The best feedback for coaches often comes from the people doing the training themselves: the athletes. Nobody knows better how training went than the people who did it. Being able to identify and articulate that feedback is a skill that must be honed and developed like anything else. Read more
Ultimately a coach is a teacher. Teaching is communicating and communication is the key to effective coaching. Read more
Bill Shankly, perhaps Liverpool’s most famous manager, once famously said “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.” This comment was made partly tongue in cheek, and, although we often take sport seriously, we’re very lucky that athletes tend to be very healthy, and we probably never have to make life or death decisions. The medical profession isn’t so lucky and coaches can often learn from how doctors approach decision making under that kind of pressure. Read more
As an elite hammer thrower, Mattias Jons had the chance to work with coaches from a variety of countries, continents, and backgrounds. As he’s developed as a coach, his diverse background has come in handy. On this episode of the podcast he joins us to discuss some of the different approaches he’s encountered and what he has taken from Swedish, Finnish, German, Polish, American, Soviet, and other traditions. Read more
High jumpers are an interesting group of athletes. At first glance these tall and gangly athletes do not always look like the most explosive athletes. But watch them jump and there is no doubt about how much force they can produce. On this episode of the podcast we talk with Fuzz Caan from British Athletics about deconstructing the event and how he trains athletes for it. In addition, he shares how his background as an actor has taught him a lot about the role of communication in coaching. Read more
All young coaches make mistakes. That is part of the learning process and we sure made our fair share of them. But there is no need to make the same mistakes we made. On this episode of the GAINcsat we reflect on lessons we have learned and share some advice for young coaches. Read more
For nearly more than 15 years Aretha Thurmond was among the world’s best in the discus throw, making four Olympic teams and winning four US titles. Along the way she got to work with some of the sport’s top coaches and learn from each of them what it takes to be a champion. Currently, she is passing along her knowledge to a new generation of throwers as the Managing Director of International & Championship Teams at USATF. On this episode, we talk about the lessons she learned in her career and the mental skills required to be a champion, including the amazing story of how she nearly made Team USA just two weeks after giving birth. Read more
Any coach with an ounce of experience knows that coaching isn’t just about the methods; it’s also about how you put them into practice. That’s the art of coaching, our June site theme. Throughout the month 10 contributors helped put together 2 new videos, 4 new podcasts, and 8 great articles. Below you’ll find links to all our new resources and some highlights from our archive on the topic. As always, become a Plus Member to make sure you get access to all of the vast resources on the site. But before we look at the resources, I wanted to share two key takeaways from this month. Read more
Coaches wear many hats, one of which is manager. In April we discussed training session management. On this week’s GAINcast we look at another management function: competition management. When you think of the amount of time we invest in training, competition management demands our focus. Poor competition management means all of our preparation is for not. To help, we share our experiences and the key factors to consider in competition management and preparation. Read more
The other day, while catching up with a good friend over the phone, who has been a coach for nearly 30 years. He had reached out to give me some feedback on my recent online course which focuses on all things behavior and the “art of coaching,” and given his vast and varied experience, I was anxious to absorb any constructive criticism he could offer. Read more
