The intersecon of motor learning, workout design and coach/athlete interacon Will Freeman Grinnell College Thanks to Dietrich Harre, Dan Pfaff, Frank Dick, Vern Gambea, Joe Vigil, Tudor Bompa and many others who have influenced my coaching Let’s start with some quesons What is the goal of what we do? 1. Meet the needs of the athlete 2. Improve the athlete’s performance Physiological Development Psychological Development 3. Build stronger people through a healthy sport experience
Transcript
The intersec�on of motor learning, workout design and
coach/athlete interac�on
Will FreemanGrinnell College
Thanks to Dietrich Harre, Dan Pfaff, Frank Dick, Vern Gambe�a, Joe Vigil, Tudor Bompa and many others who have influenced my coaching
Let’s start with some ques�ons
What is the goal of what we do?
1. Meet the needs of the athlete
2. Improve the athlete’s performance
Physiological Development
Psychological Development
3. Build stronger people through a healthy
sport experience
How do I get started?
• What is the star�ng point (Point A)? What is the goal (Point B)?• Background? Training age, biomotor abili�es and poten�al,
baggage brought to the sport?• Once Point A is determined, and exercises chosen, can those
change as the athlete progresses?• Communica�on with the athlete regarding what they need is
important to them ge�ng on board with the program.• The athlete needs to be a part of the process (dependence to
independence)
How do you know if your athlete is improving?
•Short term, long term?
•Feedback and communica�on
•The discomfort zone and adapta�on•physiological and psychological
•Tes�ng
•Assessment
HELP THE ATHLETE DEVELOP TWO THINGS
COMPETENCE
+
CONFIDENCE
MOTOR LEARNING
•Teaching and Learning• How the skill is taught by the coach, and learned by
• Problems encountered in training these• Too much focus on endurance in speed-power events
• Imbalance early in process.
• Not enough focus on developing coordina�on
• Not recognizing the overlap of the training of these 5 areas (total work load issues resul�ng in overloading)
Bompa and Harre Get to know these guys.
Bompa High Performance
Specialized Training
Mul�lateral Development
HarreStabiliza�on
Refinement
Acquisi�on
PROGRESSION IN TRAINING
•FEEDBACK IS CRUCIAL (FROM BOTH COACH AND ATHLETE)
•VOL/INT/DENSITY ISSUES AND LEARNING
•KNOW WHAT YOU ARE STARTING WITH
•GENERAL TO SPECIFIC (MICRO AND MACRO)
•SIMPLE TO COMPLEX
PROGRESSING INTENSITY IN TRAINING
•Intensity will vary with:•The exercises chosen•The purpose of the prac�ce•Example of high and low intensity prac�ces
•Rhythm before Speed
THE STAGE OF TRAINING AFFECTS INTENSITY
•Acquisi�on•Low to Medium•Fast enough to establish proper rhythm
•Refinement•Medium to High
•Stabiliza�on•High
YAKOVLEV’S MODEL OF SUPERCOMPENSATION
LOADING SUPERCOMPENSATION
NORMAL STATE FATIGUE COMPENSATION (RECOVERY)
ADAPTATION TO OVERLOAD
•Why we overload the system• Physiological adapta�on• Psychological adapta�on
•Progression in training• Increase intensity of training with mastery•The value of ge�ng outside the comfort zone•Rhythm before speed•The value of repe��on
THEMES IN TRAINING
• Different �mes of the training year demand different emphases in training (PHASES)
• early-season >> mid-season >> late season
• Macro themes (primary yearly theme examples)• Year 1: Cleaning up weaknesses
• Year 2: Strength
• Year 3: Speed
• Year 4: Compe��on
• Micro themes (period to period, week to week, day to day)
OVERVIEW OF TRAINING DESIGN
• Plan compe��ve schedule and put on calendar• Build themes on the calendar: Macroà Phase à Microcycle à Week à Day
• Work backwards from target date• Determine total workloads for weeks
• Is the demand progressive?
• Does the progression build in restora�on weeks?
• Determine total workloads for days of the week• Does the week’s theme drive the training?
• Is there sufficient recovery (esp. a�er big CNS hit days)?
