What is Old School Coaching?

Is being “Old School” better than “New Skool”?

strength coach devonI got called and “Old school coach” last week mainly because I avoid overcomplicating things.

I choose what information I give to an athlete. My knowledge obviously has boundaries but my object is to make the athlete better at their sport.

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Training Design Do’s and Don’ts: Gary Winckler

training design

Train to the athlete’s strengths

Gary Winckler has 38 years of coaching experience behind him. He has taken track athletes to every Olympic Games since the 1984 Olympics.

(Pictured to my right, with P.E. specialist Greg Thompson)

More impressively, each of those athletes has had a Personal Best or Season Best at the Games.

He knows how to prepare for the big event.

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How to Train Before Breakfast: The Great Gama

The great gama

I always like it when I meet a young athlete and they tell me they do a few press ups and sit ups in the morning before breakfast or at night. It shows me that in the words of Muhammad Ali “they have the will, I just train the skill”.

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Monitoring Overtraining: The 4 Hs

monitoring overtraining

You’ve Got To Be In Top Physical Condition. Fatigue Makes Cowards Of Us All.

symptoms of overtrainingVince Lombardi.

But, in order to get in top physical condition, athletes risk doing too much, resting too little and can get fatigued.

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How to Eat a Big Elephant

big elephant“It’s a big elephant: you can’t eat it all at once.”

This sums up trying to get a sports team fit in season: there is so much to do, so little time, so many variables.

“How can I get my team fit?” is a question I tried to answer yesterday on the CPD day with the Level 1 and Level 2 S&C coaches.

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Becoming a strength and conditioning coach

Quickest way to become an S&C coach I had some e-mail correspondence yesterday with someone interested in Coaching athletes. They were looking for short cuts to working with top level athletes. Keith Morgan, my strength coach, gave me some sound advice years ago when he said “get a group of young athletes, work with them…

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5 tips on how to get started in S&C Coaching

S&C job

how to be an S&C coachI am constantly asked on the best ways to get started in S&C Coaching. This post will helpfully answer most queries.

Understand what it is to be a Coach first.

The discipline in which you Coach is of secondary importance to your ability to Coach.

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Willand Sports Day 1898-1926

Willand sports 1906

Willand’s History as an Athletic Centre It is hard to believe now, but Willand used to host one of the foremost events in the Westcountry’s sporting calendar. Between 1898 and 1926, with a six year break for the First World War, the famous Willand Sports – which included cycling, ‘foot’ and horse racing – attracted…

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Trick or Treat? 10 reasons why you are turning your child into an addict.

“Irresponsible parenting leads to obesity epidemic after Halloween”

trick or treatJumping on the American Bandwaggon and sending your kids out to Trick or Treat tonight? (Whatever happened to apple bobbing?). You might think that the occasional sweet won’t do any harm, but it is the hidden sugar that is turning your child into an addict.

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