As an undergraduate I majored in a topic that some considered the antithesis of my athletic pursuits: philosophy. My training was focused on my body and my studies were focused on the mind. They couldn’t be further apart, right? But one of the big things I learned from my studies is that they are closer than you think. And bear with me as I put this in context so that I can bring it back around to coaching. Read more
The #whyithrow tweets have died off, so I figured it was time to share the last responses to our simple question: why do you throw? It was great to get so much feedback. We all have great reasons for throwing, so let’s keep it up and help this sport grow.
→ Related Content: Read why US champion Kibwé Johnson throws, why I throw, and the first set of responses to our question.
Read more
I told you why I keep throwing after all these years. Kibwe told you why he used to throw and why he throws now. But we weren’t the only ones. Here are ten more responses to our question from Twitter.
Let us know why you throw by posting on social media with the hashtag #whyithrow. Or simply leave a comment below. This is a diverse sport and we all come to it for different reasons. We’d like to hear your story.
Read more
I used to throw because it came easy.
Then I threw because it challenged me.
Then I threw to be a champion.
Then I threw to to do something that had never been done.
Then I threw to be an Olympian.
Read more
I got back in the ring this morning after four weeks away. It is the longest rest period ever I have ever taken, but after an emotionally draining season it was needed. While lying on the beach last week I reflected a lot on my future in the sport. My focus has been on Zurich 2014 for so long that I had never thought about my plan for training, working, and living afterwards.
Over the years I have used this blog to discuss the work of coaches, athletes, psychologists, physiologists, biomechanists, and economists. But I have not once discussed the work of a philosopher. Since I have my bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, I have to take the opportunity once it arises. In a New York Times Online piece earlier this month, philosophy professor Barbara Gail Montero dissects the widespread view that thinking about what you are doing while doing it interferes with performance. There are few philosophical topics which relate more directly to hammer throwing.
In many areas, thinking about an action can make its execution worse. As Montero notes, “Start thinking about just how to carry a full glass of water without spilling, and you’ll end up drenched.” But this isn’t the case for all actions. Ordinary actions like carrying water will be easier when you do them without thinking about it. But when you start looking at the actions of experts, or hammer throwers, the just do it approach doesn’t always hold. And, for Montero, this is the area that interests her since she has a forthcoming book on thought and effort in expert action.
Read more
