What I Learned this Summer, Part II

This was probably the area where it is most difficult to evaluate my progress. Largely because I have not had any specific feedback from students about my lesson plans. I enrolled in a OISE/UT Additional Qualifications course and was able to communicate and exchange ideas with a plethora of business teachers facing similar concerns.

Consequently, I have a much better idea of what I teach, why I teach, who I teach, and how I should teach. Even if I forget the entire Business Studies component of this course, I will remember to ask myself those questions.

Throughout the course, we discussed how to best put ourselves in the shoes of the students who are enrolled in the course. While completing a technology based assignment, we talked about how challenging it can be to try a new task with no prior experience. Sometimes it seems that as teachers and coaches, we have done the same thing so many times we forgot what it was like to do it the first time. I will be sure to help students adapt to their new environment as they enter Grade 9 and comprehend new technologies which may be unfamiliar.

I don’t want to be in class talking about the politics of marketing or on the court talking about the triangle offence if the teenagers to whom I am speaking don’t understand the concept. As a leader, it is my job to break these ideas down into smaller specific instructions. I really want to incorporate more scaffolding in the classroom and in my practice plans. I can’t tell an M.D.P. team that the timing of the camp offence is off without explaining why this is important and how it scoring opportunities for everyone can be increased if we tighten up the execution. As Lao-Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Even Mike Krzyzewski spoke about how the Redeem Team had an attention-span of fifteen minutes and that he needed to mix things up with different speakers, different media, and rhetorical techniques, especially humour. In the The Gold Standard, Coach K writes about how instructing major concepts at the beginning of practice seemed to sap everyone’s energy. The articles and books that I read - along with my assignments for OISE/UT and the National Coaching Institute - demonstrated how much my first two goals for the summer are very interconnected.

Brock and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince may be the funniest film in the series although it could have done more to assume its intended place as the saddest one to date. As usual, it’s a very well produced film. Direction is somewhat atypical, but the odd camera angles seem appropriate. The actors do excellent work, especially Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, and Michael Gambon. Almost everyone could screen this film and enjoy themselves, as shown by a nearly $160 million opening weekend gross and an 84% Rotten Tomatoes Rating.

However, The Half-Blood Prince disappoints in a way that foreshadows what made the final volume so unsatisfying. Severus Snape is not featured enough in this movie. For the first six books, he is Harry’s antagonist (Voldemort is more of a rival to Dumbledore because of their exceptional powers). When Harry is eleven, it is acceptable for Snape to be distant, because a strict teacher is a suitable foe for a child. But as Harry grows older, he should become aware that Snape is much more than an embittered educator.

Like the previous film which glossed over the Occlumency training that Snape provided to Harry, this work needed another ten to fifteen minutes further explaining Snape’s motives. A major failure of the books is that they don’t explain Snape until the end. Revealing little pieces throughout would have made for a more complicated and sophisticated relationship between the two. Severus Snape is not an example of absolute good or evil and is like in real person in that he regrets mistakes, suffers from doubt, and seeks to atone for his past.

The Harry Potter series became so popular because author J.K. Rowling displayed tremendous imagination in creating an entire world based on magic. The characters may have the ability to perform magic but they are as fallible as anyone else (they have bad relationships although they break-up using Owl messengers, instead of Facebook wall posts). The last two books become a tangled web of plot threads. Some of the storylines are poorly developed and clutter the entire work. Likewise, this story features some superfluous sub-plots that could have been ignored, such as the Death Eaters’ abductions and the destruction of the Weasleys’ Burrow, because there is no follow-up.

Narrowing the focus of the film and emphasizing the characters and their actions would have told a better. Harry was forced into this role as “the boy that lived” but at this point in the series, he has reached a point where he must choose whether or not to claim his destiny. As audience members who have read the novels and seen the films, we are entitled to know why he made his choices.

Why Not?

