On Coaching - Daniel Coyle (Mon 15 Sep 2014)

Garmin Team Bus - Westminster Bridge / London (Sun 14 Sep 2014)
The Talent Code (*) writes Inspiration (*):

A conventional coach focuses first on skills. A relationship-based coach, on the other hand, focuses first on creating a sense of belonging.

A conventional coach asks: what can I do to help them win? A relationship-based coach asks: what can I do to help us nurture connections and create a culture?

A conventional coach views his team through the lens of performance. A relationship-based coach views his team through the lens of family — which, not coincidentally, tends to make the teaching all the more effective.People work hard for a team. They work even harder for a team that truly feels like family.

via The Best Locker-Room Speech Ever, and Why it Works (*) by Daniel Coyle (*).

A great post and it is definitely worth reading. It has helped me understand how well we did in Ravenna and it is the kind of message that will help motivate me to keep paddling at the same level and intensity I have now for 10 years. Both Paul's and Gavin's talks on the last day of racing are examples of this. I will post some more from the post later.

Coaching Observations - Physiology4Performance (Sun 01 Jun 2014)

Untitled - Langelinie promenade / Copenhagen (Fri 23 Aug 2013)
Physiology4Performance (*) writes On Coaching Observations (*):

After meeting and talking with some 700 DB coaches around the country, here are some common truths that keep cropping up:

• Every club struggles with numbers. Recruitment is key for every club. Recruit smart and relentlessly.


• People fall out and clubs split and create new clubs. It's painful but good for the sport. Most clubs I can think of started that way.


• The most effective coaches do it because they get great satisfaction from helping people develop, learn, achieve and become part of a club/family - not because they get their ego stroked. Most effective because they make decisions based on performance rather than their ego.


• Good coaches educate themselves and maximise the the time/effort that their team invests, by training their clubs smart and hard.


• The best clubs have two or more coaches that work together synergistically (i.e. their strengths and weaknesses compliment each other). It takes coaches with their ego's in check to work this way as they have to understand their own weaknesses and take a back seat to the other coaches in this area.


• Performance comes from the club culture as much as anything else. Culture is based on a set of values and ideals that is put in place and shaped by key members and taught to new members implicitly. Not everyone will fit in with it and that's OK.


• Some people see 'having fun' and 'being competitive' as two opposing concepts. The best clubs know that these things go hand in hand.

via Physiology4Performance Facebook (*) by Physiology4Performance (*).

On Effort and Coaching - Dan Coyle (Fri 13 Dec 2013)

Blackwattle Bay / Sydney (Sun 07 Jul 2013)
Dan Coyle (*) writes On Effort (*) and On Coaching (*):

I think the lessons for teachers and coaches are pretty simple:

• First, connect: like John Wooden said, they can’t care (*) how much you know (*) until they know how much you care (*).


• Highlight the group: seek ways (traditions, mantras, fun little rituals) to show what it means to belong in your crew.


• Don’t soft-pedal high standards. Don’t pretend that it’s easy — do the opposite.


• Emphasize the toughness (*) of the task, and your belief (*) that they have what it takes.

via The Simple Phrase that Increases Effort 40% (*) by Dan Coyle (*).

I think Dan is exactly right. I have been fortunate enough to experience this time and time again in my paddling.

Coaches & Coaching: The Art Form - Drew Ginn (Tue 24 Jun 2008)

Another Favourite Blog Post by Drew Ginn. This time about coaches and coaching titled Coaches & Coaching: The Art Form (Tue 24 Jun 2008) ..

[..] From directing, to coaching, to supporting and delegating. It's important to understand that coaches need to be adaptable and flexible in the style to best suit the athlete and the situation.

From what I have been exposed to over the years I have had coaches who have all been different and at certain times they have suited my needs and other time they have not quiet matched up to what I have needed. This has also played out in relation to the situation also.

Recently our coach, Chris worked on being more directed and coaching in his style. After we got back into things it was required that he shift his focus to suit our situation. It was a different energy and help us greatly in getting the ball rolling again. We have been good at working with him in a more supportive and delegating way which relates to our experience and willingness to be involve and responsible for our preparation and performance.

Years ago with the four, Noel Donaldson was great at managing the group and as such operated well in a supportive capacity. This did not mean at times he didn't shift into directing the group and coaching but it was often a quick switch and very effective in getting a response.

Now when I think of my development years at times I need a good kick up the ass. And well I had a few good coaches that did it perfectly. My only concern with this style of directing is that at some point the emphasis needs to shift and if it doesn't then problems and or confusion can grow.

In Australia right now we have a large variety of coaches with such a range of experiences and history in the sport. I am sure there is a different level of ambition and ego too. Surely they are no different to the athletes in one sense. They want to be the best they can be. They want to be the best. They I would have thought would want what is best for their athletes. Some times these two things can be in conflict which to me is the coaching dilemma.

This [leads] me to consider what it can be like in a crew also. In fact it goes to the heart of teamwork and why it can be so challenging to get it right. In a boat you want to do the best you can. You also want the team to do it best. You want everyone one to do there best. The dilemma then is what is the priority then? What are you measure by? What drives what and what can bring it all undone? These question like the coaches dilemma are very important in understanding why some times things work and other times they don't.

