Author: Vernon Gambetta
GAIN 2014 – Wrap-up/Summary #2
The faculty sets the tone for the GAIN experience. Certainly they can be measured by their professional accomplishments, but most importantly they are characterized by their humility, willingness to share and desire to keep learning. What an inspiration to the group to see Jim Radcliffe, with all he has accomplished, taking copious notes on Nick Garcia’s presentation. They are all life long learners who are the best at what they do because they keep challenging to learn and be better. What an example for the attendees! We have three areas of emphasis within GAIN: 1) Athletic Development – Coaching, 2) Sports Medicine, Rehab, and 3) Physical Education. The goal is to integrate all three into a comprehensive whole. There are no silos, no narrow specializations; instead there is a reinforcement of fundamental concepts across disciples. When you look at Bill Knowles ATC and his success rehabbing some the top athletes in the world and working with some of the most high profile teams in soccer and rugby you see consistent application of basic principles taken from athletic development and physical education. Randy Ballard’s work at University of Illinois with Volleyball and track is another example of the blending of all disciplines into a unified whole. His presentation on the place of monitoring was brilliant as well as thought provoking and timely. His quote on monitoring is priceless and pretty much sums it up: “Monitoring is like teenage sex, everyone is talking about it but not very many are doing it.” I would be remiss if I did not recognize two people who make GAIN work. Ed Ryan, who wears two hats, one as an instructor lending his years of experience as an ATC & former head of Sports Medicine at USOC. He is now trainer for US Olympic Women’s basketball team. His second hat at GAIN is he is in charge of operations – he runs the show assisted by my wife Melissa. I would also like to thank Rice University Men’s track & Field (Especially assistant coach Casey Thom) for being our on campus host and facilitators. Special mention to our sponsors who provide the support needed to put on an event of this magnitude. Our principle sponsors are Perform Better and ASICS. Our other sponsors are Bridge Athletic, Ferris Industries makers of Polymem, Spark Motion, Laingainer and Athletic Standard. Last but not least what makes GAIN special is the attendees. We have several attendees who have been to every GAIN since it’s inceptions – Tove Shere, Track Coach and PE Teacher at Santa Fe Academy and Adam Moss, conditioning coach and PE teacher at Collegiate School in Richmond Virginia. In addition we have more who have attended all but one: Phil Bazzini, Patrick McHugh, and Mark Day. Thanks for your support and making GAIN what it is. GAIN is open by application. We are looking for professionals interested in growing and sharing. If you are interested in joining us next year please contact me.
GAIN 2014 – Wrap-up/Summary #1
It has not quite been a week since we ended GAIN VII. Usually I write a wrap-up the day after but this year it took me longer because it was such an overwhelming experience I needed more time to assimilate what I saw & learned. We raised the bar again! The whole GAIN experience just underscores the nature of a network – When excellent people who are passionate and knowledgeable gather magic happens. The sharing across disciplines and areas of expertise was better than ever this year. We started the day with the morning madness teaching sessions at 6:30 am, the quality of teaching was amazing to watch. To see Greg Thompson, PE teacher extraordinaire teach a “gym class” to adults was exciting and uplifting (What lucky kids to have a teacher like Greg). Steve Myrland’s Stick and Strap routines will be a game changer, simple movements that challenge the body to solve increasingly complex movement problems. Tracy Fober teaching how to squat and the shoulder routines she has put together should be mandatory in any coach’s education. Gary Winckler did sessions on acceleration progression and reflex strength training. To see Jim Radcliffe teach the Plyometric progression barefoot on the grass was to watch a master in action. Master coach Clay Erro kicked off each morning session. He delivered a message to keep everyone on task and set the tempo for the day. That was just the first 90 minutes! Then came breakfast (Meals are where the real learning & sharing occur) followed by the morning classroom sessions. Where do I start – Finn Gunderson, one of the founders of Burke Mountain Academy & former headmaster did a presentation on Burke Academy and beyond addressing LTAD, Finn also presented short sessions each evening on leadership, team building and coaching the parents. What a teacher, he has 45 years of experience and it shows. His willingness to share successes and failures was refreshing. Steve Magness did two presentations on aspects of endurance training. Each day of classroom sessions ended in the gym with practical sessions and demonstrations. Gary Winckler did his on reflex strength training; Bill Knowles on key movements in rehab progression and Nick Garcia actually did a training session illustrating the Bondarchuk concepts. There is so much more. GAIN is defined by what it is NOT – It is not a clinic, it is not a boot camp and it is not a one off workshop. GAIN is a journey of learning and understanding that begins with the one week academy experience and continues through the website for the persons career. Each year it gets better because the faculty experts and the attendees, experts in their own right, are all very willing to share and professionally challenge each other to get better. Over the next few weeks I will write more on the lessons learned. If you are interested in joining the GAIN network please feel to contact me for more information. Below are a few pictures showing the morning practical teaching sessions.
