Recently, I attended a rock concert by The Who. In the middle of one of their classic songs, “Teenage Wasteland,” (Baba O’Riely) lead singer Roger Daltry, stopped singing, stepped back from the front of the stage and looked around the arena in amazement. Everyone in the standing-room-only audience of was singing, standing, swaying, and singing the song together. All were lost in the moment, thinking of nothing but the present . . . [Read more…]
Being a TEAM
* When I first posted this- the last line was inadvertently left out after the photo. This was pointed out by a reader. SINCERE Thanks.
The last line SHOULD HAVE read- THIS WAS A REPOST from Tom Burdorf’s great blog. If you do not follow his blog- you should. He has a lot of great things to say.
When I was in High School (a fairly long time ago) I was often frustrated by the learning process. Each teacher viewed their class as THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. They did not work together. I had a 10 page term paper due in History and a 10 page term paper due in English. Could I use the same paper in both? NOPE.
I never understood the reasoning behind this. Why not have one, 15 page paper due. With the History teacher working in conjunction with the English teacher.
I see many gyms that work like that. The Vault Coach has a certain set of drills and conditioning that they insist MUST be done. The Floor coach has a certain set they feel, of course, must be done. The same is true for every event.
The beauty of gymnastics is that certain movements are shared at each event. As coaches we need to consciously make connections to make training more effective and efficient. We need to understand that that although we may target a particular event or muscle group they are all affected regardless of the emphasis. Ultimately the most important connection we must make is to connect the training to the competition. Never lose sight of the fact that the goal of training is to prepare the athlete for competition, therefore all training must connect to competition by thoroughly preparing the athlete for the demands of the competition.
Now although I am a HUGE advocate of working together. I also believe that there can only be one leader. Pick your cliche’
- a team with 2 starting quarterbacks is a team with out a quarterback. (ask the NY Jets)
- Too many cooks ruin the soup
- Too many Chiefs, not enough indians.
Work as a TEAM to come up with THE PLAN. F
ollow through by Implementing the PLAN. There will be a time when you will be the leader. There will be a time for you follow. When you lead- lead by example. When you follow, follow with gusto. I have seen too many gyms brought down by dissension. Work Together towards that common goal of gymnastics greatness.
THIS WAS A REPOST from Tom Burdorf’s blog (on Facebook) . If you do not follow his blog- you should. He has a lot of great things to say.
HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE? Keep the momentum going!
CRASH OF THE WEEK. REVERSE HECHT DRILL CRASH
Here is a good drill that we use for turn over in Reverse Hecht/ Tkatchev and Stalder/ toe shoot to high bar. Annie just went a little hard on first one.
[Read more…]
Coaches as educators. An ongoing journey.
Your Brand
I have been hearing a lot about brands and branding lately. In a traditional sense a brand is a name or a symbol.
In coaching and teaching it represents more, it is you and what you stand for.
You are your brand. Who you are?
You actions and your words will define who you are to others.
How honest you are with yourself will clearly define you. Be yourself and true to yourself. Be the brand you want to be. A good place to start is genuine concern for others through your actions and words.
We have all had some great teachers growing up (Mrs. Schneider, Grade 8 Math. Thank you!) and some pretty terrible teachers. (Mrs. Brown. Wish you had retired the year BEFORE you had me). Most of us have had some good and some bad coaches along the way. What I think about EVERYDAY is how my gymnasts will remember me. I was lucky to have recently run into one of my best gymnasts who is now coaching. We had a great deal success together but also butted head A LOT. At a competition I sat by her in the coaches hospitality room and she said,
Tony, everyday when I work with these level 7’s I want to call you up and apologize.
It is not easy to teach. Sometimes the lessons are WAY MORE than just gymnastics. Remember your BRAND and think about what your legacy will be.
MIAA decides to drop Men’s Gymnastics. BUT- you can help!
From my Friend Jourdan Marino
Hey Everyone,
Many already know, and many may not, but the MIAA (Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association) has decided to drop Men’s Gymnastics as a Varsity sport in Massachusetts despite the support of town administrators. Many have benefited either directly or indirectly from Gymnastics being at the high school level and it’s in jeopardy of being gone. The ramifications will also be felt at the Women’s high school level if this does not change. Although we have the support of town administrators which is great, I urge anyone that cares about this sport being available at all levels to write to the MIAA and politely ask them to reconsider this drastic decision. If you have a personal story, that is even better. Their information is below. If you have any questions or need any more information please contact me, Sean Monaco, or any other MA High School coach anytime. Also PLEASE pass this message along to anyone else that may not already know of this issue. The more letters the better!M.I.A.A.33 Forge ParkwayFranklin, MA 02038email: miaa@miaa.net
Article in BOSTON GLOBE [Read more…]
CRASH of the WEEK. Straddle Back
Video submitted from Rachel Putney from Randolph, VT. Thanks for the Sharing. Tell Rose not to worry. Those bruises will fade!
