Coaches also tend to respond to the first repetition with feedback, correcting the sprinter’s start or the hurdler’s first run over two hurdles, before the athlete has had the opportunity to warm up to high quality reps. The very technical problem the coach sees early in the workout may not even exist at the end of the workout (so commenting on everything you see them do is not an effective method for increasing learning and retention). Low feedback intervals allows the athlete to run a few reps and work out the kinks before the highest repetitions that come later in the workout, and keeps the static from the coach’s constant suggestions to a minimum. So even though you may not let your sprinters go 10 starts without feedback, you will resist the urge to make comments based on everything you see while they are training. This process can also assist in individual video sessions with your athletes by keeping your comments to a minimum. Watching slow motion video of one of your hurdlers can prompt you to address every little thing they do wrong, and leave your hurdler feeling as if they can’t do anything right. Pick one or two technical nuisances during the session, and stick to making corrections concerning those nuisances only. Watch the video carefully before the session, and select the technical corrections you know will make the best improvements. If they try to focus on another technical issue during the session, lead them back to your original feedback areas and tell them that by making your corrections, the other areas will get smoothed out. Sport Learning can be enhanced when the coach programs into the training a series of difficulties” that place the athlete under conditions that mimic the real deal as “desirable closely as possible. Real race stressors need to be injected into training so after the athlete adapts and stabilizes the skill, they can actualize the movements on the day of competition. Often hurdle coaches set up their workouts so that the teammate in the opposite lane does not use the same lead leg, which can cause trail arms to bump or even hook each other. A desired difficulty is one where you look for the race stressors, and inject them for the purpose of stabilizing technical competency under real duress. Better performances come from varying the conditions of learning in situations that do not upset the ability to continue block training (training blocks that have built in interferences increase skill). Making the sprinter or hurdle run under stressors beyond those encountered during the real deal will ensure learning. For example: 43
Coaches also tend to respond to the first repetition with feedback, correcting the sprinter’s start or the hurdler’s first run over two hurdles, before the athlete has had the opportunity to warm up to high quality reps. The very technical problem the coach sees early in the workout may not even exist at the end of the workout (so commenting on everything you see them do is not an effective method for increasing learning and retention). Low feedback intervals allows the athlete to run a few reps and work out the kinks before the highest repetitions that come later in the workout, and keeps the static from the coach’s constant suggestions to a minimum. So even though you may not let your sprinters go 10 starts without feedback, you will resist the urge to make comments based on everything you see while they are training. This process can also assist in individual video sessions with your athletes by keeping your comments to a minimum. Watching slow motion video of one of your hurdlers can prompt you to address every little thing they do wrong, and leave your hurdler feeling as if they can’t do anything right. Pick one or two technical nuisances during the session, and stick to making corrections concerning those nuisances only. Watch the video carefully before the session, and select the technical corrections you know will make the best improvements. If they try to focus on another technical issue during the session, lead them back to your original feedback areas and tell them that by making your corrections, the other areas will get smoothed out. Sport Learning can be enhanced when the coach programs into the training a series of “desirable difficulties” that place the athlete under conditions that mimic the real deal as closely as possible. Real race stressors need to be injected into training so after the athlete adapts and stabilizes the skill, they can actualize the movements on the day of competition. Often hurdle coaches set up their workouts so that the teammate in the opposite lane does not use the same lead leg, which can cause trail arms to bump or even hook each other. A desired difficulty is one where you look for the race stressors, and inject them for the purpose of stabilizing technical competency under real duress. Better performances come from varying the conditions of learning in situations that do not upset the ability to continue block training (training blocks that have built in interferences increase skill). Making the sprinter or hurdle run under stressors beyond those encountered during the real deal will ensure learning. For example: 43
CTFC-SprintsHurdles-Veney2015x.docx