I have had a hectic week with a number of events and competitions. As a coach one of my schools caused me a huge problem, the reason team selection. How do you select a team as a coach, 22 eligible players but only allowed to enter a team of 12.
Three age groups under 14, 14 – 16, and 16 – 19 year olds, you could then have up to 3 players in a weight group. With a team comtpeition based on medal rankings so how do you pick the team?
Do you select the 12 players with the best chance of winning in a weight group? Or do you select the 12 players who have committed and turned up at training?
Do you have a policy that is open and people know what they need to do to get in, then select the top 12, or do you look at the event selecting suitable players – perhaps excluding good players because their chances in an age/weight group may be limited?
Judo is an individual sport but when you put a team together how important is team cohesion. Some sports like Netball may exclude some players at higher levels because they don’t fit the teams cohesion but may be better than players included.
In my case I took 18 players everyone available, not with other commitments or injuries, no-one was told of weights to make, they arrived and we weighed them, then selected the team. I know some where disappointed but as a team 8 out of 12 had podium places, we came 2nd in the team event But the best thing was though 12 fought we had a team of 18.
Everybody had a role and function during the day and there was no stars, every fight was watched and supported the good and the bad, no criticisms just strong support.
At the end of the day I came to a conclusion that a coach shouldn’t worry about selecting a team it is a coach’s job to build a team, the team is more than the individual player it is the essence of your club, its’ spirit. When you chose individuals to fight it is the spirit of the player and what it adds to the team reflecting its values is important.
I am a participation coach first and an elite coach second – perhaps that effects my judgement but your comments are appreciated.
Till next time.
Marc
Friday, 13 March 2009
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
LTPD and a great Manager
LTPD
Today I want to chat about Long Term Player Development. This has to ne a god thing as long as it is not just performance focused. Many LTPD plans are focused on performance and goals not on holistic player development. Too many coaches don’t see LTPD as part of there remit when they should.
Alex Fergusson the Manchester United Manager is an excellent LTPD coach. HE has player from 12 and many he takes to the pinnacle of their careers. Often the relationship only stops when one or two conditions are meet.
1.The player fails to maintain the standards Fergusson sets for off field and private life activities. E.g. David Beckham
2. The player is given a choice by Fergusson, you can play as a squad member with limited starts or as you are still a good player move clubs to play as a first choice.
Fergusson will blood a younger player and then remove them form the first team to build on their weaknesses, as he did with player like Wes Brown, he also allows for injuries and drops in performance as he did with Alan Smith and Ben Foster.
Fergusson plays the short game – season by season but has long plans 4 – 8 years for his future teams – he is on his 4th rotation of teams over 20 years – that is Long term Player devlopment. But Fergusson has gives his players exit strategies.
They hit 30 – 35 and they are already working towards coaching awards – look at the number of ex- Manchester United Players now managing in the premiership who all were put on the ladder by Fergusson. Ryan Giggs is the current older player moving on this path.
Now does this relate to Judo.....to me it is about a whole player – I have a student who is currently getting points for his Black Belt, once he get it he will slack off his judo because of exams – but in the next year he will do a coaching award.
So many times we see elite level athletes’ who get injury and leave the sport because the LTPD is focused on performance, at places like Bath the Elite players do degrees laying the foundation of the exit strategy. The problem is Judo like many sports is focused on the Olympic cycle if you might be too old you are out, a dip in form you are out. A true LTPD programme should support during injuries and help develop suitable exit strategies for players.
SO I think:
1. Every player recreational or performance should have an LTPD plan
2. It should reflect the needs and desires of the player.
3. The exit and contingency strategies are as important as the goals and time scales.
4. Coaches should be judged not just on immediate results but there LTPD.
Your thoughts are appreciated.
Have a good day.
Marc
Today I want to chat about Long Term Player Development. This has to ne a god thing as long as it is not just performance focused. Many LTPD plans are focused on performance and goals not on holistic player development. Too many coaches don’t see LTPD as part of there remit when they should.
Alex Fergusson the Manchester United Manager is an excellent LTPD coach. HE has player from 12 and many he takes to the pinnacle of their careers. Often the relationship only stops when one or two conditions are meet.
1.The player fails to maintain the standards Fergusson sets for off field and private life activities. E.g. David Beckham
2. The player is given a choice by Fergusson, you can play as a squad member with limited starts or as you are still a good player move clubs to play as a first choice.
Fergusson will blood a younger player and then remove them form the first team to build on their weaknesses, as he did with player like Wes Brown, he also allows for injuries and drops in performance as he did with Alan Smith and Ben Foster.
Fergusson plays the short game – season by season but has long plans 4 – 8 years for his future teams – he is on his 4th rotation of teams over 20 years – that is Long term Player devlopment. But Fergusson has gives his players exit strategies.
They hit 30 – 35 and they are already working towards coaching awards – look at the number of ex- Manchester United Players now managing in the premiership who all were put on the ladder by Fergusson. Ryan Giggs is the current older player moving on this path.
Now does this relate to Judo.....to me it is about a whole player – I have a student who is currently getting points for his Black Belt, once he get it he will slack off his judo because of exams – but in the next year he will do a coaching award.
So many times we see elite level athletes’ who get injury and leave the sport because the LTPD is focused on performance, at places like Bath the Elite players do degrees laying the foundation of the exit strategy. The problem is Judo like many sports is focused on the Olympic cycle if you might be too old you are out, a dip in form you are out. A true LTPD programme should support during injuries and help develop suitable exit strategies for players.
SO I think:
1. Every player recreational or performance should have an LTPD plan
2. It should reflect the needs and desires of the player.
3. The exit and contingency strategies are as important as the goals and time scales.
4. Coaches should be judged not just on immediate results but there LTPD.
Your thoughts are appreciated.
Have a good day.
Marc
Sunday, 1 March 2009
A bit of History and a Dream
Today I fulfilled a small dream.
I taught at the Budokwai in London.
http://www.thebudokwai.com/
The oldest Judo Club in Europe. I was fortunate enough to be on the coaching team for a training season for Boys attending the Headmasters Conference Independent Schools championship next week.
For those who have never been the Budokwai’s reception is full of photos of the great and good of British Judo from Palmer and Inman to Stevens and Jacks, form Sweeny to Adams they all have trained there.
Watching my boys look at the these and be more impressed by Guy Richie than Angelo Parissi, it made me realise how little they know about Judo in the UK. Now that may be my fault as a coach but how much do we teach our students about the history of Judo?
To me the Budokwai was a place my dad trained in the 1960’s and was iconic in my judo upbringing. It was hallowed ground, I wonder with modern training centres if there will be places like that in the future.?
So perhaps I will dig out old clip on You-tube of Starbrook or Jacks and recount their big wins. I am fortunate I have Jane Bridge as a tutor at Bath University but my students don’t know she was the first ever Female Judo World Champion in New York where she also won the Style Award. Perhaps we have Judo traditions on the mat but it might be time for me to start and let students know about the footsteps they are following in.
I hope 2012 in London will give 1000’s of young judo players an inspiration and the ability to say I remember when I saw....... today I added my own first ...the day i first bowed on as a guest coach at the Budokwai.
It is the small things that mean a lot.......hope you fill a small dream soon they make life feel sweet.
I taught at the Budokwai in London.
http://www.thebudokwai.com/
The oldest Judo Club in Europe. I was fortunate enough to be on the coaching team for a training season for Boys attending the Headmasters Conference Independent Schools championship next week.
For those who have never been the Budokwai’s reception is full of photos of the great and good of British Judo from Palmer and Inman to Stevens and Jacks, form Sweeny to Adams they all have trained there.
Watching my boys look at the these and be more impressed by Guy Richie than Angelo Parissi, it made me realise how little they know about Judo in the UK. Now that may be my fault as a coach but how much do we teach our students about the history of Judo?
To me the Budokwai was a place my dad trained in the 1960’s and was iconic in my judo upbringing. It was hallowed ground, I wonder with modern training centres if there will be places like that in the future.?
So perhaps I will dig out old clip on You-tube of Starbrook or Jacks and recount their big wins. I am fortunate I have Jane Bridge as a tutor at Bath University but my students don’t know she was the first ever Female Judo World Champion in New York where she also won the Style Award. Perhaps we have Judo traditions on the mat but it might be time for me to start and let students know about the footsteps they are following in.
I hope 2012 in London will give 1000’s of young judo players an inspiration and the ability to say I remember when I saw....... today I added my own first ...the day i first bowed on as a guest coach at the Budokwai.
It is the small things that mean a lot.......hope you fill a small dream soon they make life feel sweet.
Drugs in Sport – Biographies
Once again I open my paper to see a story about drugs in sport.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1157606/DWAIN-CHAMBERS-TALKS-TO-MARTIN-SAMUEL-How-drugs-shame-brought-brink-suicide-physical-cost-fight-win-gold-clean.html
But this is a bit greyer than most. It is a review as selection of writings from Dwain Chambers autobiography – Race Against Me, My Story.
Available from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Race-Against-Me-My-Story/dp/1905988753
Now fact Chambers severed a two year ban for using THG, he is banned form competing for Britain at the Olympics for life, and he is now back – clean – competing and winning Gold medals as a sprinter.
So the book raises a number of points should an athlete prosper from selling the story of cheating? Or is it part of the life experience and an autobiography can be justified? Should the athletic cheat be covered by the same laws that stop criminals prospering form book deals on bank robberies etc?
All that aside the book appears to be different to many other on a number of levels. The first is Chambers wrote it himself – no ghost writer hearing stories and creating a book that flows in a readable manor, Chambers just has had a friend tidy up the prose, so it is to quote Marten Samuel in the Daily Mail...
“It is , for the most part, a searing, honest account of his life in athletics and time as a walking junkie- Chambers Words – under Conte. Chambers goes further than any athlete in revealing how, why, when and where”
I hope the book will be a deterrent but it also highlights failing in managers and other coaches in spotting the drug use or not acknowledging the problem. Also the athletes mind set that others are doing it so why shouldn’t I.
I think the most telling comment I have read so far is ....
“There will be a lot of people out there cheating, though, people who know how to manipulate teh programme.”
This last statement made me think about all the coaches I have heard talk of “getting in the refs head” it is just playing to the letter of the law, or at the edge of the rules. Is that cheating – if so can one form of cheating or performance enhancement etc playing the letter not the spirit of the law be more acceptable than a performance enhancing drug?
The bottom line is to the average kid who comes to a Dojo to train drugs in sport isn’t an issue, it is only an issue to them when it is normalised in the hero’s or stars they idolised are seen taking drugs of any kind that it has a real impact on them. SO Chambers book I will buy and read, as a coach to see what went wrong and perhaps help me see signs to look out for, as a warning to other players....perhaps someone should send a copy to Mr Phelps.
Phelps and Chambers both part of teh same problem – misuse of Drugs – but is there a consistancey across sports, or sanctions and consequences applied faily to all?
Should Cambers profit form the book? I don’t know, should he have written it? ...yes – and every coach should read it.
Todays rant over, see you Tuesday,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1157606/DWAIN-CHAMBERS-TALKS-TO-MARTIN-SAMUEL-How-drugs-shame-brought-brink-suicide-physical-cost-fight-win-gold-clean.html
But this is a bit greyer than most. It is a review as selection of writings from Dwain Chambers autobiography – Race Against Me, My Story.
Available from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Race-Against-Me-My-Story/dp/1905988753
Now fact Chambers severed a two year ban for using THG, he is banned form competing for Britain at the Olympics for life, and he is now back – clean – competing and winning Gold medals as a sprinter.
So the book raises a number of points should an athlete prosper from selling the story of cheating? Or is it part of the life experience and an autobiography can be justified? Should the athletic cheat be covered by the same laws that stop criminals prospering form book deals on bank robberies etc?
All that aside the book appears to be different to many other on a number of levels. The first is Chambers wrote it himself – no ghost writer hearing stories and creating a book that flows in a readable manor, Chambers just has had a friend tidy up the prose, so it is to quote Marten Samuel in the Daily Mail...
“It is , for the most part, a searing, honest account of his life in athletics and time as a walking junkie- Chambers Words – under Conte. Chambers goes further than any athlete in revealing how, why, when and where”
I hope the book will be a deterrent but it also highlights failing in managers and other coaches in spotting the drug use or not acknowledging the problem. Also the athletes mind set that others are doing it so why shouldn’t I.
I think the most telling comment I have read so far is ....
“There will be a lot of people out there cheating, though, people who know how to manipulate teh programme.”
This last statement made me think about all the coaches I have heard talk of “getting in the refs head” it is just playing to the letter of the law, or at the edge of the rules. Is that cheating – if so can one form of cheating or performance enhancement etc playing the letter not the spirit of the law be more acceptable than a performance enhancing drug?
The bottom line is to the average kid who comes to a Dojo to train drugs in sport isn’t an issue, it is only an issue to them when it is normalised in the hero’s or stars they idolised are seen taking drugs of any kind that it has a real impact on them. SO Chambers book I will buy and read, as a coach to see what went wrong and perhaps help me see signs to look out for, as a warning to other players....perhaps someone should send a copy to Mr Phelps.
Phelps and Chambers both part of teh same problem – misuse of Drugs – but is there a consistancey across sports, or sanctions and consequences applied faily to all?
Should Cambers profit form the book? I don’t know, should he have written it? ...yes – and every coach should read it.
Todays rant over, see you Tuesday,
Friday, 27 February 2009
Coaching A Coach
I am fortunate that as I pen this blog – yes i wrote this long hand before i entered it – I am skiing in Switzerland. Though a very good skier I always take a series of lessons when I am away for a week or more.
Why? ...... Just to ensure my technique hasn’t got sloppy. It makes me realise that practice makes permanent, only perfect practice makes perfect.
So when was the last time you were coached as a judo player? Having someone critically look at a fight, a throw or a set up you use and then give you constructive advice and help.
That is a bit of an aside as to what I wanted to talk about today....when did you as a coach did you experience life as a student, being taught or coached perhaps in a different sport.
My Swiss ski instructor doing group lessons used different coaching styles and techniques which I recognised – some applied in slightly different manners and which I thought might be useful when doing Judo. It was the handling of group dynamics I found very interesting, in one group he had a family on holiday with teenagers who skied well, a young couple and me. His reinforcing positive points of techniques – only mentioning one teaching point at at a time, building on each, giving time to practice and then feedback.
He then started getting people to observe each other and pass comment on each other. He focused on positive statements it would only be ¾ of the way through the lesson he would mention a negative in an interesting manner .......It is worth saying sometimes people do .....but I haven’t seen it in this group but please be aware if you do this.......
So my skiing is improving and my coaching is too. As I see what a coach’s job is in a different light...I wonder if it could be a tax deductible......
Why? ...... Just to ensure my technique hasn’t got sloppy. It makes me realise that practice makes permanent, only perfect practice makes perfect.
So when was the last time you were coached as a judo player? Having someone critically look at a fight, a throw or a set up you use and then give you constructive advice and help.
That is a bit of an aside as to what I wanted to talk about today....when did you as a coach did you experience life as a student, being taught or coached perhaps in a different sport.
My Swiss ski instructor doing group lessons used different coaching styles and techniques which I recognised – some applied in slightly different manners and which I thought might be useful when doing Judo. It was the handling of group dynamics I found very interesting, in one group he had a family on holiday with teenagers who skied well, a young couple and me. His reinforcing positive points of techniques – only mentioning one teaching point at at a time, building on each, giving time to practice and then feedback.
He then started getting people to observe each other and pass comment on each other. He focused on positive statements it would only be ¾ of the way through the lesson he would mention a negative in an interesting manner .......It is worth saying sometimes people do .....but I haven’t seen it in this group but please be aware if you do this.......
So my skiing is improving and my coaching is too. As I see what a coach’s job is in a different light...I wonder if it could be a tax deductible......
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Perceived Danger!!
On a flight to Switzerland I overheard a couple of people comment on a newspaper report about Chris Hoy, Olympic Gold Medallist, and a cycling accident at the Track Word Championships in The Netherlands. (Article from International Herald and Tribune
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/02/14/sports/CYC-Track-Cycling-World-Cup.php )
The conversation was about was it news – a dad was saying kids fall off bikes all the time, he was dismissive of it. Mum was saying she didn’t think cycling was dangerous but at the speeds they go they don’t have much protection.
This brought about a thought and a recollection of a conversation I have had whilst doing circus skills workshops and magic workshops. Jugglers train to be technically perfect, never dropping a ball, just like a tight rope walker, they don’t want to fall off or wobble. Yet in order to entertain there has to be a perception of danger for the audience, a wobble and almost stumble on the tight rope or the aborted 1st attempt at a big move, a dropped ball or club them a successful attempt.
Cycling can be dangerous but it isn’t perceived as such. Judo can be potentially dangerous but when it is televised it is becoming sanitised. Boxing, Karate have blows to the head, cage fighting with its brutality all get good TV coverage, all have strong danger elements.
When the IJF remove a throw because someone breaks a leg, saying a throw is now to dangerous ( these where world class players), this reduced potential risk, but the reverse is true people want to watch the risk. This is what TV producers might call the car crash effect. When Joe Theisman's leg broke this was a highlight on TV news now it’s on the internet...here is the link .....
http://www.extremesportclips.com/video/299/Joe-Theisman-Leg-Break.html
Did you watch it ......if so why ...... You Tube is full of these.
The IJF want to make Judo a TV sport, a sport TV companies want to cover, we have huge throws, this is great but there is NO DANGER....we minimise risk. Look on You Tube for clips of O Soto Gari knocking someone out, strangles where the player is knocked out.
These elements make TV viewing – they are the danger in Judo. Give a TV company danger and watch viewers flood in. If you have to put in one martial arts event in your schedule for your TV company , you are looking for spectacular, danger and excitement would you be choosing judo over boxing, MAA or kick boxing or Thai boxing ? NO. Why the gap between fights and lack of action ...perhaps but no danger!!!
So we are cleaning up Judo for TV .......or are we removing the elements, the characters ( don’t get me started on mat side coaches) the danger or at least perceived danger. Some of it is just marketing...in MAA they CHOKE A PLAYER OUT ( sounds bad) in Judo we get him to submit ( much weaker how – talk him to death?)
Which sound more dangerous and which one would you watch?
Just an opinion and thought for the day.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/02/14/sports/CYC-Track-Cycling-World-Cup.php )
The conversation was about was it news – a dad was saying kids fall off bikes all the time, he was dismissive of it. Mum was saying she didn’t think cycling was dangerous but at the speeds they go they don’t have much protection.
This brought about a thought and a recollection of a conversation I have had whilst doing circus skills workshops and magic workshops. Jugglers train to be technically perfect, never dropping a ball, just like a tight rope walker, they don’t want to fall off or wobble. Yet in order to entertain there has to be a perception of danger for the audience, a wobble and almost stumble on the tight rope or the aborted 1st attempt at a big move, a dropped ball or club them a successful attempt.
Cycling can be dangerous but it isn’t perceived as such. Judo can be potentially dangerous but when it is televised it is becoming sanitised. Boxing, Karate have blows to the head, cage fighting with its brutality all get good TV coverage, all have strong danger elements.
When the IJF remove a throw because someone breaks a leg, saying a throw is now to dangerous ( these where world class players), this reduced potential risk, but the reverse is true people want to watch the risk. This is what TV producers might call the car crash effect. When Joe Theisman's leg broke this was a highlight on TV news now it’s on the internet...here is the link .....
http://www.extremesportclips.com/video/299/Joe-Theisman-Leg-Break.html
Did you watch it ......if so why ...... You Tube is full of these.
The IJF want to make Judo a TV sport, a sport TV companies want to cover, we have huge throws, this is great but there is NO DANGER....we minimise risk. Look on You Tube for clips of O Soto Gari knocking someone out, strangles where the player is knocked out.
These elements make TV viewing – they are the danger in Judo. Give a TV company danger and watch viewers flood in. If you have to put in one martial arts event in your schedule for your TV company , you are looking for spectacular, danger and excitement would you be choosing judo over boxing, MAA or kick boxing or Thai boxing ? NO. Why the gap between fights and lack of action ...perhaps but no danger!!!
So we are cleaning up Judo for TV .......or are we removing the elements, the characters ( don’t get me started on mat side coaches) the danger or at least perceived danger. Some of it is just marketing...in MAA they CHOKE A PLAYER OUT ( sounds bad) in Judo we get him to submit ( much weaker how – talk him to death?)
Which sound more dangerous and which one would you watch?
Just an opinion and thought for the day.
Videos
Today I thought I woudl share a project with you.
One of my Judokas at a school is a budding film maker. So I encourage him to do a promotional video for the Judo Club, I coudln't get it to load but you can see what he produced as the film producer Kit Harwood has his own blog http://www.kitharwood.blogspot.com/ with several other video on it.
Having helped with the filming and planning it has rasied a couple of questions I think are worth considering. If you are trying to promote your club what would you put in a video, would you focus on the atmosphere, impressive throws?
This was our attempt and it works I think. With the use of mobile phones as camera, the internet and U-tube it is very easy to put something together easily.
Lance Wicks www.judocoach.com will tell you this is what you need for the the modern Digital native.
I would love to see others - especially with origional video footage not just a rehash of Fighting Films DVD's (http://www.fightingfilms.com/) cut with a different sound track and a club logo.
If you have one to share please let me know.
A couple of videos worth looking at as a way of promoting Judo are by Rob Maurency
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXp3sWe_Avo&feature=channel_page
This is a video of an Australlian University Team Comp - very theatrical coloured suit etc but works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOn-o1Bl6zY&feature=channel
A great Goshin Jutsu Kata with all the boaring bits cut out - film at the Kodokan with Rob being Tori. When he showed this to a class after having done the kata they lapped it up.
All these video apper with pomissions of the creators.
All for now
One of my Judokas at a school is a budding film maker. So I encourage him to do a promotional video for the Judo Club, I coudln't get it to load but you can see what he produced as the film producer Kit Harwood has his own blog http://www.kitharwood.blogspot.com/ with several other video on it.
Having helped with the filming and planning it has rasied a couple of questions I think are worth considering. If you are trying to promote your club what would you put in a video, would you focus on the atmosphere, impressive throws?
This was our attempt and it works I think. With the use of mobile phones as camera, the internet and U-tube it is very easy to put something together easily.
Lance Wicks www.judocoach.com will tell you this is what you need for the the modern Digital native.
I would love to see others - especially with origional video footage not just a rehash of Fighting Films DVD's (http://www.fightingfilms.com/) cut with a different sound track and a club logo.
If you have one to share please let me know.
A couple of videos worth looking at as a way of promoting Judo are by Rob Maurency
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXp3sWe_Avo&feature=channel_page
This is a video of an Australlian University Team Comp - very theatrical coloured suit etc but works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOn-o1Bl6zY&feature=channel
A great Goshin Jutsu Kata with all the boaring bits cut out - film at the Kodokan with Rob being Tori. When he showed this to a class after having done the kata they lapped it up.
All these video apper with pomissions of the creators.
All for now
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