Tag Archive: GAIN

1. GAIN Deep Dive Review

   22nd January 2020 3:27 pm 2 Comments

   

   A review of the first ever GAIN Deep Dive on Foundational Strength

   I always write a review of my experiences at the GAIN conference. This is part of my reflective practice.

   As I was hosting and co-presenting on this ‘mini-GAIN’ held in Devon, I thought someone else would be better placed to reflect. Mark Sheppard wrote this review of the Deep Dive.

   

   “Having known James Marshall for at least 8 years I am familiar with both his work and his philosophy. I know it has been shaped by the 9 years that James has attended the GAIN conference held in Houston, USA.

   To have Vern Gambetta share the experience and knowledge accumulated over 50 years of coaching I could see the impact this has had on James and others in the group who have previously attended these events.

   

   There is a saying ‘stop learning and you stop living’. Staying curious and open while being grounded in good science and the evidence of good practice are tenets of both Vern and James.

   Throughout the two days whether in the theory or practical sessions there was a clear rationale for the information shared. We were all encouraged to participate and contribute through the collective experience of those in the room from different disciplines and sports.

   Gambetta Athletic Improvement Network (GAIN)

   

   ‘GAIN’ is very much a network. which I understood better as the workshop progressed and subsequently as a WhatsApp group was formed amongst the attendees afterwards.

    Listening to the ‘GAIN’ podcasts reinforced this dynamic. Hearing people share their journey in physical development and high performance coaching where the driver is what works best for my athlete, their ability and the demands placed on them is a welcome relief from the tsunami of self-promoted, ill-informed claims found on the internet.

   I came away with a clearer overview of what a well-designed programme looks like:

   • Appropriate to the age/gender/ability/sport.
   • Progressive, imaginative and grounded in sound fundamentals.

    I reviewed what I was doing and reshaped the structure of the sessions I was running with my developmental tennis players (10 – 16 yrs old). I am excited to see the impact this will have on the athletes and private clients I currently work with. I feel I have refined the tools I have been using to greater effect in the time I have with the people I work with.

   ‘Athletic Development’ in my experience is lower down the food-chain in most sporting environments. Buy-in from athletes, parents, and coaches is key, and educating and providing supporting information to these stake-holders is an important element in my coaching role.

   Having the wealth of information shared over the two days from both Vern and James was having access to a deep well which I know I will be drawing from for years to come.

   

   Human-beings are complex, multilayered, adaptive systems of physiology, neurology, culture and belief systems.  It’s what makes this work so interesting.

   Knowing there is a support system out there to support one’s own coaching journey through this minefield has been my biggest Gain (pun intended).“

   Mark Sheppard

   More learning opportunities

   Thanks, Mark for sharing. If any other attendees had a comment, please leave below. This was the first Deep Dive, but we shall be running others. Please contact myself or Vern if you are interested in attending or hosting.

   In the mean time, I am preparing for GAIN in June, where I am looking forward to once again learning from great practitioners from around the world.

2. Four takeaways from GAIN 2019

   19th June 2019 12:21 pm 4 Comments

   ‘Make GAIN 2019 a personal audit’

   

    were the opening remarks from Vern Gambetta at the GAIN conference in Houston last week.  He set out a vision for the conference that I took to heart.

   • What are you currently doing?
   • What do you want/need to do?
   • Gap analysis: what is necessary to close the gap?

   I have some personal reflections and tasks to do as a result. Below are some more general points that may be of interest.

   1. Decision Making: Len Zaichkowsky

   

   The author of ‘The Playmaker’s advantage’ talked about developing excellent games players. The performance separators between the good and the great were an athlete’s ability to:

   1. Search for cues.
   2. Decide quickly and accurately.
   3. Execute flawlessly.

   As coaches, we need to then design practices that help develop these qualities. Len called it ‘Overspeed training for the brain.’

   Tight area drills and small sided games are two ideas that can be used.

   If you remove thinking and decision making from the players in training, how can you expect them to produce on the field?

   2. A Hard Look at Evidence: Dr Grace Golden

   ‘The path to informed expertise and reasoning is not certain, it’s a journey.’  Grace is an Athletic Trainer and course leader at Oregon University.  She crammed 3 hours of information into a one hour seminar which was enlightening.

   She gave an overview of definitions of evidence, and how we can gather it to inform and improve our practice. In the UK there is much talk of ‘Evidence based practice’ which is usually interpreted as ‘Only do it if you read it in a journal.’

   This has never sat well with me, because my own observations, reflections and feedback from athletes that I coach have influenced me as much (if not more) than studies I have read. Of course, if I only rely on my eyes, I am subject to bias.

   Grace said we need to filter the evidence to counter this bias. She gave a hierarchy of evidence, with randomised controlled trials (RCTs) at the pinnacle.

   

   However, due to ethics and logistics, RCTs may be unsuitable or unfeasible. She gave the example of studying the efficacy of using parachutes when jumping out of a plane.

   Who would want to be in the control group that didn’t get to use the parachute? There has been no RCTs studying parachutes, but we all agree that they are a pretty good idea.

   

   Grace showed how medicine has moved from evidence based practice to evidence informed practice.

   

   The assessment, treatment and then reassessment of interventions lead to informed practice. ‘Evidence doesn’t make decisions, clinicians do.’ Haynes (2002).

   Grace then spent some time on the art of questioning. She said that informing yourself is not about acquiring knowledge. We are drowning in data (or funky exercises). Increased knowledge can make us more ignorant. We ignore what we see and hear in front of us.

   A key point was to question our questions. Allow athletes the time to question us and for us to think and respond.

   3.      Planning: John Kiely and Eddie Jones

   ‘The plan is the outcome of the process, not the central part.’ John Kiely.

   Several of the presenters mentioned planning. What was interesting was that all looked at it as more of a framework, rather than a detailed, longitudinal work.

