Author: Vernon Gambetta
The Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule) Applied to Coaching
The Pareto principle states that 20% of the input creates 80% of the result. I would not get too hung up on the numbers as absolute, the key here is the concept. Everything is not weighted equally. You do not do a unit of work and get an equal result from that unit of work. Some types of training or methods can and will contribute more than others. The challenge for us in coaching is to carefully evaluate what we are doing in our training design and implementation to determine where we are getting the most return. We may have a favorite exercise or a workout that we think works, but if you step back you may see that it is not doing what you think it is doing, it is not where the results are coming from. In fact the results may be coming from something or somewhere else. It would be nice if every training session or method contributed equally to the adaptive process but that just does not reflect reality. According to the Pareto principle the majority of the results come from a small percentage of the work. So find out where the results are coming from and focus your efforts there for the best return. To use a cliché, separate the wheat from the chaff, focus on the need to do and minimize the nice to do. A corollary to this is that more is not that much better; optimize the volume of work to minimize the law of diminishing returns. Make your decisions in training based on the return, know where you best results are coming from and focus your efforts there.
Little Bits and Pieces
It is a given you will do the big things, the speed development, the foundation strength work, the specific endurance and the technique work. Those are the things that take relative large blocks of time to do. But there is more. It is the little things, the remedial exercises, and the special individual modules that athletes need. You must address those. To accomplish this, think bite sized chunks. Construct modules that will accomplish what needs to be done in ten minutes. For example once in a pro soccer situation I designed a pre-warm-up of three exercises that the players had to day before they put their boots on. It was transparent injury protection because I knew that before they did formal warm-up they would be doing “stuff” with the ball, some of it pretty vigorous that exposed them to groin injuries. It took five to seven minutes, it was enforced and it worked, no groin injuries. I have found that are willing and coaches will approve of these small bouts of very specific work designed to address specific needs. Place them strategically to optimize their benefits. Think, a little bit more often, as opposed to big blocks of time that you will not get. To reinforce the point I have been making quite often lately, training is cumulative. It is surprising how quickly minutes turn into hours.
No Facilities, No Problem!
You don’t have a weight room – So what? Does that mean you don’t strength training? No way. Facilities can be a crutch, use what you have to make your athletes better. Over the years I have worked in situations where I have had excellent facilities and other situations where there were none. In both cases the quality of the training was the same. I have never based training on facilities or equipment; my approach from the start of my career was that the key is the program and the coaches who coach the program. Champions can made anywhere with good coaches with a "can do attitude." You need to be creative, imaginative and adaptable. Never let facilities or lack thereof dictate what you can or cannot do. No track, lay one out is parking lot or hallway. A 20 yard pool, so what? You will be great on turns, you might have do more tethered swimming, but you can and will get it done. For strength training think "weight room without walls." This is how champions are made. I look at the palatial facilities at the pro teams, universities and private training centers and I much see less done with more. They seem to focus on the machines, technology, and the ambiance. Focus on what is important – The athlete and coaching to make them better. No facilities, no problem!
In-season Training – Applications
I will cover some do’s and don’ts gathered from my experience. Lets start with the obvious; you must work closely with the sport coach. As athletic development coaches we are support staff, the sport coach is on the one on the spot, the final product is a judgment of his or her work. We must be sensitive to that fact. Everything we due must be subservient to practice and games. Start by meeting with the sport coach and get a very good handle on their expectations for training in-season. I then look at the competition schedule and classify the games/matches as developmental, important or crucial. Developmental means a competition that should not be difficult (Mind you that you should never take any opponent for granted). Important are games that will test the team’s mettle and count in the standings. Crucial should be obvious, big games or matches, play-offs or championships. Once that has been determined I break the season into ten or fourteen day microcyles. I have found that getting away from the traditional seven-day cycle solves the density dilemma and allows me a better distribution of the work. Then I group the players, by individual needs and by position. The actual training consists of modules rather than individual exercises. Modules consist of four to six exercises or drills designed to address specific qualities and needs. I have found that this approach makes constructing the workouts more directed and allows me to insert various modules in strategic places as needed. Look closely at the practice plan and look for places within the practice that afford opportunities for athletic development modules. Obviously this must be closely coordinated with the coach. I have found this to be particularly effective to address individual player needs. I have also had success with plugging in a specific module that was three to five minutes long that was used to enhance the subsequent sport specific drill. To do this requires trust from the sport coach. In regard to strength training the emphasis should change based on the time of the competitive season. It is important to note that strength training does not always have to be after practice. With an athlete or team that has a good training background a well designed targeted session before a practice or even a game or a match can be very beneficial in terms of neural stimulus. Also implement the ”weight room without walls” concept. Do the strength training on the field or the court. It works. Flexibility needs to be addressed daily on an individual needs basis. It can be done before workout if it is active, but true flexibility development is best-done post practice when the body is still warmed up. It is advisable to have pre-practice routines where individual players or small groups work with the Athletic Development coach to address specific needs. This should be no longer than fifteen minutes. This has worked quite well for me over the years. Directed, focused work designed to meet individual needs has a profound cumulative training effect. In a latter post I will address specific in regard to speed development, fitness and share some actual plans.