At this level everyone has ability and everyone has performed in a way to get to where they are. There fine line between wanting something for your self and wanting something for others is a fickle and often precarious position. You need to be motivated to be the best, but this need has to stay in check with relation to the motivation for the collective effort.

I mention all this because coaching like rowing is about balancing the influences, expectations and needs of all involved. Although the coaching view of things is some what objective if this is all that is focused on then the nature of the art form is lost in the numbers. The subtlety of shifting and adapting is needed with out being reactionary. A coaches view is often more comprehensive. They have to take in more information about performance on and off the water. This is the challenge and to honor all perspective is critical.

Coaches like athlete need to be masters of their art form to have longevity. When I say master I refer to the ability to stay even in their presence and maintain consistency while subtly shifting focus based on what the situation requires.

As an athlete I know I need a coach. I enjoy having a person who I can work with to enable the best outcome. I have been fortunate to have what I would say as some of the great coached from our sport. Noel and Chris have been a major factor in me getting this far and assisting in helping me to not only be a better athlete but better person.

This I am sure is not unique to me, I am sure many athletes have and will continue to feel this way about their coaches.

Lots to think about in this one.

Good Training - Bad Training - Vern Gambetta (Tue 02 Mar 2011)

A brilliant post today by Vern Gambetta. It is great to live what he writes. Got off the water last night to read this morning ..

Good Training – Bad Training

Good training is elegant in it’s simplicity.

Everything is planned.

The execution is crisp, clear and focused.

There is no fluff.

The emphasis is on the need to do exercises, drills and movements that produce results and meet the objectives of the workout.

Everything is manageable, measureable, and motivational.

Manageable in that it can be done efficiently in the time available.

Good training will effectively use the personal and facilities available.

Good training is measurable in that results are recorded, what can be timed and counted is counted.

The results are evaluated to gauge progress and adjust volume and intensities.

It is motivational in that the athlete and coaches see the results and are driven to go forward in pursuit of the training and competition objects.

They know what they are doing will produce results in the competitive arena. It is not entertainment.

Each workout has a clearly defined specific goal and objective.

Each workout is in context with the workout that preceded it and the one that will follow.

Last but not least the training session is coached.

This clearly implies that the coach is active in the process, providing clear concise instructions, correcting when necessary and praising when warranted.

Evaluate your training or that of your colleagues in this context, it will be very clear if it is good training or bad training.

Good training works, it produces results where it matters, in the competitive arena.

Good Training - Bad Training - Vern Gambetta (Tue 02 Mar 2011)

Improving Yourself - Vern Gambetta (Sun 13 Feb 2011)

A great post from Vern about Coaching that can also be applied to the athlete and life in general:

A few thoughts on improving yourself as a person ..:

• Search anywhere and everywhere for ideas, inspiration and guidance. Borrow and connect seemingly unrelated ideas to create new ones.


• Look for surprises and uncertainty, get out of your rut and make yourself uncomfortable. Don’t be afraid to try new things, push the envelope


• Look at the same things with new eyes. Be a kid and see with childlike eyes and curiosity. Look for similarities and differences.

No matter what you do .. keep it fundamental, basic, directed to the point and take the journey step by step.

Posted from iPhone. Photo to be added later.

Good leaders take their people to places they have never been before (Ricky Stuart on Wayne Bennett)

Ricky Stuart on Wayne Bennett (Sunday Telegraph - 12 Sep 2010)

Bennett's great talent is to encourage self-belief in his players. To give them confidence.

Many have said it over the years without ever understanding why.

His trick is that he can sell it.

As coaches we can all sit in a team meeting and tell our players that they'll dominate the opposition.

That we've trained harder for longer and that we're better prepared, that our talent is superior.

So that's what you've got to ask yourself: can you sell it?

Bennett can. And he can because he believes in it. That confidence, those beliefs, are then in everything he does.

It all sounds so simple, doesn't it? It's no harder than saying be true to yourself, which we can find in any self-help book. But if you keep peeling back the layers eventually you'll get to the soul of it, which is that it takes great courage to do that. [..]

Bennett wins the hearts of his players first.

With that he gains their faith and, with that, belief.

The rest all falls into place.

[..]

The most noticeable difference was the confidence in the players.

Joanne, Don (more to come on Don) and Jenny - Abreast in Australia 2007 - Kawana Waters (Sun 30 Sep 2007)

Kamini Jain talking about Paddling Stroke Technique

Kamini Jain talking about Paddling Stroke Technique (Vancouver Outrigger Conference -Nov 2010)
Following on from the In the Same Boat video where we have a great view of the FCRCC paddling technique. We get an in depth discussion and display of the technique. Lots to pick up on here. I like the sitting up as an after thought comment.

Kamini has held a number of workshops in Australia (Jun and Oct 2010). Lots of people have seen, listened and are now trying to adopt many aspects of what she has taught. My Club had the pleasure of her company for a training session in Jun 2010. I will talk about the session in another post. Learnt so much from the one hour session and helped me find the feeling I needed to take to Macau.

I first met Kamini at the 2007 IDBF World Dragon Boat Championships in Sydney and then in 2009 Championships in Prague. She is very modest and always very obliging for a photo opportunity ..

Geoff, Kamini and Joanne - All Smiles - All three of us were 500m World Champions that afternoon - Hotel Duo, Prague - 29 Aug 2009 (picasa)