   John was talking about rethinking adaptation and gave a detailed critique of Selye’s work on stress adaptation and how it had been appropriated for sports. The periodisation concept puts the plan at the heart and centre of what is being done with the athlete.

   John suggested a different approach.

   

   1. Philosophy: The coaching teams; belief system, created by the blending of critical analysis of evidence, experiences and opinions (See point 2).
   2. Process: The set of linked actions designed to track, analyse and review relevant information (lots of ways of doing this) from coaches and players and other sources.
   3. Plan: The training detail emerges from the process outputs and the hard constraints imposed by logistics and competitive schedules.

   John likened the detailed planning as kind of like writing a letter so Santa. It is more of a soother for coaches, than something that is likely to happen. (Gary Winckler said something similar here).

   Rant alert:

   My #1 bugbear when working with NGBs is being asked to send my ‘Annual periodised plan’ to a spotty youth straight out of University without any idea of what the coaches are doing, or what the players do outside of my sessions. It is a total fiction and a waste of my time. It does allow the spotty youth to ‘show nice graphs’ to justify their job.

   Rant over.

   Relying too much on the plan can reduce your agility. Planning isn’t an excel spreadsheet and we need to move away from thinking that a good programme is a well- executed plan.  This was an excellent seminar.

   

   Eddie Jones gave an overview of some of the things he has done with Japan Rugby and now England Rugby.  He said that you have ‘Got to plan and get on with it,’ and that ‘It’s better to have a good plan today than an excellent plan tomorrow.’

   Working within the confines and pressures of International fixtures are examples of the ‘hard constraints imposed by logistics and competitive schedules.’ John mentioned.

                   Eddie said that as a head coach it is important to plan, but don’t get fixated. Don’t let tradition suffocate you.  ‘Traditional thinking stops you from changing. It takes COURAGE.’ to try something different.

     ‘You can’t love something if you are copying something else.’  Eddie was very keen on infusing the plan with passion and purpose.

   4.  Selling the message to players: many presenters.

   

   My personal bias maybe meant that I was tuning into any tips on how to present evidence or explain the purpose of what we do and why to the athletes I coach. But, many of the presenters did mention this.

   Grace Golden suggested sharing your verbal pitch with athletes. Draw a picture of what you are trying to achieve. She said that not empowering the athlete to engage in the process was a mistake. They need to have a voice.

   Greg Gatz showed his ‘Carolina Performance Newsletter’ and communication noticeboard at the University Of North Carolina. He uses these to share success stories and create buy in.

   Bill Knowles talked about ‘Inspiring stories of world –class recoveries by average athletes’ was as important as stories of world-class athletes.

   John Kiely shared four points from science that underpins the art of coaching:

   1. Build Awareness: Education (gradually).
   2. Signal competence (with humility).
   3. Build belief and promote expectation.
   4. Consciously design processes, environments and messaging.
   5. Be YOU, but your best possible You (don’t be a charlatan).

   John said that people respond to signals of competence, so think about your communication very, very clearly.

   Eddie Jones talked about creating a vision and making the athletes feel part of something special.

   Len Zaichkowsky said to treat your clients like gold and have your passion be contagious.

   

   Vern Gambetta said that ‘Culture is the greatest scalable opportunity for a competitive advantage.’

   This last section is something I shall be developing at our club over the next couple of months.

   Summary

   Many people ask ‘What is GAIN?’ The headline speakers draw new people in; they are an eclectic bunch, with new speakers from different fields each year.

   However, the reason I returned for an 8^th time is the quality of attendees. The chance to share ideas and learn from professionals from many different countries, disciplines and sports is unique. I know that if I have a problem or an idea, then I can get in contact with one of the people I have met at GAIN and get an expert answer.

   

   Some of the best people you have never heard of gave me food for thought, so thanks to everyone who sat by me at meal times, or was training at 0530 in the morning with me.

   I am looking forward to helping our athletes over the upcoming months, helping other coaches on our coaching courses.

3. Sports Science for sports coaches

   13th July 2018 11:36 am 1 Comment

   Sports Science for coaches

   

   Practical session at GAIN

   Last month I attended Vern Gambetta’s GAIN conference in Houston, Texas.  A great mix of practical sessions, seminars and informal idea sharing, it is my annual chance to take time out and immerse myself in learning.

   I shall be sharing some of the ideas and insights learnt this year. The act reviewing what happened and disseminating that into a hopefully useful blog post is part of my ongoing learning.

   Today I start with Peter Weyand’s second seminar which was a great overview of the scientific process and how things stand in this millennium.

   Sorting Sport Science in the Digital Era

   In the last millennium there was little or no information available to sports coaches. Peter said that much or most of what is available now is “shaky”.

   Here are his 5 “Drivers of Disinformation”:

   1. Proliferation of Information Outlets (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Podcasts and Twitter).
   2. Volume of data and literature being produced (wearables and new technology).
   3. Poor quality research training.
   4. Pressure to publish (anything).
   5. Self-Promotion (Not all bad, helps share ideas, but often results in self-citations).

   This results in “literature pollution” and disinformation.  Peter said that “laziness is the default intellectual condition”.

   It is hard to filter what is good or useful in this age. In fact, “Computers don’t reduce work, they create more of it” (Peter Taylor, 1994).

   So how can busy sports coaches develop a filter and understand what will work best for their teams and athletes?

   The Scientific Method

   Two years ago I was asked to present a CPD event to physiotherapists in Exeter. I gave my thoughts and observations on using motor skills learning in rehabilitation so that patients are working towards useful (and interesting) outcomes. At the end, one physio asked “Yes, but what about the science?”

   “The science”? As if there is one thing that is all encompassing, this from a person with a science based degree showed a lack of understanding of the scientific process. Many coaches have no formal scientific background, but can still follow the scientific method.

   Peter laid it out very well, and these principles will help you as a coach develop a filter.

