Too many directives can spoil outcomes

DEVELOPMENT of an elite athlete’s performance potential requires a systematic approach to training – and this includes addressing physical, psychological, technical and tactical preparation.

So how does the coach address the specific preparation that comes with each of these performance areas?

Given the extremely high demands on coaches, it is little wonder that the number of the player-coaches has reduced over the years as the workload has increased.

Over the years I have been very fortunate to have been involved with teams that had great coaches. A few that come to mind include Rob Beveridge and Shawn Dennis (NBL), Tim Sheens and Ivan Cleary (NRL).

Looking back at how these coaches went about their work, there is one key trait that they all possessed: they were all tremendous leaders who brought the best out in not only playing group but their coaching staff.

Recently, I was asked my view on youth sport specialisation and long-term athlete development at a round table with some leading coaches. The conversation centred on the number of specialist coaches who are involved these days.

That made me reflect on how many coaches are too many? A pioneer in the field of athlete preparation, Kelvin Giles (the former lead S & C manager for the Elite Player Development pathway with the Australian Rugby Union in the mid to late 2000s), has often said that we have too many coaches and I agree.

Head coach, assistant coach, skills coach, strength and conditioning coach, speed and agility coach, weightlifting coach, running coach – the list goes on.

Every time a performancerelated issue is highlighted, it appears the simple answer is to find another coach to add to the mix rather than address any movement limitations underlying the sub-optimal performance outcome.

We need to spend more time teaching athletes fundamental movement skills (i.e., hop, jump, skip, run, balance, catch, strike) and incorporating such movements into training, not teaching Olympic weightlifting progressions.

Associate Professor Stephen Bird, Sport and Exercise Science College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University. E: stephen.bird@jcu.edu.au