Author: Vernon Gambetta
Let the “Games” Begin
As the games begin I run the gamut of emotions from the excitement of seeing the best of the best go head to head to deep despair and disappointment. As young coach in 1972 and 76 the Olympics was pure excitement, it was in my mind the pinnacle of athlete excellence. I trained with some Olympians and getting to see them in the big show was special. I got to go to Montreal as a spectator. It was so exciting I was like a kid in a candy store I was oblivious to the politics going on. I was there, I went to the practice track every day from day literally from dawn to dusk until track & field competition began. When the competition began I would watch the warm-ups at the practice track and run to my seat in the stadium for the competition. What an inspirational learning experience. It was heady times for a naïve young coach who thought it was all about technique and training and good coaching. Little did I know what was to come? Then I got to the higher levels of the sport of track and field. I was now coaching national and international athletes and was serving on various committees of TAC (The precursor to USATF). It was then that the reality of the cheating and corruption hit me. It was not fun to watch. I saw it first hand when the American track and field athletes were offered so-called “educational testing” leading into the 1984 games. In essence they were being educated in how to beat the system. I saw the inner working of what is now USATF, an organization that makes FIFA look like the boy scouts. I know you are thinking that was almost forty years ago, yes and it is the same people and coaches involved today. That brings us to today with the games set to begin. We have athletes from the US who are considered potential stars of the games who have tested positive more than once. We have the same drug coaches coaching. We are as far from the Olympic spirit as is possible. It is all driven by billions of dollars of sponsorship and television money. All that being said I will still watch selected events and sports there is still something special about this level of competition. I am looking forward to seeing the athletes that I have worked with compete because I know they have not cheated. I wish good luck to the honest and clean athletes and coaches who hopefully will be able to rise above the madness. My dream, a dream I hope to see in my lifetime is truly clean sport where there are lifetime bans and bans for coaches who cheat. I dream about seeing these young 11 & 12-year-old swimmers I am working with now have a chance to compete on a level playing field. Let the games begin and celebrate the true Olympic spirit.
Some Pearls From Recent Reading
From Feynman’s Rainbow page 78. Leonard Mlodinov talking to Richard Feynman, noble prizewinner: “Let me ask you something,” I finally said. “Do you think it would be wise to work on a theory that almost everyone thinks is nonsense?” “Only under one condition,” he said. “And what is that?” “That you don’t think it is nonsense.” “I am not sure I know enough to tell.” He chuckled. “Maybe if you knew enough to tell, you would not work on it either.” “You mean maybe I’m too dumb to know better.” “Not necessarily. Maybe you just don’t know enough, or know known it long enough, to be spoiled by what you know. Too much education can cause trouble.” From The Science of the Tour De France P. 39 “So it’s always a balance between power output and aerodynamics.” From a real gem written in 1937 by Mabel Todd, “The Thinking Body” a must read for anyone interested in human movement. “As soon as the body must function as a unit, as in walking or running, or dealing in any direct way with the environment, the structural lines of connection are drawn tighter and the bony and muscular parts are moved toward center so there is as much economy of effort as possible.” P. 17-18 “Posture is incessant.” P. 43 The thinking body stands, moves and performs its skills through knowledge of the natural forces and in its dynamic balances.” P. 295 Richard L. Lieber, Skeletal Muscle Structure, Function & Plasticity – The Physiological Basis of Rehabilitation (Second Edition) is one of the richest resources I know, a constant source of reference. “Therefore, resist the temptation to classify muscles in terms of anatomy. Instead, state that the rectus femoris always acts to generate hip flexion moment and a knee extension moment but reserve creating general categories in the absence of specifying a motion.” P. 27 “Skeletal muscle architecture can be defined as “the arrangement of muscle fibers relative to the axis of force generation.” P. 27 “…Functionally, quadriceps and plantar-flexors are designed for force production based on their low fiber length/muscle length ratios and large physiological cross sectional areas. Conversely, in general, hamstrings and dorsiflexors are designed for high excursions and velocity by nature of their high fiber length/muscle length ratios and relatively small physiological cross-sectional areas.” P. 37 “… the gait cycle is a wonderfully orchestrated sequence of electrical and mechanical events that culminate in the coordinated propulsion of the body through space.” P. 152 “Physiological function may not, therefore, be obvious based only on anatomical configuration.” P. 159 “Muscle fiber types are clearly related to performance, but are not the cause for performance at a particular level.” P. 213 “”Strength” is a very complex phenomenon that has underlying muscular, tendinous, nervous and skeletal components.” P. 258 “Whether the level of use increases or deceases, muscle responds accordingly. As you have seen, muscles ate always “trying” to tailor their structural and functional properties to the level of use they experience.” P. 287
Guru or Coach – Who do want to learn from?