   1. Get an idea or question.
   2. Make observations.
   3. Analyse observations.
   4. Idea supported: Yes/No?

   Peter suggested that good researchers ask good questions and then look to first principles for answers.

   Step 1: The research question must be good.

   Step 2: The hypothesis must be testable. The design of the study must yield data that will “get out of the noise”.

   Step 3: Analyse the observations in the right way. Peter used several examples to illustrate what works/ doesn’t work.

   Step 4: Proving and disproving: how well does data support the idea?

   An interesting point was that an idea can never be proven true! Instead, the scientific method can only disprove. It only takes one outlier or piece of data to disprove a theory: the exception.

   For example, Peter was studying sprinters in action and a common hypothesis was that symmetry between limbs was needed. One sprinter had a big asymmetry and yet was very fast. This one individual therefore disproved the symmetry hypothesis. Other factors must be important in sprinting.

   Degrees of Uncertainty

   In the past I have often got confused about what is presented as “research” compared to “theories”. This is especially true in ideas like Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD), where many papers are published stating that this latest version is the definitive answer.

   Peter helped me understand better the hierarchical language of degrees of certainty.

   1: Hypothesis (an idea).

   2: Model (LTAD is an example).

   3: Mechanism.

   4: Law (Gravity). Hard to argue with this.

   (Peter may yet to have dealt with “Mum Chat” or “Bloke down the pub” which trumps all of the above! No matter what I do to try and help educate parents, they prefer to listen to their friends).

   Conclusions

   This presentation really helped me understand the scientific method (much more so than a whole module of “research methods” at Brunel University whilst studying for my MSc).

   “If you cannot explain the conclusion in 1-2 sentences, you will never reach a general audience”.  I would add that if you cannot explain the conclusion succinctly, you may be unclear yourself as to what is happening.

   

   Isaac Newton

   Peter used Isaac Newton as an example of making a big subject very simple. Newton expressed his 3 laws in simple terms and then came up with a very simple equation F=Ma.

   When doing research (that includes looking at your own teams) it is important to “Get the big stuff and keep moving” (so much for “marginal gains”). Find out what matters most and look at that.

   When reading research “It’s critical to be critical”.

   Check the scientific method of the paper:

   1: Is the idea supported Yes/ No and does it have a value?

   2: Is it testable?

   This will then help you decide whether to try and implement some of the ideas into your own practice.

   Peter’s whole talk was illustrated with examples of his research and that of his colleagues. I was impressed with the detail he goes into, how much work and effort is required and also how he explained it.

   Brilliant.

   Further Reading:

   • Interpreting statistics in sports science
   • GAIN 2017 overview

    

4. LTAD: building young people

   31st May 2018 8:00 am 1 Comment

   “Life is a process, but it’s hard to get through to the kids”

   Finn Gundersen, GAIN VII.

   “What is LTAD?” has been demoted to a project question for students, a scientific discussion, or a pdf issued by National Governing Bodies (NGBs).

   But, in my opinion, it’s about people: coaches, parents, teachers and, most importantly, the children.

   Gundersen really brought this to life in this excellent seminar, based upon his work at Burke Mountain school in Vermont.

   It starts with a foundation of:

   • Trust.
   • Honesty.
   • Respect.

   If you trust the athlete, then you can give them some freedom to act. Gundersen has no “leaders”, instead, everyone is a leader: everyone takes responsibility.

   I like this aspect, I see far too many youngsters walking around with “sports leader” or “physical leader” t-shirts: what about everyone else?

   With no peer groups, no heroes, no rewards and privileges “everyone is responsible for the community“. The kids have to do chores such as washing up straight away.  There are no gradings of ability such as ABCs, labels are avoided.

   “Never underestimate your intellectual and athletic ability”

   is what Gundersen tells the kids. He tells the coaches “You’re not there to pick out a winner, you are there to coach all of them.” He told us “Don’t let teachers get away with it.” NO LABELS, we have to give HOPE to every kid in the programme.

   (Compare that to a teacher who said I would never produce a good school gymnast because I was “working with the dregs“: how to write off 7 year olds.)

   Coaches have to be patient, have belief in what they are doing and be non-judgemental.

   This may sound a bit soft and cuddly, but the work at Burke Mountain was designed to teach the kids desire, andhelp them to go after things they wanted.

   This requires Hard Work in:

   • Community
   • Academics
   • Athletics

   Some of this came back to PTA (Pain, Torture, Agony): they had to run in the rain and cold. They learnt how to suffer. The harder the better, not the line of least resistance.

   If you think that is harsh, think about the new medical term “Exercise deficit disorder” where kids are put in front of a screen for 3-6 hours a day with no play time.

   The reality of LTAD

   Gundersen highlighted some of the LTAD issues they face: it’s as much a management strategy as it is a science.

   • Sport vs sports conflict: sports try to get the best kid earlier and earlier, competing with each other.
   • 25% of kids in high school do NOT like to compete, 50% like to, 25% can take it or leave it. This must be accounted for when planning physical activity.
   • Everyone has a different genotype, everyone therefore has different needs.
   • Early vs late maturers: there is an arms race within certain sports such as skiing with a smaller pool of athletes and fewer clubs being able to support good competition levels. This can result in over-investment in the early maturer when all evidence shows that late maturers do better.

   The Profession of Developing People

   With his vast experience, Gundersen has realised that he is in the profession of developing people: it is not about the facilities. Whether the people are the coaches or the athletes, that is where investment and development must take place.

   He looks for certain personalities: do the coaches have an operational mindset? Are they interested in continuous improvement? Do they accept responsibility? Are they accountable? Is there role clarity and acceptance of that role?

   If the coaching structure and set up works, then the young athletes will get a better experience.

   This was a great seminar, and Finn was available to talk the whole week, so I was picking up lots of tips from him. A very genuine and engaging individual: a lot of sporting bodies in the country would benefit from his advice.

