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The great thing about reading plenty of books is that at the very least you won't end up knowing less after reading them!! Here are some of what i consider to be among the top books I have read across 2011.....
1. End Malaria (The Domino Project): With a somehwhat misleading title, this publication is a collection of inputs and lessons from 62 leading and influential business and social leaders from around the globe. The book itself is a charity publication which donates pretty much all the proceeds to, you guessed, ending malaria. There are some excellent articles and stories and event though none of the entries are in any way sports-related the lessons can be taken and applied to any sports or coaching setting.
2. Screaming at the Sky (Tony Griffin): A few years back Clare hurler and All-Star Tony Griffin decided to ride a bike across Canada for charity. It's a wonderful story and gives great insight into the mindset of a high achiever. It's a very honest account with plenty of take-away learnings that any of us could use and out into action. Well worth a purchase and a read; not least because Tony's a sound fella!!
3. Movement (Gray Cook): In a sports world where more is better and the goal can be quantity at the expense of quality, the love him or hate him figure that is Gray Cook takes us on a journey about the importance of quality movement in a sports environment, educates about asymmetries, dysfunctions etc and how to go about correcting these and how to understand movement as a behaviour and the basis of sporting achievement and not jsut another box to tick. It can be a fairly heavy read and you'll need to have a decent understanding of anatomy etc but to me it's a must read and must-understand for coaches, especially those involved in physical performance
4. Bounce (Matthew Syed): In the era of "10000 hours" this book takes us through the authors well researched take on what it takes to create and sustain chamions and winning performance
5. The Talent Code (Dan Coyle): Pretty much the same subject matter as No.4 but with some different opinions and of course different examples. The take home message of "long-term purposeful practice" being key to creating high achievers is pertinent in this era of gurus and gadgets and thise who profess to having quick fix answers.
6. Sacred Hoops (Phil Jackson): Not that well known in these parts, Phil Jackson has acheived coaching immortaility with his methods and practices as head coach with both the Chicago Bulls and the LA Lakers. This book centres on his time with the Bulls and shares his thoughts and methods on bringing together a crowd of superstars, creating a team, inspiring huge achievement and keeping the team together. Some of his methods and thoughts are a little different, but then so were their achievements.
Anybody else got any they'd like to share?? Thanks for reading and have a great Christmas!!
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Just had a few random thoughts about Pre-Season Training and the planning around this vital stage of preparations......
- Does your pre-season work exist in isolation or as part of an overall part of the year. What I mean by this is whether the work you undertake in pre-season will carry on and progress in to the early & main season preparations or just stop at the end of pre-season not to be seen again until next year??
- In terms of pre-season (or any other time for that matter) making players tired/weak ( and in some cases sick) does not equal making them better. That is not to say we don't push them hard and to the edge at times, but are we doing so in a planned and controlled way
- Whatever you have in your plan, why are you doing it?? Is it for performance enhancement, is it connected with game demands, is it relating to injury prevention?? If the answer is generally "No" or " I dont know" then it's time to revist the plan
- With gym work or indeed any resistance work, technique is paramount. The body only understands movement and learns & repeats these movements. A few reps with great, controlled technique is better than lots with crap technique
- Where are your players in regard to Long-Term development? What is their training age?? Could it be that it doesn't make much sense for the younger player to be doing exactly the same as the guy/girl who are more advanced in terms of training age??
- We tend to think only in terms of progressions....no harm sometimes to keep some regressions in mind for those who are struggling a little
- How do we know if the program is working or not?? What monitoring and sense-checks do we have in place to ensure we are getting the best value from our programs......we have to be ready to be wrong sometimes too!!
- Are any of our players doing too much?? It is now the macho era where it seems that some coaches will not pick up the phone to talk to other coaches for the benefit of the player. Therefore the player loses out by doing too much and serving too many masters......Note: coaching staff and support are there to serve the player and the team agenda...not the other way around!! It's best to take the lead for the good of your player(s)...have your check and montior systems in place so as there is no ambiguity as to how much players are doing in terms of training and prep. You'll be thankful later in the year
- Simple......simple programs exeucted brilliantly are worth their weight in gold!!
