Posts Tagged ‘Soccer’

Beijing Blast Number Four: Beijing 2008 is already over - and London 2012 is closer than you think.

Well, let’s hope you enjoyed the spectacular Opening Ceremony because the Beijing 2008 Olympics is already over.

And London 2012 is closer than you think.

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Beijing Blast Number Three: Why the London 2012 Olympics will be Tougher to win than the Beijing 2008 Olympics

So you think winning Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics is tough?

London 2012 will be much, much tougher.

Why?

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Beijing Blast Number Two - Top Five Reasons Olympic Athletes Take Drugs

They don’t call it Doping for nothing - because only DOPES do it.

With the overnight announcement of the IAAF banning of several of Russia’s leading female distance runners - including current and previous world champions - let’s have a look at the top five reasons why Olympic Athletes take drugs.

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Where is leadership in sport going: the future of leadership.

First…there were the LEADERS. The autocratic, dictatorial, “my way or the highway” type leaders.

Then came the LEADERSHIP GROUPS, LEADERSHIP COUNCILS, LEADERSHIP TEAMS.

So what’s next?

There is a revolution in leadership coming: the way we think about it, the way we talk about it, the way we develop it is all about to change.

Read on…………………. 

 

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Why Bench - marking is a waste of time in High Performance Sport.

Benchmarking.

It has become one of the Buzz words in high performance sport.

Benchmarking means that someone in an organisation decides to find out what the best people in the industry are doing, learn from them and usually copy what they are doing.

For example, coaches in professional football codes will sometimes visit successful programs in other codes - maybe even in other nations - to try and learn what they do and how they became successful.

Institutes and Academies of Sport and Government sporting authorities often send people to other countries to benchmark systems, structures, programs and innovations.

It seems like a good idea. Travel to see another program, get some instant solutions to problems and some new ideas to help enhance performance - seems like a great idea.

However…………..

  1. It’s a waste of time
  2. It’s a waste of money
  3. Even if you have the time and the money it doesn’t work.

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Reverse Coaching - Coaching in Reverse.

Coaching is one thing.

But Reverse coaching?

What the heck is Reverse Coaching? Has this Sports Coaching Brain guy gone completely mental?

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What is High Performance?

One of the most commonly asked questions in this business is, “What Exactly is High Performance?”

People talk about, write about, think about sports science, sports medicine, exercise physiology, talent identification, performance psychology, biomechanics, skill acquisition, elite coach development, recovery, sports physiotherapy, sports massage, performance analysis and all the elements and components of high performance sport, but what is it? What is this thing called High Performance?

I can summarise it all in one word………Change.

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The Greatest Assistant Coaching Article Ever Written (i.e. because we think it’s the only one): 50 of the best Tips on how to be a World Class Assistant Coach.

By Lindsay Gaze, Michael Foley, Dave Claxton, Craig Tiley, Scott Johnson, Bill Sweetenham, Andrew Friend, Keith Davies, and Wayne Goldsmith

Foreword:

Leading international Rugby Coach, Head Coach of USA Rugby (and former Wallabies Assistant coach) Scott Johnson and I were exchanging emails about coaching. Scott said, “You read a lot about coaching and plenty about being a head coach, but where is there something written about being a great assistant coach”.

I accepted the challenge, contacted some coaching friends and colleagues and this is what we came up with.

Sincere thanks to Lindsay, Michael, Dave, Craig, Scott, Bill, Andrew and Keith for their ASSIST-ANCE.

WG

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Ten Tips for Keeping your Relationship Healthy when you work in High Performance Sport

The term “Sporting Widow” (or widower) is almost a cliche in high performance sport as many, many relationships have fallen apart in the industry due to the demands and pressures of travel, preparation, competition, training camps etc etc.

This article is for all my coaching, sports science, sports medicine and sports management colleagues (and their long suffering partners and families) written after many years chatting over beers and lamenting the challenges of working on the road, away from loved ones trying to balance success in high performance sport with a successful relationship.

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Ten Reasons Why Change is so Hard to Introduce in Sport

Change is one of the most talked about aspects of sport.

But change is also one of the hardest things to actually introduce successfully and sustain in any sporting environment.

Why?

Because people who introduce change are often seen as radicals or “ratbags” or people who know nothing about the sport or people who don’t understand the sport’s culture or similar negative label.

Change innovators in sport have to fight through three phases to make a real difference:

  1. Ridicule - Real innovators, lateral thinkers and change drivers have to first face the conservative thinkers in the sport who will label their push to change as stupid, ill informed and ridiculous.
  2. Resistance - If the idea gets through Phase 1, it then meets hard opposition from people who are benefiting from the current thinking and who will fight hard to resist new ideas and any challenge to their position and beliefs.
  3. Acceptance - finally if you can get through the days, weeks, months or even years of fighting, political maneuvering, back stabbing and other obstacles you have to overcome, you can introduce real change and ensure the sport progresses.

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