   Further reading:

   • The Australian Talent ID Myth
   • The Talent ID Bun Fight

5. Using reflection and debriefs to enhance coaching: Wade Gilbert

   21st July 2017 4:21 pm Leave a Comment

   “Why wait for a disaster to have a really open and frank conversation?”

   

   Wade Gilbert

   Wade Gilbert asked this at the GAIN conference in his presentation on reflection and debriefs for coaches. (This was two days after the Grenfell tower disaster where many people were asking the same thing).

   Wade said that systematic reflection could be the separator between good and great coaches. He then took us through a series of exercises to help us start the process of reflection.

   Exercise 1: What is quality coaching?

   We wrote down one word that best captures what we think is the essence of coaching. We then held it above our head and looked for anyone else in the room with that same word (mine was empathy).

   This exercise can be done with athletes too. It teaches the athletes to reflect in their training and realise that “you don’t just show up and have something done to you.”

   Wade often refers to John Wooden, and he quoted from the “Wooden revisited” study. Almost everything that came out of Wooden’s mouth was teaching.  He had an “economy of talk” with key instructions he used.

   Wooden also had incredible attention to detail when planning his sessions.

   Planning your sessions well and giving fewer instructions, but better ones, will improve the athlete experience.

   Defining coaching effectiveness

   Wade then quoted from a study he did with Jean Cote focussing on coaches’ knowledge.

   It looked at 3 components:

   1. Coaches’ knowledge
   2. Athletes’ outcomes
   3. Coaching contexts

   

   More to coach knowledge than technique

   If the coaches’ knowledge doesn’t transfer to successful athlete outcomes then it is redundant. This knowledge was broken down into 3 areas and the outcomes into 4 areas.

   (How many NGB coaching courses refer to the 2^nd / 3^rd areas of knowledge?)

   By using reflection and debriefs the coach can become more self-aware and understand better their relationship with others.

   (A few years ago I did an excellent course called Leadership through emotional intelligence which I recommend highly, “The Chimp Paradox” is also an excellent book to help you with this.)

   Exercise 2: Coaching strengths and gaps

   

   Greg Gatz and me

   Here we worked in small groups and evaluated our strengths and gaps which were divided into the 4 parts of the season (see Wade Gilbert coaching process).

   We then tried to find someone whose strengths matched our gaps and vice versa. I chatted to Greg Gatz (University North Carolina) about how to make our gym sessions “Game like and demanding”. We are going to share some fun challenges between our 2 groups of athletes to help create this at some point in the week.

   This was a good opportunity to practice “purposeful and systematic reflection”. It was especially useful as we had been on “receive” mode for 4 days and time for reflection and discussion was most welcome.

   Do Simple Better

   

   Reminder before coaching

   This phrase became a bit of a mantra after GAIN. Rather than looking to add the “shiny new thing”, it was a reminder from Wade that doing the simple things better often worked wonders.

   An example of how to improve practices is to write down “advanced noticing cues”: what everybody should be looking for at the beginning of the session.  Look for leverage points that make a difference and.

   This also makes athlete and coach evaluation easier and more pertinent because we have something to evaluate against: “did you manage to keep that bar close to your body?” “Did your hands and head make an equilateral triangle in headstand?”

   Exercise 3: Post practice reflection sheet

   We were given a checklist from Wade’s book which has 17 different questions to ask under 4 areas:

   1. Set challenging & specific practice goals.
   2. Keep athletes physically and mentally active throughout practice.
   3. Give athletes choice and ask them for input on practice design.
   4. Create competitive gamelike practice activities.

   It is a simple tickbox exercise and can be done very quickly. I had Tom Hardy, one of my assistant gymnastics coaches, do one “live” on my coaching in one of our sessions. He picked up on 2 points that I had missed and so I adapted for the next session.

   Critical Reflection

   These simple exercises were useful and easy to initiate. Wade then said the next step was to “think about how we think”: meta -reflection.

   The goal he set us was to “Understand and challenge mental models of coaching and athlete development.”

   

   Reflective practice helps this journey

   He quoted from John Medina’s “Brain Rules”: “we do not see others with our eyes, we see them with our brains”.

   Deliberate reflection would allow us as coaches to move along this continnuum.

   Part of the innovation process is “It’s okay not to finish things.” This may help retain information as proposed by the “Zeigarnik Effect”. Finishing a task then allows the brain to relax and switch to a new task. Having things unfinished may allow the brain to work subconsciously on solving the problems.

   This seminar was a perfect way to spend the final Saturday morning of GAIN. Our brains had been filled up with new and challenging ideas and information, what matters most is how we can transfer that knowledge to athlete actions.

   I have spent much more time focussing on scheduling tasks since this seminar 5 weeks ago. My idea is to do 1-2 things each month at different points of the season that will allow me to develop as a coach. This then will help the athletes at Excelsior ADC.

   Thanks to Wade and Vern for facilitating this.

   Further Reading:

   • Jim Radcliffe and Vern Gambetta on Creating the perfect workout 
   • Summer: time for reflection?

6. Creating the Perfect Workout: Vern Gambetta and Jim Radcliffe

   20th July 2017 3:10 pm Leave a Comment

   “We should warm up with skills not drills”

   

   89 years of coaching experience

   Said Jim Radcliffe in his joint presentation with Vern Gambetta at GAIN. Combined they have been on an 89 year journey and “We can do better” said Vern in trying to create the perfect workout.

   This was an interesting dual presentation with a lot of back and forth.  (I have quoted directly where I can remember and make general points which could have come from either presenter.)

   Vern’s training mission is to make the workouts meaningful. This means paying attention to the sport and the athlete before designing sessions.

   Jim starts by asking himself if the strength, speed, agility and endurance are in the Athletic Performance or out of it? For example, speed and endurance are both present in the 800m race but strength and agility are out of it. That then focusses what needs to be done in extra sessions outside of the sport itself.

