Misc. news
I am currently writing my season review for the 2013 season, and having difficulty remaining objective. There have been several instances where I've wanted to throw my training journal and yell, "It's not me, it's your fault!"
However, that's just not how things work. I'm always going between the lines the responsibility of a coach, and the responsibility of the athlete. Ultimately I usually end up where regardless of what did or didn't happen, if things didn't turn out well, then you as the coach need to stop and consider the issues connecting with the athletes. I know that I've mentioned this before, but again I say that when something goes wrong, and this season it went very wrong, the first thing you should do is look internally. That doesn't mean that fault isn't shared, or even handed over completely. It just means that before you assign blame, make sure that you have all your ducks in a row.
This year was disappointing because of the disconnect with the team regarding working hard and seeing results. Unfortunately this year, the team didn't fulfill their end of the bargin, and it cost us. Working hard doesn't guarantee results, but not working guarantees failure, and sadly that's where we ended up, a lot of dead last finishes due to a lack of commitment to the training plan.
Still blame cannot just be laid at the feet of the athletes. I know that this year, I got ahead of myself. I was looking too far forward, and set up a very ambitious training plan. I got ahead of myself and the team, and where we were and when things didn't fall into place, the pieces just kept falling and missing. Again, fault on both sides. Thus 2013 was a very painful season, but one that has tremendous value in what the team and I learned.
In happier news, I finished "The Boys in the Boat" inside of 24 hours. On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 7.5. There were some points where it lagged, but it was a quick and engrossing read. I really enjoyed the moments where the author would break away from telling the story of the UW athletes, and mention what was happening at the same time on the other side of the world. It was sobering to realize that while these boys were training for their season and ultimately the Olympic trials and Olympics, on the other side of the world the Nazis were running Germany, and starting their "final solution." Surreal to see the differences in mindsets. I'd have to say that this is my second favorite rowing book, behind "Assault on Lake Casitas" but ahead of "A Seat with a View" - two excellent reads that you should pick up.
And finally, after 4 years of near non stop coaching work, I have decided to take another self imposed break. This time I am getting far, far away from my rowing world, and the rowing world in general, and heading to Anchorage to visit some friends, and do a complete detox from this season, and the previous seasons. I've never been to Alaska before, so this knocks off another state leaving Vermont New Hampshire, Florida and Maine as the only states I've yet to visit. I am looking forward to a month away, and getting in some hiking, some fishing, and as strange as this feels to say, some quality time away from rowing.
However, that's just not how things work. I'm always going between the lines the responsibility of a coach, and the responsibility of the athlete. Ultimately I usually end up where regardless of what did or didn't happen, if things didn't turn out well, then you as the coach need to stop and consider the issues connecting with the athletes. I know that I've mentioned this before, but again I say that when something goes wrong, and this season it went very wrong, the first thing you should do is look internally. That doesn't mean that fault isn't shared, or even handed over completely. It just means that before you assign blame, make sure that you have all your ducks in a row.
This year was disappointing because of the disconnect with the team regarding working hard and seeing results. Unfortunately this year, the team didn't fulfill their end of the bargin, and it cost us. Working hard doesn't guarantee results, but not working guarantees failure, and sadly that's where we ended up, a lot of dead last finishes due to a lack of commitment to the training plan.
Still blame cannot just be laid at the feet of the athletes. I know that this year, I got ahead of myself. I was looking too far forward, and set up a very ambitious training plan. I got ahead of myself and the team, and where we were and when things didn't fall into place, the pieces just kept falling and missing. Again, fault on both sides. Thus 2013 was a very painful season, but one that has tremendous value in what the team and I learned.
In happier news, I finished "The Boys in the Boat" inside of 24 hours. On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 7.5. There were some points where it lagged, but it was a quick and engrossing read. I really enjoyed the moments where the author would break away from telling the story of the UW athletes, and mention what was happening at the same time on the other side of the world. It was sobering to realize that while these boys were training for their season and ultimately the Olympic trials and Olympics, on the other side of the world the Nazis were running Germany, and starting their "final solution." Surreal to see the differences in mindsets. I'd have to say that this is my second favorite rowing book, behind "Assault on Lake Casitas" but ahead of "A Seat with a View" - two excellent reads that you should pick up.
And finally, after 4 years of near non stop coaching work, I have decided to take another self imposed break. This time I am getting far, far away from my rowing world, and the rowing world in general, and heading to Anchorage to visit some friends, and do a complete detox from this season, and the previous seasons. I've never been to Alaska before, so this knocks off another state leaving Vermont New Hampshire, Florida and Maine as the only states I've yet to visit. I am looking forward to a month away, and getting in some hiking, some fishing, and as strange as this feels to say, some quality time away from rowing.
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