A while back I read a post from Stuart McMillan’s blog
titled “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”. Since then I have seen this
“title phrase” used in a number of blogs and articles.
It is such a simple concept when you think about it but “Do
we, as coaches, really continue to broaden our foundations as we continue in
our journey?”
Or, do we get “comfortable” with what we know and find
ourselves only listening to, or looking for, ideas from those people and
sources we are comfortable with because we share the same philosophy?
Coaches, like athletes, develop “Comfort Zones”. Here is a
link to a simple drawing that depicts THE PURPOSE OF COACHING from Sir John
Whitmore, who is chairman/founder of Performance Consultants International. https://twitter.com/PCIntl/status/573392428562063360/photo/1
So, in viewing the graphic,
the first thought that comes to my mind is the question of “How do I get from
my current performance zone (which
happens to be my comfort zone) TO my potential
zone? As depicted, the learning zone is the “yellow brick
road” towards potential, whether it
be athlete, coach, teacher, parent, etc.
My past blogs were centered
on the principal that in order to improve the performances of athletes, coaches
need to mold their practice sessions into learning
environments. I advocated creating
practices and/or training sessions that neccessitated focusing on learning
drills, exercises, etc. that “transported” athletes out of their comfort zones of performance BUT within reasonable
reach of their current fitness/ skill levels.
Of course, all of this is
about creating the “challenge” necessary for growth, which both requires and
develops the growth mindset, with
it’s emphasis on consistent,
step-by-step improvement…one session at a time.
So, in order to continue the journey towards our potential
as coaches, athletes, etc. , we must ask the question: “HOW DO WE BEST ENTER INTO THE LEARNING ZONE?”
The answer, similar to asking
what is the BEST EXERCISE for improving speed or vertical jump or whatever, is
“THE HOW DEPENDS ON WHO, WHERE, WHEN….”
Since my earliest days of
coaching, reading has been my vehicle with which to elevate myself upon THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS.
As a coach of collegiate
women’s cross country and track and field I remember turning to BIG
GIRL IN THE MIDDLE (Gabrielle Reese’s biography), GOLDEN GIRL (Natalie Coughlin’s biography), EVELYN (Evelyn Ashford’s biography)
and many other female athlete biographies to “try” and get a better feel for
what intrinsically drives females to athletic careers or participation and
their unique perspectives on the sport.
I learned as much, or more,
from these biographies as I did in the scientific texts, coaching manuals, etc.
In additon, the wonderful world of reading provided the strongest foundation
upon which to build my coaching methodology with books like Strength & Power in Sport (Komi, et
al.) and The Biomechanics of Sport
Technique (Dr. James Hay).
Even today, as a senior
citizen, I find myself “hooked” on learning and reading more than ever. In the
past 18 months (since September of 2013) I have explored the worlds of Sport Science, Athlete and Coach life stories and lessons and Leadership
and Learning methodologies through the narrow scope of morning readings.
Below is a list of those
books I have read in the last 18 months… All of them useful, some more than
others, due to either my unfamiliarity with the contents or giving me a
“newer” perspective on already established concepts.
Which brings me back to the concept of COMFORT ZONE. Those books that gave me
a soft kick in the rear to “move into the
“LEARNING ZONE” have noted by *’s. The more *’s , the more “out of my zone”
those particular books took me towards improving my potential. READ-LEARN-ENJOY
BEING UNCOMFORTABLE!
***Special Strength Training
Manual for Coaches (Y. Verkhoshansky, N. Verkhoshansky)
Functional Training for
Athletes (J.Radcliffe)
*Inside Sport Psychology
(Karageorghis & Terry)
Gold Rush (Michael Johnson)
Life Without Limits (Chrissie
Wellington)
Winning Running…a RE-READ FOR
ME (Peter Coe)
***Legacy : 15 Lessons in
Leadership (James Kerr)
**Graham Henry: Final Word
(B. Howitt)
*The Sports Gene (D. Epstein)
**The Talent Code (D. Coyle)
*Faster, Higher, Stronger (M.
McClusky)
**RAFA: My Story (Rafeal
Nadal w/J. Carlin)
*Racing Through the Dark
(David Millar w/J. Whittle)
*At Speed: My Life in the
Fast Lane (Mark Cavendish)
Shadows on the Road (Michael
Barry)
*Jessica Ennis-Unbelievable
(Jessica Ennis w/ R. Broadbent)
**High Performance Training
for Sport (D. Joyce & D. Lewindon)
**The Olympian Manual for
Strength and Size (A. Bondarchuk)
***Applied Sprint Training
(James Smith)
**Tri-Phasic Training (Cal
Dietz w/ B. Peterson)
Robby McEwen (R. McEwen)
*Sky’s the Limit: Wiggins and
Cavendish in quest to win Tour de France (R. Moore
*Usain Bolt: Faster Than
Lightning (w/Matt Allen)
Sally Pearson: Believe (S.
Pearson w/Scott Gullen)
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