continuing advancement for the premier coaches of today Volume I, Issue V December 2009

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. - Colin Powell

LEADERSHIP 101 Developing into a powerful leader is dependent on the quality and value of choice making. What you seek to achieve in life depends on who you already are and who you already are depends on the years of practicing self-discipline. These two factors affect the integrity of any choice you will make. But the key to making the best choice for development is having the ability to understand the consequences of the choices made.

Take the Washington Post Test, popularized by the U.S. Military. If you are faced in an ethical dilemma, then simply ask yourself what you would do if you knew that your actions would make the front page of tomorrows Washington Post? Would your family be proud of the person you have been showcased as? Would your athletes acknowledge your contributions to their development?

In order to lead others, you must be able to lead yourself and MODEL THE WAY.

Having been in this profession for 16+ years, I have from time to time been asked by other females in this profession for advice for surviving and flourishing in a male dominated profession. I would say that I tend to get variations of 2 questions which I will address here. The 1st one is How do I get taken seriously as a Strength & Conditioning coach? A lot of young women feel like they are hired solely because they are women and are filling a quota and once filled they are basically left alone and feel isolated. Being hired to fill a quota is probably pretty accurate, however that does not mean you dont bring value to their program. My approach has been sure, you can hire me because I have ovaries, but I bet your gonna try and do everything to keep me because Ill be one of the best coaches you have on your staff.

As females, we do have an advantage getting that 1st full-time job because we do fill a niche; however what you do once you get your foot in the door is up to you. They dont owe you anything towards your development other than making sure you have the same opportunities to attend professional development events like the rest of the staff. It is up to you and only you to make yourself into a great coach. My best advice is to train yourself like you are passionate about this field. Your own body is the best experiment.try different training techniques on yourself and evaluate if you feel it could be beneficial to your athletes. An added benefit is when athletes (and coaches) see you busting your tail in the weight room day in and day out, they will know that you are serious about what you do and their level of respect for you will be heightened. Reach out to others on staff to initiate talk about training rather than waiting for them to invite you to join a conversation. There are also a lot of very good female coaches out in the field. Try joining the CSCCa female network group on Yahoo to ask for advice if you dont feel that your staff is willing to engage you in training talk. http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/CSCCa.female.network/ .

Expect to be treated like every other member of the staff. If they are meeting up at the weight room to move equipment, make sure you are there ready to go. I like to think of it as having a M.B.A., a mop bucket attitude, the willingness to help no matter what the job. By the way, I recommend all these things to all young coaches regardless of gender who are looking to be taken seriously. The last comment I have on this topic is dress and act professionally both at work and when at a convention. The short and sweet version of this is just make sure that you arent sending the wrong message to the athletes or your staff at your institution or to other coaches when out at the convention.

The second question I get a lot is how do I deal with the glass ceiling? This question is hard to answer because every situation is different. As a female, it is probably easier getting that 1st full-time job, however opportunities for advancement seem to be limited. Some

Raychelle Ellsworth Assoc. Director Strength & Conditioning

Texas A & M

continuing advancement for the premier coaches of today Volume I, Issue V December 2009

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. - Colin Powell

BOOK OF THE MONTH

The Tipping Point By Malcolm Gladwell

Have you ever wondered how a message can be so riveting and change the culture of an organization so quickly? Do you ever ask yourself when and how something changed without notice? In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell presents an in-depth analysis of one of the most precise moments in how society works. Through case studies and real-life examples, we learn how simple, small changes in behavior and environment can produce the most dramatic and beneficial changes for an organization. The Tipping Point is a great resource for coaches who need to change the culture of how things are done. You will be able to understand how to make your message stick and utilize behavior modification to your advantage to start a massive epidemic of positive change.

advancement is available, but to pull the big salaries associated with being the director of a program and in charge of football or even a top level football assistant, well that doesnt seem very doable in todays coaching climate. What Meg Stone was able to accomplish was incredible, both on her part and on the part of the football coach who was willing to take a gamble. With the money tied up in big time college football these days, I doubt we will see that again.

