Wade Krieger

Limited space. Limited equipment. What to do?
I see people paddling kayaks in swimming in pools. I see people swimming in pools with ropes tied to their bodies. I see people lifting heavy chairs with one arm as weights…these exercises may provide you with stimulation and some fun.
However, if you are serious about your sport, think carefully about your actions. This lockdown will come to an end and you will inevitably face freedom….these are some paths you could be facing after…

1) You played it slightly safe and will build up slowly after the quarantine without an injury, you will get to race fitness in a measure and controlled manner by being a little unfit. Or….
2) You will be slightly fitter from weird exercises. Maybe you will have aches, pains and even an injury. The road to race fitness will be a long and difficult because you were not mentally strong enough to have patience.
3) You learnt something new and it benefits you

In my opinion it’s easier to rebuild some lost muscle, then dealing with new injuries you got just for the sake of stimulation. Either way, think about what you want. And think about what you can mentally handle.

Happy "sporting"

Coaching someone with no respect? Are they making your sessions a misery? Lets describe this type of athlete further:

- they believe they know more than you
- they often are good competitors, but have a very long way to go
- they will answer back swiftly, sometimes aggressively
- they will show disgust on their face when they hear your reply
- they genuinely think they are right
- they display “bad sportsmanship”
- they will openly argue, with absolute conviction
- they mainly see the world from their perspective

So how do you deal with this person? Well you can get them on track but outsmarting them…

- They need to learn that negative behaviour results in a logical explanation of what was wrong and how to do make it right
- It’s usually a good idea to have this conversation away from the team to avoid embarrassment for them
- You need to get acknowledgement from the athlete that the conversation was received and understood. You can confirm by asking them “Do you understand? Do you know what to do next time?”
- The athlete must answer with a clear “yes,” no ambiguity
- In the case that there is no confirmation, the logical explanation needs to go on further (provide stories and examples to reinforce correct behaviour), to sell the concept of right behaviour. And you need to get a “yes”
- The athlete in many cases will repeat negative behaviour and in this scenario, the cycle above needs to be repeated.
- However on the second instance a time away from sessions is required to show that this behaviour is not tolerated (The coach must explain it is not personal and everyone in the squad is treated the same) (Time away means they are not part of the session for 20 mins, it can be increased to the whole session)
- You must also, not give attention and focus to athletes who repeat this cycle. Move them to one side, quick and swiftly and continue focusing on the ones who are doing things right. Usually the athlete who is not receiving attention will start to burn, because normally this personality trait loves attention
- If poor behaviour is accepted the coach is to blame for not showing consistency. The coach must be consistent in their approach so there is no uncertainty about what is “right” and “wrong”
the athlete must know that good behaviour is rewarded by positive encouragement and negative behaviour is not tolerated

Good luck. Lastly if possible try keep the emotions out of it.

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