Any other builds or suggestions to add on?? Enjoy the next few months!!
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Every successful coaching program is built with for main pillars as it mainstay; Physical, technical, tactical and mental. Very often it is the mental pillar which receives the least attention, more often than not due to lack of understanding on the coach’s part. This very often is to the detriment of the overall performances or to consistently good performances.
From my own point of view, I feel that there are a few areas in particular that a greater understanding of will be of benefit during the season; namely goal-setting, anxiety, motivation, injury psychology and communication. Overall, it is good to have a working knowledge of the various topics and their importance and relevance. This knowledge also serves well as a reminder of our responsibilities and parameters as coaches and importantly when expert help may be required.
For me, being a good communicator is a must for anyone looking to achieve coaching excellence. Being able to relay information (what was said and how it was said) and being able to receive information (being an excellent listener and knowing when to listen instead of talk) are skills which must be mastered. Given that 93% of communication is non-verbal means we need to be eternally cognisant that what we are portraying is more important than what we are saying. A great aid to this is having an understanding the principles of communication, namely making sure that players understand the message, give positive instruction e.g. coaching sandwich, and keeping communication as a two-way street between coaches and players. Important also with teams is to know when to talk, how to address and the poise to adapt. As with all coaching facets and elements we need to keep our communications simple and avoid talking too much or too quickly or use poor speaking habits.
In order for a team to fulfil its potential it must have a destination for its growth journey. Goal setting provides us with both and is hugely valuable in giving the playing season some direction. I am convinced that again, for players, simplicity is key. Setting out to win a championship can be quite daunting for players but creating process and performance goals for the team and individuals can make the process less stressful and less likely to bring out performance anxieties. Needs analysis and performance profiling can help players understand and break their development into manageable size chunks upon which team and individual development can be formulated. Central to this process is the need to build in time for and method of evaluation/monitoring of progress against the goals as the year progresses.
At some point of the season a player, players or the team may experience anxiety and depending upon its severity it can be enough to undo a lot of progress to date. Of great importance is to recognise the various somatic, cognitive and behavioural signs of anxiety, whether the anxiety has an internal or external source and whether the anxiety is trait in nature which can then feed the state anxiety. In helping players deal with mild or short-term anxiety knowledge of models such as IZOF (Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning) and Choking is helpful as is a working knowledge of relaxation techniques, referring back to goals/past successes and other methods such as self-talk. Anything above mild anxiety though may need to be flagged to a more specialised and qualified practitioner.
A regular source of anxiety amongst players can be injury. Here we need to know the player in question in terms of their regular mindset and whether the injury in minor, moderate or severe. I would be most focused on the players in the severe or long-term category and here it is good to have knowledge of the two psychology models to understand where the athlete’s mindset is at. Whilst the Grief Stages model is insightful, the Cognitive Stages Model of Udry & Anderson (2002) is more relevant to sports people. In order to assist the players’ recovery it is important to understand how to help them manage the injury and indeed how to manage them. In this instance using past examples of players who suffered similar injuries and goal-setting are valuable tools.
Whether dealing with injured or healthy players, motivation is a big part of our role. As Alex Ferguson says “it is not an exact science”, therefore this is one subject where experience and continuous learning and development are required. We really need to know our players individually and collectively from a few different standpoints in order to know how to go about motivating them. An understanding of whether players are motivated from within or by external reward (intrinsic or extrinsic) is important as is establishing their achievement motivation (Ref: Need Achievement Theory). Helpful too is an understanding whether the player is task or ego oriented and what they attribute their good and bad performances to (Attribution Theory). We need to be cognisant too of not having paralysis by analysis so all these models are not relevant all the time but are suitable for dipping in and out of as the case arises whether that be with players or other members of management. Overall though my goal in motivation is to reinforce positive behaviours and identify and remove barriers to individual and collective success.