   

   Working on landing mechanics at GAIN

   He looks to increase the body wisdom of each athlete by asking them to solve movement problems. This includes developing postural control and the ability to negotiate the ground. (Someone else said at GAIN that in the battle between the athlete and the ground if the ground wins, the athlete gets injured).

   Jim has previously talked about this and the importance of change of direction mechanics. What is important is setting this up within a motor learning context so that the athlete learns through decision making.

   Training hard versus training smart

   How much time is spent doing “Mental Toughness” (Training Hard, or “Grit” training as England Hockey call beasting people) versus improving Biomechanical Performance (Training smart).

   Jim talked about eliminating negative practices from workouts: butt kicks for example in warm ups which encourage over striding.

   Ask yourself “Is everything you are doing in training aligned with the stated purpose of the training program?”  (I see a lot of coaches doing “stuff” in training that is a part of their sport’s folklore. When asked why it is there: “because we always do that” or “I saw team x doing it” or “we got given this kit so we use it.”

   

   good luck predicting outcome

   Vern said there is always a trade -off: if you add something new, something needs to go. What would you take out of your programme if you added something?

   He used a brilliant analogy of a Rubik’s Cube. Children of the 1980s will remember that when trying to get one side green, you ended up messing up the red side! The human body is far more complicated than a Rubik’s Cube: so who knows what will happen if you change things repeatedly?

   No perfect workout without context

   For those coaches looking for “Monday’s workout” you will be disappointed. No training session or workout can or will stand alone (Goodbye WOD).  Context is everything: what went before, what comes after?

   

   Radcliffe philosophy

   Start your workout plan with a clear intent and purpose.  What needs to happen to make your GOAL happen? (Having a clearly defined goal is a skill in itself).

   Jim’s underpinning philosophy when working with the Oregon Ducks football team was to create “bullets not bowling balls”. They wanted to have athletes with great burst. He achieved that by doing things consistently and by eliminating redundant practices.

   This is a useful reminder when planning workouts: keep coming back to “The why”.

   He finished with a demonstration of his signature warm up sequence which has a specific order and is looking to improve movement, technique and tempo.

   

   Working on getting better at GAIN

   Whilst this may look like the blindingly obvious on paper, my experience coaching coaches on our courses is that this is like Rocket Science to some of them. NGB coaching qualifications that I have done (Gymnastics and my mentor Mike Euridge being the exception) simply fail to address this.

   The coaches are given drills rather than taught how to think and ask questions. Asking the right questions is much more important as a coach than thinking you have the answers or “the perfect workout” in your pocket.

   As I said in the previous blog, Jim as shaped my coaching practice immensely and Vern has shaped my thoughts on Athletic Development coaching through GAIN and much personal interaction. Hopefully the athletes at Excelsior ADC are benefiting (even if they don’t realise it!).

   Further Reading

   How to take charge of your fitness training

7. Developing the Robust Athlete: Jim Radcliffe

   19th July 2017 2:35 pm Leave a Comment

   “Some people can negotiate the speed bumps of life, some end up in a ditch.”

   

   Jim Radcliffe University of Oregon

   Jim Radcliffe talking about the Robust Athlete in his excellent presentation at GAIN this year.

   Jim has coached at The University of Oregon  since 1989 and has been a major influence on my coaching since 2011 when I first saw him present.  His philosophy as developed over his time working with his athletes and his results reflect that.

   He started off by looking at the mindset of the athletes using the analogy of the Romans at the fall of their empire forgetting what made them strong in the first place.

   Post Marcus Aurelius, their emperors became weaker and “bread and circuses” and “orgies” undermined the character of the citizens.

   

   Equipped for the jungle

   Meanwhile the Visigoths were waiting to cross the Rhine and take advantage of the weakened states in the empire.

   He also likened developing athletes to the brutalities of the jungle in which Tarzan grew up and became strong, compared to Jane who was ill prepared to cope.

   Musculo –skeletal 101

   Jim has previously outlined the decline in the musculo-skeletal health of the athletes entering college now compared to when he started in 1989.

   These include:

   • Higher sedentary lifestyle
   • Poor nutrition
   • Improper running techniques
   • Less physical education (less play in the backyard too)
   • A high competitive age versus an infantile training age

   The coaching programme has to adjust accordingly and hope to rectify these problems.

   

   Physical education

   (This information and my own experiences have massively influenced what we do at Excelsior ADC and why I set the club up).

   Jim quoted from a 1971 study on the need to be physically educated stating that movement is

   “The Primary vehicle by which exploration and experimentation can expand knowledge of oneself.”

   Regaining the Rhythm

   Jim stated the need for some sociological orchestration to facilitate more free play. Young people need to practice “surfing through the chaos”. How else do they find their own rhythm?

   The art of coaching is now how to make something structured (like sports club) more like play?

   (It isn’t, as one academic recently tweeted, to “conduct drills in a playful manner”).

   

   Jamaica or Willand sprinters?

   Jim is now working with many middle distance runners and in his sessions he tries to get them to find rhythm in running and also disrupted rhythm: the race is rarely even- paced.

   He referred to the Jamaican sprinters who still want to train on a grass track: does it help them with rhythm when sprinting?

   More is Better!

   “If I keep adding strength coaches, what do we do more of? Strength coaching.”

   Jim said that we are currently in an age of adding more to things. Helicopter parenting is part of the problem (refer back to Overspecialisation blog and free play).

   We tend to overdo things in an effort to get ahead of the curve.

   We OVER:

   • Coach
   • Train
   • Analyse
   • Treat
   • Nutrienting
   • Medicating
   • Restorating

   Is any of this helping our athletes become more robust? Before using any of the restoration and medical interventions we have to know WHY we are doing it.

   From (recovery) versus For (preparing)

   Each intervention is situation and athlete specific.

