Author: Vernon Gambetta
Foundational Beliefs – Guiding Lights
The following are foundational beliefs that make up the pillars of my coaching philosophy. I early in my career as a coach I learned that philosophy is the guiding light, the beacon that guides you through the good times and the bad. These may be of assistance to you in defining how and what you do as a coach: Coach & Teach the Way You Would Want to Be Coached & Taught It Is Always About the Athlete Focus on the Process – The Pursuit of Excellence Has Its Own Rewards Embrace and Lead Change Relentlessly Pursue Personal & Professional Growth and Learning Use All Dimensions of Communication Embrace the Difference – Nobody Is the Same Always Ask Why? Never Take No for Answer Less Is More – Simplicity Yields Complexity Be Passionate and Enthusiastic Be Humble
Testing =Training & Training = Testing
Testing and training go hand and glove. Evaluation through testing is an ongoing process that will determine the direction and content of training. Therefore it is important to build testing into the training plan. The traditional approach has been to schedule specific days for testing, usually at the beginning or the end of a yearly training cycle. This testing usually consists of criteria tests that profile the athlete with respect to the biomotor capacities in a particular sport. They are usually scheduled two times during a yearly training cycle. I have grown increasingly uncomfortable with this approach. Using testing only two times in a yearly cycle gave me good baseline information, but it did not give me information on the ongoing progress of training that I needed to make the day to day and week to week adjustments in the training to obtain optimum adaptive response. There is a necessity to incorporate testing into the actual training process on a day-to-day basis. The solution is that testing equals training and training equals testing. At various points in each training session there are distinct windows of opportunity to get feedback as to the effect of training. It is imperative in those periods to look for and utilize the feedback. Build testing in the training. We must keep in mind that training is cumulative so it is important to keep the big picture in mind. Ongoing evaluation enables us to keep everything in proportion and perspective. We need to train all the qualities throughout the training year; therefore we must monitor the progress.
The Bowerman Influence – 50 Years Later
Bill Bowerman had a huge influence on my decision to be a track coach. In the winter of 1968; my senior year in college at Fresno State Bowerman came to speak as the featured speaker at the first ever Fresno State Track & Field Clinic, he was brought to Fresno by Red Estes, assistant track coach at Fresno State (later to be head coach) who had competed at the University of Oregon under Bowerman. What can I say; Bowerman was Bowerman, passionate, direct to the point, outspoken and strong in his beliefs. He was obviously very knowledgeable in all disciples of Track & Field even though he was known as a distance coach. After the first night of the clinic as I was walking back to my apartment through the cold wet San Joaquin valley fog I made up my mind to be a track coach. I wanted to be like Bowerman, I was so impressed with his knowledge and passion I could think of no other way to go. Over the next few years I read everything about him and his program, heard him speak numerous times, but that presentation that first night of the clinic still sticks with me. He and my father had a huge influence on my thinking that there are no shades of gray; it is right or wrong, no argument. Not that I have ever have achieved what Bowerman did in his career but that has stuck with me. These quotes capture a little of Bowerman. The first quote is not directly from Bowerman but you can clearly see his influence. It is from Oregana, 1962 University of Oregon Yearbook “World record shattering potential is not easy to come by, and even after it is found it has to be developed to realize its maximum potential. This potential is diverse in its many forms and a knowledge of the components that make up this potential is essential to successfully exploit it.” "Victory is in having done your best. If you've done your best, you've won." “It is quite simple to observe that great middle distances runners have usually been medium to just above average in height, slightly below average in weight, slight of build, with well-defined musculature. They also usually have a somewhat lower pulse rate than average. But to select runners purely on the basis of these characteristics would probably result in little more success than choosing them by the color of their eyes and hair.” “Champions and potential champions must have an abundance of energy and tenacity. They must be willing to stick to workout procedures that would seem grueling to the average person, to perform them in fair weather and foul. Furthermore, they are eager, not only to defeat opposition, but to push themselves to full capacity on the competitive field.” “My method of devising a training schedule (specific assignments for workouts) is not very different from a physician's method of arriving at a prescription for a patient. The first step is diagnosis, becoming acquainted with the patients or athlete's abilities and disabilities. The second step is an assessment of what improvement can reasonably be expected and what specific recommendations are needed. The final step is a period of trial and observation to adjust the "dosage" or training schedule to optimum levels for the safest and most rapid improvement of condition.” If you want to learn more about Bowerman read Kenny Moore’s fine book – Bowerman and The Men of Oregon. What sport needs today is more Bill Bowerman’s who have the passion, courage and knowledge to speak their mind and stand up against drugs and cheating.
My Coaching Journey Continues
January 2018 marks the beginning on my 49th year of coaching. It has been an adventure every step of the way – a journey of continual learning and discovery that started with Santa Barbara High School Track in 1969. Coaching is craft that takes time to learn; you can never stop learning if you want to be good at your craft. You cannot learn to coach in a book, on the Internet or sitting in a lecture hall. You must coach to learn to coach. You must get your hands dirty, do the grunt work, make some mistakes, fail forward & keep learning. For me it has been a constant balancing act with staying current with the latest methods and research and doing what I know has worked. You must constantly iterate and fine tune to stay ahead of the game and do justice to your athletes. Much has changed in 49 years, but the fundamentals have not changed. I learned the hard way not to stray far from the basics. Look for simple solutions to complex problems. More than ever I am a coach of people who play sports. God willing, I am looking forward to many more years. There is so much more to learn and share in my evolving role of a mentor coach. Thanks to all the athletes and coaches I have been fortunate to work with – they were my teachers. I only hope that I was to able to give them as much as they gave to me.
