First Break All the Rules

Creating Magic- 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney

My answer was to get a basic PE degree but, combine it with quality field experiences and lots of self education. Although I was technically in an athletic training program as an undergrad every paper and every project I did related to making me a better coach. I tried to make every class relevant. When I had to do my biomechanics paper I studied the clean. I watched hours of video of the Olympic lifts and read every article I could find. I remember having to convince my professor that lifting a weight off the floor was a complex skill. They wanted us to study things like a baseball swing or a football pass. I made it clear I had no interest.  In nutrition I  researched steroids. In Exercise Physiology I learned about energy systems for team sports. I didn’t waste any time studying things that didn’t interest me unless I had to to get a grade. Every time I had a choice to make I chose something related to strength and conditioning. If I was smarter, I would have studied self-improvement in psychology class.

The key to education is to make it work for you. You have choices to make. Make the right ones. I lifted weights with the track throwers in my spare time. I competed in powerlifting. Everything I did was moving along the right path. Just remember, what to major in is only step one. There will be many more choices along the way. Ask yourself every time if that choice moves you closer to your goal.

Also, pay attention in anatomy and physics. Everything you do as a strength and conditioning coach will eventually come back to anatomy and physics.

For those that are unfamiliar Heart Rate Variability measures the time between heart beats. A high heart rate variability score indicates a healthy parasympathetic nervous system and a good state of recovery. I have to admit, I was confused at the start but the ability to simply plug-in and run the app surprised me.

I can put this simply. Even if you are confused or intimidated, try it. It is so simple and sensible that I am positive you will be saying “I can’t believe I didn’t do this sooner”.

Joel is offering a free trial so, what have you got to lose?

Strangely, it took me a while to get into it but, once I did I couldn’t put it down. I think we all need to get our heads out of the professional stuff every now and then and Unbroken is a wonderful way to do it.

This is why I love the TPI Cyclone Circuit idea. I call it the ADD Olympics. My son loves it. We often go to the gym in the winter  and pass a tennis ball with a cut down hockey stick, then we play off-the-wall, then we kick a soccer ball, then we make an obstacle course with jumps, sled pushes etc. He thinks it’s fun.

I never coach. I simply let him “play” and as he plays, he develops multiple motor skills. As coaches we see that a kid needs mobility, strength etc and we start coaching and teaching. However, this is like watching a kid do his times tables and saying “he needs more Algebra”, “he can’t do Algebra” . Any intelligent teacher would say “he/she is not ready for that yet”. I think we sometimes miss that part in the fitness and strength and conditioning worlds.

Kids just need to move and develop a wide range of basic skills. They don’t need “coaching”. They need a wide range of experiences that touch a wide range of areas. Experience is king, competency comes much later. You can’t refine a skill you don’t have and attempting to do so just turns kids off to activity.

How much is too much? Your kids will let you know. When my son say “lets kick the soccer ball now” we do.

Penelope Trunk hits the nail right on the head when she calls out Tim Ferris as a phony. I have never met him but, I have also never met anyone successful who works four hours a week.

Like Penelope I also hate the “I am only checking email twice a day” auto-responder. Like I care how many times you check email. Those auto-responders reek of a combination of self-importance and insecurity.

What they really should say is “I only check email twice a day. I am sending this email so will you will see how incredibly busy and successful I am. I do this to illustrate  my great insecurity and my need to make sure you know that I am really successful “.

Ok, I get it. You’re big time.

Thanks Penelope for hitting the nail on the head, hard. I just subscribed to your blog.

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This year I’ll enter my twenty-fifth year as a strength and conditioning coach. Last month I watched Barbara Walters celebrate her thirtieth year with a special called “30 Mistakes in 30 Years.” I’m going to celebrate my twenty-fifth anniversary by telling you my top twenty-five mistakes. Hopefully I’ll save you some time, pain, and injury. Experience is a wonderful but impatient teacher. And unfortunately, our experiences in strength and conditioning sometimes hurt people besides us.

Mistake #1: Knowing it all.

I love Oscar Wilde’s quote, “I’m much too old to know everything.” Omniscience is reserved for the young. As the old saying goes, you have one mouth and two ears for a reason. I’d take it a step further and say the ratio is four to one: two eyes, two ears, and one mouth.

To continue down the cliché road, how about this one: “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” When I was young I had many answers and few questions. I knew the best way to do everything. Now that I’m older I’m not sure if I even know a good way to do anything.

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