Process

 Suddenly it hit me. I was observing a training session last week and I was tempted to jump in and repeat what I have told the my athlete many times before. But….it was not my high jumper. He reminded me so much of one of my former athlete that I thought for a spell it was him. Same style. 

The other day,  everybody at the centre was talking about the 12.75 mark in the high hurdles and the “new technique”.  I had a closer look at the video and saw Ja’Kobe Tharp running faster than anyone else before in NCAA (Holloway)and in any other competition (Merritt). He uses an ‘old’ hurdling technique made famous by Rod Milburn in the sixties. He reminded me about Willie ‘Breeze’ Davenport clearances and somehow also about Guy Drut’s posture. In sports college one of the questions I got about hurdles was to describe the different arm actions in 110 meter hurdles: double arm- mixed and single arm. This was more than 30 years ago. 

Everybody has his/her own preferred way of using a technique. Some make it look really special and it becomes their trademark. And then others try to copy it…… As a coach it is the same. You have a preferred way to teach and coach. Over the years you are developing and honing your skills I hope. For myself I am also trying to find the best fit to help the athlete find the right feel. That ain't easy because I also need to find their preferred way of learning.

At the moment, with a new team, I am working hard to find out what makes my athletes tick. What are they doing, how are they doing it and why are they moving in that particular way. When you recognize certain patterns it is tempting to repeat what you did and said before. I realize more and more that this is a trap and it doesn’t work like that. Different person, different history, different country,

different environment and a different stage of development making it an unique learning process. For the athlete but also for me as a coach. I need to stay humble in my progressions and be very patient in the process.

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