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Reading an interesting piece of research from the AFL (Aussie Rules) re. player injuries and the implications from a players mental perspective. It's an area that most teams, at all levels, pay little attention to but from the research containing direct player feedback it appears that we need to start being concious of it. I also understand that plenty of teams etc don't have any injury rehab strategy in place, however anyone thinking of engaging in one or who have players out in the medium to long term need to be cognisant of the mental impact these injuries are having. Players reported a need to "talk" about their injury, feelings of isolation from the team, being somewhat ignored by management, lack of opportunity to reflect on their experiences and emotions and the challenges faced during a lonely defined rehab path (if any exists in the first place). Every player researched (43 in total) expressed that being able to communicate and discuss their injury and feelings towards it to be beneficial. Anyone out there have simiar experiences??? Send a quick reply if you do!
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Hearing a lot about Long term Player D'ment from teams etc; all very worthwhile but these plans aren't really going anywhere without a solid foundation of the correct attitudes, behaviours & overall culture in place to support such plans. Without the appropriate culture, it’s all only words & most likely will never achieve the impact it should. Not much point in having development squads etc if they aren’t being developed in line with some kind of coherent strategy. By the way, in general what are the criteria for selecting development squads??? Is it how good they actually are or how good they may become??.....Are we better to focus on what might be rather than what is. I think so; if we are truly looking to the future we’ll keep in mind maturation rates etc and look to see if these young players can become the type of players we need to move ahead in the future on a consistent basis. We’ve got to cast a big enough net so as not to miss out on any potential whilst at the same time be sure of the future we want to help create for the players. It’s not an easy task at all; hence the need for a strong, cohesive, flexible planning to ensure we are getting the best for and from youth players over the long term.
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Hi everyone, please read on for details of our proposed Spring/Summer 2011 Seminar Series.....
· “Flexibility- Stretch for Success” (workshop based upon the flexibility and mobility requirements for GAA players)
· “Core Stability and Hip Mobility” (session based upon keeping players injury free and maximising athletic potential)
· “Game-Speed for GAA” (Speed development strategies for Gaelic Games)
· “Injury Prevention and Management” (easy to adapt strategies for ensuring players have an increased chance of avoiding injury and how to best manage initial and recurrent injuries.)
· “Field-Based Strength and Power Routines” (strength and power training on a shoestring budget)
· “Games-Based Training-Getting the most from a 60-minute session” (using games-based open drills and small-sided games that allow the coach to target physical, mental, technical and tactical demands in every training session)
(Please note that whilst most of these courses have physical performance coaching at their heart, the emphasis is always on the physical performance element being only one of many support functions the player needs in terms of optimising their abilities over a long term development period.)
If you require any more details on these seminars or indeed would like a seminar tailor-made to your county’s requirements please don’t hesitate to contact me
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Recently highly respected S&C Coach Mike Boyle posted a link on his blog to a NY Times article re. strength training for kids
http://mboyle1959.wordpress.com/2010/12/01/news-flash-weight-training-is-good-for-kids/
As usual Mike was looking for opinions/replies etc....here was my post.....
"Good article, however the danger is that a couple of words/terms are in danger of getting lost; properly supervised and fun. In terms of strength training for kids I reckon we need to use more common sense than common science. If we just look at strength training for kids in the context of play and fun then we are safe enough. In fact I’d be slow to even use the word strength because if we coach enough movement and make the demands progressively and gradually harder through fun games then we are ticking the box as regards strength development. In terms of being properly supervised, the coach really needs to know and understand the audience and tailor to their needs instead of falling into the trap of training them as little adults. All that said the article is only relevant because kids aren’t active enough or some pursuits are deemed too dangerous; anyone in their mid 30s probably grew up climbing trees etc. It didn’t do much harm, so it just goes to show that all the coaches need to do is use a little imagination!
