Author: Vernon Gambetta
Brave Enough by Jesse Diggins
I have always been an an avid reader of coaches and athletes’ biographies. Each biography gave me insights into what that athlete tick. How they approached training. How they got into their sport. How they were coached. There is so much to learn from the experiences of others on the journey to achieve the pinnacle of sport performance. Brave Enough by Jesse Diggins in one of the best I have read in a long time. Her candor is refreshing. She shares her battle with bulimia which makes the book invaluable in itself. Great insights into training and team dynamics with female athletes. Regardless of what sport you coach this is a must read.
My Learning Journey – Influential People
Of late I have been thinking about those who have influenced me over the course of my career. Below I have listed the people in four categories 1) Teachers/Professors 2)Coaches 3)Sport Scientists 4)Athletes. Some of these people I have been able to work directly with, some I just learned from through reading their writing and some through observation. The biggest influence on me has been my family – My mother and father who came to this country without education or knowledge of the language. Their work ethic and the standards they set for us are my guiding light. My older brother Frank. My wife Melissa and our children Curt and Kristen. They are my daily inspiration. Teachers/Professors Father Bernard Father Alexander Professor Canales Sherm Buttom Coaches Charles Kuehl Bill Crow Bill Bowerman Ken Shannon Red Estes Tom Tellez Sam Adams Marshall Clark Chuck Coker Dan McClymond Mihaly Igloi Pete Pedersen Frank Dick Doc Councilman Tadeusz Starzynski Vitold Kreer Arthur Lydiard Percy Cerutty Gerard Mach Bud Winter Sandor Calvesi John Jesse Fred Wilt Joe Vigil Jimmy Radcliffe John Larralde Kevin McGill Gary Winckler Jim Steen Scientists Per Olaf Astrand David Costill Jim Hay Jack Daniels Chuck Dillman Betty Atwater Bob Nidefer Pavo Komi Carmelo Bosco Athletes Curt Harper Pat Matzdorf Jim Ryun Anthony Sandoval Kristen Gambetta
Dealing With Change
We are living in a time of unprecedented change. This gives us a great opportunity to grow and adapt. There are two choices; 1) React to change 2) manage change and own it. I don’t know about you, but I am working to manage change – to own it. I know I cannot do what I have always done. We cannot control the future – but we can control what we do now, in the present. Is this process comfortable? Is it easy? No way, but I am convinced if we manage it, we will be better.
What Can You Do?
Instead of looking at ways to predict injury and search for hidden dysfunctions why not spend the time looking at possibilities to determine the athlete’s level of trainability. Each athlete is a case study of one. Focus on what the athlete CAN DO and use that as a starting point. In most cases the athlete has made it to a certain level because of what they can do. My job is to enhance those abilities and minimize the weaknesses while addressing them in a progressive manner to enable them to progress further athletically. Recognize the wisdom of the body and its ability to figure it out by devising training programs that fit the athlete instead of fitting the athlete to the program. Start with what they can do and dial up the program as they progress and adapt. Ultimately the goal is to reconcile what they can do with what they must do to be ready to thrive as adaptable athletes in the competitive environment.
House of Cards
Always build and rebuild your athletes from the ground up. Emphasize training movements that connect and coordinate. Start with fundamental movements and add complexity as the athlete’s gain mastery of the fundamentals. Don’t worry too much about being sport specific; instead emphasize movements that are sport appropriate to prepare the athlete for the sport demands. Take your time, adaptation takes time it will not happen overnight. If you don’t do this, you are building a fragile athlete much like a house of cards that will blow over in the slightest breeze.
Are Palatial Facilities Necessary?
I keep seeing pictures of these palatial collegiate strength training facilities. Is that degree of opulence really necessary? I invite you to join us (Sarasota Sharks Swim team) here in Sarasota at 5:30 AM Monday and Friday morning to see how you can more with less. Weight room without walls, thirty dedicated young athletes doing the basics well with basic equipment outdoors. These kids train hard and swim fast. This morning it was 81 degrees at 5:50 AM. You do what you have to do with what you have.
