The great thing about having a blog is you can share your views and opinions on a variety of things. There's no filter or boss I have to be cautious about saying something I should not. I always try and be very open about my opinions, whether they are correct or not is sometimes open for debate.
Today is an opportunity to do a bit of complaining, so if that's not what you are interested in hearing you're welcome to read no further. This particular topic is about the point system that the Coaching Association of Canada has put into place to maintain your certification.
I don't know about other coaches, but having to show that we are continually committing to do coursework to maintain our certification is not going to make us better coaches, plain and simple. I did a 4 year bachelors in Kinesiology, a 2 years master degree in coaching studies and I've trained as a provincial (level 3) coach. I also coach year round a large number of kids, some of whom are quite strong. I also am always posting tips and videos for Serious Squash on social media. Planning practices, doing my own training and trying to develop the best possible junior program and for some reason that isn't sufficient to show that i'm worthy of maintaining my coaching certification?
You can accumulate points for maintaining your certification by doing a variety of things like first aid courses (which I've taken at least half a dozen times) and by doing various online courses and attending clinics that have something to do with sport. I constantly read books about coaching and sport yet that doesn't collect points. So really this system is actually interfering with my already successful system of learning and work. This system will make me register for courses that I have no interest in. They will also cost money and take the away from my job.
I feel a bit better after getting some of this out. Clearly this certification maintenance program wasn't developed by a coach. If you want to be a good coach you will be, not because of some system that forces you to do extra things. If I want to know something I do research or think about it and figure it out. Simply coaching and working with your athletes makes you a better coach too.
Even from squash specific technical coaching courses (1, 2 and 3) I learned just about nothing and spent a lot of time and money to complete these courses. I understand that there are people trying to justify the professionalism of coaching, but I think the Coaching Association of Canada is way off track here. Some great coaches will lose their certification while others who simply jump through the hoops which shows they do as they are told (but it doesn't meant they are actually committed coaches) will follow along because they have no other option.
That's enough of a vent. If you read this far thanks for taking the time to listen. Feel free to comment and let me know if you agree or think I'm off track.
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Showing posts with label coaching development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coaching development. Show all posts
Friday, October 5, 2018
Friday, June 10, 2016
Mandating Annual Training Plans In Junior Squash
Today I should warn you I am going to go on a bit of a rant and it's a long post. I'm a true believer that squash should be fun and also that you get out what you put into it. If you love squash and want to get better you simply need to put in the time and effort and you will get to where you want to be eventually. If you don't have that drive you won't get to where others should think you should be. It's kind of like Matt Damon in the movie Good Will Hunting. I get the sense in squash that many of us are pressing our kids for results and unfortunately some of these kids end up dropping out of our great sport for this reason. I see this all of the time after kids finish grinding away their four years at college.
I feel that junior squash has become so competitive that it has zapped out a lot of fun from the game. Many countries have these robot type children all playing the same style of squash. Coaches feel pressure to produce top kids and often disregard the reasons the kids they have play squash. A big problem is that a major objective for governing bodies is to have elite high performance programs with elite and high standard kids they can stand from afar and admire and be proud of. Many kids themselves on doubt feel pressure to make certain teams or get accepted to a good university with a squash team. I have to admit that I'm guilty of this at times too. I have talented athletes that could achieve so much more, but in the end I have to remember that what they do with squash isn't my decision it is theirs. Squash can certainly open up a lot of doors for you and the higher the level you become, generally the more opportunities it will present to you. This is where I believe that motivation is the most important trait a coach can have. It doesn't matter how well you understand the game or teach the squash swing if a kid isn't intrinsically motivated to practice and get better.
I feel that junior squash has become so competitive that it has zapped out a lot of fun from the game. Many countries have these robot type children all playing the same style of squash. Coaches feel pressure to produce top kids and often disregard the reasons the kids they have play squash. A big problem is that a major objective for governing bodies is to have elite high performance programs with elite and high standard kids they can stand from afar and admire and be proud of. Many kids themselves on doubt feel pressure to make certain teams or get accepted to a good university with a squash team. I have to admit that I'm guilty of this at times too. I have talented athletes that could achieve so much more, but in the end I have to remember that what they do with squash isn't my decision it is theirs. Squash can certainly open up a lot of doors for you and the higher the level you become, generally the more opportunities it will present to you. This is where I believe that motivation is the most important trait a coach can have. It doesn't matter how well you understand the game or teach the squash swing if a kid isn't intrinsically motivated to practice and get better.
