Topic: worst coaching error

[Sarah Robles]

im pretty sure I know exactly who the coach and athlete and meet this whole situation is about. i think the whole dissing on this coach is very dramatized. i have known the coach for a very long time and believe that the coach is very smart and had the team and the individuals interest at heart. there was a situation at the same time where one of the athletes there had no instruction from her personal coach at all, and the coach made very good decisions as to what her openers should be, and the athlete scored very important points for the team. from what i can remember, the individual who started this topic wasnt even at the meet and doesnt know or understand the intentions behind what the instructions for the athlete even were.

[Don Weideman]

If you have problem with someone contact them and discuss it. This incessant whining on the forums is weak and fruitless.

[Dave Chiu]

Amen Don, but the GENERAL topic of how ad hoc coaches work best with athletes who are each individuals is a prime subject that has been of great concern for well over a decade.

One would think that more of our American records would be from the very biggest meets (Worlds, Olympics, etc.), when the athletes were peaking for their lifetime best performances.  The fact that most are not suggests that there is a major failing in the concept/execution of national team coaches. 

We are not the only ones to wrangle on this -- the coach/athlete situation in Gymnastics has been a very contentious one.  I just wish we could have a better agreement of established ethics and practices that would IMPROVE the probability of athletes having their best results when it matters most.

Sarah (Congrats on the AWESOME progress from Feb to Jun, and the SILVER medal representing the USA!!) is right to speak up for someone w/ whom she has built a trusting relationship.  However, when that level of trust has not had time to form, I think there needs to be more effective communication than seems to have happened in this case.

Dave

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

I have found this thread interesting and mostly positive. I am sorry if it hurts certain coaches, who I am sure are excellent coaches, but taking coaching assignments to coach other people's lifters ensures it. Don't take the job if you don't want to deal with it. That is exactly why I don't want assignments. I want to coach my own athletes. There is a relationship between athlete and coach that is eternal, special, and should be forever cherished. By definition, a coach that accepts assignments to coach other people's athletes treads on that relationship, and must do so very lightly. The temptation to try and correct something you know could help someone is the essence of coaching! If you didn't want to share that knowledge, I find it hard to believe you could really be a great coach or would even be interested in coaching (given lack of $). I do conceive a very "selfish" coach with great intellect, knowledge, and experience could just know best and chose not to share, but I think its very, very rare if even real. So, understanding and compassion are in order all around as I see it. That camp I was "forced" to try and help people that didn't want help was plain awful for me, probably upsets me far more now than them. And, I am not saying a meet situation isn't different, but it is a matter of degree. If you could for instance show a lifter on an international squad/meet the hook grip and they had never seen it, would you hold back until even after they compete let alone before they go home? I wouldn't.

[Dave Chiu]

I now have more clarity that I NEED TO APOLOGIZE for my emotional over-reaction on the issue of ad hoc coaching.

The general topic is a rich source of concern, but the specific instance I was wrongly outraged about turned out to be undeserving of my attack.

I do apologize to the people I impugned with my hypotheticals -- my reaction to disappointment was WRONG.

With all the griping we do and worries we suffer about our wonderful common endeavor, here's a reality check about America that can also help inspire a gratitude moment about O-lifting:

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/11825/

Dave

[Sarah Robles]

dave thank you! i am still a little bit away from where I want to be come september. i wonder what is  the most someone has ever improved in one season. I am wanting to get a 212 total by september to be on the world university team and if I made it I would have improved 32 kgs in 9 months.

 and i agree that there was probably a lack of communication and misunderstanding. im sure everyone who was involved in this whole situation has learned and things will definately be improved for future meets