   Jim says that overhydration is becoming a problem. We have an “innate thirst mechanism” which we should recognise. He said that most muscular cramps are associated with neuromuscular fatigue rather than dehydration.

   He follows a 4 ‘R’s approach to recovery:

   • Replace fluids and electrolytes (includes fruit and veg)
   • Replenish glycogen
   • Rebuild muscle protein
   • Reduce oxidative stress (again with the fruit and veg!)

   (This is similar to the 3 stage approach to nutrition we use adapted from Dave Ellis which starts with fresh produce).

   Massage: what is it good for?

   

   overpampered athletes?

   In a study of 30 Olympians, it was found that the medallists used massage less than non-medallists. Has it become a crutch for some?

   (I personally have found that it is overused, and that is linked to funding streams with equal amounts being allocated to training and “medical”. The athletes then use it or lose it, meaning they are spending as much time on the massage table as they are doing fitness training).

   Jim was also critical of cold water immersion: he has found his athletes adapt to it quickly and it restricts blood flow. Jim quoted from Bill Knowles that “movement is medicine” and said that active recovery methods have worked better for his athletes.

   

   definitely not Jamaican

   Jim finished with a thought that athletes have to be given the opportunity to “figure it out”. He creates some “agility through adversity” sessions.

   This seminar was an excellent example of a coach using the scientific method to establish what works best for his athletes. It is experience based practice and has been refined over 28 years in one environment (not many “scientific” studies last for 28 weeks!)

   My only gripe is that we had limited practical time with Jim at this GAIN, we did plyometric progressions one morning with him, but I always want to learn more!

   Further reading:

   • Coaches guide to planning the year: Wade Gilbert
   • Next Up: creating the perfect workout Jim Radcliffe & Vern Gambetta

8. Coaching Better Every Season: Wade Gilbert

   17th July 2017 3:10 pm Leave a Comment

   “If I want to get better, I need to know what better is.”

   

   Wade Gilbert at GAIN

   Wade Gilbert gave an excellent overview of the coaching process and becoming a better coach at his GAIN seminar.

   This also served as an overview of his excellent book of the same name.

   His talk was split into 4 parts:

   • Envision: Pre-season
   • Enact: In-Season
   • Examine: End of Season
   • Enhance: Off Season

   He gave practical examples of what has worked from great coaches, and quoted liberally from many books.  A good coach is “a teacher with a high energy level.” Said Tony Dungy in “Uncommon”.

   Envision: Preaseason

   

   Vision, values & standards

   This is the time to set out where you intend to go in the upcoming season. Having a vision of where you want to be is essential to have a successful season.

   A good coach will have a vision and be able to outline core values and corresponding behaviour standards for themselves and the team.

                                                Standards ≠ Rules

   Wade said it was better to look at the best principles that underpin successful teams and organisations rather than best practices.

   Principles endure and can transfer to your team, practices are more likely to be environment, people and context specific.

   

   No need for Iron Fist

   “Accountability doesn’t require an Iron Fist, just a mutual understanding of what’s being asked and what’s at stake.”

   Having behaviour standards for how you start training and competition help you become successful This can often include rituals at practices and competitions and serve as value reminders.

   A great coach will be a visionary: “you have to be able to see round corners, see what athletes could become and see things that aren’t there yet.” It is important to outline this vision and bring people with you.

   Enact: In- Season

   “Never mistake activity for achievement”

   

   meeting athlete needs

   Said John Wooden. It is common to be busy in season but becoming a better coach and team is hard.

   Wade emphasised the importance of athlete learning and motivation in getting the team to perform better. Prior knowledge can help or hinder the learning process, whilst motivation directly influences learning.

   Coaches who use guided discovery and give immediate feedback can help their athletes learn more effectively.

   Athletes will be motivated to learn more when they are within a “sweet spot” between challenge and accomplishment. Too easy and they get bored, too hard and they get frustrated. “Stretch learning” is where the athlete can almost touch the end “with support”.

   This is something I have tried to incorporate within all our club sessions, balancing the need for a sense of accomplishment and “getting tired” with a sense of challenge and slight frustration at not being there yet.

   

   stretch learning at Excelsior ADC

   For example, we might be working on handspring preparations which require shoulder mobility and the ability to “pop”. The drills are easy and can be done by everyone whereas the whole skill is technically difficult and be done by a few.

   I then follow this with a simpler skill such as through vault, so the gymnasts can then unleash themselves and get rid of any residual frustration.

   The challenge of the activity may have a “High perceived risk, but low actual risk.”

   How you give feedback also affects learning. Wade used a push versus pull analogy.

   Push (solving problems for someone else) ↔ Pull (helping someone solve their own problem).

   Both methods have merit, but that could be situational dependent and as athletes develop, pulling is more beneficial.

   Quality practice design

   As this is where most of the interaction between coach and athlete usually occurs, it merits more detailed attention.

   Wade talked about “Practice efficiency” which he defined as “Do less better”. He outlined the following features of quality practices:

   • Purpose
   • Variety
   • Competition
   • Game Speed

   Have you evaluated your practice design recently?

   Wade then moved onto competition coaching. He quoted research that looked at successful competition coaches who spent time “listening to the match” and had “complex problem solving competences.”

   They could react to the live situation effectively and adapt.

   Encouragement is often undervalued. Genuine praise for quality performance leads to athletes performing better and having greater enjoyment. Athletes in these environments raised their effort levels and rated their coaches as more effective.

   

   3 roles for coaches

   The coach then needs to wear three different hats and have 3 different skill sets to be effective.

   Whilst most coaches will be good at one of these, it is rarer to find people comfortable with all three.

   Examine: End of Season

   “It’s like having a bazooka to kill a mosquito”

   Having evaluation tools available to use doesn’t mean we have to use them.

   (I would question how many coaches do a formal end of season evaluation: many justifiably run for the hills or slump into a heap exhausted. Some may have a chat in the bar at the end, and then gear up for more of the same next year).