When I was a kid I wanted to be a world champion. Yes I'm aware that didn't happen, but this can make it challenging to work with kids that have lower goals for their own squash games; especially when they have the skills and resources available to them. This is where I have to take a step back and listen to what the kids want out of squash and to how good they want to be. It's been an interesting challenge working at a school and starting up many of the kids from scratch. Most just come to practice and play for fun and enjoy competing while along the way have become pretty decent players. But these kids started playing just because we offered it at their school and they happened to be good at it or have fun playing. After 5 years running this program we do have some pretty strong players now and a few are keen to do independent training to become one of the best in Canada.
At a school sometimes kids are just registered in a specific program and have the skills to be in a specific group. So even though there are different levels of kids within our system, there are many various motivating factors and aspirations for their squash careers. I feel this variety has given me a better perspective on junior squash as a whole. Not every kid is going to be a provincial or national champion, but that doesn't mean the kids can't all enjoy squash and play it for the rest of their lives. And for a select few of these kids that do have the potential and drive to become a top caliber player that we then have the ability to provide the guidance and program to facilitate this. Let's get back to our topic!
I know this is a roundabout way to get to this point, but I wanted to give a clear personal perspective before I got into this topic. I hear that Squash BC and Squash Canada will soon be mandating that their recognized targeted athletes (as in being on a provincial squad) must have an annual training plan. At first I thought, well okay that seems reasonable for our top juniors. Then I started to think about this a little further. As soon as we have a policy that states a kid 'must' do anything the motivation moves from intrinsic to extrinsic. You can see how I immediately started worrying about this new policy and started to think it over further.
I also began to think about if an actual yearly training plan is always appropriate for all kids just because their good at squash? Are the being kids identified in British Columbia and Canada talented and dedicated enough to all benefit from being on an annual training plan? Are we going to be pushing them at too young of an age because of the pressure WE feel for them to play at a higher national or international standard? When I was a kid I would have loved this, but only if it was optional and I had this option available to me because I was a top player. If I was told I had to do this or that I don't think it would have gone over too well.
From my coaching perspective at the school the program has grown every season, but even for some of our top kids we're still working on getting them to want to train without saying they must do it. One of our biggest steps was helping the tops kids develop their own off season training program for this summer. But even this summer training program was made optional. I gave them suggestions and said it would greatly benefit for their games, but I realize not all of them are super keen to focus on training for squash year round. They are kids after all so who can blame them.
Without a doubt if these kids were on an annual training plan and stuck to them they would become better squash players in the short term. If the kids continued on this plan for a long period of time they would definitely benefit from it, but is this reason enough to implement a mandatory annual training program?
I feel most of these kids are not ready for this level of commitment. I will likely have 2-4 kids that must have an annual training plan for next season. I feel this is a sign of the sport becoming more professional at the junior level. If we want our kids to get a variety scholarship or make a national team a training plan would be great, but how many of these athletes have these goals? Would it not be worth finding out their goals and motivation first?
From a sporting government body I get it completely. We want to do better at the world stage at both the junior and senior level. As adults we know what's best for our kids, right? So mandating annual training plans is clearly a necessary requirement to producing stronger high performance pathway? Maybe they should listen to some of the coaches and athletes before they go ahead and implement this policy.
Without a doubt if these kids were on an annual training plan and stuck to them they would become better squash players in the short term. If the kids continued on this plan for a long period of time they would definitely benefit from it, but is this reason enough to implement a mandatory annual training program?
I feel most of these kids are not ready for this level of commitment. I will likely have 2-4 kids that must have an annual training plan for next season. I feel this is a sign of the sport becoming more professional at the junior level. If we want our kids to get a variety scholarship or make a national team a training plan would be great, but how many of these athletes have these goals? Would it not be worth finding out their goals and motivation first?
From a sporting government body I get it completely. We want to do better at the world stage at both the junior and senior level. As adults we know what's best for our kids, right? So mandating annual training plans is clearly a necessary requirement to producing stronger high performance pathway? Maybe they should listen to some of the coaches and athletes before they go ahead and implement this policy.
I always like to think about things from different perspectives and creative angles. I've already discussed a few of the issues I have with this protocol, but here are a few of my pros and cons of mandating our top kids to annual training plans.
Pros To Forcing Kids To Have Annual Training Plans
- the kids will be fitter, faster, stronger
- the governing bodies will meet their funding requirements
- scheduled rest time in the year
- emphasis is placed on peaking for larger tournaments
- you have a plan and goals and feel in control of your development
- it keeps you on track by helping you get into a routine
- this helps you stay on track over the season
- our kids will get a glimpse of what a professional squash player's life is like
- this is an effective way to guide a highly motivated athlete
- this helps you stay on track over the season
- our kids will get a glimpse of what a professional squash player's life is like
- this is an effective way to guide a highly motivated athlete
Cons Of Forcing Kids To Have Annual Training Plans
- makes playing competitively more serious and less fun
- increased dropout of sport
- you can become overwhelmed and immersed by the quantity of data and your training load and lose focus on what is most important, which is the quality of your training on that particular day
- increased dropout of sport
- you can become overwhelmed and immersed by the quantity of data and your training load and lose focus on what is most important, which is the quality of your training on that particular day
- motivation for playing and training can becomes extrinsic
- putting a focus on fitness means kids will develop their shots and tactics slower and could be prone to playing less attacking squash (which I feel is the current and future of the game)
- I feel like the biggest improvement most kids can make in squash is by improving their tactics and skill set. I bet there are some top world class players that never had an annual training plan when they were kids and instead of spending time in the gym lifting weights they were on court hitting the ball!
- not every kids is mentally or physically ready for an annual training plan
- some kids are fine physically and need to focus more on learning the squash part of the game (technical and tactical) and annual training plans in my opinion should be more geared toward physical training
- I believe that increasing importance of specific competitions puts extra pressure on the kids. I believe in continually improving your own game regardless on the time of the season
- training plans generally call for less technical focus prior to competitions, but there are so many competitions for kids that unless it's a few days before a tournament I will always take an opportunity to improve someone's knowledge or swing. My first couple of years coaching I would avoid changing things before competing, but the kids are constantly competing so that didn't work
- isn't the best way for someone to get better to either play a match or solo hit? I know other things are key, but for me I'm always wanting a kid to do these things first before any other additional off court training is scheduled
- If a kid does want to start an annual training plan shouldn't certified personal trainers set up these routines? Seriously, aren't they more qualified than the squash coaches?
- I've seen some pretty detailed and outrageous annual training plans that I know were not adhered to whatsoever. So really, what's the point of designing some amazing plan if it isn't going to be followed?
- how do you follow a kids plan when they train as part of a larger group who may've different training objectives?
- how do you follow a kids plan when they train as part of a larger group who may've different training objectives?
- promotes early specialization. I believe a lot of these kids that would be on this program would be better off just playing a 2nd or 3rd sport of cross training and for fun. This isn't just geared towards the junior national team players and trickles much further down the rankings and age groups
Okay, you get the point. You can see I can think of many more cons than pros for this argument. But clearly we are following the lead of other counties or even other sports. Why don't we come up with our own intelligent and creative way to assist our kids? Of course if you're a rower or in a purely endurance based sport a training plan and pure athleticism is key to success, but in squash there is so much to learn and know and just by playing we get fitter, stronger and faster and I think it should be treated differently.
I'm sure I will get some criticism for my points here. I have to say that I am not against training programs at all, just against forcing teenagers to have them simply because of their provincial or national ranking. When I've worked with some professional players we would work month by month and adjust as necessary. If someone need more work in a certain area we keeping working on it. How often are people with annual training plans adjusting them based on how they're developing? At least for most of the kids I work with, I've been concentrating on getting them to understand different types of training, how it benefits them and most importantly to motivate them to want to do it and see the benefits of training.
It will be interesting to see how things develop. It reminds me of my interview with Wee Wern Low and how she said she felt forced to go work with a 'better' coach, but she trusted her instinct and did what she felt was best for her and she kept the coach she had since she was 12. There are also similar rules stating that someone has to have a certain qualification to coach an athlete that they already work with at a provincial or national event and of course the Olympics. These rules are meant to help the athletes and get the coaches to spend time working on their certifications, but this system doesn't always work.
I really enjoy people that think like Wee Wern Low as they kind of beat the system and show us that we shouldn't be so focused on say, how hard a pitcher throws a baseball or a squash player hits a ball or the certification or experience a coach has. Because really a squash player isn't going to get very far without the tactical, mental and technical skills. All of these other 3 skills are things that I am always talking about and working on with kids, regardless of the time of season.
This topic also reminds me of a book I recently read titled 'How Bad Do You Want It' by Matt Fitzgerald. He made an interesting point about the best endurance runners. Fitzgerald discussed evidence that the top runners were comprised of a mixture of slightly lower V02max and more efficient running styles while others had a higher V02max, but because of this they always had less efficient running styles. This hits home for me in squash about how retrievers fail to develop shots or attacking tactics while those that have to because they are not as fast or fit do so. So I do think there is something to be said for learning how to play squash and developing your shots and tactics before becoming too fast, strong and fit and just winning because your run everything down. If a kid wins simply because he or she overhits or outruns their peers they are most likely to have a setback in their development of the tactics and shot making skills that their peers must have. Do you agree?
For elite and experienced players, squash is an art form. Do you think famous artists were ever on a training plan? And did that ever stop them from being their best? Of course not! If an artist is getting ready for a show they may implicitly know they have to do a bit more to prepare and get ready for this. If a squash player is playing a big international event the more they will practice without us telling them they have too. We already know all of this implicitly and do what it takes to prepare properly. If we get to the event not as prepared as we would like we learn from it and try and do better the next time. Isn't this how preparation for squash competitions should be like, more like artists that put in the hours preparing because they are working at perfecting their craft, not because they are told too?
What do you guys think? Can you think of anymore pros and cons I missed out on? Are annual training plans necessary for kids? If we were a stronger squash country at the junior level I may agree with these terms for a select few of the top kids, but in my opinion we're just not there and I actually think we have some very athletic kids already. We don't have enough kids competing and doing well at the international events in any age group. I think we should concentrate on being more competitive with our younger kids and hopefully they will be physically and mentally prepared to have a training plan when and if they are ready to do so. Some kids may be mature enough to go on a plan at 14 or 15 well others maybe not until they are in their 20's. And really if a kid never wants to go on a training plan, but loves squash and plays it all his life what is wrong with that?
Currently I don't see many (if any) Canadian juniors that are going to make a living playing squash. I still feel my biggest beef is that wouldn't an annual training plan be better suited to a kid that wanted to do it, but didn't necessarily have too? Shouldn't we simply have access to the best trainer in the country that can set up an annual plan for those targeted that ask for it? Wouldn't this be more progressive and keep the motivation for those on a plan more intrinsic? Maybe we should try and simply monitor how much of what our athletes are doing? I bet many are being pushed into doing too much for how little of years they have been training. Clearly if I was given a vote on this I would vote 'no.' I've played a high junior level and coached all different levels of kids so I feel I have a good set of experience to make my decision. I know that if I had a son or daughter playing and they were on one of these squads I would never force them to train and be on an annual program if they didn't want to do it. Sorry for the lengthy post, hope it was interesting to you! I'm guessing if you made it all the way to here it was :)
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Coaching Development
Today I'm going to discuss coaching education. I know, how exciting? But it is something that is important not only to us coaches, but to the parents, athletes and for our employers. We often believe the higher the certification the more qualified the coach, but is this always the truth? When someone chooses a squash coach they likely don't have many options. Unless you live in a big city with a lot of squash courts you likely only have 1 or 2 options on which coach to choose. If you are fortunate enough to have a choice, how do you decide? Is it who is cheapest? Who has availability? Or do you simply want the best coach? If you want to select the best coach how do you go about doing this?
Is a level 5 coach better than a level 4 coach? A 4 superior to a 3 and so on? See I went and did my masters in coaching to become a better coach; bottom line. Over the years as I've applied for a few coaching jobs they always ask what my certification level is. I would tell them it was 1 or 2 or now almost done 3 and I also mention that I did complete a 2 year masters program in coaching studies. A few years ago I was told I was a runner up for a Canadian coaching position because I had not completed the level 3 certification, although I had completed all of the courses. So this club hired someone from outside of Canada with a completed level 3 who I might add does not have a masers degree, yet alone in coaching! That felt like a ridiculous reason if this was the truth especially since this club did't have any elite players. Is there a benefit to the members of a squash club in having a level 3 certified coach? I guess to this one there was. So you can see I've had some challenges with the certification system and what it stands for. I'm more focused on becoming the best I can be, not just what just looks good on my resume.
I see a lot of coaches get hired simply because they are former PSA players. This is a club hiring a name. It surely doesn't imply that this person will or won't be a good coach. I know many coaching positions are taken up by ex-PSA players instead of professional coaches. So there clearly are times where certification doesn't seem to matter. About 15 years ago I did my level 1 course with one of the most famous squash coaches in Canada. He had been coaching for over 20 years and had no certification. Did he learn anything from it? I don't know, but I marvelled at how attentive and interested he appeared to be taking an introductory coaching course after coaching so many top kids and one of the biggest programs in North America.
I've often though about getting certified for my level 3 and take the level 4 courses. I don't know if that will ever happen. I've always wanted to coach a National Team and this is the only way I would be able to do that here in Canada. But I haven't enjoyed the certification process thus far. Coaching courses have had a minimal impact on my coaching education and ability. Where I have learned most is from being on court teaching. I've also learned a lot from working with and talking with other coaches. I know squash is a small scale sport, but I believe a mentorship coaching program would be far more valuable to my development. I am fortunate that I have been able to work alongside a couple of great coaches and they have greatly assisted with my development as a coach.
Reading books, watching and thinking about squash is learning and are all methods of self-improvement. We don't get credit for taking a self-interst in expanding our knowledge. A mentorship program is something I would love to do. I have always wanted to take part in a variety of programs for a short period of time (say a week or a month) to learn how other experienced coaches run practices and teach their students. To me this would be worthy of a flight across Canada or anywhere in the world. Maybe this is something the WSF can look into. Perhaps a group of clubs and/or coaches can volunteer to participate and offer to host temporary intern coaches for a temporary basis. If they could find a way to pay the intern so they can afford to do it that would be ideal. Only by sharing can we truly maximize our potential as coaches. If the WSF initiated this program I would sign up as an intern and host. But come to think of it I would probably only qualify as an intern because I haven't completed my level 3 certification yet!
Now it's my time to go on a little rant here on the Coaches of Canada. Coaches of Canada has a new policy which says coaches must earn credit every 5 years to maintain their certification. I know it isn't much, but forcing a coach to do something that maybe isn't going to assist with their development is the wrong approach in my books. Although I can see why this is a policy, doesn't this go against what motivates us? After reading the book Drive I realized that we often lose motivation for doing things we already do when we are forced to do them or external rewards are given. As a coach I am always learning, not to appease my certification but for my own interest and mostly to help the athletes I coach. To be a good coach you have to be selfless and you must continually learn how to improve your skills. Forcing a coach to do it goes against this framework of motivation and isn't necessary. I feel like all good coaches continue learning and those that aren't will just jump through the hoops to keep their certification up and keep a pay cheque coming in. So really, how does this help anyone?
In conclusion I ask is there a better way for coaches to learn? I'd like to think so. There have been plenty of times where I could have used some direction and guidance in being a young squash coach. Those that grew up playing and learning under a talented coach certainly have a great advantage as coaches. Is a worldwide internship program possible? I know some coaches don't like to share their secrets, but here I am sharing all of mine for free! Would enough coaches freely share their wisdom with peer coaches from other countries? I believe this would create a lot of important networks in our squash circle and all of those that take part would benefit. Now where can I sign up to coach alongside an Egyptian academy :)
Is a level 5 coach better than a level 4 coach? A 4 superior to a 3 and so on? See I went and did my masters in coaching to become a better coach; bottom line. Over the years as I've applied for a few coaching jobs they always ask what my certification level is. I would tell them it was 1 or 2 or now almost done 3 and I also mention that I did complete a 2 year masters program in coaching studies. A few years ago I was told I was a runner up for a Canadian coaching position because I had not completed the level 3 certification, although I had completed all of the courses. So this club hired someone from outside of Canada with a completed level 3 who I might add does not have a masers degree, yet alone in coaching! That felt like a ridiculous reason if this was the truth especially since this club did't have any elite players. Is there a benefit to the members of a squash club in having a level 3 certified coach? I guess to this one there was. So you can see I've had some challenges with the certification system and what it stands for. I'm more focused on becoming the best I can be, not just what just looks good on my resume.
I see a lot of coaches get hired simply because they are former PSA players. This is a club hiring a name. It surely doesn't imply that this person will or won't be a good coach. I know many coaching positions are taken up by ex-PSA players instead of professional coaches. So there clearly are times where certification doesn't seem to matter. About 15 years ago I did my level 1 course with one of the most famous squash coaches in Canada. He had been coaching for over 20 years and had no certification. Did he learn anything from it? I don't know, but I marvelled at how attentive and interested he appeared to be taking an introductory coaching course after coaching so many top kids and one of the biggest programs in North America.
I've often though about getting certified for my level 3 and take the level 4 courses. I don't know if that will ever happen. I've always wanted to coach a National Team and this is the only way I would be able to do that here in Canada. But I haven't enjoyed the certification process thus far. Coaching courses have had a minimal impact on my coaching education and ability. Where I have learned most is from being on court teaching. I've also learned a lot from working with and talking with other coaches. I know squash is a small scale sport, but I believe a mentorship coaching program would be far more valuable to my development. I am fortunate that I have been able to work alongside a couple of great coaches and they have greatly assisted with my development as a coach.
Reading books, watching and thinking about squash is learning and are all methods of self-improvement. We don't get credit for taking a self-interst in expanding our knowledge. A mentorship program is something I would love to do. I have always wanted to take part in a variety of programs for a short period of time (say a week or a month) to learn how other experienced coaches run practices and teach their students. To me this would be worthy of a flight across Canada or anywhere in the world. Maybe this is something the WSF can look into. Perhaps a group of clubs and/or coaches can volunteer to participate and offer to host temporary intern coaches for a temporary basis. If they could find a way to pay the intern so they can afford to do it that would be ideal. Only by sharing can we truly maximize our potential as coaches. If the WSF initiated this program I would sign up as an intern and host. But come to think of it I would probably only qualify as an intern because I haven't completed my level 3 certification yet!
Now it's my time to go on a little rant here on the Coaches of Canada. Coaches of Canada has a new policy which says coaches must earn credit every 5 years to maintain their certification. I know it isn't much, but forcing a coach to do something that maybe isn't going to assist with their development is the wrong approach in my books. Although I can see why this is a policy, doesn't this go against what motivates us? After reading the book Drive I realized that we often lose motivation for doing things we already do when we are forced to do them or external rewards are given. As a coach I am always learning, not to appease my certification but for my own interest and mostly to help the athletes I coach. To be a good coach you have to be selfless and you must continually learn how to improve your skills. Forcing a coach to do it goes against this framework of motivation and isn't necessary. I feel like all good coaches continue learning and those that aren't will just jump through the hoops to keep their certification up and keep a pay cheque coming in. So really, how does this help anyone?
In conclusion I ask is there a better way for coaches to learn? I'd like to think so. There have been plenty of times where I could have used some direction and guidance in being a young squash coach. Those that grew up playing and learning under a talented coach certainly have a great advantage as coaches. Is a worldwide internship program possible? I know some coaches don't like to share their secrets, but here I am sharing all of mine for free! Would enough coaches freely share their wisdom with peer coaches from other countries? I believe this would create a lot of important networks in our squash circle and all of those that take part would benefit. Now where can I sign up to coach alongside an Egyptian academy :)
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