The good, the bad & the ugly (week in review)
By Athletes' Acceleration | February 26th, 2009
The Good
Last Sunday the athletes who competed in the 4×200m
relay on the team in which I am one of the coaches
ran the #7 time in MA State History, smashed the
all time Division II state record by 2.61 seconds and
the school record by 1.15 seconds. Incidentally
the school record has been lowered by 3.79 seconds
in the past 14 months.
Not bad considering the kids said it was too fast
of a time to break when I arrived last year.
So hats off to all involved…
How did they drop so much time so fast? It started
with raising the level of expectation, a topic
I discussed on my radio show Wednesday. You can
listen to it here. Follow the links I mention
in the show. Hook yourself up.
But beyond the mental approach, learning how to
run correctly and having a good system of program
design in place didn’t hurt.
The Bad
On Monday I sent out a survey asking who gets
‘credit’ when teams/athletes perform at a high
level.
Apparently I haven’t mastered the art of satire.
Because some people entirely missed the
point. We’ll call it my bad on that one.
You can see the results and feedback from that
survey here.
The Ugly
I do a lot of consults with coaches, parents,
trainers, etc. And I run a monthly live Q&A with
customers of Complete Speed Training and Complete
Program Design for Sprinters.
This month’s broadcast was Wednesday night.
With all these conversations from every walk of
life, I pay attention to the patterns.
I’m paraphrasing here, but the biggest question
I get is this (watch the replay for more details):
“How do I convince the coach to update their coaching
and training so that they don’t keep running
an old school, outdated program?”
I used to suggest rationalizing, common sense,
opening up a dialogue, etc. The obvious things
you would try if you lived in a world where
people made decisions out of logic and reason.
But I’ve changed my mind on all that. My answer
is this:
You can’t get blood from a rock. So don’t keep
squeezing.
Therefore you have one of two choices:
1. Play the hand you’re dealt and do the best you
can with the situation you’re in. You’ll still
get good results if you use a 21st Century approach.
Not optimal results, but good.
Because it’s better than what most of your
competition is doing.
2. Fold your hand, cash in your chips and find
a better table.
Like I’ve said, I talk to parents, coaches and
trainers from all over the world each and every
week.
There’s a lot of people out there waking up. And
once they do, they can’t go back inside the Matrix.
So if you look, you’ll find them.
Of course, there are pros and cons to both. So
do your due dilligence.
Sticking with the playing cards theme, I’ll end
with a classic video that I hope you appreciate
on multiple levels:
To your success,
Latif Thomas
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This entry was posted on Thursday, February 26th, 2009 at 6:10 pm and is filed under Speed Training . You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
February 27th, 2009 at 8:24 am
Hello My name is Michael Dillard. I coach sprints at Natomas High school in Sacramento Ca. You have great information. By the way, I will be 55 years old this year so Im an old dog that can learn new tricks. I have been studying theory since 1995. I have had help from Curtis frey, Toney Vene, Ken Grace, and Lyle Knudson. Please do a topic on speed training for football players. Many of the young high school football players are being lied to by controling coaches that tell them football makes them fast for track, that they don’t need to run track. As you and I know, this is not a true statement. Many high school football coaches use this statement to control the football team and some football coaches even tell the players that if they do run track they will lose their position on the team. This problem as exis in basketball. Some basketball coaches keep the basketball team from running track because they have a AAU summer program that has nothing to do with the team. It should be all about the coaches allowing the athletes to do other sports so that the high school can have winning programs in every sports.
February 27th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Hey Michael,
I have encountered similar problems in the past, however I found a few solution that have worked for me and they might work for you and others as well.
One of the solutions is to join them. Actually become part of the football staff - if possible! If this is not possible their are other solutions listed below that I have used that worked wonders.
Another solution is to offer the football team a free 3 hour speed training clinic that is specific to football. Put together a clinic that touches on sprint mechanics, touches on proper form and movement for the combine tests - or maybe just do a clinic that only addresses the 40 yard dash. You can also include a core and hip workout scheme in the clinic that will help the football players with their core and hips thus increasing their speed and agility - Explain to them why the core and hips are of utmost importance to speed, quickness and agility and how it will benefit them on the football field. I have found that most football coaches do not design a sufficient enough core program for their players while in the weightroom. I am not talking about simple crunches, situps, etc. I am talking about a program that hits the entire core. Most Football Coaches are enticed and attracted to knowledge that deals with a good Medicine Ball Core and hip workout .
