be beat. When asked about the famous Alabama game he sincerely said that he was not the only black athlete who played for USC, he said he just scored the touchdowns. The second week of track practice in 1969 at Santa Barbara High School Jesse Owens came to visit and talk to the team. At the end of his talk, he asked Sam to stand up. He recognized Sam for being an All-American in football and said that he heard he was a pretty good track athlete also. Sam was embarrassed to be singled out, he said thank you Mr. Owens and sat down. That was Sam. When I found out that Sam had passed yesterday morning I cried. My wife and I started reminiscing about our four-hour car ride in my VW bug after the Fresno decathlon in March of 1970. Imagine all 6’3” 225 pounds of him stuffed in the front seat with my fiancé, Melissa in the back seat with the bags, shot put and discus. We started laughing because Sam kept asking, he if she had enough room. His knees were up to his chest in the front seat. He kept us entertained with his stories of his freshman football season and how he was looking forward to spring practice starting the next week. Ke kept kidding Melissa, who was a student at Stanford at the time, that USC would never lose to Stanford when he was there. I remember him saying that he knew each day of spring practice would be harder that the decathlon he just finished. My other memory of the trip was of the Jackson Five playing on the radio, Sam liked them. Anytime I hear the Jackson Five I think about Sam Sam all of us who knew you were blessed. Thanks for being who you were. You never let any of the success go to your head. You always remembered your roots and those who helped you. Sam the world is a better place because of you. RIP and God speed, your memory lives on.
Something to Think About
This post was inspired by my third read of Adam Grants great book – Think Again and conversations with coaches and administrators over the past few weeks. It is the time of the year when we are earnestly planning for the next year, debriefing the last year and the last Olympic cycle. One thing I know for sure no matter how successful you or your team has been you must change to be better. It may be small incremental changes or a complete about face from what you have done before. Here are some of the statements you will hear when you want to change or innovate: We don’t do it that way here. That’s the way we do it here. That’s the way we have always done it, and we have been successful, so why change? The other teams don’t do that. Another team tried that and they lost every game. We can’t do that that they have better facilities and more money. We tried that before and it did not work. These are progress stoppers and innovation killers. If you want to lead meaningful change then change the narrative. Because we have never done that way before represents an opportunity, Change is a constant that be uncomfortable. If you don’t change in today’s world the world will pass you by. Coaches are change agents so get out in front of change and lead or you will be left in the dust.
Eric Hoffer – The True Believer
If you want insights and a deeper understanding of what is happening today this is a must read. It was first published in 1952. I first read it for a class in college in the mid 1960’s. He is one of my intellectual heroes. As a college student I devoured everything he wrote. Eric Hoffer, the author resists classification. He had no formal education beyond early elementary school. He was migrant worker for many years and then a longshoreman in San Francisco. He was self-educated, having spent all his free time in public libraries reading history and philosophy. True Believer delves into the characteristics of mass movements. The characteristics of the ideologues who led the movements. Even though it was written almost seventy years ago, it could have been written today looking at the vents in our world. He saw Trump and Putin coming. If you are interested in learning ,more abbot Hoffer there is a timeless documentary called A Savage Heart featuring Eric Severeid on CBS interviewing Hoffer.
Thoughts from Morning Walks & Long Bike Rides
So often it is not about time, it about timing. Know why to do what you do and then find the right time. “Generation that plants the tree is NOT the generation that gets the shade.” Talent identification is hard! No formulas or algorithms. It takes enormous about of footwork and careful observation and analysis. Developing the talent to its full potential is even harder. At each higher level of sport everything happens faster. Forget barriers, they are just bumps in the road. Instead think about conquering new frontiers. Explore, push the envelope. In the sprint stride – forget frontside and backside. Those are artificial constructs that take away from the whole action. Don’t think less of yourself, think of yourself less. Why are injuries in sport continuing to trend up when more attention than ever is devoted to injury prevention? Pay attention to what you are paying attention to. Are you doing you job or just doing what you have to do to keep your job?
Thoughts on End of Season Review/Debrief
Whether you are a national governing body reviewing your performance at the Olympic games or a high school coach just ending your season and preparing for next year. Here are few thoughts that may help you begin an effective performance review/debrief. First of all, if you did well don’t be fooled by success and be complacent. Use the success as a springboard. If your last year was great or a disappointment – the approach should be the same. You need to ask hard incisive questions that get to the why. These questions should lead to specific actions. Often the tendency is to start with the answers and fit the questions to those answers. That is a sure road to mediocrity. Too often the focus is on what and who, but this is the time to channel your inner Simon Sinek and dig deep for the whys. Catalog what you did well and why. What will change? Are you changing just to change or are there specific reasons? Once you have completed this process then act now. Great teams and organizations have a sense of urgency. Get er done now!