The Mundane
So much of what we do as coaches is quite mundane. There are repetitive tasks that we must do to make the other less routine tasks more effective. I have learned not to take the mundane for granted. Those mundane actions can be the difference makers. Pay attention to detail & execute the mundane with intent & purpose.
Letter to a Coach Starting Out
This is an updated version of a post that wrote 6 years ago. I think it particularly timely today based on some conversions I have had recently. Dear Coach: Congratulations on beginning an exciting journey of discovery. You have checked all the boxes in terms of your preparation, you have interned with three pro teams, you are certified, and you have your degree in sports science. Those are the keys that unlock the door. Now the fun starts, the real work begins, you get to apply what you have learned. Be prepared to pay your dues, 90% of coaching is grunt work. Not much science, just a whole lot of detail work that no one ever teaches you in school. Now you have to practice and learn the art of coaching, to become skilled at your craft. You will learn by doing, by making mistakes and correcting them and moving forward. Find a real live in person mentor as soon as you can. Preferably it should be someone who has been there before, someone with gray hair or no hair who has had successes and failures and is willing to share both. Honor and respect those who have blazed the path for you. Know your sports history and study the great coaches who have gone before you. Practice self-refection. Keep learning! Don’t follow fads. Be an informed skeptic. Beware of Internet training porn and slick marketing. Define yourself by developing a clear philosophy. Your philosophy is your guiding light. Maintain your principles and ethics. Winning is not everything. There are no gray areas – there are very strict moral guideline in regard to PED’s and personal behavior. Remember you coach people, not the sport. It is not the technique, training methods, the offense or defense that matters most, it is how you relate to and communicate with athletes you coach as people. Be sure to have a life. Take time for yourself and your family. Be an example to those you coach. There will be tremendous highs full of elation and celebration where you think you have it all figured out. There will also be tremendous disappointments where you will wonder why you chose this path. Maintain an even keel, a level steady approach that doesn’t allow the highs to be too high and lows too low. If you are steady and consistent this will be reflected in your athletes. Sharpen your communication skills. Remember it is not what you say it what they hear that matters most. Talk less and say more. Listen carefully and observe. You can see a lot by watching. Be willing to say you were wrong. Be honest with yourself and your athletes. Lead by example. Empower your athletes – you don’t have be in control all the time. Be yourself. Develop your own coaching style that reflects who you are. Stress fundamentals and you will grow adaptable athletes. Don’t stray far from fundamentals. Good fundamentals are robust and will serve your athletes well under the pressure of competition. Never lose sight of the ultimate goal – Competition. Develop adaptable athletes who are not dependent on your coaching. Give the athlete control of the game. The competition is your final exam that is when you find out if you have done your job. Recognize that change is constant. Learn to manage and lead change. Be proactive. Be a generalist, don’t become so specialized that you lose sight of the big picture of preparing the complete athlete. Coaching is a special calling. Be thankful for that calling and treat it as a special opportunity every day. I will close with an email I received from one of my former athletes after a visit with him after not seeing him for thirty years. Words like this are better than any championship! “I was thinking about what you said about the bunch of athletes from SBHS that you felt were a great part of your career. As I look back, I believe a coach can have a significant influence on a young person’s life in terms of lessons to take forward. Although none of us at SBHS achieved Olympic or world-class athletic status, I think that many of us have been very successful in other aspects of our lives. I believe that your influence on us included such attributes as the understanding of perseverance, importance of character, the development of self-confidence, maintaining a life balance and the love of physical conditioning. I know that the life lessons you taught me led to my work in physical therapy, the perseverance to obtain a PhD, and the love of a life filled with running, cycling and swimming. Thank you for enriching my life Vern. I would not be where I am today without your early guidance.” Yours in coaching Vern Gambetta