One can record a maximum break in snooker in less than five and a half minutes. So why not make 147 every time? Since the balls are always arranged identically, how did the first player in this clip botch the break so badly, without potting any balls, so that Ronnie O’Sullivan was able to easily run the table, averaging one shot every nine seconds?

Why does a curler slip pushing off the hack at the Brier and therefore compromise their release? How does a collegiate wrestler lose their first match against an unranked opponent when expected to win the national championship?

The key characteristic is the formation of good habits. Whether the situation occurs during the General Preparation phase or a Peak during the Main Season, an athlete’s mentality should be the same.

The Carleton Ravens never overwhelm a team with skill. Winners of six of the past seven Canadian National Championships, it seems logical that they would have a much higher talent level than their opposition but they rarely win in a rout and often put forth poor shooting performances. However, the Ravens’ defence is always consistent and carries them through tough games.

It is evident throughout the game - from warm-up to post-game, during all of the huddles - that they don’t find the circumstances out of the ordinary. Even after they won a tough National Semi-Final against Western on a buzzer beating shot, stars Aaron Doornekamp and Stu Turnbull still took the time to clean up their bench area, showing respect and responsibility.

Coaches should continuously promote Intensity and Quality in practice in order to simulate games. Athletes must always display this work ethic during workouts (individual or team). Coaches should instruct effective emotional and attentional control in addition to sport-specific physical performance factors. Athletes should spend time finding their Ideal Performance State before all competitions, from the N.C.A.A. Tournament to Intramural Playoff Games.

Coaches could call timeout and tell athletes to “calm down” but both groups have responsibility. Mike Krzyzewski, in his cursory work Beyond Basketball, talks of the importance of visualization for himself as a youth growing up in Chicago and for players at Duke. Some of the advice in that particular book may be incredibly obvious to anybody with a quantum of common sense but the anecdotes may inspire fans with higher aspirations.

For example, Krzyzewski relates how diligent Michael Jordan was regarding his individual workouts during the preparation for the 1992 Olympics. Although Jordan was the best player in the world, he was still respectful and allowed the college coach to work him out at game-like Intensity and Quality. Even the best must invest time to maintain their physical and mental levels so that they do not slip or stumble during a critical moment.

Silver and Bronze

During the 2008 Olympics, China has placed a premium on gold medals. To some degree, the philosophy suggests that if the medal isn’t gold it doesn’t matter. Like Johan Bruyneel said in the title of his new book “We Might as Well Win.”

Many times, falling just short - pulling up instead of driving for the line, missing the critical foul shot - is an example of a lack of focus. That said, there are other occasions when a podium position is still an example of excellent mental training.

During Tuesday’s triathlon, Simon Whitfield had been dropped by the lead pack as they entered the stadium. Discarding his visor was Whitfield’s signal that he was refocusing and sprinting to the finish. The Canadian rejoined the lead pack and briefly held the lead as the runners approached the line. Whitfield was passed by a German in better shape at the time but he would have received nothing had he given up when it seemed that he was out of the race.

Later in the day, the Women’s 100m hurdles were wide open, since previous Olympic and World Champions had not qualified for the final. Lolo Jones led most of the race but her focus slipped as she approached the finish line. The American hit the penultimate hurdle and lost her balance. Dawn Harper won the race but those who kept racing hard for the entire race were involved in a photo finish as 0.02 seconds separated second and sixth position. Canada’s Priscilla Lopes-Schliep consequently won a surprise bronze medal.

Short-track speed-skaters crash, bizarre comebacks can occur. During the Men’s 200m Sprint, Usain Bolt dominated the field but the silver and bronze medalists were disqualified for stepping on the lane dividers. Sport permits all types of events to occur; determination despite obstacles is often rewarded.

Seconds

Circulation Restreinte

Carlos Sastre won the 2008 Tour de France. Cadel Evans was second, for the second consecutive year. Evans had a chance to claim the yellow jersey during Saturday’s time trial but he did not capitalize on his superior potential against the clock. Either he hurt himself more than he let on when he fell in the Pyranées or he can improve upon his mental training.

