Author: Vernon Gambetta
This Past Week
Phew! What a week. Spending six days with coaches eager to share ideas and learn was very uplifting. I am a bit overwhelmed with trying to put it all together. At Carmel Swim club they are beginning a journey of structuring their dryland training from 8 to 18. The challenge with the developmental age groups is to progressively improve physical literacy so that when they reach the senior level they have mastery of fundamental movements and no physical limitations.l It will be fun and challenging. Michigan Women's swimming is well down the functional path beginning the eighth year of following this paradigm. It was really cool yester morning getting inpit from their swimmers. That is what it is all about, they are the ones who actually live the program. It reminds me that coaching is not something we do to the athletes it is something we do with the athletes. Jim Richardson is a master at this.
Stuff
We all do stuff. Sometimes the stuff works and sometimes it does not. Do you know what stuff works and why it works so that you can use that stuff again? Ask yourself the following questions? What stuff are you doing? Why are you doing it? How do you do it? Who does it? When do you do it? Last but not least, how do you know it works? Eventually I hope it becomes more than just stuff. It is up to us as coaches and teachers to add significance and meaning so that it becomes more than stuff.
This Week
Posts might not be as prolific this week. I will be working with Carmel Swim Team in Indianapolis Indiana and then onto University of Michigan to work with Women's Swimming. Can't believe this is my 8th year working with Jim Richardson at Michigan. This is always a high point of my year. Jim is a great coach who always teaches my something new. Can't wait.
Another Myth – Long Practices
Jonathan Hewitt sent me the following question in response to my post on Quantity or Quality. What do you say to the coach that thinks if they train their team to play 5 quarters then they will have no problem playing 4 quarters? That is precisely the mastodon mentality that buries the athletes. If the game is two hours then you practice three hours – WRONG. What happens when you do that is that you send a message – The message is that it is about enduring, surviving rather than thriving. The athletes pace themselves and gear down the effort to make it through the practice. It contradicts everything we know about motor learning. I want to see high quality efforts, executed at game speed with precision. What I see in long practices is mindless work, going through the motions and repetition of errors. Jack Blaterwick, Conditioning coach of five different Olympic Ice hockey teams, including the 1980 Miracle team, has a concept he calls “overspeed” by that he means the ability to practice at a speed greater that you are currently able to play in the game. You start with small periods of this and gradually increase this until the game slows down. Gus Hiddink, the coach of South Korea in the 2003 World Cup and current coach of Russia uses the same concept in soccer. Not really rocket science, it is common sense. Eventually you should be able to execute technique while fatigued. To do that you establish a sound technical model in the skill of the sport (learn in non fatigued state). Build sound tactics on that. Add strategic awareness. Then you play faster. It is a process. It requires patience and long term development. It will and does work at every level.
The Relay Mess
What the hell, I might as well weigh in everybody else has. The relays in the USA Track & Field have sucked off more resources in term of time, money and personnel in the last 16 years than any other three events. The solution is simple put a coach in charge who knows what he or she is doing. I have two suggestions: Gary Winckler or Brian Fitzgerald from Rio Mesa High school in California. They have had proven success without great talent. They are technically sound. Last but not least – When are the athletes going to take ownership?
Leadership from Seth Godin
The following is from Seth Godin’s blog today, it is excerpted from his book Tribes. http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/ Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead. The scarcity makes leadership valuable. If everyone tries to lead all the time, not much happens. It’s discomfort that creates the leverage that makes leadership worthwhile. In other words, if everyone could do it, they would, and it wouldn’t be worth much. It’s uncomfortable to stand up in front of strangers. It’s uncomfortable to propose an idea that might fail. It’s uncomfortable to challenge the status quo. It’s uncomfortable to resist the urge to settle. When you identify the discomfort, you’ve found the place where a leader is needed. If you’re not uncomfortable in your work as a leader, it’s almost certain you’re not reaching your potential as a leader. I would like to add my thoughts, there are many people who think they are leading, but no one is following, they are very “comfortable leaders.” Leading is not comfortable, you must do and say things other are unwilling to do, you go where other have not gone. Many are called and few are chosen.
Dani Samuels – Discus World Champion
I was so excited I excited when I found out that Dani won, I jumped up and cheered. I was in the middle of volleyball practice and everyone thought I was nuts until I explained my happiness. I got to watch a strength training session with her and her coach Denis Knowles and his son who designs her strength training program in 2007. What an impressive athlete, with great coaching! Denis has a long term plan which is certainly coming to fruition. She did not begin heavy traditional weight training to any extent until 2008, instead building a good foundation of “functional strength.” At that time she took gymnastics two days week including trampoline, in addition she was a national class basketball player, in short a real athlete. You take those qualities, couple that with great coaching and the support structure at new South Wales Academy of sport and you have a world champion. I think her best is still ahead. I first met her coach Denis Knowles in 1996, during my first trip to Australia. He is a tireless and learner and a real gentlemen, always willing to share ideas. It is great to see someone like Denis produce a champion at the highest level. Coaching does matter.
Shame on You
I think it is a real shame what is going on with the questioning of the gender on the South African 800 meter World Champion Caster Semenya. Let’s not try this in the court of public opinion, wait until the tests determine her gender, this is a complex issue that most of us are not qualified to offer opinions on. If you want visual evidence why did we never question the gender of Maria Mutola or the current world record holder in the 800 meters, Jarmila Kratochvílová. Look at these pictures, is appearance proof enough? No way! I rest my case. Let’s shut up and let this young girl enjoy her success.