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3 Words that Guarantee Failure
Dallas Gust from 10.0 Gymnastics Academy in Ft Worth sent me this photo! He has it up on the wall of his gym. A great reminder what it takes to be successful
Is it possible to, without a doubt, predict failure? Can you know, prior to even beginning a task that you will fail at it? I believe that just three words will ensure your failure even before you begin a task. What are those three words?
“I will try.”
It doesn’t matter the circumstance. If your boss asks, “Will this be done by Friday?” what do you really mean when you say, “I will try.” When your Mom says, “Will you be home for Thanksgiving this year?” what do you really mean when you say, “I will try.” Though we may not realize it or intentionally strive for failure, saying we’ll try is a far cry from saying we’ll do something.
Last night while watching the NE Patriots football game against Houston. Matt Schaub, the Texans QB jogged off the field and was given instructions by one of the coaches. Reading his lips, “I’ll Try”.
Game Over.
People who fail to achieve goals signal their intent
to fail by using this common phrase.
Make sure you aren’t falling into the same trap.
People who fail to achieve goals almost always signal
their intent to fail by using three little words:
“I will try…”
There are no three words in the English language that
are more deceptive, both to the person who says them
and the person who hears them.
People who say “I will try” have given themselves
permission to fail. No matter what happens, they can
always claim that they “tried.”
People who hear “I will try” and don’t realize what it
really means are fooling themselves,
by thinking there’s a chance that the speaker will actually succeed.
People who really and truly achieve goals never say “I will try.”
Instead, they always say “I will do” something–or, better yet,
“I must do” whatever the task is.
As a wise (though fictional) guru once said: “Do, or do not. There is no ‘try.'”
Take a Break from the Routine
Tumbl Trak
Take a Break from the Routine
Doug Davis
This is the meet season—uncounted numbers of compulsory routines, day after day, in gym practice. Those compulsory skills can get awfully old, for gymnasts and coaches alike. Just for a break in that routine (!) think about allowing a certain amount of time each week or so, for playing with some fun skill parts that will be used later in optional routines, or for higher level compulsories. [Read more…]
Lessons from 2012 Part 2
Lessons from 2012 – Part Two
Part 1 can be viewed here.
We may think we are training the body but we are really training the brain – To borrow Tim Noakes terminology the brain is the “Central governor” it controls everything we do.
Talent development is not survival of the fittest – It is not about ten years or 10,000 hours it is a process that involves deliberate practice. It is understanding growth and development, individual rates of maturation.
You cannot separate excellence in sport from excellence in life – You can’t be a chump outside of training and a champ in the game. You may get away with for a little while but eventually it will catch up with you.
When working on skill or acquiring a new technique – Once someone gets it right – STOP (Allow the brain to retain what it learned) Vin Walsh
Important to learn how to ask the right questions – This is the key to learning. Asking questions that are insightful and on point.
You must train the way you want to compete– Yes it is about specificity, but it is more than that. All aspects of training must line up with the demands of the gymnastics. I had a visiting coach in my gym yesterday who asked, “why are the girls wearing long sleeve leos for training?” Simple, they must compete in a long sleeve leo, they must be comfortable with their body without shorts, tights, etc. So, one day per week during competition season we have long sleeve leo day.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained – No gain without risk. Mistakes are learning opportunities.
Coach the athlete you have not some mythical hypothetical model – Know your athletes, their strength & weaknesses, individualize to the greatest extent possible.
Know the basic technical models of your sport – Master them and build on these.
You must train the female differently – There is a whole different endocrine hormonal environment. Strength training is much more important during all phases of the training year.
Those who achieve at the highest levels are seldom if ever concerned what other have to say about them or judge them to be – High achievers are confident and will stand out from the crowd regardless of criticism.
A few thoughts
Was looking at Vern Gambetta’s Bog, FUNCTIONAL PATH TRAINING and it stirred a few thoughts.
TODAYS WORKOUT
How many of you walk into the gym with today’s workout as an end unto itself, looking for that one great workout that will make a difference? If you do then think again, today’s workout must fit in the context of the whole training plan. Think of it as one pixel in a mega pixel picture. For the picture to be clear, in focus and complete it will take all pixels fitting together to create a unified whole. Great performance in competition is set up by consist work in training, not one special workout. Today’s workout is important but remember it is one of many in pursuit of a goal. And like a 56 inch TV, to really get a look at the picture, you need to step back.
COMPLEXIFICATION
Not sure if complexification is a word in the English language but I see it more and more in training especially with young coaches impressed with their own knowledge. It is easy to make things complicated and complex. It takes wisdom and understanding to make things simple and clear. Training to improve performance is a relatively straightforward process. The emphasis here is on process. It takes time for the various training stimuli to adapt to the stress imposed. Simple is not easy, it demands a deep understanding of the demands of the sport and the needs of the athlete. Simplicity yields complexity, not to make it more complex than it already is. Focus on the need to do activities and reap the rewards in competition. Use the KISS method. Keep It Simple, Stupid.