Last year, the Australian had a chance to pass eventual winner Alberto Contador in a similar situation - one stage left, short time to make up - and could not. This year, Evans said that he felt good before the race and felt he cycled well but admitted that he was surprised when he learnt his standing after the first interval.

First of all, Evans should have responded earlier when he lose the yellow jersey to Frank Schleck in the Alps and attacked on L’Alpe d’Huez. Sastre took initiative and consequently gained the lead. Secondly, Evans should focus more on the mental part of the Tour de France. In 2004, Lance Armstrong devoted a significant part of his off-season training to the time-trial on L’Alpe d’Huez and smashed the rest of the peloton. Evans could visualize the course more or find more effective ways to relax before the stage.

The Tour de France is the physically hardest sporting event to win on the planet. Every cyclist dreams of receiving the yellow jersey on the Champs Elysées but only a few can. The Tour is also one of mentally hardest sporting events to win. Strategy (short-term, long-term, teamwork) is paramount and determination is imperative. The temptation for someone in Evans’ situation becomes to make the time trial into a big obstacle; the cyclist might treat the stage like it is a baromotre of whether his career is a success or fails. It is - and should remain - a regular bike ride where he must but the hammer down as hard as he can.

On the other hand, completing the Tour is an accomplishment, especially when falling in an earlier stage, which Evans did. Making the front page of L’Équipe is satisfying but for the 150 cyclist who can’t to that, they must satisfy themselves by overcoming obstacles and setting personal bests. They can’t mentally beat themselves up because they must come back next year: physically, mentally, technically, and strategically better than ever.

The Right "Stuff"

Kobe Bryant said that if he’d been told in training camp that Los Angeles would have to win three straight games to claim the Association title, he’d take it for sure. On the other hand, Phil Jackson felt that the Lakers hadn’t grasped the significance of their situation between Thursday and Sunday. In a sense, both were right.

Boston was laying their bodies on the line, playing through pain. Doc Rivers told them to play every minute of Game 5 like it was their last. The Celtics had bought into a season-long philosophy of team play and personal sacrifice for a long-term goal. You can only rely on short-term goals like “not in our house” for so long. Eventually, a team has to play hard, play smart, and play together consistently.

Finally the Lakers got the line more frequently but there is work to be done defending the screen and roll and Paul Pierce’s subsequent penetration.

Kobe has the right perspective. It’s not the end of the world if the team loses because they will be in good shape next year. After losing to the Detroit Pistons in five games in 2004, the Lakers experienced an annus horribilis followed by two mediocre seasons before acquiring the players to get to this point. Kobe’s dissatisfaction did not prevent him from winning the most valuable player award and he has always been able to overcome tribulations on and off the court.

Kobe understands that it’s only basketball and he has a record of performing under pressure. The Lakers need to get him the ball more often in isolation situation.

Likewise, Rocco Mediate understands that it’s only golf. From his performance on the back nine of the U.S. Open and following interviews, Mediate seems to have a good sense of perspective. He is honoured to play with Tiger Woods, not intimidated by him. Mediate also understands that he can’t control how his opponents play and said that it’s pointless to root against someone in golf. He added that he had tried to win with his putts on the eighteenth green, having assumed that Tiger would make his putts.

Balancing that calm attitude is Tiger’s intensity and determination. A new Nike campaign features Earl Woods speaking about how his son will be the most focused golfer in the world. It’s important to keep things in perspective but it’s also important to have a little bit of attitude.

Before Game 7 of the 1969 Finals between the favoured Lakers and the aging Celtics, L.A. owner Jack Kent Cooke ordered some Lakers championship balloons to hang from the ceiling of the L.A. Forum. Bill Russell - who wanted to win his last game as a player more than anything - walked over to Jerry West and told him that “those f----- balloons are staying up.” West averaged 38 points per game and won the Finals M.V.P. Award but Boston beat L.A. one more time, claiming their eleventh title at the time.