That being said, there are still worthwhile opportunities out there to be had. There are several women in charge of football at smaller programs, some in charge of mens basketball, etc. I think it comes down to what you consider makes you a successI dont think many of us got into this profession to become rich, but rather to do something we truly love and to impact positively on young men and womens lives. If your goal is to make the big money or be a high profile strength coach, then my advice would be to go for it. Just because it hasnt been done recently doesnt mean it wont ever happen again. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and start networking and get after it.

Having a solid internship and/or graduate assistant program is an integral part of any athletic performance department. The participant will gain experience with your department, as well as, earn your references if a good job is done. The obvious benefit to the department is the assistance of maintaining and preparing the facility for daily workouts. If taught correctly, they can now help with supervising/teaching/implementing programs. If the participant shows promise and gains the trust of the department, the internship/assistantship can sometimes evolve into another assistant on staff. How do you go about developing the interns/GAs? Teach them to think of the 5 Ws (Who, What, Where, When, Why) when preparing for/implementing training sessions. Who?

Simply stated, who is being coached? The interns/GAs must understand that each population is going to respond differently to the same coaching cues and motivational strategies. Therefore, coaching style should depend on who is training at that time. Differences in gender, age and personality should be considered when coaching and motivating. Understanding the training population will help ensure the athletes will have an optimal atmosphere in which to train and comply with what the coach wants done.

Andrew Althoff Asst. Director of Olympic Sports

Athletic Performance

Baylor University

continuing advancement for the premier coaches of today Volume I, Issue V December 2009

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. - Colin Powell

TIP OF THE MONTH Sharpening the Blade

I have recently learned that hiring and firing in the profession of strength and conditioning occurs very quickly. With new coaches coming in and old coaches departing, any strength and conditioning coach must be aware of all the changes that lay ahead and what they must do to prepare. Here are a few tips to help you when you are going through a transition. Make sure your resume and reference list is up-to-date! Dont wait until last minute to add all the new responsibilities youve performed for the last year. Get it on file! Sure you may have great ideas or may have done some great things, but will you be able to defend it to an interview committee when asked? If youre ready to be a head coach, make sure you have a portfolio ready. Study the game! Its about who you know, who they know and whos going where.

What? These are considerations that your interns/GAs need to think of on a daily basis in regards to set up.

What are the exercises/drills that will be performed that day? What is the equipment needed? Example: Dowels, dumbbells, extra plates, cones, yard sticks

What type of space is available to set up these exercises/drills? Example: Squats will be performed in a rack; however walking lunges will require room to move.

What environment is needed for that session? Example: Music type and volume, lighting, intense or reserved coaching

Where?

These are some additional considerations that your interns/GAs need to think of on a daily basis in regards to set up and where to position themselves during a training session.

Where is the training session going to be held? Which facility/facilities will you be using?

Will the training session be indoors or outside? Where will the session be moved to if there is bad weather? Where should I be located during a training session?

Teach the interns/GAs how and when to move during a session. They should rarely be standing around. This will give energy to the room and the athletes will feel like there is always a coach near them, increasing the chance that they comply with their training outline. As a staff, your goal should be to make it seem like there are two of each coach. Two coaches always moving makes is seem like four, four coaches look like eight. Additionally, it is important to teach the interns/GAs where to stand when watching a set. This can change depending on the exercises, number of reps and coaches that are on the floor. Make sure that you are putting them in a position to succeed as a coach.

When?

The following is the thought process the interns/GAs should have as they coach. When should I coach?