Anyone out there got any opinions on the matter??????
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First off, there is no such thing as the "silver bullet" in terms of preparation and getting the best from yourself. Whilst the internet is a wonderful tool for all sports people, it has fed the cult of easy and quick answers to all our sporting needs and goals. The truth is that there is a need for instant gratification in our sporting world that wants results now. The quick-fix fits nicely into this culture. Long Term Development and a player specific step-by-step approach are in many cases surplus to requirement. However, the 6-week wonder shortcut ultimately proves to be a waste of both time and money and means that you are then at least 6 weeks behind your competitor that has chosen to take the long way round. Also, you are now of the quick fix mindset, and that is one really hard place to escape from. The simple answer......start with the end in mind and work backwards step-by-step, planning your preparations, training and other steps needed until you arrive at where you and your team are now. Only then can you move forward.......Simple, but not easy.
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If you checked out "The Player" GPA supplement in yesterday's Irish Independent you will have seen an article explaining the benefits etc of Movement Screening. Match-Fit Ireland are one of only 6 certified practitioners of the Functional Movement Screen and also specialise in Physical Competency Assessments. Both are key tools in ensuring that we give players as good a chance as possible to 1. stay injury free 2. Recover properly from injury and 3. Ultimately to ensure that players are able to get the most from their physical preparations as possible.
Screening is standard operating practice in such clubs/organisations as FC Barcelona, FC Ajax, Liverpool FC, New Zealand Rugby, German FA, IRFU and many more top achieving sports teams. If you want to get the edge over the competition you need to do what it takes to gain the edge....why not call me now on +353868595155 to see how Match-Fit, leaders in fitness, strength & conditioning, can help you achieve the edge you want.
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Hi all,
Seems like the concept of periodisation isn't as new as it might seem!!!
http://preview.tinyurl.com/39rscrn
Vern Gambetta also touches on another important point....the willingness to ask "why"..we'll have a look at that the next time
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If you asked me any time recently, I would have sai that Australian high-performance sport in general was in great condition. Not according to Wayne Goldsmith who posts some great writing on his blog. Have a read at the reasons given when I asked the question as to why he thinks this........http://www.sportscoachingbrain.com/commonwealth-games-delhi-2010-predictions/#comments Let me know if you think this applies to your sport...some pieces sound very familiar!!!
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Hi all.....we do quite a bit of work with young sportspeople in terms of managing their development. You can read about one of our latest pieces of work with Meath GAA and a development squad that was put in place in 2010.
http://www.meathchronicle.ie/sport/gaa/articles/2010/09/15/4000007-development-squad-under-threat-after-obrien-exit/
Keep logging in...pretty soon we'll be launching a fantasatic offer on our tailored stretching/flexibility programs. You'll get the chance to pay me what you think the program is worth after you receive it!!! Can't be fairer than that.
The first two people to mail me before midday tomorrow (Sat 18/9) expressing an interest in the program can have onefor free!!!
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Hi all, finally getting around to updating this blog!!
We've just launched a great new service; Personalised Stretching and Flexibility programs.
Whatever your sport, age, level or whether you are still playing or coming back from injury, we can provide you with a fully illustrated stretching routine/program that will be tailored specifically to you and your sport's demands. We've had the programs on test with a few of our footballers and rugby players and the feedback has been great.
Drop us a mail or call us now to find out about our special introductory offers for Sept 2010!!
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We have launched our new website at Match Fit to provide information on our Fitness testing and functional movement screening in Ireland. We at Match-Fit are a leading sports business who provide a player-centred approach to both fitness testing and functional movement screening. We work closely with our clients to understand their fitness needs, and can tailor our methods and product to suit your individual requirements. Match Fit is absolutely committed to helping you achieve your goals and solve your fitness problems. Simply put, you won't find many businesses in the area that can do what we will do for you in the area of fitness testing and functional movement screening.
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