Rocco Mediate has a fair chance and I don’t think he’ll shoot himself in the foot today but generally speaking, it’s important never to bet against Tiger Woods.

People Who Play Sport

When asked about Bill Belichick’s coaching success, analyst Chris Schultz said that New England’s coach understood the difference between football players and people who play football. When asked about Sam Cassell’s potential as a coach, Sam Mitchell said that Los Angeles’ point guard must learn what to do when players don’t see what he sees.

Major-General Isaac Brock was appreciated for the charisma he employed while commanding British forces in Upper Canada. Colonel Roger Sheaffe was equally disliked for his aloofness and occasionally cruel management style. The critical trait was to treating the 49th Regiment of Foot as a group of people, not mindless soldiers.

Criticism of the Phoenix-Miami trade ignores that the Suns are people who play basketball. What if the Marion-Stoudamire rift was destroying team chemistry? Or what about Phoenix’s increased confidence playing with Shaq? Opponent reluctance to attack the basket? And Shaq’s drive to prove doubters wrong? All personal factors that cannot be easily measured.

Shawn Marion’s steals on the wing and finishes on the break can be measured, as can the disappearance of easy baskets in the playoffs. Boards mean more than strips because of the opportunities they provide. Teams can win games with 85 points in the postseason if they allow only 80. Halfcourt sets must generate high-percentage shots. All areas where Shaq succeeds and Marion does not.

Shawn Marion brought multiple positives to the Suns but the positive reaction of the people involved in the trade is a prominent reason why it might push the team to new heights. Nevertheless, Steve Kerr should sign the best wing defender in the C.B.A. in case Phoenix must stop Kobe Bryant in the second round.

Tom Coughlin changed his philosophy after New York started the N.F.L. season with two losses. Self-assurance and poise defined the Giants’ championship run. Execution improved on both sides of the ball, not because of fear of discipline but due to increased focus and reduced stress.

In the Superbowl, New England proved fallible after all. Tom Brady - the person, not the image - was pressured throughout the game and made mistakes. The Patriots faced tremendous adversity; New York’s awareness of this fact supplemented the confidence that the Giant’s gained from their Week 17 experience against the Pats.

People are not perfect and it is consequently extremely difficult for teams to do likewise. Had Belichick followed Schultz’s characterization more closely, he would have done more to eliminate outside influcences on the Patriots and coached more actively. New England seemed to need more external motivation to energize the older and tired team whose intrinsic motivation had faded after eighteen consecutive wins.

Players from the intramural to the professional levels are always affected by emotions which are as difficult to master as elite sport. Accepting that players are fallible individuals is an essential criterion for successful coaches.

The Appreciation of Andre Agassi

On Monday, Andre Agassi won under the lights at the U.S. Open. In 1990 a different Andre Agassi lost to Pete Sampras in the U.S. Open Finals. Once Agassi was seen as a gifted under-achiever; now he’s admired as the epitomy of a professional athlete. Substance replaced style and successes replaced failures on the biggest stages as Agassi won the career Grand Slam.

Agassi’s career path mirrors the development of many student-athletes as they progress through High School. Often the game is more mental than physical, work ethic can trump raw talent, and consistency is critical. Agassi still possesses tremendous groundstrokes but now he controls points more from the baseline. He used to skip the Australian Open early in his career, later he won the tournament thrice in four years because he was in the best shape on tour.

Likewise, student-athletes frequently join the Junior Varsity team with great expectations and an attitude that surpasses their ability. Reaching one’s potential takes self-discipline that one acquires over the years. As Grade 9s or Grade 10s, they have yet to learn the tricks of the trade.

