Many good coaches are avid readers—either books, magazines or research articles. Some books really provide some outstanding insight into coaching from another research area. In this issue, we asked Carol Dweck to share her insights into coaching from her book “Mindset”.
Dr. Dweck is a Stanford psychologist who studied why children fail in school. The impact of her work for sport is immeasurable. There is a difference between being an athlete and a talented individual. Through the course of your career, you have had talented individuals who really did not work hard and did not use their talent effectively. On the flip side, you have had individuals who were not very talented or skilled, who worked hard and became athletes.
As you read her article, you will think about current and past athletes and how this information could have been crucial to taking an athlete from being a talented person to truly being an athlete. It is in the “Mindset” of the individual and she gives some tips on identifying whether they are “fixed” or “growth” and how to facilitate a change.
Another way coaches learn is by hearing from other coaches or scientists. Becoming an expert in any field is difficult as you well know. The USOC recently hosted a seminar that focused on skill acquisition and the key findings are published in this issue. The quality of your practice and the number of hours that an individual practices (mostly on their own with a deliberate intent) appear to be key determinants in achieving expert performance. The manner in which a coach provides feedback directly impacts how the athlete learns and uses the skills taught in practice and games.
In another article, Garrett Klugh, one of our Olympic rowers, talks about how athletes learn by observing their fellow athletes. As coaches we sometimes forget about the impact peers have with their peers in an athletic setting.
Also included is second installment in legal issues for coaches by Dr. Athena Yiamouyannis and Dr. Heather Lawrence focusing on employment contracts. What really makes up a contract and how to protect yourself as a coach are hot topics that are covered in this article.
FYI--- The USOC will be hosting our annual Training Design Symposium on March 4-6, 2009 at the Colorado Springs OTC. The Training Design Symposium focuses on key issues in developing a meaningful training program for athletes. The USOC brings in leading experts from all over the World to provide insight into high level planning along with highly successful coaches explaining how they plan for their seasons. This is an extraordinary symposium for the price and one that should not be missed. To register: http://www.usolympicteam.com/content/index4122
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