I think it was Melons who recently made some comments about how her coach said something...... interesting point is that she has someone who has a coach & I guess is is regular contact with him.
My question is:
1. If you are an athlete do you have a personel coach & if not why not?
2. If you are a coach do you do any personal coaching & if not why not?
personal coaches
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I am not a BOF coach (yet), but have done lots of coaching and received lots of coaching as a junior.
Within our club, we have set up a "mentor" system in the last few years, so that every junior who travels to regional/national events has a nominated person within the club (who is a technically competent and experienced orienteer) to be their mentor (not coach). This is done with the consent of the parents, and is separate from the coaching available. It is not offered on a plate - the junior has to make the effort if they want input. In some cases it works well (it has certainly improved results for my mentoree), in others, the juniors have shown no enthusiasm or initiative.
We are struggling a bit to find mentors at the moment (CRB clearance etc), but I think the system has potential. Do any other clubs have anything similar?
Within our club, we have set up a "mentor" system in the last few years, so that every junior who travels to regional/national events has a nominated person within the club (who is a technically competent and experienced orienteer) to be their mentor (not coach). This is done with the consent of the parents, and is separate from the coaching available. It is not offered on a plate - the junior has to make the effort if they want input. In some cases it works well (it has certainly improved results for my mentoree), in others, the juniors have shown no enthusiasm or initiative.
We are struggling a bit to find mentors at the moment (CRB clearance etc), but I think the system has potential. Do any other clubs have anything similar?
Make the most of life - you're a long time dead.
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Stodgetta - brown
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I do not like to be cynical, but we do have to be realistic. People will only do things if they get something out of them.
In "professionalised" sports (like athletics) personal coaches can make a living by doing an interesting and rewarding job. They have back-up with facilitities & support and are taken seriously.
In orienteering being any kind of coach costs you time and money. It is a big commitment, much more than being an orienteer - not only do you have to get yourself organised, but you have to plan things that will work for others. People depend on you. In our culture, you take a big risk of receiving heavy criticism if someone does not like your way of doing things and it is also very easy to "get lumbered" - you do something once or twice and suddenly you are "responsible" for it forever.
You probably do it because you get something out of it - it can be good fun when coaching works and goes well, you enjoy seeing people perform better because of your input and if you enjoy the sport there is pleasure in sharing that enjoyment with others.
Moving into personal coaching raises the stakes further - you have to have considerable experience and knowledge to be any use to someone who is competing at the kind of level where personal coaching makes sense, and you will have to work hard to maintain it. You have to make and keep a commitment for regular contact and all the planning and analysis that goes with it and you and the person or people you are coaching will be the butt of all kinds of banter for "taking things too seriously" and being seen as "above your station".
I can perfectly understand why a lot of "personal coaching" is kept quiet and private - people have "training partners" or "junior squad managers" instead. Also, there is great power in "peer support" where groups coach each other as they train together.
I do like the "mentor" idea for juniors - not as scary as being a coach. I suspect I would call it "training partner" or something similar though. "Mentor" stills sounds a bit daunting.
In "professionalised" sports (like athletics) personal coaches can make a living by doing an interesting and rewarding job. They have back-up with facilitities & support and are taken seriously.
In orienteering being any kind of coach costs you time and money. It is a big commitment, much more than being an orienteer - not only do you have to get yourself organised, but you have to plan things that will work for others. People depend on you. In our culture, you take a big risk of receiving heavy criticism if someone does not like your way of doing things and it is also very easy to "get lumbered" - you do something once or twice and suddenly you are "responsible" for it forever.
You probably do it because you get something out of it - it can be good fun when coaching works and goes well, you enjoy seeing people perform better because of your input and if you enjoy the sport there is pleasure in sharing that enjoyment with others.
Moving into personal coaching raises the stakes further - you have to have considerable experience and knowledge to be any use to someone who is competing at the kind of level where personal coaching makes sense, and you will have to work hard to maintain it. You have to make and keep a commitment for regular contact and all the planning and analysis that goes with it and you and the person or people you are coaching will be the butt of all kinds of banter for "taking things too seriously" and being seen as "above your station".
I can perfectly understand why a lot of "personal coaching" is kept quiet and private - people have "training partners" or "junior squad managers" instead. Also, there is great power in "peer support" where groups coach each other as they train together.
I do like the "mentor" idea for juniors - not as scary as being a coach. I suspect I would call it "training partner" or something similar though. "Mentor" stills sounds a bit daunting.
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chrisecurtis - red
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I think you're getting a tad confused if you interperate personnal coaches as being paid proffesionals (as your comments re athletics imply).
What I want to see is competitive athletes in orienteering at all levels having a coach... someone they can discuss thier performance with, someone they can develope thier training programme with and so on. I'm not talking about someone here who occasionaly put controls out in the forest for people to run through.
