Author: Vernon Gambetta
The Generalist
A change that I have seen over the years is a transition from the generalist coaches of my generation to the specialist coaches of today. I am not sure this is a positive trend. If I have choice of hiring a coach I will always lean toward the generalist. I know most of my colleagues, the ones that I lean on the heaviest, are consummate generalists. Certainly the coaches that changed training and changed their sports, Bill Bowerman in Track & Field and Doc Councilman in swimming were generalists. The generalist has the ability to: To make connections among seemingly unrelated information. For the generalist it is not the links, but the linkages that make the system. The specialists focus on the links, generalists can stand back and see, in the bigger, "holistic" picture, how they work together. I made the choice to be a generalist 40 plus years ago. Certainly no regrets on that choice, it allowed me to better understand movement and all the permutations. I would urge those of you who are early in your careers to look at this option, it is more FUNdamental, there is never a dull moment because rather being hung up on minutiae your are constantly making connections. Those connections translate into results.
Evaluating Results
“If you don’t test max’s and lift heavy weights then how do you evaluate results?” In essence this was the question posed to me by a “Lost generation” strength coach. My answer was simple – I just pointed to the pool (In this case the sport was swimming).The ultimate judge of an Athletic Development program are the results in the competitive arena. First are the athletes healthy and able to train optimally so that they can do the daily preparation for competition? Second are they improving? Third is the coaching staff fully on board and do they link the training program with what they are doing in their sport? Simple! Prepare the athlete for their sport, not how to lift more weights or run more drills. Once again it comes down to adaptable or adapted.
Trinidad and Tobago
What a great trip. My colleagues Dave Joyner and Ed Ryan and I taught a three day seminar on Following the Functional Path to Build and Rebuild the Complete Athlete. We had 114 coaches, therapists and doctors attend. The last day was Independence Day, a national holiday and there was very little drop off in attendance. The coaches were eager to learn so the questions were really good and challenging. This is a very small country, in geography and population with a rich sport history. With he guidance of the Sports Minister, Gary Hunt, whom we were able to meet and discuss thier development plans they will be a force to be reckoned with again in sports on the world scene. I would like to thanks Mr Trevor Hewitt for organizing the trip through his business Advanced Performance Technologies and the support of the Sports Minister, The Honourable Gary Hunt.
Good Book’s
Just finished a good book last night. Leading the Charge – Leadership Lessons from The Battlefield To The Boardroom. Last week I watched an interview with the author, former Marine Corps General Tony Zinni on CSPAN Book TV, found it interesting so I decided to read the book. Nothing earth shaking here, but a lot of common sense and some really good insights into the requirements for leadership in this ever changing work we live in. What I especially liked were his personal examples of leadership and command situations that he had experienced. Also just finished another interesting book called "Always Compete – An Inside Look At Pete Carroll And The USC Football Juggernaut" by Steve Bisheff. The author is a bit of a Trojan cheerleader, but when writes Carroll and his coaches it is really outstanding. I have been fascinated by Carroll and his approach. He is a sharp dude. Many insights to leading and coaching today's athlete. I am not a big USC fan, but this guy has turned around a program that was stuck in the past. Especially interesting in light of their defeat at the hands of University of Washington coached by his former assistant.
On the Road Again
Leaving today for Trinidad and Tobago to teach a three day workshop with my colleague Dr. Dave Joyner and Ed Ryan. Looking forward to getting some insight as to why a small a small nation like this can produce the way they have produced in Track and Field. Should be fun.
Stop and Think
Richard MacLeish wrote the following reply to yesterday’s post (My answers to his question are in parenthesis) – How do you know what exercises are going to help a specific function. (Learn the demands of the sport and the position, know the athlete) I understand the rational, but I also see that the reason the soccer coach went to the strength coach was because he lacked the knowledge to help his players get stronger. (Point well taken up to a certain point – This is what I keep hearing. My question is stronger for what? For the game or to lift more weight?) Can you recommend a good source for "functional" knowledge? (This is not a question of function, that has become as trite a term as HIT or Olympic Lifting, a way to label or pigeon hole someone. Learn about movement. Get out and try different things and see how they feel. Be a coach. There is no holy grail of knowledge about function.)
More General versus Specific
There is another consideration in the distribution of general versus specific work that is the training age of the athlete. At younger training ages, particularly in the first three to five years of training the athlete’s window of adaptation is very large. Therefore it is appropriate to include more general work at this stage to give a broad range of motor skills and abilities. As the athlete advances in training age the window of adaptation becomes much smaller therefore the demand is for more specific work. At advanced training ages general work assumes the role of remedial prophylactic training or recovery regeneration type of work.
Another Message to the “Lost Generation” Strength Coaches
This is from my colleague Kelvin Giles. Kelvin has that unique ability to cut to the chase. He shared this with yesterday: “When you find yourself in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging.” Maybe the lost generation just needs to stop digging. The answers they are digging for are probably right on the surface in plain view.