   

   James with Wade and his book

   Wade gave some good advice on how to evaluate your own coaching using a “strengths based approach.” (His book has got some great checklists in there). Here are a couple of questions to ask yourself:

   • What are my coaching strengths?
   • What was your best day of coaching this past year?
   • Why was this the best day?

   This can form the first of three parts of your end of season evaluation.

   1. Coaches: magnify their strengths.
   2. Programme: analyse the practice design and preparation
   3. Athletes: reinforce values.

   I like this because it is achievable for coaches who actually coach, rather than academics pontificating from their Ivory Towers!

   Enhance: Offseason

   “Charge your battery before you charge someone else’s”

   Coaching is hard work. Dan John described feeling at the end of the week as if he had “been pecked to death by a thousand crows”. I describe it as “starting the session like a grape and finishing like a raisin”: there’s not much left in the tank!

   At the end of an emotionally, intellectually and somewhat physically demanding season, coaches need to spend time enhancing themselves.

   

   recharging the batteries

   Wade talked about “starting the day on offence”: get up and look after yourself before the demands of others are placed upon you (I adjusted my morning routine 2 years ago).

   The offseason should be partly spent on wellness (refreshing) and then setting up new routines that are sustainable in the long term to allow you to reload.

   Part of this time is to spend time with people who will help you achieve your goals.Wade quoted from Pep Guardiola’s book about changing the culture of your team.

   “Focus on the believers” and do more with them. They will help spread the infection of your culture like a virus.

   This was a great thought to finish on. Wade’s talk had lots of practical advice in it that can be implemented immediately, as well as some longer term philosophical ideas that can be reflected upon.

   I have previously written about “effective preseason planning” for the nuts and bolts of training. This seminar was more about the coaching effectiveness and I have written a plan to implement over the next few months.

   Further Reading:

   • Thoughts on early specialisation Vern Gambetta, Randy Ballard, Greg Thompson.
   • Next Up: Jim Radcliffe on the robust athlete.
   • Coaches start now on our 1 day course “Coaching Athletic Development”

9. Applying the Bondarchuk Method of Training: Martin Bingisser

   13th July 2017 2:50 pm Leave a Comment

   Systematic Planning for Your Athletes

   

   Martin presenting

   Developing a plan for your athletes can be problematic, time consuming and potentially useless. Martin Bingisser gave some very useful tips in his GAIN presentation which will help coaches looking to develop a system.

   Martin is an advocate of the Bondarchuk system of training which uses a limited sequence of exercises over a period of a few weeks before switching to another sequence and repeating. His thoughts on planning around this system were enlightening, even though I don’t use the Bondarchuk system.

   

   System underpins the plan

   Martin said that the much touted Soviet Training methods focussed on the plan, the processes and then the system. He said this was back to front.

   The system you use should be the foundation of what you do, then the processes that help you implement the system, and then the plan of what you do.

   This is similar to Simon Sinek’s “Start with why” and used by Jim Radcliffe of University of Oregon.

   4 steps of the Planning Process

   Martin takes a 4-step approach to planning.

   1. Define
   2. Plan
   3. Experiment
   4. Change

   1 Define: Know your sport, your position and your athlete before you start.

   You need some general guidelines before you start planning. For example the more specific the exercises, the greater their transfer to the sport will be. The more experienced the athlete is, the fewer useful tools you will be able to use.

   You need to define which tools will be suitable for which athlete and position. You need to define exercise selection. He favours a lot more General Physical Education exercises rather than Specific Development Exercises.

   (I took the time to do this a few years ago when I created my coaching toolbox on Excel. I was finding I was only using exercises that were most recent in my memory, rather than using what had worked 10 years previously. Taking time out to do this saves a lot of time in the future).

   2 Plan: Putting the pieces together.

   

   Cyclist Tom Baylis hanging in gym

   “All training causes physiological adaptations.” So everything works at the beginning or to some extent. Knowing what works for your athletes at what stage of their career is important.

   Plan for transfer, but also plan for balance.

   (I use this with the cyclists I coach: they spend so much time in a flexed and compressed position, that I put extension and inversion into every training session. This has no impact on their cycling performance, but it does allow their body to become balanced which then allows them to spend more time on their bike.)

   3 Experiment: Go out and train.

   All training is an experiment, so try it and learn from the feedback. (It has to be said that Martin is currently an active competitor in the Hammer, but I agree that every coach can try things out to some extent).

   Experiment also applies to adapting and improving your coaching cues. “Make your feedback useful and frictionless”.

   

   Consistent trainimg gets consistent results

   Martin has also learnt by experimentation what matters in training and what measures are useful. By limiting the variables in training (fewer exercises, more consistent stimulus and don’t overreach) it is easier to get consistency in training.

   The nature of the Bondarchuk method is that the athlete is peaking 6 times a year and with more peaks you get more feedback. This means that you can learn lessons every 2 months and change, rather than wait for 6 months and realise you are on the right track.

   (I haven’t used the Bondarchuk method, but there is a lot to be said about focussing on one thing at a time and improving that, measuring it and adapting. Compared to “Workout of the Day” madness where you are constantly changing focus).

   4 Change: It’s the driver of adaptation.

   “Change when you’re on top, rather than at the bottom” said Martin. This means continuous reflection and adaptation.

   You can make short term changes with a long term change in mind. For example, if the long term goal is to improve throwing ability, then changing the leg strength exercises from back squat to front squat after 2 months may force a further adaptation.

   “If it is the same programme every year, how can you cause an adaptation?”

   Martin listed details of the exercises within his programme, as well as showing video clips of how they transferred to his sport of Hammer throwing.

   Whether you use the Bondarchuk method or not, the thinking behind his seminar was sound and can be applied elsewhere.

   Coaches wishing to learn more about Athletic Development can book onto one of our coaching courses.