They may not know how to train or how to practice. But like Agassi, anyone can change.
Agassi didn’t care in the past: it was more important to practice barefoot at Wimbledon with Brooke Shields than win the Championships. Image was everything -- now winning is paramount. Could’ves (Andres Gomez/French Open/1990), Would’ves (Pete Sampras/U.S. Open/1990), Should’ves (Jim Courier/French Open/1991) gradually became Been Theres (Andrei Medvedev/French Open/1999) and Done Thats (Todd Martin/U.S. Open/1999). The same opportunity to improve exists for all athletes, irrespective of their particular situation.

Out-working opponents during the off-season, pre-playing the game in advance, and giving one’s best every day; skills that are not difficult to duplicate but difficult to learn. It took Andre Agassi almost ten years as a pro to add them to his immense skill. It takes others longer. Yet when prodigies become mature they become winners.

On Monday, Andre Agassi won once more under the lights at the U.S. Open. Bad back, down a set, and approaching retirement he persevered and won his first round match. On Thursday, Agassi will play Marcos Bagdatis, who will offer a stark contrast in style. Serve and volley vs. service returns, youth vs. experience. One more chance for Andre to apply the lessons he learnt over time and demonstrate his skill.

Marcos Baghdatis and Andy Roddick

Watching Marcos Baghdatis upset Andy Roddick at the Australian Open, I realised that tennis is a metaphor for other sports. First of all, I share commentator Dick Enberg’s opinion that the reason we all love sports is because anything can happen. Secondly, this match illustrated a bevy of non-sport related fundamentals that are relevant to any athlete or coach

What I learnt from Andy Roddick: Roddick’s body language was appalling. He looked like a loser, quibbled with the umpired, and at times did not seem to be in a ready position. There are things you can’t control - the arena roof closing due to the weather, net chords, crazy Greek fans cheering in the stands like a soccer match - but you can always control how you carry yourself. Keep your head up and your shoulders erect. Play your game, ignore the umpire. Do your best and play until the last point.

What I learnt from Marcos Baghdatis: Baghdatis came into the match with a gameplan and stuck to it. He was very aggressive, playing inside the baseline and forcing Roddick to back up. Although he was talented, he knew he needed to be disciplined the beat the world’s second ranked player. Baghdatis patiently constructed the points so that he could use his forehand as much as possible. He ignored the rankings, put himself on the line, and won a great match.

This match was won on the court, where Marcos Baghdatis out-worked Andy Roddick. But it was also won off the court because Baghdatis was not intimidated by his favoured opponent and out-prepared him. Had Baghdatis completed one task but not the other, the result may have been reversed. If Baghdatis didn’t work hard because he thought that he’d out-prepared Roddick and assumed that that was enough, the result definitely would have changed.

I truly enjoy basketball, but I enjoy the spirit of competition more. I love watching two athletes playing against each other in a major championship, doing whatever they can to win. Miniscule differences - mentally and physically - decided who was saluted by a stadium of cheering fans and who faced a “long walk” back to the locker room. The thrill Baghdatis experienced when he attained a new personal best (and the challenge of the work still needing to be done) makes the effort and sacrifice entirely worthwhile.

Little Things, Part II

My friend told me that his Tae-Kwan-Do class was asked to perform some basic kicks. Despite their black belts, the class had trouble executing white belt maneuvers. The class was given a month to improve their fundamentals.

Irrespective of the level of play, the fundamentals remain the same. All coaches should pay attention to these details and devote time to the basics. Elite basketball players still need the time to develop skills like footwork, passing, or shot-faking. This concept is not a sport-specific lesson in any way.

Whether you are running the Princeton offence or trying to combine the playbooks of the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers into a few offensive sets, you need to maintain possession of the ball, put it in the basket, and stop the other team from doing the same.

Track and Field and the Bar

Congratulations to Tyler Christopher, who won bronze in the Men’s 400m, Canada’s only medalist at the World Championships. Mark Boswell offered an interesting quote regarding his narrow miss of the bronze medal in the men’s high jump, “The bar can take you out as easily as it can put you in.” Unfortunately, it seems that many other promising Canadian competitors must go back to the mental training drawing board.