Posts

Craig Pickering

Sports Science Monthly – May 2016

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I started a new series last month called the Sports Science Monthly with the goal of translating the latest sports science research into information that coaches can use. In this month’s edition we take a look at five new topics ranging from sled pulls to sleep patterns. The full Sports Science Monthly is available exclusively to HMMR Plus Members, however we have included the first overview free to everyone below. Sign up now to read about all the research. To get an idea of what Sports Science Monthly is all about, our April 2016 edition is available in its entirety for free. Read more

Jonathan Marcus

Body of Work

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It is no secret that I am a big fan of late 1980s NBA basketball. In my opinion, these days are the apex of the league and one team had an unmatched zenith of competency and dominance, the 1985-86 Boston Celtics. The main catalyst for this team’s summit of competitive greatness was their leader, Larry Bird. Today many applaud Steph Curry’s work ethic and skill proficiency. While he is very good right now we should remember he was influenced by Kobe Bryant, who was influenced by Michael Jordan, who was influenced by Larry Bird. Read more

Martin Bingisser

HMMR Podcast Episode 47: Testing

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There is no such thing as evidence-based training without the evidence. Evidence for coaches comes from feedback. And a key form of feedback are performance tests. On this week’s episode we discuss how to get the most out of testing in training. Read more

Vern Gambetta

Numbers – The Search for Meaning

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In the rush toward big data and gathering numbers I see the real challenge as making the numbers meaningful. Certainly technology enables us to gather numbers on almost any parameter we want to measure. We are now able to measure and quantify parameters that I dreamed about measuring 46 years when I started coaching. Certainly this affords great potential to enhance performance. The downside is when we can get so caught up the numbers that we look at them in isolation and not see the forest for the trees. Read more

Vern Gambetta

An Exercise in Reflection

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An essential part of effective coaching is reflection. Yesterday I was speaking to one of my mentors and professional colleagues Frank Dick and he suggested a simple three-step process that he uses for self reflection. He suggests using it monthly but I think it would be very effective weekly or sometimes even daily. Ask yourself three questions: Read more

Martin Bingisser

The Detective Coach

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We have mentioned Stuart McMillan’s coaches guide to strength development. It is an ongoing series on strength development that is a must read for all coaches. Along the way he has had some great contributions from Matt Jordan, who also recently joined us on the HMMR Podcast. And for the seventh part in the series he asked me to contribute to give an example of smart data collection in practice. Read more

Vern Gambetta

Competition Results – Getting Beyond Wins & Losses

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It is easy to be fooled by competition results both good and bad, wins or losses. Wins can disguise deficiencies and losses can hide progress. The take home point is to always focus on the process and never lose sight of the ultimate long-term goal. Read more

Vern Gambetta

It’s Still Just A Number

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6a00e5521cccd0883401b7c6f8e19a970b-320wiIn many ways the rush to gather numbers in the guise of monitoring and measuring training and competition fascinates me but I have many questions. Is this a fad that will pass? It certainly has created many jobs and a big buzz in the media, but what does it all mean? Read more

Vern Gambetta

Meaningful Measurement

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Just because it is convenient or easy to measure some physical quality does mean that the measure is meaningful. If you do measure it (whatever it is) make sure it is meaningful and will yield actionable results or don’t waste the time measuring it. Gathering random numbers that look cool on graphs does not make the athlete better. Read more

Vern Gambetta

Did I Miss Something?

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Didn’t the US make it to quarterfinals of 2002 World Cup & lose in a hard fought game to Germany, the eventual runner-up? Why has everyone chosen to ignore this? That was great team effort! Those players were fit and fast and prepared to play. Read more