• Quan�fy the workload each day (intensity, volume)
THE SHORT HIGH SCHOOL SEASON
• 12-16 weeks• Balancing work and recovery is cri�cal.• Over-reaching and over-training are lethal to an athlete in a
short season. Understand high nervous system demand days require more recovery for the athlete. 72 hr. rule for big hit CNS days.
• Recognize that what the athlete brings into the sport can either be valuable or problema�c.
• Keep records so you know what does and what doesn’t work.
• Warmup can be used to train biomotor abili�es
TRACK EXERCISES
Exercise Demand Speed Complexity Warm-up Cool down
1 Low level skipping Low Slow Easy X X
2 Propriocep�ve walk Low Slow Moderate X
3 Leg cradle Low Slow Moderate X
4 Easy skip with arm circles Low Medium Moderate X X
5 Inverted hamstring Low Slow Moderate X X
6 A skip Medium Medium Moderate X X
7 Squat side steps High Slow Moderate X
8 High knee jog Low Medium Moderate X X
9 Piston steps Medium Fast Moderate X
10 Carioca Medium Medium Moderate X X
11 Jog jog quick step Medium Medium Moderate X
12 Straight leg bounds Medium Medium Moderate X
13 Ankling Low Slow Moderate X X
14 Alternate toe touch walk Low Slow Moderate X
15 Walk with arm circles Low Slow Moderate X X
16 Quick step running High Fast Moderate X X
17 Single leg quick steps Medium Fast Moderate X X
18 Increasing quick step 1-5 High Fast Moderate X X
19 Knee hug lunges elbow to instep Low Medium Complex X
20 Knee hug lunge step with twist Medium Slow Complex X X
21 Side runs with arms crossing Medium Medium Complex X X
22 Sta�c walks (drive/hold, step) Medium Slow Complex X X
23 Skip with arm circles Medium Medium Complex X X
24 Backward runs High Medium Complex X
25 A-C skips High Fast Complex X
WALL EXERCISES
Exercise Demand Speed Complexity Warm-up Cool down
26 Wall swings facing wall Medium Medium Moderate X
27 Wall swings sagi�al Medium Medium Moderate X
28 Trail leg circles Medium Medium Moderate X
29 Wall lead leg lunges facing wall Low Medium Moderate X
START PROGRESSION
Exercise Demand Speed Complexity Warm-up Cool down
30 Standing starts Medium Fast Moderate X
31 falling starts Medium Fast Moderate X
32 touch and go's High Fast Complex X
33 4 pt. starts High Fast Complex X
ACCELLERATIONS
Exercise Demand Speed Complexity Warm-up Cool down
34 walk-in 30-40m accel. Medium Fast Moderate X X
35 standing 30-40m accel. Medium Fast Moderate X
36 touch and go 30-40m High Fast Complex X
37 3 and/or 4 pt start 30-40m High Fast Complex X
PROGRESSING THE BIOMOTOR ABILITIES
• SPEED• ACCELERATION à SPEED à SPEED ENDURANCE
• STRENGTH• BODY WEIGHT à MAX STRENGTH à POWER à MAINTENANCE
• TECHNICAL• GENERAL à SPECIFIC (DRIVEN BY EVENT-SPECIFIC DEMAND)
• ENDURANCE• GENERAL TO SPECIFIC FOR SPEED-POWER ATHLETES
• AEROBIC TO ANAEROBIC FOR ENDURANCE ATHLETES
• FLEXIBILITY• GENERAL TOI SPECIFIC. BE CONSISTENT.
UNDERSTANDING RECOVERY
•YOUNGER ATHLETES NEED MORE RECOVERY•LESS FIT ATHLETES NEED MORE RECOVERY• INTENSIVE TRAINING DEMANDS LONGER RECOVERY
•ALL ATHLETES ARE DIFFERENT. BE CAREFUL WHEN PRESCRIBING A COMMON RECOVERY TO A LARGE GROUP.
