The path to athletic success and life is a journey. In my 35 years of coaching, I have seen profound changes in how we prepare the athlete for “the road.” In the last 15 years I have noticed a trend that has accelerated over the last ten years. What I have noticed is that coaches tend to spend an inordinate amount of time preparing the road for the athlete. They try to remove all obstacles in the way and make the road as straight and smooth as possible so the athlete can easily reach their goal. This has resulted in fragile, not fully adapted athletes unable to deal with adversity in sport and life. It has created entitlement and unrealistic expectations of the athletes’ abilities and capabilities. On the physical side the athletes are not prepared for the rigors of competition. Recovery has assumed more importance than work. Rehab exercises have taken the place of strength. We are managing workload so finitely that the athlete is never allowed to get uncomfortable. To be successful any athlete needs to get to a point of being uncomfortable, then work through it until they become comfortable. Then repeat the process.
It is beyond my capabilities to speculate why this has occurred; I will leave that to experts beyond my pay grade (Dr. George? Dr Sands? Any observations any comments?) . Suffice it to say that I am NOT a coach yearning for the “good old days” because I still have been through enough and seen enough enough to remember the old days and understand that there were many common practices of the day that are better left in the past. I am not denying the fact that many of these did unintentional harm. The lessons we have learned from experience and research have shown that we can do better. Now, the pendulum has swung so far that we are now doing our athletes a disservice. Few, if any, things of substance and importance and learned within ones comfort zone.
Instead, I offer a simple solution. Although it will not be easy. I am confident it will work. I have seen it work before and I am seeing it work today. Let’s start out by talking about the journey and the road to the destination of athletic excellence. It is a long road with many obstacles and occasional detours. Sometimes the road is smooth and other times it is rough and unpaved. Like a New England road in the spring, there could be many pot holes and frost heaves. There will be detours and road construction. Sometimes you will get lost and need to find your own way back to the main road. It is all part of the journey. At times the car will break down, it may be just a flat tire that can be quickly repaired, or it may be a blown engine that takes longer to repair. Simply you do what you must do to keep moving forward to your destination.
So, what should we change? What can do to remedy this situation? It is quite simple, shift the emphasis from preparing the road for the athlete to preparing the athlete for the road. It is an arduous journey that takes more than just talent. It demands everyone being on the same page. A partnership between coaches and athletes. It is not harsh or tough love, it is caring. It is coaching the person, giving guidance and direction. Remember it is a transformational process, not transactional. It is allowing the athlete space to grow. There will be some trial and error. Along the way there will be choices, some quite simple and others more complex. We need to help the athlete make informed choices that are best for them. It is an understanding that mistakes and failure in a competition is just a bump in the road, a real learning opportunity to grow and move on. It demands that we as leaders get out of our comfort zone of being the almighty, know it all. We must humble ourselves and understand the athlete and recognize that it takes time for the athlete to grow. It is more than words. If we expect them to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, then we must also be willing to be uncomfortable. We need to value what matters to the athlete, get past appearances and labels. Give them all the tools they need to navigate the road. Hard intelligent training that thoroughly prepares for the rigors of competition is necessary, not an option. Provide reasonable behavioral guidelines that give them structure and guidance. Give them a working compass oriented to true north, along with a current road map so they can navigate the detours and road closures to be able to get to their destination.
Stop trying to prepare the road and start preparing the gymnasts for the road ahead. Coach the individual. Teach them to become comfortable with the uncomfortable. The gymnast is going to go through many stages of learning and in each one of those stages what they will need from you will be different.
At NGA Nationals and symposium this year I will be delivering a lecture on EVOLVING and ELEVATING YOUR PROGRAM. This is where my mind is starting this lecture. It is the PATH from PRACTICE to the PODIUM.
