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Welcome to the Excelsior blog. It is a mix of current research and thoughts on Athlete and Coach Development, Strength and Conditioning and personal reflections.
Comments are welcome (please leave your name) and you can subscribe by clicking on the RSS feed.
Thanks for taking the time to read it.
James Marshall
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Plato on Coaching
“A good mind, by being in a state of excellence, allows a body to maximise its potential for physical goodness.”
Plato, The Republic.
Written in the 370s BC, Plato’s treatise is wide ranging and the subject of much debate. Many of the points of the human condition remain true.
Plato talks about morality and believes that sound morality (or goodness) will lead to a better and more fulfilled life, which then contributes to a better society.
0 Comments | Read More | GAINVII, infographic -
Do your athletes thrive or survive?
Every get the feeling you are muddling through?
That is what a lot of parents of young athletes feel like. Buffetted along the river of teenage years, carried by a current of car journeys,camps. training sessions, angry coaches, exams and hormones.
1 Comment | Read More | archery, athletic development -
Thinking Fast and Slow: Book Review
“What You See Is All There Is (WYSIAT)”
is a common flaw we can all suffer from: our System 1 brain retrieves instant information and makes decisions based on currently activated ideas. Unfortunately it fails to allow for information outside of that.
(Those of you who watch the immense self belief and ignorance of people on “The Apprentice” may recognise this!),
0 Comments | Read More | book review, sports science -
How to warm up for Athletics
I was watching 4 of the athletes I train warm up before their track session last week and was amazed by the random and unstructured methodology they undertook.
Track and field athletes are a special breed and don’t mind a chat at every opportunity between exercises, so I do bear this in mind.
I asked one of them why he did what he did “I just copy what I have seen famous people do and mix them together.”
Here are some tips:
0 Comments | Read More | home gym, weight loss -
Hope, mindfulness and compassion
“Do you coach with compassion or for compliance?”
Effective leaders bring out the best in people, they do this through inspiring hope,being mindful and coaching with compassion (1).
That was one snippet from my recently completed 6 week course led by Richard Boyatzis called “Inspiring Leadership Through Emotional Intelligence”.
3 Comments | Read More | Coaching, cpd, leadership -
Fit for fencing; part 3.
Summer training for fencers
Sunday saw our 3rd training day of the South West Fencing Hub. The first half saw me working with the fencers in getting them ready for the summer, the second half was on coach education.
Traditionally, fencers take the summer off training because there are no competitions, then return to a week long camp in 6-8 weeks time, get beasted on day one and break.
0 Comments | Read More | fencing -
Twenty Years ago today
The streets are paved with gold…
Twenty years ago today I stepped aboard the National Express bus from Taunton to start my new life. I had a new job as a fitness instructor at the Scandic Healthstyles Club in Victoria, London.
I had a 12-8 shift, a rucksack on my back and nowhere to sleep planned that night. I arrived at my new job hot and sweaty, took a shower, tried on my new uniform and got stuck in.
After work, I got a room in a local hostel for a week, until I could find a place to rent. Oh, the joys of being young.
6 Comments | Read More | karate, mental toughness -
Team building: a different approach
“Pretty much everything we do in life is a co-operative endeavour”
said Clay Erro at the beginning of his inspirational talk at GAIN. Clay is a recently retired Californian High School teacher and football coach.
He was kind enough to share some of the lessons he has learnt over his career.
2 Comments | Read More | Coaching, Transformational Coaching -
Heart rates, wattage and VO2 max testing.
“Heart rate should be an indicator not a dictator”
says Bryan Fish the Development Coach for the US cross country ski team.
This nugget of information came out at a breakfast conversation at GAIN. I know very little about the long endurance sports, so was fascinated to hear what Bryan had to say.
He expands further here.
1 Comment | Read More | Coaching, endurance, fitness testing -
“It’s the people business stupid”: GAIN 2013
Coaches are in the people business
I have just returned from another fantastic GAIN (Gambetta Athletic Improvement Network) in Houston, Texas.
The 5 day event was full of ideas, tips and sharing of coaching philosophies.
3 Comments | Read More | Coaching, cpd, GAIN
Client Testimonials
I have been working with James since September 2009, with a history of becoming injured in winter months our main goal was to over come this and help my core/hip area to become more stable thus enabling me to run at my full potential. Not only have I made it through the winter months without gaining the usual knee injuries I have also improved my performance to currently become one of the top ranked athletes.
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