BIOMOTOR BALANCE• EARLY: biomotor balance. LATE: shi�ing priori�es and loads.• KNOW THE ATHLETE’S MOTIVATION LEVEL• KNOW THE SIGNS OF OVER-REACHING• KNOW HOW OUTSIDE VARIABLES INFLUENCE THE ATHLETE
• SCHOOL, FAMILY, RELATIONSHIPS, NUTRITION, WORK, TEAM DYNAMIC)
• DEVELOPING COACH-ATHLETE TRUST• TEACHING TOWARD INDEPENDENCE• BEING OUT OF BALANCE WILL MANIFEST IN INJURIES,
• THE GOAL: SELF-TRUST• BUT FIRST, ATHLETE-COACH TRUST.• DOES THE ATHLETE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE TRAINING
• READ, QUESTION, GO TO CLINICS. GET TO WHERE YOU CAN WRITE YOUR OWN TRANING WITH CONFIDENCE.
• YOUR COMMITMENT TO LEARN AND GROW SHOWS WITH THE ATHLETES.
• WE ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN (MY LEVEL II STORY)
• WHY MENTORS MATTER TODAY• IS JUST MAKING A BETTER ATHLETE ENOUGH?
HUMAN NATUREWhere do mental issues with athletes begin?
• We all want to improve ourselves • We most o�en are defined from the outside.
• The process of social learning defines us, OUR CULTURE IS IN US.
• The Long trek to find ourselves:• Purity at birth• We are shaped from the outside via social comparison, family,
educa�on, etc…problems develop• We work to find our core selves again
IT’S ABOUT WINNING!… it’s the American way
•To win is to be successful•We need to know what it is we are shoo�ng for, and why.
•My experience with winning/losing•Winning as A goal, not THE goal.
KNOW THE ATHLETE• Outside the X’s and O’s is where much of the teaching
and learning takes place• Knowing the athlete means you know what they bring
to the table.• Every athlete is different and has different needs,
both physiologically and psychologically.• They need to know they are safe and that you care
about them. Read Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code, and The Culture Code. They should be required reading for coaches.
From The Talent Code, Coyle• Deep prac�ce is required. Hard work, struggle, and a�en�on to detail
required.
• Build technique in chunks, and the chunks get larger as you gain proficiency (do as slow as you can and s�ll do it right. Then, train to do it faster): rhythm before speed!
• Quality of prac�ce is the key, not quan�ty.
• A great connec�on to an athlete requires adjus�ng the message to each individual. ”Meet the need”. The great coach forms a connec�on with the individual.
• Watch (and learn from) those who are skilled at the event.
UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF SPORT• Sport tells us plenty about ourselves
• Track and CC are sports of discipline, consistency and persistence. It is hard to hone these in the face of societal values:
• Instant gra�fica�on• Lack of persistence, discipline, pa�ence• Poor nutri�on • Lack of general fitness• Poor lifestyle choices
INTUITION• Intui�on is part common sense, part wisdom.• Knowledge Vs Wisdom• We rely on intui�on o�en in the physical part of
coaching…it is a big part of “the art of coaching”. • Intui�on can also help us with understanding and
reading the athlete from a psychological standpoint• When you can tell that something is not right, it is
likely intui�on talking to you. Don’t be afraid to heed its call.
ATHLETE-CENTERED, COACH-LED
•Coach-centered Vs Athlete-centered•Our athletes want to succeed. Our job is to show them how. They then must take the lead (teaching leaders not followers)
•They are hungry for leadership AND discipline•The process is far more complicated than winning or losing (the result)…and it is far more important.
COMPETITION
• Compe��on is rooted in social comparison• Success = win Failure = lose
• Result: we are defined by our success and failure at sports, not by the process
• Problem 1: There can only be one winner. Q: Do all others then lose?
• Problem 2: We don’t define ourselves in this model, others do. Q: Is that right?
MORE ON COMPETITION
• Know how the athlete feels about compe��on. Does it provoke fear or posi�ve excitement? Why?
• What’s the worst that can happen?
• Process before result must be the mantra. Remember that it is the process that will determine the result
• We can’t control 1/2 of sport!
• COLLABORATE with the opponent to go to a higher level of performance
• Uncondi�onal acceptance from the coach…regardless of performance
DEALING WITH ADVERSITY
•Learn to accept it! It is part of the ride…and o�en is where the best learning takes place.
•Life is painful…we must learn from it…it can be opportunity knocking.
“His unique opportunity lies in the way in which he bears his burden.”