To grow it is imperative to find mentors not gurus to learn from and grow professionally, this should help to make the distinction. Guru – All about them Coach – All about the athlete Guru – Style Coach – Substance Guru – Full of information often unconnected Coach – Bursting with knowledge that applies Guru – Has the secrets Coach – Open & willing to share Guru – Quick with putdowns Coach – Quick to praise and uplift Guru – Dispenses and the Kool-Aid & expects all to drink Coach – Water Guru – No questions & has all the answers Coach – Driven by questions Guru – Big bold claims Coach – Lets actions speak Guru – In the spotlight on the FrontPage or ESPN Coach – On the back page in small print or in the footnotes Guru – Quick to follow the $$$$$ Coach – Driven by principles Guru – Complexifier Coach – Simplifier Guru – Exclusive Coach – Inclusive Guru – Conditional Coach – Unconditional
The Road to Rome
There are many roads to Rome but ultimately the goal is to get the destination. You can take different roads depending on your circumstances and constraints. If time is no consideration then take the scenic route, stop and see the sites and by all means sample the cuisine along the way. If time is limited then a direct route is necessary and the route must be carefully planned, there is little margin for error. Stops must be carefully planned and programmed for efficiency. It can help if you have been there before, that can give some margin for error but never take anything for granted as conditions may have changed. The moral is that if you want to get to Rome have a current road map or working GPS, get help from someone who has been there before and understand the constraints that can limit you ability to get there in the desired time.
Back to Basics of Coaching
Each year I reread the following books to keep in touch with the basics. My roots are deep in Athletics (Track & Field) so you can see that reflected in these reading. I find that every time I go through these books that I find something new or at least different perspective. This is just one way that I work at getting better at getting better. In my opinion if you want to be a coach you need to have a “go to” list like this that will keep in touch with the foundations of coaching. Doherty, Ken. (1985) Track & Field Omnibook (Fourth Edition Dyson,Geoffrey H.G. (1977) The Mechanics of Athletics Mach, Gerard. Sprints & Hurdles. Canadian Track & Field Association, Ontario. 1980 Logan, Gene A. and McKinney, Wayne C (1970). Kinesiology Todd, Mabel E. (1937) The Thinking Body Wilt, Fred. (1964) Run Run Run Gabbard, Carl., Leblanc, Elizabeth., and Lowy, Susan. Physical Education for Children-Building the Foundation, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1987 Harre, Dietrich. Principles of Sports Training – Introduction to the Theory and methods of Training. Berlin, GDR: Sportverlag. 1982 Olbrecht, Jan. The Science of Winning – Planning, Periodizing and Optimizing Swim Training. Swim Shop, Luton, England. 2000 Kreighbaum, Ellen and Barthels, Katharine M. Biomechanics – A Qualitative Approach for Studying Human Movement. Fourth edition. Boston, Allyn and Bacon. 1996. Lieber, Richard L. (2002) Skeletal Muscle Structure, Function & Plasticity – The Physiological Basis of Rehabilitation. Second Edition. Philadelphia: Lippincot Williams & Wilkins. McArdle, William D. Katch, Frank I. And Katch, Victor L. (2001) Fifth Edition. Exercise Physiology – Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance. Baltimore, MD. Williams & Wilkins. Scholich, Manfred. (1986) Circuit Training. Berlin: Sportverlag Komi, P. V., Editor,(Second Edition) Strength and Power In Sport, London: Blackwell Scientific Publications. 2003 Lederman, Eyal. Neuromuscular Rehabilitation in Manual and Physical Therapies – Principles to Practice, Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone – Elsevier. 2010 Lederman, Eyal. Therapeutic Stretching – Toward A Functional Approach, Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone – Elsevier. 2014 Curwin, Sandra. & Stanish, William D. M.D. and Mandel, Scott. Tendinitis: it’s Etiology and Treatment, New New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Bosch, Frans., and Klomp, Ronald. Running – Biomechanics and exercise Physiology Applied in Practice. London. Elsevier Churchill Livingstone. 2005 Davids, Keith. Button, Chris. Bennett, Simon. Dynamics of Skill Acquisition – A Constraints-Led Approach. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishing Company. 2008 Wulf, Gabriele. Attention and Motor Skill Learning. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishing Company. 2007
Good/Better/Best – Your Choice
Over the years I am convinced that athletes make clear choices about their level of achievement, it has nothing to do talent or ability (Some of the most talented athletes I have been around have chosen not be the best). It clearly comes to attitude and desire to be the best. Here are the three levels of achievement from my experience: Good – They have no idea what winning is or what it takes. They look at winners as freaks or exceptions. They just do the workout. There is no more effort expended than necessary. In essence they are ticking the box, to them just getting it done is good enough. They are very comfortable being comfortable. They hide from work where possible and when they do work they do the minimum. Better – They want to win to win but have no clear idea how to, they still see it as a mystery or a gift. They do train the practice; they give an effort and occasionally will rise to the occasion and go above and beyond. They will get uncomfortable when pushed but seldom of their on volition. They see work as a sacrifice. Often they are consistently inconsistent just showing enough to lead you to think that they will break through. In many ways these are the coach killers. Best – They know how to win because they win the workout everyday not just on game day. They are hungry they need to win. They see work as an opportunity to improve not a sacrifice. They are comfortable with being uncomfortable all the time and they make everyone around them uncomfortable with their intensity and will be the best. They push the envelope mentally and physically. Failure is not in their vocabulary. What we see as failure they see as stepping-stones. These are the athletes you want to coach and build your team around. They will find a way. They will challenge as a coach everyday to get better so they can get better. Our job as coaches is to push, pull, prod, educate, cajole the athlete to understand what it is to be the best and help them make the choice to get there. It is the process that makes coaching incredibly difficult and very rewarding at the same time.
