Author: Vernon Gambetta
Words
Words are so very powerful. They can hurt and they can heal. They can inspire. They can despair. They can discourage or they can encourage. Words, written or spoken are a cornerstone of communication. Select and use words that convey the message you want to convey. Your words are you and a representation of what you are. Lest we forget words create images and images create action. Learn to use words that elicit the action you want to see.
Coaching Parenting Parallels
I try to talk to my adult children as often as possible. My daughter works in San Francisco and my son is in graduate school at Princeton. Both are in their thirties and by every measure quite successful, but I cant help but think every time I get off the phone there is always some advice a little reminder of lessons from their childhood that was reinforced. They learned principles, concepts of what was needed to grow up, to go to school and to be independent. We gave them space to grow, to spread their wing and learn to fly on their own. They made mistakes but we were always there to help to them and draw lessons from the good and bad. Isn’t coaching the same? We give our athletes the foundation by teaching good principles and practicing good habits. As they grow literally and figuratively they earn the right to be more independent and to have a voice in their training. They stumble and fall and we help them to fall forward. We give them the tools to thrive in competition and life. Above all we remember they are people and we love them for their faults and their virtues.
GAIN 2016 Reflections
In the past years I have written my reflections a day or two after GAIN ends. For various reason I have waited for almost two weeks. GAIN IX was the by far the best ever. I looked back on my reflections from past GAIN”s and I always say that the most recent was the best ever. No I am not given to hyperbole. This GAIN was the best; it was a giant leap forward in all respects. The content was great as expected, but it was more than that, everything clicked I think we really struck at the essence of GAIN which is the interaction, the sharing and the learning. If you are interested you can watch my opening GAIN talk at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWoVevqPSEA GAIN is not a conference nor was it ever intended to be a conference. The presentations are meant to facilitate, provoke and stimulate thought, even to get people thinking differently. What makes GAIN special is the people from diverse backgrounds, sporting cultures and areas of expertise. The 2016 GAIN Faculty Here are some of the things that made GAIN 2016 special for me: Steve Magness sharing his “mistakes” from this past year and lessons learned. Jim Radcliffe and Bill Knowles sitting in the front row of every session, taking notes and asking questions. It was the morning “wake-up” sessions at the track that woke up the brain and the body with the high quality teaching and information presented in an environment where you could feel it and experience it. The meals where you had a basketball coach from Bulgaria talking to a cricket conditioning coach from Trinidad, where you had NFL and NBA coaches sitting with high school coaches. It was Dean Benton and Grant Duthie showing they use Tactical Periodization and GPS data for prescription not restriction of training. Wade Gilbert underscoring the importance of culture and of reflective coaching. Bill Knowles sharing his work with the Philadelphia Union Academy and his athletic development model of reconditioning and return to play. Randy Ballard sharing his solutions for transitioning the “broken and bent” incoming athletes into effective Division One athletes. Ken Clark showing how he is turning his research on speed into practice. It was Brain McCormick talking about the realities of LAD and making Dynamic System theory as it applies to skill acquisition understandable. I could go on forever. I leave GAIN every year very tired and overwhelmed by the quality and volume of information. Now that I have had two weeks to decompress, review and recuperate I can’t wait for GAIN 2017, which will be our tenth GAIN. The challenge is to make it better. To make it better demands better people. If you are interested in becoming part of the GAIN experience applications will open in January of 2017. Slots for new attendees will be limited and each year it gets more selective. We are staring GAIN events throughout the year. The first event will be GAIN swimming September 15 to 18 in Carmel Indiana. Check the website in a couple of weeks for more details.
Records – Made to be Broken
Congratulation to freshman 800-meter runner Donavan Brazier of Teas A&M for breaking Jim Ryun’s 50 year old record. Yes a record that was 50 years old and on a dirt/cinder track. Absolutely amazing that the record has stood for 50 years when you think of the great runners that have competed in the NCAA meet. It is truly a tribute to the greatness of Jim Ryun. For some reason I don’t feel that Jim Ryun has ever received the respect and recognition he deserved. He was a pioneer in terms of training. Watching some of his training session was a site to behold, both in terms volume and intensity. Aside from his accomplishments on the track Jim was a great person. I will never forget the day he came to La Cumbre Junior High School in Santa Barbara to talk to my team, it was inspiration for my athletes and me. To top it off he went on several runs with the team that year. How special for my athletes. Thanks Jim for setting bar high and congratulations again to Donavan Brazier – you have some big shoes to fill.
Countdown to GAIN 2016
Six days to GAIN 2016 at Rice University in Houston Texas. We have our largest turnout ever although the goal is not to be big we have achieved our goal numbers. Too big and the personal interaction and sharing that makes GAIN special is lost. We have delegates from all over the world and the US. Our three areas of emphasis: Athletic Development Coaching, Sports Medicine and Physical Education are well represented. Reminder this is not a conference or a clinic it a professional development network for those who want to want to be the best at getting better. GAIN Mission Provide a global platform for education, innovation and motivation in Athletic Development. The focus is on developing and strengthening the connection between all elements of the sports performance team to produce adaptable athletes that are prepared for optimum performance. GAIN IX – 2016 Theme The Coaching Process – Leading Effective Change
Can Do
Please don’t tell me what you can’t do; I am not interested in that. I want to know what you can do and what you will do. Define your possibilities not your limits. Figure out how to be the best you can be and start doing it now!
Wise Words From Two Great Coaches
Over the past three weeks I have been fortunate to speed time with two great coaches, professional colleagues and most importantly close friends and great people – Juan Osorio now the manger of the Mexican National team in soccer and Jim Radcliffe, head S&C coach at University of Oregon. We share a passion for coaching excellence that has connected us over the years. I only wish I could have recorded my dinner conversation with Juan as he recounted the month he spent with Pep Guardiola in Barcelona and the other month with Louis Van Gal when he was at Bayern – Priceless! Juan’s passion for learning is off the scale, I am looking for him to take El Tri to new heights of achievement. During matches Juan writes his observations and comments on the game in a notebook, in many ways this has become his trademark, something the TV commentators are always pointing out. When he was asked why he writes in a notebook during the game he answered: “ A short pencil is more efficient than a long memory” wise words to ponder. This past weekend in what has become a tradition Jimmy Radcliffe flies from the NCAA regional track meet to spend a day in Sarasota with me just catching up and talking training. In many ways that day and the week at GAIN are the highlights of my year. Jimmy like Juan is passionate and driven to learn and improve. Like Juan a 16 hour day is the norm, when I think if Jimmy I think of him as the coaches coach. Here is some sage advice from Jimmy during our conversation Sunday on recovery. “When you look at recovery always look at what you are recovering from and what you are recovering for?” Again food thought, use recovery methods strategically and wisely. Just writing about these two guys makes me realize how blessed I am to have friends like this who are not self-promoters and genuine great people.
Change & Changing
Change is a constant, trite but true! Ultimately you success or failure as a coach will depend on how well you manage change. Change by its very nature is uncomfortable. I maintain that those who are best at managing and leading change are comfortable with being uncomfortable all the time. If you can accept that then change is something that you do rather than something that happens to you. Successful coaches initiate change; they lead change as part of the process of continuous improvement. It is being proactive rather reactive. Be a change agent, lead don’t follow. Heed these lines from Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A Changing.” The line it is drawn the curse it is cast The slow one now will later be fast As the present now will later be past The order is rapidly fadin' And the first one now will later be last For the times they are a' changin'!