USOC Olympic Coach E-Magazine
Fall 2007

By Doug Ingram We all need to be able to change and grow to improve our performance. The USOC is no different. For years, this Division has been known as Coaching and Sport Science, but we have done more than change the name to Performance Services, we have changed the way that we work. We are committed to providing applied, focused and integrated Sport Science, Sport Medicine and Coaching Services for our USA National Team Coaches and their athletes to assist them in achieving “Sustained International Competitive Excellence.” Full Article...

COACHING CONVERSATIONS - A WAY OF FOSTERING ATHLETES TO PEAK PERFORMANCE By Rune Høigaard, University of Agder and Arild Jørgensen, former coach to the Norwegian National Cross-Country Ski Team Even though there is a considerable amount of literature on coaches and the coaching process, there is no single framework or empirical model of effective and successful coaching that has achieved consensus (Lyle, 2002). Given that there is a wide variance in athletes’ needs between sports and competitive levels, gaining consensus may not necessarily be crucial. Nevertheless, there may be some coaching behaviours and approaches that make a particular contribution to effective coaching. Full Article...

SPORTS DRINKS FOR ATHLETES By Bob Seebohar, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS, USOC Sport Dietician (Endurance Sportfolio) There are just about as many sports drinks on the market as there are different ways to train athletes. The benefit of this is that it is possible for an athlete to dial in his or her individual hydration needs. The downside of this is that there are so many choices it is difficult to know which beverage is best for each athlete and at what time during their training phase. Full Article...

LEGACY OF AN OLYMPIAN: TRANSITIONING FROM OLYMPIAN TO COACH By Nathalie Bartleson (1996 Synchronized Swimming – Gold Medalist) In 1997, I went into coaching kicking and screaming. After my gold medal performance with my team at the 1996 Olympic Games, the last thing I thought about doing was coaching. I was literally saturated by my sport. A little more than a year after I “retired”, I was asked by Vicky Weir, the coach of the varsity Stanford University synchronized swimming team, to be the assistant coach for the ’97-’98 season. I thought about it and realized that after 19 years of perfecting my skills, I had a lot of knowledge and a lot of passion left for my sport. And frankly, just the fact that I was asked was all I needed to jump back in without hesitation. Full Article...

USOC SPORT PSYCHOLOGY’S “TOP TEN” GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR MENTAL TRAINING By Sean McCann, Ph.D., USOC Sports Psychologist 1. Mental training can’t replace physical training and talent. We haven’t seen any Olympic Athlete who succeeded without doing the physical and technical work, even though we have worked with some of the most mentally talented athletes in the world. The reality is that even an exceptionally talented athlete who has not prepared well physically loses confidence and is vulnerable in competition. The best and easiest confidence is that which comes from the knowledge that you are as prepared, or more prepared, than your competitors, and that you are physically capable of a winning performance. Full Article...

CATHY HEARN - USA CANOE/KAYAK Cathy Hearn, a two time Olympian, currently coaches the USA Whitewater Slalom Canoe team. Her credentials as an athlete are extremely impressive. Cathy’s career as a US Whitewater Team member spanned 27 years (1976-2002) with a highlight of 12 World Championship medals. Full Article...

RPE - RATE OF PERCEIVED EXERTION By Catherine Sellers, USOC Coaching As coaches, many of us do not have access to laboratory equipment to monitor our athlete’s workouts, yet we would really like to monitor the intensity of the athlete’s performance of the workout that we have prescribed. In the 1950’s, Swedish psychologist Gunnar Borg developed the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale. We know that everyone is different in how they relate to training, but could we develop a common denominator to assist in measuring the intensity? The RPE can accomplish that task. The Borg Scale looks at the perception of heart rate, sweating, breathing rate and muscular fatigue as the common denominators. Full Article...

"Hot Off The Press" is a regular feature of OLYMPIC COACH. This column provides a reading list on a topic or topics covered in the current issue or information that is of interest to the coaching community. The list will take the form of websites, books or journals. To obtain a copy of the books and journals listed here contact your local library. If they do not own the publication, they may obtain a copy for you through interlibrary loan.