european athletics high-performance conference charles van commenee former head coach british...
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European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Charles van Commenee
Former Head Coach
British Athletics
Frankfurt, 23 November 2013
Looking back at the Olympic Cycle
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Medals in athletics?.... impossible without:
• Excellent genetics• Proper coaching• Medical support• The right environment (altitude, indoors etc.)
Other issues are of secondary importance (sport science, clubs, comps, education, selection,
marketing, research etc.)
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Our job: To build an environment for success• Culture comes before performance• Daily Training Environment (DTE)• 1st Question as a Head Coach/ Performance Director:
‘Is a quality talent working with a quality coach, spending enough quality time together based on a quality programme?’
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Quality coaching:
Produces improved athletes,who perform with reliability,at the right time.
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
‘Better coaching, better sport!’
In performance terms…….. ‘Better coaching, more medals!’
Consequently……..coaching cost us medals as well!
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Sunday PM: Expected recommendations• Work together! Exchange best practise… coaches!• European-wide strategy to raise standards in track
events (sprints/hurdles/endurance!)… coaching!• Education opportunities and support programs for
coaches (planning ,peaking)• Prepare endurance athletes for tournament-style
races...coaching!• Athlete development pathway (comps)• Effective leadership
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
However………..
Athletics coach’s DNA:
•Not a natural team player•Feeling undervalued•‘I’ve become successful in spite of the federation’
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
More complicating factors
• No clarity about ‘ownership’ of the athlete’s talent
• Tension between centralisation vs. regional/individual support
• In the 80’s/90’s Europe had more competent coaches than now
• Consensus is impossible in our sport
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Athletics in Britain 2008
• Talent• Sufficient budgets• Facilities good enough• Proper team logistics• Excellent administrators + senior staff• Excellent CEO + board • Plenty of passionate intuitive coaches• Tradition and love for athletics
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
2008…….• Underperformance after 2000 (2005: 3 medals, 34 points!)• Very high injury rate• Coach education neglected for about 10 years• No clear expectations and accountabilities of athletes and coaches• Too many athletes emotionally too dependent on coaches• No proper debriefs after season/championships ; no athletes meetings• 7 national centres (4 High Performance Centres)…..but no excellence• No integrated support teams, and individual staff members not always
good enough• Unhappiness, pessimism, no sense of team• Complaints about lack of communication• No time …only 4 years to go till the Home Games!!!
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
British Athletics 2008 onwards:4-Pillar Strategy:
• 1 Excellence through ‘centralisation’ – (Bring together best athletes, best coaches,
best services in best facilities)
• 2 Coach driven programmes instead of management driven
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Management Driven ProgrammePHYSIOTHERAPIST
DOCTOR
SOFT TISSUE THERAPIST
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH
PSYCHOLOGIST
PHYSIOLOGIST
BIOMECHANIST
PERFORMANCE ANALYST
PERFORMANCE LIFESTYLE
Athlete/Coach PerformanceManager
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
* Head Coach* Agent* Sponsors* Centre Director* Chief Doctor* Head of Sport Science
S + C Expert
Nutritionist
Assistant coach
Performance Analyst
Massage Therapist
Psychologist
BiomechanistExercise Physiologist
Doctor
Physiotherapist
Athlete Centred Programme
Athlete/Coach
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
* Head Coach* Agent* Sponsors* Centre director* Chief Doctor* Head of Sport science
S + C Expert
Nutritionist
Assistant Coach
Performance Cnalyst
Massage Therapist
Psychologist
BiomechanistExercise Physiologist
Doctor
Physiotherapist
AthleteAthlete
In too many cases...
Coach
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Elite sports programme
• Performance focused (winning)
• Athlete centred
• Coach driven
• Services supported
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Coach driven programme
The program is not:
• Medically driven• Management driven• Agent driven• Athlete driven
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
But is that always the right thing to do?
• Coaching spectrum from directing to counselling
• Depending on maturity of the athlete?• Depending on maturity of the coach• Make the athlete accountable for the
right coaching!