Once you get the clinic going - your job will be to communicate (sell) the football players and coaches on the fact that they will be receiving this similar type of instruction and training while on the track team! Sell it…
Once they see the benefits of track and how it will help them become better football players they will be more willing to join.
Another area that I have used in selling track to the football team is to convert my track team weightlifting program to Olympic style lifts. Most football coaches know that the Olympic lifts are beneficial to the power needed in football. Design a program that will benefit - not only your track team, but the football players during their off-season.
Invite the football Coaches into one of your weight lifting sessions - let them witness the track athletes doing squats, cleans, RDLs and push presses. This is a fantastic selling point. There is No greater selling point than when they actually see the athletes doing proper Olympic lifts in action.
Another area that will help is to also encorporate a plymotric program that converts the athlete’s strength to power - if you don’t already have one for the track team.
Brush up on your plyometrics - explain the amoritization phase and how it turns the existing strength into power, and the plethora of other reasons as to why plyometrics are a good thing, etc. Let the football coaches know that their players will be getting this type of training during the track season and how their football players will be that much more ready for the Summer Football pre-season.
Another solution is to customize your current weightlifting periodization plan to a conjugated or undulated periodization system. This will not only be extremely beneficial to your HS track team, but it will also entice the football players and coaching staff. Most HS football strength training programs still use the linear (western) system of periodization.
Show them how your Conjugated and/or undulated system works better and gets better overall results in strength, etc, etc..
In other words sell the football coaching staff and football players on how TRACK will help them tremendously for Football.
Finally, if you can’t be a football coach - become a football allie and offer your knowledge and services to the football Coaches! Don’t be stingy with your knowledge - help them out. If you do this -you can rest assured that behind the scenes - your name will become the buzz! Even the “Old Schooled” coaches will start converting to your information and help. ~ I know this for a fact, because I have had to do it numerous times.
Eliminate the threat! A lot of times “OLD SCHOOLED” Coaches are threatened by a coach who adheres to the latest and newest training methods - this threat is due to fear. Fear of the unknown! They don’t understand the new methods - so they go the easy route and simply ignore it, poo-poo it or negatively slam it! Eliminate the threat and share your information and expertise with them in a spirit of cooperation.
Remember it is all for the athletes - let the Football Coaches take credit for info you know came from you! Let them save face and your track program will begin to flourish!
If you do this - they will be that much more responsive to your request to plug your track team with the football athletes!
Last - but not least! Listen to Latif, PatricK, Lee and the others here at AA. They know their stuff, have tons of experience and are always willing to quickly come to the aid with info and solutions for those coaches who are fighting in the trenches day in and day out.
I hope this helps.
A big smile to you.
Coach Pete
February 27th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Coach, you have a tough situation there. I ran into similar problems with my son as a 10 year old. Baseball coaches wanted him to play Baseball year round…soccer coaches same thing. I was lucky and found a coach who did both with his own son. Which made my son a better athelete in HS. Was a 4 year varsity soccer player and on state championship baseball team his senior year. As for the football issue. I have several football coaches that recommend their defensive players and big offensive players try wrestling their freshman and beyond since this helps them with their one on one take down ability and assists them in learning leverage positions. Good luck in getting coaches to see assets that can be brought about by other sports.
February 27th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
I sympathize here; I’m a fanatical jumps coach (4 years on the collegiate level). Before I began coaching in college, I often heard similar “vailed threats”.
Being in Georgia, football is Biblical!; coaches rule, even the ones who aren’t winners. I had a 42′ triple jumper as a fresh; he was a quality football athlete. When he met success in track…the door was slammed shut. Missing spring football for region and state prep track is blasphemy!@$%^!! Even some of the collegiate runners I see are still effected by high school football. Poor lifting techniques, terrible running mechanics. It wasn’t about being anti-football - it is about professionalism and what’s best for the kid.