The 5:30am Session Nobody Put on the Programme
How informal learning improved my coaching
It’s 05:30, dark; an Armadillo walks across our path as Andy Stone and I make our way to the Rice University track. The gates are locked, so we climb over the six-foot fence and make our way past the bleachers to the trees at the end where the parallel bars and frames are. The skyline is filled with the tall towers of the Houston Medical Centre.
We are there to train an hour before the official GAIN (Gambetta Athletic Improvement Network) conference programme starts at 0630. Andy was my roommate for the nine GAIN conferences I attended from 2011 to 2021, and we trained every morning together.
We started off with rope skipping (Andy’s an expert at this: his college roommate was Buddy Lee) and then moved to different floor exercises: rolling, crawling, and hand balances. We adopted a one-off/one-on approach where we showed each other an exercise and then practised it. Most of the time we did combinations.
Here’s an example of me sharing an idea with Andy Stone.
Andy is a genius at combining these movements (physical education teacher and wrestling coach) on the floor. As the years went on, I introduced more gymnastic exercises and movement patterns. Once we practised, we then tried to combine the patterns with different ideas, like two jazz musicians reacting to the other. We finished with work on the p-bars, hanging frame and the long rope that hung from one of the trees.
By the end of the week, I had learnt as much from those sessions as I had in the formal ‘movement madness’ sessions led by the likes of Vern Gambetta, Jim Radcliffe, Nick Garcia and Greg Thompson (all of which were excellent).
I’d say ‘goodbye’ to Andy, then work on the ideas we shared over the next year, myself, and when coaching, and then return to do it all over again.
The pattern I keep noticing.
This isn’t a one-off. Some of the most useful things I’ve learned as a coach have come from corridors, car parks, and over breakfasts (pancakes in the Rice refectory were another highlight).
Homa Gharavi describing fascia as ‘a onesie under the skin.’
Bryan Fish telling me that the heart rate should be ‘an indicator, not a dictator.’
Greg Thompson recommending the ‘Mauldon and Layson’ gymnastics book that led me to Educational Gymnastics and Rudolf Laban.
Joe Przytula enlightening me on how the rotator cuff actually works.
Jim Radcliffe giving me a 1:1 on hurdling technique!
Alex Grinter sharing his Parkour tips in the park,
Gareth Evans demonstrating the jerk behind the walk on screen at the British Championships.
There are countless others.
They all happened outside the ‘formal’ learning environment. Outside of a hierarchical workplace. They happened when people were relaxed and willing to share (and listen).
Collaboration leads to better coaching.
I lucked out having Andy as my roommate. Any other person would have wanted a ‘lie-in’. I’m glad we are now able to work together at GAIN Swim (Andy is one of the consultants doing dryland training with teams). His background was different from mine, but his attitude to learning and desire to help young people get better matches mine.
What this means for you.
Many coaches ‘get their badge’ and think that’s it. Many p.e. teachers stop learning once they leave university, unless they are told to go on a ‘CPD’ course. They repeat their one year of coaching/teaching over decades. Where is the desire to seek out new worlds, new civilisations? To boldly go…
Sorry, the desire to seek out new information? To learn from the best? To update practices to meet the needs of the current child, not those from thirty years ago?
Note: this is different from copying the latest fad found on Instagram.
How are you developing your coaching/teaching?
Who can you stand next to to observe and ask how/why they do things?
When I wanted to improve my karate, I moved to London to train at the famous Marshall Street Dojo. I then went to Japan three times to train.
When I wanted to learn about weightlifting, I travelled to Crystal Palace to train with Keith Morgan (who still advises me).
When I realised the strength and conditioning certifications ill-equipped me for coaching real human beings (with all their quirks and foibles) and weren’t fit for purpose, I travelled across the Atlantic to attend GAIN.
When I wanted to learn how to teach gymnastics, I spent time at Orchard Gym with Alex and Barry Phelan.
How can you expect your athletes/pupils to improve if you aren’t improving yourself?
I agree, so many coaches get that ‘bit of paper’ and then think they know it all! It’s like passing your driving test - you only really start to learn once you’re out on the road. I always say that being a good coach is like walking up the down escalator - stand still and you’re actually going backwards!