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
S + C Expert
Nutritionist
Assistant Coach
Performance Analyst
COACH
Psychologist
BiomechanistExercise Physiologist
Doctor
Physiotherapist
AthleteAthlete
Coach as Senior Advisor?
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
S + C Expert
Nutritionist
Assistant Coach
Performance Analyst
Massage Therapist
Psychologist
Biomechanist
Exercise Physiologist
Doctor
Physiotherapist
Athlete
Place of the Head Coach?
AthleteAthlete
Coach
AthleteAthlete
Coach
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
S + C Expert
Nutritionist
Assistant Coach
Performance Analyst
Massage Therapist
Psychologist
Biomechanist
Exercise Physiologist
Doctor
Physiotherapist
Athlete
Or?
Athlete
Coach
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
British athletics 2008 onwards: 4-Pillar Strategy
1 Excellence through ‘centralisation’ (Bring together best athletes, best coaches, best services in best facilities)
2 Coach driven programmes instead of management driven
3 Accountability (athletes, staff, HC, etc.)
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Accountability employed coaches:• Clear job descriptions and individual targets• Appraisals every 6 months: – 1 Performance– 2 Professionalism– 3 Event Development– 4 Personal development (CPD)• Performance bonus system (for all coaches)
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
British athletics 2008 onwards:4-Pillar Strategy
1 Excellence through ‘centralisation’ (Bring together best athletes, best coaches, best services in best facilities)
2 Coach driven programmes instead of management driven3 Accountability
4 Coach Education
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Coach development 2008- 2012• Almost non-existent for a decade• 100 national coach development events
(and 500 local) each year• 250 coaches in national coach development
programme• 8 full-time apprentice coaches• CPD for every employed coach £ 1500 pa• Regular coach meetings for employed staff• Website for coach development
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
How to bring injury rate down?• Sound mechanics (pro-active)...
– Coaches• Appropriate loading (pro-active) ...
– Coaches• Great treatment (reactive) ...
– Medics• And...better integration of these 3 aspects!...
– Coaches and medics
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Integrated approach coaching staff – medical staff – other support staff
• Regular case conferences
• Meet and report formally
• Spend time trackside
• Athletes need to have one integrated programme
• Absolutely vital in our sport!
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Teamwork: Embrace diversity• All boxes to be ticked
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Coordinated Approach to Support• ‘There is a coordinated approach to the provision of coaching
and other types of support in my sport’s WCP’
• 2010
• 2009
The majority of Athletes (73%) agree that there is a coordinated approach to the provision of coaching and other support
─ this compares to less than half (48%) in 2009─ Q12: Who answered: (2009: 60, 2010: 75)
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Results 2008-2012
• Hit all performance targets every year – indoors and outdoors – (EC 2010 and WC indoors 2012 best ever results)
• Higher number of medal contenders
• 2012 was a very good year………
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
2012 was a good year • Events with national records (Olympic program):
2009: 3 x2010: 2 x2011: 7 x
2012: 11 x (no Farah 2x!!)• Top 10 in the world (Olympic programme) 2009: 9 2010: 7 2011: 13 2012: 19 (no Farah 2x!!)
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Results 2008-2012• Hit all performance targets every year, indoors and outdoors
(EC 2010 and WC indoors 2012 best ever results)• Higher number of medal contenders• 2012 was a fantastic year……… but we had too many
underperformers at the Olympic Games (despite 6 medals including 4 golds) !
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Results 2008-2012• Hit all performance targets every year, indoors and outdoors (EC 2010
and WC indoors 2012 best results ever)• Higher numbers of medal contenders• 2012 was a fantastic year……… but we had too many under-performers at the
Olympic Games (despite 6 medals incl. 4 golds)• Significantly lower injury rate in the 2011/2012 season……… but not in
July/August!• Better performance culture• Athletes much happier, a number of staff not• More optimism; pride is back• Bright future with talented athletes on their way to Rio
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Conclusion
It takes more than one Olympic cycle to build or change a system (all main stakeholders to live up to new expectations) and to reap the benefits from it.
European Athletics High-Performance Conference
Any Questions?