Two Mornings in February
Let me preface this by saying I am a coaching junkie, my passion is watching coaches coach and learning from them. It is a bonus when the athletes they are coaching are the best of the best. In February of this year at University of Oregon I was able to watch two great sessions. Thursday morning Track session at Hayward Field in Indoor Track Harry Marra coaching world recorder holder Ashton Eaton and his wife Briana herself an Olympic medalist and world champion in the heptathlon. At the same time Jaime Cook, Assistant Track & Field coach at University of Oregon was working with his hurdler Devon Allen. I met with Harry before and I went over what they were going to do. He started the session with a mini lesson on the mechanics of the high jump to review what they had done the day before. Then the session was focused on long jump especially rhythm of last six strides. It was great to see the communication between coach and athletes and Ashton and his wife worked to together to reinforce what Harry was emphasizing. It was fundamental with a focus on the basics, nothing overly complicated. Language was clear and coaching cues were short and on point. It was clear to me that coaching has made a huge difference in Ashton’s and Brianna development and it was abundantly clear why they are champions. At the same time Devon Allen was doing a hurdle workout. They were working starts over three hurdles and then five hurdles and some running one step drills. I was especially interested to watch Allen because he had torn his ACL on the opening kickoff in the Rose Bowl just thirteen months before. It was quickly apparent there were no residual effects from the injury and subsequent surgery. I came away super impressed with Allen’s almost perfect textbook lead leg action, possible one the best I have seen in 46 years of coaching. This kids work ethic is off the scale doing both his football and track workouts and attacking them. Friday morning University of Oregon Off season football Training It was a 6:30AM team off-season training session coached by Jim Radcliffe, Head S&C coach at University of Oregon. It was dark and cold when they started. It was the last training session of the week with a strength training session to follow. Jimmy did a twenty-minute extensive warm-up session. The goal of the session was to break into their position groups and work on specific football speed appropriate for their positions. There was no standing around. They train the way they play – FAST. Before they did the speed development they did a session of throws and jumps again related to the demands of their position. Then they started the speed work and it was fast, I must say that seldom have I seen football players move with the speed and precision of movement these guys were executing, a real tribute to coach Radcliffe and his staff. I also must emphasize that there was no screaming and hollering at the players, just coaching corrections, emphasis on cues, basically good teaching. When the payers were in their groups they were player led! I walked around to watch each group and when I got to the wide receiver group there was Devon Allen, the hurdler running patterns and other speed drills. My immediate thought was this kid is a throwback to bygone days. He did not hold anything back. After the session I was with coach Radcliffe when he called over the football players that also ran track and he spoke to each one and asked how they felt when he got Allen his response was what is tomorrows workout! I could not help but think of these two workouts as I watched Ashton win the Olympic trials in a world leading score with a dinged up leg. He was essentially 85 to 90% at best but because of the workouts I saw in February and the trust in his coach with the emphasis on fundamentals he was able to execute. Same thing watching Devon Allen dominate the hurdles on his way to making the Olympic team. The strength that he developed by doing the multiple workouts in track and football served him well. It is a tribute to the sports medicine staff at Oregon who got him back 100% from the ACL surgery and his coaches, but above a tribute to his focus. It is going to be fun to watch these clean athletes compete with the world in Rio. Somehow I think those workouts in February will make a difference. Onward, upward, higher, faster and stronger!
Are we creating fragile athletes?
We are spending so much time measuring various training loads, planning recovery and putting restrictions on the athletes based on those measurements that we are creating fragile athletes instead of more resilient robust athletes? What are we doing? In the search for protecting the athlete are we creating athletes who are unprepared for training load of any significance, much less a competition load because they have never been under duress in training? Everywhere I turn I see this. Just because you can measure something does not mean it is meaningful and certainly we can measure everything. Lets focus on what the athlete can do and needs to do to prepare for the rigors of competition. I would ever want to go back to the way it was fifty years ago when I was playing college football where we had three-hour practices with no water that was not the way to do it. We do need to push them and they need to learn their bodies and it’s capabilities by pushing the envelope and getting uncomfortable. It always goes back to basics of coaching, sound pedagogy, knowing the demands of the sport, knowing the athletes and having a system with a plan to implement the system. Some common sense would go along way to protecting and still creating a highly adaptable athlete that can handle a training load and thrive in competition.