Victor Frankl in “Man’s Search for Meaning”
CAN WE TEACH COURAGE?
• COURAGE IS A LEARNED BEHAVIOR, not a trait.
• Training and compe�ng will be painful, difficult and some�mes humbling…this is where courage is trained…outside the comfort zone.
• Does your training model and coaching philosophy challenge the athlete in a way that helps to train courage? KIDS WANT TO BE, AND NEED TO BE, CHALLENGED.
COMMUNICATION 101
• ATHLETES NEED TO KNOW THAT WHAT THEY ARE DOING, DONE WELL, MATTERS.
• COMMUNICATE THAT YOU REQUIRE DISCIPLINE AND QUALITY.
• TRANSFER OWNERSHIP OVER TIME.• UNDERSTANDING HOW EACH ATHLETE ADDRESSES
COMPETITION.• WHAT’S THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN?
• PROCESS BEFORE RESULT.
• REWARDING EFFORT, NOT TALENT.
FEEDBACK
• THE COACH AS A LISTENER. PROMPTING RESPONSES.
• IN A MEET OR PRACTICE SITUATION
• DANGER OF OVERCUEING• CONSIDER BLOCK RESPONSES
• QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE FEEDBACK
• COMPLETING THE COMMUNICATION CYCLE
SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR ATHLETES
• BE DIRECT
• BE SPECIFIC
• DON’T OVERLOAD
• ONE THING AT A TIME
• BE IMMEDIATE
• BE SUPPORTIVE
• BE CONSISTENT, VERBALLY AND NON-VERBALLY
• TAILOR MESSAGE TO THE INDIVIDUAL
• SOLICIT FEEDBACK
ARE YOU COMMUNICATING THAT THEY NEED TO TAKE OWNERSHIP?
• The first step in developing a team is for the team to take ownership (individually and collec�vely).
• The team will go through steps in its development as runners fight to find roles and then accept these roles. Allow for it.
• The athlete must take responsibility of their situa�on if real growth is to occur.
• Coach’s role is to teach, to mentor, and then to know when to get out of the way. Don’t create a dependent athlete.
WHAT KIND OF LISTENER ARE YOU• EGO OR NO-EGO LISTENER (“WELL THAT’S NOTHING…”)• PRETEND LISTENER• SELECTIVE LISTENER• DEFENSIVE LISTENER• COMBATIVE LISTENER
• ASK THE ATHLETE FOR FEEDBACK. DID THEY UNDERSTAND YOUR MESSAGE?
• PERSONALIZE THE MESSAGE• EMPATHIC AND CRITICAL LISTENING
•PROMPT THE ATHLETE TO SEEK FEEDBACK FROM YOU• BE HONEST WITH THEM (TRUST)
THE GENDER BARRIER (TANNEN 1995, WOOD AND FIXNER-ORAIZ, 2017
• MEN TALK LONGER THAN WOMEN, AND INTERRUPT MORE OFTEN, LISTEN TO SOLVE PROBLEMS, AND TEND TO TELL STORIES RATHER THAN ASK QUESTIONS, AND USE “I” MORE THAN “WE”.
• WOMEN USE COMMUNICATION FOR COOPERATIVE PURPOSES, LISTEN TO SHOW UNDERSTANDING, DECODE NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION BETTER THAN MEN, ASK MORE QUESTIONS, AND INTERRUPT LESS, AND USE “WE” MORE THAN “I”.
MENTORING• The original Mentor is a character in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. When Odysseus went to fight in the Trojan War, he entrusted the care of his kingdom to Mentor. Mentor served as teacher and overseer of Telemachus, Odysseus’s son.
• My mentors: Joe Vigil, Dan Pfaff, Jack Daniels, Andy Higgins, Vern Gambetta, Arthur Lydiard, Jimmy Carnes, Walter Welsch
• Building better athletes? Yes, but isn’t it also our goal to build stronger people? Mentors are trusted, caring advisors, not just coaches.
BUILDING SELF-EFFICACY IN THE ATHLETE
• Does the athlete have uncondi�onal support from you?• The athlete must believe in the training model and the
coach• Read, reach out. Keep learning. The athletes will see and