GAIN VII – 2014
It seems like just yesterday that 22 of us gathered at the Holiday Inn Sports Complex in Sunrise Florida for the first GAIN. Today at Rice University in Houston Texas we start the seventh iteration of GAIN with 42 attendees (20 new attendees and 22 returning) and 12 instructors. From day one it has been special but it keeps getting better each year. Why? Because of the people, the amazing instructors and attendees willing to share and question to learn to be better at their craft. It has grown into a wonderful learning community. It is certainly the highlight of my year. The energy, camaraderie, knowledge and passion sustain me. I want to thank all of you that have made GAIN special, the attendees, Rice University Track & Field staff, the sponsors and above all my wife Melissa who does all the behind things that make it work. Hopefully you will join us next year. GAIN VII Theme Focus on the process of developing athletes from their first step in the sport to the step onto the podium. The GAIN goals are: 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
Pursuing Marginal Gains
Pursing marginal seems to be the ongoing mantra in sport today. I can understand it when I see someone on the brink of a world record or a championship pursuing marginal gains in a legal and ethical manner. What I don’t understand is when I see teams and athletes pursuing marginal gains and ignoring the basics and fundamentals of sound training. There is no sense pursuing the last 2% until you have taken care of the first 98%. Know the basics, practice the basics, master the basics and never stray far from the basics. Instead of aggregation of marginal gains think aggregation of basics by paying attention to detail on a day-to-day and session-by-session basis and you will see bigger than marginal gains as training accumulates over time. Commit 100% to excellence 24 hours a day and the marginal gains will come, it is a process that takes time, nothing happens overnight. No secrets and no magic!
What matters most in coaching?
If I were writing this 30 or 40 years ago it would have been a very different blog post. I would have focused on technical knowledge, the importance of understanding training theory and the nuances of periodization. Don’t get me wrong all of that is important if you want to be a good coach, but if you want to be a great coach there is more to it than that. The technical part can be learned fairly easily through study, observation and practice. The difference makers are what some people would call the intangibles, the social and emotional intelligence that allows you to connect with you athletes, your colleagues, administrators and parents on another level. Simply put it is mastery of communication skills. All the knowledge in the world is for naught if you can’t communicate it. We coach people, people who respond to coaches who show they care about them as people. It is the little things that count, a smile, a pat on the back, an admonition to try harder or simply the tone of voice and body language when making a correction. I wish I would have figured this out earlier in my career. I can’t help but think about how much more effective I could have been as a coach and happier as a person. Learn from my mistakes, work on the intangibles raise your level of emotional and social intelligence to new heights, hone your communication skills to a fine edge and you will be the best coach you can be. That is all we can ask.
D Day
I guess you would be living in a bubble if you did not know that is the 70th anniversary of D Day. For my generation, the baby boomers, this occasion has special meaning. The people who were our role models, teachers and coaches were men and women who served in WW II. The sacrifices they made to preserve our way of life are beyond comprehension. Wherever you are today take a moment of silence to remember those who fought and served and gave their lives so that we can the freedom we have today.
More Reflections & Recollections
Communication is the key – Master all modes, don’t forget non-verbal (Body Language) it may be the most essential. Do what is right! Never compromise ethics and core beliefs to win. There are no gray areas in regards to drugs – either you are a druggie or your not. It is impossible to train ANY physical quality in isolation. You can design and write the workout that way but the body is smarter than that. Many injuries are preventable – not through injury prevention programs or corrective exercise but through a comprehensive unbiased training program designed to fit the individual and that is sport appropriate. Know the science, but remember it is the art of coaching that makes the science effective. Being and expert on coaching is much more than having a website with millions of page views and expressing opinions not founded in practice. Somewhere you have to get your hands dirty and actually produce results at the level you coach. Failure is an option – As long as you learn from it. All training is brain training. The body is smart – give it development appropriate movement problems to solve and it will figure it out. Train speed in! You must train fast to be fast. Fast people need to train faster more often in small bouts of work or they will lose speed. Anyone can work hard; the difference is how smart you work. Drills and skills are not the same thing. Instead of specific think appropriate. No substitute for passion and heart, tough to measure, but easy to see.
Reflections & Recollections
As I get older and coach longer I see what has worked for me and what has not worked. There are commonalities in each. Hopefully these reflections and recollections will help you avoid some of the mistakes I have made and learn what has worked and adapt it to your situation. There have been incredible changes since 1969 when I started coaching. We can measure and monitor things when did not even know existed 44 years ago, but I am not sure that has always made us better coaches. It is too easy to get caught up in the technology and the science and forget we coach people who have feeling and emotions and have lives outside of sport. Adaptation and improvement in performance is not a linear path. It is always a process, never a model or an algorithm. For some reason each generation of coaches and athletes have to learn that obstacles are opportunities. Learn to look at problems and performance errors from as many dimensions and points of view as possible. Get outside input; a different perspective and point of view will add clarity. Coaching is NEVER WORK – it may be difficult and stressful at times but when it becomes work it is time to get out. Coaching is a profession, not an industry. That demands professional conduct and preparation. Be yourself – be the best self you can be! Define yourself and don’t be afraid to reinvent and redefine yourself and grow, learn and gain experiences.