In-season Training – The Concept
Perhaps one of the biggest dark holes in training is what to do for in-season training, especially in team sports. How much should do? What should you do? When should you do it? In-season train is immensely important. Too many people still subscribe to the myth that once the season starts then training should go into a maintenance mode. That concept is outdated and wrong. If you start a “maintenance” program once the competitive season starts you will quickly be in a detraining mode. Based on the law of reversibility (use it or lose it) the physical qualities that were developed in the non- competitive build-up phase will began to erode. Some erode faster than others based on training age and background, the sport, frequency of competition and gender. All physical qualities should be trained in-season, obviously not to the same extent as in the off-season. I divide the competitive season into manageable blocks based on the competition calendar. I use pretty simple divisions – early season, mid season, late season and championship season which includes playoffs and championships. Then I carefully consider the demands of the sport. Is it a collision, contact or high impact sport? What is the frequency of competition? Are there more than one game or matches in a week? What is the make-up of the team? Is it a veteran team or all young athletes without much experience? Is it a developmental team or a seasoned professional team? Then I will look closely at the individuals. Who are the fast adaptors? Who recovers fast, who is slow to recover. What is their role on a team? Are they a starter or substitute that rarely plays. Then I begin to layout my distribution of the actual training. This is all determined by the quality and extent of the work I have been able to do in preparation blocks. If there has been a good foundation then obviously I can begin to build off of that. Keep in mind that training accumulates form day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month and year-to-year. We want to be sure to take advantage of that and continue that process. I want to dispel the notion that you need large blocks of time for in-season training. Look for time and use it to maximum benefit. Five minutes a day by five training days is twenty five precoius minutes that yoiu can use to get the athlete better. Warm-up is an obvious period to stress fundamental movement skills. This is the time to address injury prevention through modules that address movements and elements of the sport that put the athlete at risk. This should be transparent. Speed development must be trained. All components of linear speed including max speed must be addressed. Very simply, fast people must run fast or they lose speed. One of the causes of the hamstrting injuries we are seeing is that the players only are going top speed in games and matches. Something has to give. Agility should be addressed but to a lesser extent, because practice movements will hit that component. Regarding agility you have to be careful that you are not adding stress to stress by doing more change of direction outside of practice. Strength training is paramount. It must be an emphasis throughout, especially for the female athlete. As the season progresses strength training will assume a different role, it becomes a tool for neural excitation, rather than for force development. My rule here is, a little bit more often. Obviously I am only touching the surface here. This is one the topics we address in the GAIN Apprentorship. In future posts I will talk more about the actual work and the changes in the emphasis during the various blocks of the season. Ask yourself one question: Are they thriving or surviving?
Rice Speed Clinic – This Saturday
Don’t miss out on this great learning opportunity at Rice University in Houston Texas this Saturday. Hope to see you there. Dr. Peter Weyand will present – From gait mechanics to sprint running performance: forcing the issue The speeds athletes can attain during sprint running are determined by two factors: 1) body weight and 2) the forces the limbs apply to the ground. This talk will examine how and why ground force application differs during the acceleration, maximum velocity, and fatiguing stages of a sprint race. Dr. Mike Young will examine the current field of research on sprinting mechanics and 'connect the dots' to provide real world means and methods of application that coaches can use to enhance the mechanics and physical capacity of their athletes. He will use his unique perspective as both a sport scientist and coach of elite athletes to provide evidence-based, field-proven training information. I will speak on Coaching Speed – Reflections & Insights Gained from 42 Years of Coaching to Make People Faster Part One- Historical Overview & Evolution of Sprint Training Part Two – Do's and Don'ts with particular on coaching the young and developing sprinter/hurdler For information and to sign up contact Casey Thom cdt1@rice.edu
Keep Your Eye on the Target
As Athletic Development coaches our target should be crystal clear and we should never take our eye off the target. The target is to prepare the athlete physically to compete without any limitations or restrictions so they can thrive in the competitive environment. That demands a comprehensive approach that addresses all components of physical preparation. Just training strength or speed or any one component is not enough. They must be carefully blended to meet the athletes needs and the demands of the sport. No need to get cute and fancy, stay basic and fundamental. Gradually progress the athlete to improve their physical literacy. Progressive improvement should be expected if you keep you eye on the target.
Using the Past Effectively
The past is gone, in many cases long time gone. You and I know people who live in the past. Living in the past is not using the past effectively. The past is a starting point, just a reference point. Events gain clarity when we can look back at them in light of new information. If you feel lost, just look back over shoulder to see where you have come from, to get your bearings. I know for sure that the past is a place to find new ideas. I see the work of great coaches like Doc Councilman, Bill Bowerman, and Bud Winter that is brilliant in it’s simplicity and clarity. They got it; they blazed the way for us, so why ignore their work. I am looking closer at their work; I am using their brilliance and achievements’ as a call to action, as a stepping-stone to broaden my knowledge and improve my coaching, hopefully you will do the same.