Understand that a beginner, intermediate, and advanced lifters will all be coached differently. Beginner

- I will need to demonstrate more often and coach before and after the set.

continuing advancement for the premier coaches of today Volume I, Issue V December 2009

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. - Colin Powell

BOOK REVIEW

Cereal Killer By Alan Watson

In order to combat the holiday season eating of home-cooked meals and holiday parties, I picked up a copy of Alan Watsons quick read Cereal Killer to stay on track. Very similar to Gary Taubes Good Calories, Bad Calories, Watson goes through extensive research and explains how the traditional low-fat, high carbohydrate diet does more damage than good. With many strength and conditioning coaches adding nutritionists and dieticians to their staffs, it is important to stay ahead on the research and make sure we are helping, not hurting our athletes performance. Some food for thought

The USDA food pyramid recommendations may be DEAD wrong High carb, low-fat diets are associated with record levels of obesity, diabetes and heart failure.

- The average human mind can only remember 7 items at a time, +/- 2. o Meaning the best minds can remember 9 things and the worst only 5 o Assume that your athletes can only remember 5 items

They are going to have a hard time remembering all the coaching points, so keep your coaching points short and simple

- Step 1 - Name and demonstrate the lift. - Step 2 Give 2-3 main coaching points - Step 3 Have the athletes perform the lift - Step 4 Keep my mouth shut when they are under the bar

- Step 5 After the set, give them one coaching point to clean up the biggest mistake Dont expect the athletes to be perfect after the first couple sets Be patient, it may take the entire training sessions to clean up 1 mistake

Each rep/set should look better

Do not overcoach o In my opinion this is where a lot of coaches, young and old, go wrong

Intermediate o Remind the athletes of the 2-3 main coaching points o Make coaching points personal if possible

As I get to know my athletes better it may be possible to remind them of their own individual points of emphasis

o As the athletes become used to the exercise I can now coach them during the set Wait until the rep is completed Keep the cues short

Advanced o The advanced athletes should be capable of taking cues during the rep without losing concentration

This is especially true if the entire staff uses similar coaching points o However, these athletes are typically going to be moving heavier loads which require them to be

focused on moving the weight Keep the cues short

Why? Upon completion of the training session, your interns/GAs should have questions about why certain methods were used. This is a great opportunity to begin teaching them about the science and theories of the profession. This can be done many different ways. Here are my top 5 in no particular order:

continuing advancement for the premier coaches of today Volume I, Issue V December 2009

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. - Colin Powell

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Thanks again to all of our writers for their insightful contributions to this group. We look forward to the continued writings of coaches around the nation as we progress forward. If you have any suggestions for future topics, or would like to contribute to this newsletter, let us know. The more coaches we can get to write and influence our complete development, the better our athletes will train and compete. Wishing you and your teams the best for 2010!

1. Teach them your philosophy on why certain lifts/sets/reps were used. a. Make sure you have the interns/GAs ask other staff members their logic

2. Guide them to the answer by giving them articles a. Make sure you are unbiased b. Let them come to their own conclusions

3. Make them find the answer on their own a. Do their own research

4. Staff Lifts a. At Baylor, we have a staff lift twice a week. During this time, the staff (full-timers, GAs and interns) gather and we

train as a department. We use this time to discuss coaching points and new information we may have gathered, as well as, work to perfect our own technique on lifts. It is a great opportunity to support fellow staff members, talk shop, and get good work done. This time has proven to be priceless. It is a great opportunity to grow as a staff and a great stress reliever.

5. Mini-Staff Meetings a. Apart from our weekly staff meeting, we have a mini one hour meeting amongst the interns, GAs and curriculum

director. During this time we sit down and discuss the article assigned for that week and cover their progress reports in a round table discussion. The progress report includes weekly goals, long-term goals, information/lessons that they learned that week and goals for the upcoming week. The weekly articles cover anything from program design, nutrition, to mental development. The articles are assigned based off of where there is a need for improvement. Some weeks it is hard to find the time to meet, but for all the work the interns and GAs put in behind the scenes, you owe them an hour.

Conclusion Some may believe that all of this is a hassle or burden to do, but think back to those who have helped to bring you along. It is the duty of any professional in their respective field to mentor and aid in the development of those younger. That is what the YSCCa is all about and it will make your department stronger.

Adam Feit Assistant Coach-Athlete Development

University of Louisville Football Adam.feit@louisville.edu