Orienteers in GB are not fit enough... it's a simple fact. Coaching should be trying to address this problem... it doesn't as far as I'm aware except in a few instances e.g. Martin dean has taken interest in an athlete and is moving him towards a general increase in training and physical preperation.... he manages a job, family, orienteering and other sports so the issue of time is not really an issue if the coach is committed.... but maybe most aren't so much:)
What I want to see is competitive athletes in orienteering at all levels having a coach... someone they can discuss thier performance with, someone they can develope thier training programme with and so on. I'm not talking about someone here who occasionaly put controls out in the forest for people to run through.
Orienteers in GB are not fit enough... it's a simple fact. Coaching should be trying to address this problem... it doesn't as far as I'm aware except in a few instances e.g. Martin dean has taken interest in an athlete and is moving him towards a general increase in training and physical preperation.... he manages a job, family, orienteering and other sports so the issue of time is not really an issue if the coach is committed.... but maybe most aren't so much:)
- gross2004
I'd like a personal coach/mentor/training partner!
I want to walk up the side of the mountain, I want to walk down the other side of the mountain. I want to swim in the river, lie in the sun. I want to try being nice to everyone.
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rosalind - addict
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i've got 1!!!! hehehe, not in 'o' tho, im not good enuf, got one in swimmin tho.....and runnin an they help sooooooooooo much, diet...amount i shud be trainin....equipment and jus as a trainin partner....i think it would help if i had one in 'o' so i def think they sound a good idea.......
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Jene - addict
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I was not suggesting that personal coaches should be paid professionals but I was wondering why people might or might not choose to be someone's personal coach.
I think there is very little "official" personal coaching for perfectly understandable reasons but there is probably more "hidden" coaching going on.
I think there is very little "official" personal coaching for perfectly understandable reasons but there is probably more "hidden" coaching going on.
I can perfectly understand why a lot of "personal coaching" is kept quiet and private - people have "training partners" or "junior squad managers" instead. Also, there is great power in "peer support" where groups coach each other as they train together.
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chrisecurtis - red
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Jene said:
I don't think anyone could help with my diet...food is gooooooooood!
Hehe, aww I love swimming, only for fun though.
Do you compete for club/county...?
i've got 1!!!! hehehe, not in 'o' tho, im not good enuf, got one in swimmin tho.....and runnin an they help sooooooooooo much, diet
I don't think anyone could help with my diet...food is gooooooooood!
Hehe, aww I love swimming, only for fun though.
Do you compete for club/county...?
I want to walk up the side of the mountain, I want to walk down the other side of the mountain. I want to swim in the river, lie in the sun. I want to try being nice to everyone.
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rosalind - addict
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coaching is the new doping??
I want to walk up the side of the mountain, I want to walk down the other side of the mountain. I want to swim in the river, lie in the sun. I want to try being nice to everyone.
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rosalind - addict
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- Joined: Tue Jun 22, 2004 6:53 pm
- Location: The Emerald Isle of the Carribean
mmmm.........no, lol, na, im crap at swimmin!! lol ,he's my triathlon coach really but only helps with my swimmin......i kinda stuck at 5.15 for 400m level.....tho that wont mean much to most ppl probs.
n yep, i think they are kinda the new doping, cos mine is ace, cos apparently i over-trained n ate crap really but now i eat well, ok-ish!! n its helped. Oh and mine helped alot with techni
que (dunno if i sed that already).
However i dont think personal coaches are nessesary, for example, in 'o', on welsh squad tours we have about 1:6/7 ratio training, and cos im 1 of the oldest 1's i never get shadowed (mwahahaha) but they still help loads cos we got ace coaches n my 'o' alwasy is more consistent after the squad weekends / weeks.
n yep, i think they are kinda the new doping, cos mine is ace, cos apparently i over-trained n ate crap really but now i eat well, ok-ish!! n its helped. Oh and mine helped alot with techni
que (dunno if i sed that already).
However i dont think personal coaches are nessesary, for example, in 'o', on welsh squad tours we have about 1:6/7 ratio training, and cos im 1 of the oldest 1's i never get shadowed (mwahahaha) but they still help loads cos we got ace coaches n my 'o' alwasy is more consistent after the squad weekends / weeks.
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Jene - addict
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I dropped English, was VERY happy...then ended up with Communication somehow.
This is exactly the same thing...just with a different name.
Don't be fooled!
This is exactly the same thing...just with a different name.
Don't be fooled!
I want to walk up the side of the mountain, I want to walk down the other side of the mountain. I want to swim in the river, lie in the sun. I want to try being nice to everyone.
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rosalind - addict
- Posts: 1150
- Joined: Tue Jun 22, 2004 6:53 pm
- Location: The Emerald Isle of the Carribean
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