We are spending so much time measuring various training loads, planning recovery and putting restrictions on the athletes based on those measurements that we are creating fragile athletes instead of more resilient robust athletes? What are we doing? In the search for protecting the athlete are we creating athletes who are unprepared for training load of any significance, much less a competition load because they have never been under duress in training? Everywhere I turn I see this. Just because you can measure something does not mean it is meaningful and certainly we can measure everything. Lets focus on what the athlete can do and needs to do to prepare for the rigors of competition. I would ever want to go back to the way it was fifty years ago when I was playing college football where we had three-hour practices with no water that was not the way to do it. We do need to push them and they need to learn their bodies and it?s capabilities by pushing the envelope and getting uncomfortable. It always goes back to basics of coaching, sound pedagogy, knowing the demands of the sport, knowing the athletes and having a system with a plan to implement the system. Some common sense would go along way to protecting and still creating a highly adaptable athlete that can handle a training load and thrive in competition.
Vern Gambetta
Latest posts by Vern Gambetta (see all)
- Speed 101 – The Essence of It - February 5, 2024
- An “Aha!” Moment – The Javelin Dance - September 2, 2022
- Training Dos & Don’ts #5: Thoughts on Tapering & Peaking for Swimming - August 31, 2022
- Training Dos & Don’ts #4: More Work or Less Work - August 30, 2022
- Training Dos & Don’ts #3: Warm-up (Preparation) & Cool-down (Reset) - August 15, 2022