Two Great Sprinters
Two great sprinters died within weeks of each other in the fall of 2017. You would have be close to my age and a real track nut to know who they were. These two sprinters had a huge influence on my interest in speed and how to get people to run faster. Their best years came within a four-year span from 1961 to 1965. Both were small in stature, if you saw them in street clothes you would never guess they were world class athletes. Their small stature disguised incredible power and explosiveness. Neither ever lifted weights. One was white and one was African American. They were both linked to the great Bob Hayes. Hayes was the physical opposite of both of them. Who were these guys? Johnny Gilbert who graduated from Santa Barbara High school in 1960 and ran a close second to Bob Hayes world record 100 yards for 9.1 seconds years in St Louis in 1962 (First record ever set on an artificial track – rubberized asphalt). Jonny ran a 9.2 and later claimed the dubious distinction of being the first American to lose to a Russian sprinter when he finished third in the 1963 USA/USSR dual meet in Moscow. The other sprinter was Darel Newman, AKA the bald Bullet, he was prematurely bald after a bout of valley fever as a child. He beat Bob Hayes in an indoor race. He won NCAA indoor 60-yard dash in 1964. His best 100 was a hand timed 9.2. He finished second in 1965 NCAA meet and was ranked number three in the world in 1965. So, what is my connection? The summer after my freshman year in high school Gilbert was the recreation supervisor at Harding Elementary school across the street from my house. He used to let us challenge him to races of various lengths and give us a handicap and would always beat us no matter how short the distance. I remember him spotting bunch of us ten yards in a 60 and him beating us by almost ten yards! I just keep trying to figure how someone could be so fast, it started me trying to find the answer. His obituary: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newspress/obituary.aspx?pid=187156320 Darel Newman was senior at Fresno State when I was freshman. He lived in the same dorm. After freshman football ended I made it a point to watch him train any time I could. Nothing spectacular. He seldom ran over 120 yards in training. He was a pure “drop dead” 100-yard sprinter and his training reflected it. I quickly realized that sprinters needed to be trained differently. His obituary: http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/college/mountain-west/fresno-state/article178819061.html It was sad to learn of their passing. They were good guys who represented their sport well and taught me more in than short time than I would have learned in years. Best of all their fueled my passion for learning about speed that continues today. RIP and God speed to you guys, hopefully you and Bob Hayes are having good races in heaven.
GAIN 2018 – Apply Now
This is the eleventh year of GAIN; it started 2007 with twelve attendees and four instructors and has grown to eighty attendees from all over the world and eighteen faculty. GAIN is a community of professional’s eager to learn and willing to share ideas and information. GAIN is not about more exercises, sets, reps and training methods it is about passionate people who pursue excellence with honesty, integrity and respect to make a difference in the lives of the people we coach and teach. Who attends? GAIN is open to Strength & Conditioning/Athletic Development coaches, Sport Coaches, Physical Therapists, ATC’s, Chiropractors, Doctors and Physical Education teachers. Those who attend are professionals seeking career advancement & renewal through a networking experience and who are interested in getting out of their comfort zone. When is GAIN? June 12 to June 16, 2018 Where is GAIN? It is held on the campus of Rice University in Houston Texas. How much does GAIN cost? Tuition is $2050. This includes breakfast, lunch and dinner each day, and lodging at Rice University. Where can I learn more about GAIN? Go to www.thegainnetwork.com/ or call 941-378-1778. You can also email Vern Gambetta at gstscoach@gmail.com How do I apply? Go to https://tinyurl.com/ycu2sesl to apply, submit your application now, enrollment is limited. We will let you know within ten days if you are accepted. Why do I have to apply? Can’t I just sign up? Having people apply is part of what makes GAIN special. It would be easier to make it open for anyone to enroll, but that is not what GAIN is about. We are looking for people who are wiling to share and challenge themselves and others to grow professionally. The people in the network with you are as important (maybe even more important) than the faculty experts. The connections and inspiration you get from those around you have a significant impact on the experience. Who are the faculty? Our faculty has a a tremendous breadth of experiences and a record of excellence in their chosen fields. They know how a performance team works, how all aspects of athletic development complement each other and most importantly they understand the process of developing athletes. How does the network work? The GAIN annual meeting is the beginning. Participants have access to a secure website that offers access to an online forum and library including video of past GAIN Annual Meetings. In addition, GAIN members are eligible to come back each year at a reduced rate. GAIN 2018 Theme Connecting the Dots – Back to Basics GAIN Mission To focus on the possibilities for enhancing human movement with no limits or limitations and emphasize connections and links between all disciplines in the same manner we emphasize connections and linkages in the body. GAIN Goals Provide a career defining educational experience for all involved Define the field of Athletic Development Reinforce the concepts that: Training = Testing and Testing = Training Training = Rehab and Rehab = Training
2017 Looking Back
The end of the year is a time for reflection, analysis and recalibration. Each day is special, so do something to make each day special for yourself and for someone else. Family is special; it is too easy to lose sight of this in pursuit of a career. True friends are special – those who are willing to tolerate your mistakes and stay with you during the good and bad times. I am looking forward to 2018; it will mark my 49th year coaching and my 50th anniversary of graduating from college. I am not into resolutions instead each year I try to renew my resolve. I simply want to keep improving as a person and as a coach. I want to continue to honor those people who have helped me and to help others to achieve their potential. I will continue to do what I do not for recognition but for the fact the pursuit of excellence has its own rewards. Have a happy and healthy 2018.