   Further Reading

   • Detailed look at Bondarchuk method for throwing 
   • Next Up Wade Gilbert on The Coaching Process

10. Helping your child become happy and active within sport

    12th July 2017 2:43 pm 4 Comments

    “Youth sports is a business plan that fluffs egos and packs pocket books”

    

    Randy Ballard

    Said Randy Ballard of Illinois University at the GAIN conference in Houston last month.  He was talking about how parents try to get their children to specialise in sport too early, without realising the dangers of this.

    “75% of kids quit sports by the age of 13, some of which never become physically active again” according to the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM). Sport has become an ends, rather than a means.

    Burnout (where children quit) occurs from 2 main pathways:

    1. Physical overtraining and lack of sleep.
    2. Social psychological reasons: the quest for perfectionism and excessive parent/ coach pressure.

    As coaches “we can’t separate early/over specialisation from the various societal issues at play that drive over specialisation.”

    (As a parent, has anyone told you about how their child competed at a weekend, won a medal, beat so and so, went on a camp with famous person Y, been selected for the TomNoddy under 9s squad? Apart from being an extremely boring monologue, you may feel the pressure to get your child to join the rat race.)

    What follows are some tips for parents to help this from happening to your child, alongside some blunt facts for youth coaches (and parent coaches) about promoting early adult led competition.

    The 3 big rocks of wellness for your child

    

    sleep nutrition stress management

    Randy used this analogy when looking at the wellness of your child. When filling up a jar of wellness, it may easy to think about the pebbles and grains of sand such as compression tights, protein supplements and sports drinks.

    However, the jar should be filled with these 3 big rocks first:

    • Sleep
    • Nutrition
    • Stress Management

    Sleep is probably the most important factor. Late practice schedules, cross country/ city commutes and excessive screen times are factors in producing low quality and lessened sleep hours.

    Some of the early signs your child may suffering are low back pain and knee injuries. Low back pain is often a psycho-social sign that the child is looking for a way out of the sport.

    

    Are kids chasing for parents?

    Randy then used a greyhound analogy about kids being forced to compete for their parents. “What happens if the only reason you chase a rabbit is because your Mum drives you to the track?”

    (As a study in what motivates kids, take a step back and watch the crowd at an adult led football match with kids playing. Then watch kids playing football on their own terms and see what the adults are doing.)

    A lot of kids like competing, but very few really enjoy competing on adult terms and with adult rules in place.

    Randy referred to the “empty dugout syndrome” where parents who have invested time, energy and $$ into their child’s sporting career feel the need to keep that going, even when the child has stopped playing or moved on.

    This then leads to stress for the child and sometimes coercion by the parent. Parents can be there for their own needs, rather than the children.

    If your child develops an identity of being an athlete, then the transition out of sport becomes more difficult. “Sport is something we do, not something we are”. So every comment, every part of body language and approval related to competing/ participating in sport can be harmful, despite being well meaning.

    Gardener or fisherman?

    

    Wild flowers in our garden

    Gardeners amongst you will understand the need for creating the right environment for growth. Good soil, weeding, watering, feeding the plants, as well as planting at different times of the year and in different parts of the garden create a beautiful environment.

    The joy of gardening is in the process and then enjoying the results.

    Fishing on the other hand is taking fish out of the sea or river and eating them. There is no give, it is all take.

    

    Eat today, hungry tomorrow

    At Excelsior Athletic Development Club we are trying to create a garden of opportunity for young athletes rather than fishing for “talent” from elsewhere in hope of a quick meal.

    We never know who is going to make it as a Senior International in sport, nor is that our goal, but by creating the right environment every child and athlete gets an opportunity to grow and develop.

    Strangely enough, this environment also creates athletes who succeed at International level (14 year old James Reed, one of our weightlifters, was selected to represent England Golf schools last week).

    Compare that to the “fisherman” approach of trying to get a big catch today so that you can win this week without a thought for the future of that child or even the club.

    (Thanks to Greg Thompson, a physical education expert from Michigan USA,  who also presented at GAIN for the gardening analogy).

    Developing Talent

    Assuming your child makes it through the wasteland of youth sport and is still participating at 15 years old, what next?

    Vern Gambetta gave his thoughts on developing talent for coaches which I will now summarise. This is aimed at coaches and NGBs, many of whom still hold antiquated ideas of Talent Identification and pick early maturers over people with potential.

    “Talent = Potential”

    Youth prodigies do exist and talent definitely matters, however there are no guarantees in sport so talent is only potential. Realising that potential means a process has to be in place and is sustainable.

    • Talent Spotting
    • Talent Identification
    • Talent Acquisition
    • Talent Development

    • 

      3 components of talent

      Talent Confirmation

    • Talent Realisation and Refinement
    • Talent Retention

    Talent is comprised of Heart, Body and Mind.

    These three areas can be developed and encouraged.

    Randy Ballard made a counterpoint to this in his seminar. That referring to athletes as “Talent” is dehumanising.

    As an NGB is your “Talent Development” programme a road map for developing a human or for poaching ivory?”

    Summary

    

    Taking the ivory at the expense of the elephant

    The seminars by Randy Ballard, Vern Gambetta and Greg Thompson were different but similar. All three focussed on the importance of development and growth.

    The very valuable lessons I learnt working with the Sport England funded “South West Talent programme” with Paula Jardine helped shape my thoughts on working with youth athletes: “The Why”.

    The mistakes I have seen within NGBs (and are still being made in a Talent Id Bun Fight) and at Millfield School whilst working there for 5 years  have helped me from making those same mistakes with our club athletes.

    No child should be cast out and thrown on the scrap heap, nor be left to crawl there on their own because of mistakes made by adults in whom they place their trust.

    These seminars and discussions at GAIN over the last 6 years have been invaluable in changing what I do with all the people who come to our club. Thanks to everyone at GAIN for helping me and our athletes.

    Further Reading:

    • LTAD: The process of building people
    • Research Articles on Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD)