Coaching Newsletter #8 – Being the best is overrated

Let me tell you a secret. I’ve worked with professional athletes across a few different sports now. (That's not the secret). There’s something that’s surprised me, fascinated me, and inspired me all at the same time. One singular thing. One singular thing that they all share in common. Every single one of them. They all … Continue reading Coaching Newsletter #8 – Being the best is overrated

Coaching Newsletter #7 – The case for conserving energy – a lesson from Lionel Messi

Next time you get the urge to act without thinking, and you have time to think things through, stay patient. Take in as much information as you can. Walk. Observe. Then make every moment count once you have all the information. Save your energy for what is truly important. You'll enjoy a longer-lasting career that way, and live a more meaningful life.

Coaching Newsletter #6 – Why I quit sports before the age of thirteen

I quit hockey and basketball before the age of 13. 70% of children in North America do the same. Yet still, coaches, "leaders", and even parents make the same mistakes over and over. They create an environment that de-emphasizes fun and fulfillment. They emphasize all the wrong things instead.

Coaching Newsletter #4 – Essential traits of a successful coach, mentor or leader

Truth be told, there are millions of checklist items that help to form a successful coach, mentor, or leader. But at the bare bones of it all, successful leadership ultimately comes down to a focus on social relationships.

Coaching Newsletter #3 – Merging repetition & game-realism together

There's often a conflict between the old-school coaches who design "drills" focused on repetition, and the new-school coaches who provide actual education toward what players will encounter in a game. But in reality, the two can easily be merged together. You see, game-realistic activities around a specific session topic naturally allow for repetition toward the patterns our players will encounter in the game. In this coaching newsletter, I use my personal experiences as a part-time professional athlete in the sport of trail running to detail how game-realism and repetition can be easily combined together.

Attention to detail when coaching at the elite level

While coaching ideologies can generally apply across a myriad of ages and abilities, there are a few distinct differences. This includes: a greater attention to detail at the high-performance level; a greater attention to position-specific training; and more complexity when adapting activities to add challenge/intensity. I break this down in Coaching Craft – Newsletter #2 – Coaching high-performance athletes. Here is a preview of how you can focus on the finer details in high-performance environments.

Coaching Craft – Newsletter #2 – Coaching high-performance athletes

While coaching ideologies can generally apply across a myriad of ages and abilities, there are a few distinct differences. This includes: A greater attention to detail at the high-performance level. A greater attention to position-specific training. More complexity when adapting activities to add challenge/intensity.